A resume plays a huge role when it comes to your job search. It is a detailed description of your skills, training, work experiences, educational qualifications, etc. When you appear for a job interview, a two or three-page detailed resume decides your upcoming career.
Therefore, it’s crucial to make your resume attractive and informative at the same time. But, if you don’t know the format and opt for the wrong resume, it will disappoint the interview committee, and you won’t get your dream job.
Therefore, knowing the exact format and when to choose which resume is crucial. If you want to get moreadditional info about how to choose the right resume format, let’s start reading.
Things to keep in mind while creating a resume:
Before getting into the classifications of resumes, you must know a few details that will help you to create a perfect, balanced, and impressive resume.
- Organization: No matter what kind of resume you are opting for or which role or position, your resume must be organized. If you start writing your working details on top, continue it before starting any other information.
- Clarity: Your resume must be clear so that the hiring committee does not find anything wrong or skeptical about it.
- Simplicity: Always use easy words and simple sentences on your resume.
- Originality: Do not copy-paste any detail found on the internet in your resume. Your resume should be unique, encompassing only authentic facts and details about you.
- Visually appealing: A resume must be visually appealing as you will get judged depending on it. If it comes to being full of errors and bad handwriting, your chances of getting hired will get lessened.
Top three resume formats:
There are mostly three types of resumes. These are:
- Chronological resume:
It is the classic resume structure that mainly focuses on the work experience of the candidate. Although it has become a little backdated, the effectiveness of this resume is inevitable.
In a chronological resume, you have to jot down your experience in a vertical format. In short, a chronological resume portrays the most relevant and famous work experience one has had throughout his life.
If you are finding for a new job, you can opt for a chronological resume without thinking twice. But here’s a quick tip for you.
As a fresher or a college student, you should never opt for an achronological resume, as the goal of this resume is to highlight and showcase your previous work experiences. So, make sure to select this resume when you have enough work experience to show it to the hiring team.
Key features of a chronological resume:
- It effortlessly highlights your prior work experience and creates an impression.
- With this resume, it becomes easy for the hiring team to decide whether you are suitable for the job or not as it showcases your prior positions and job titles.
- It accentuates your achievements in the job field.
- It is probably the best resume for those with lots of work experience.
- Functional resume:
As the name implies, a functional resume brings up a candidate’s abilities, goals, expertise, etc. Instead of showcasing your prior experience, this resume emphasizes your qualification, knowledge, and skills.
It only deals with your skills, software management ability, descriptions of several tools you can handle, etc.
The layout of a functional resume effortlessly explains your talent and how it can contribute to the growth of the company you are interested in. It works as a sophisticated and unique piece that contains your ability and degrees and your commitment, goals, and plans.
As a functional resume doesn’t contain a detailed description of work experience, it is the best option for freshers with few or zero experiences. You can write a brief on the top to introduce yourself before starting your resume. Choose every word carefully for creating a great first impression on the hiring team.
Key features of a functional resume:
- It is the best resume for those who are new and inexperienced.
- If your goal is to be a part of a creative position in a job, you can jot down your abilities, capabilities, and goals via this resume.
- It helps the companies that prefer knowledge over experience.
- Combination resume:
A combination resume is a versatile, perfect, and balanced mix of a functional and chronological resume. It contains all details, including your skills, ability, goals, experience, and others, in one paper. It is a perfect resume for all job seekers.
With a combination resume, you can easily describe your previous work experience and knowledge, strengths, and objectives together. It is a perfect balance of both soft and hard skills. So, if you have decent work experience and want to grow more by employing your abilities, creativity, and knowledge, a combination resume is the best for you.
Key features of combination resume:
- It is the perfect resume for professional pivots.
- When you have little but relevant experience.
- You can try a combination resume when you have a volunteer background.
So, which resume is for you?
Now, when you know about all three different types of resumes, it’s your turn to research more and select the one for you.
Select a chronological resume when you want to show off your prior working experience and highlight your roles and positions.
Paradoxically, if you are a fresher with almost zero experience, you can use a functional resume. It will show your skills, knowledge, and capabilities.
Opt for a combination resume when you have little but relevant experience. Click for more info on the right format for writing a resume, in case you are still in doubt.
Conclusion:
So, it was pretty much all about the process of selecting the right resume format. Now, when you have collected almost all the information about a resume and its variations, hopefully, writing a strong, impressive, and powerful resume will not be a hassle for you anymore. So, choose a suitable format and make an attractive resume today.