Is Your Resume Format Hurting Your Job Search?
If your job hunt has been landing zero interview requests, you may have a case of the resume format blues. You know that your resume is supposed to showcase your best qualities, so maybe it’s time to rethink your resume and get you singing a new tune.
Resumes are a personal marketing tool with exactly one goal–to land you an interview. Think of the resume as the demo tape that interests a record producer. You don’t get the record deal with the demo tape, but you do get a chance to sell your material in person.
Resume formats are like the recording technology a musician uses to produce his or her demo tape. Picking the wrong recording technology produces a muffled, dead sound that robs the music of its best moments. Similarly, choosing the wrong resume format covers up your strengths and makes it harder for a potential employer to see what makes you worth an interview.
Let’s take a look at the pluses and downsides of the three common resume formats and get you out of the resume format blues.
The Chronological Format
The chronological format is the most common resume format. Basically, it is the jobs you have worked listed in reverse chronological order. The chronological resume works best for the person with the ideal employment history: one that has no gaps, and shows a clear development of responsibility over time. The chronological format is also a good format if you have extensive experience in a single field and are pursuing a job within that field.
Chronological Pluses
Showcases Career Development
Highlights Stability
Emphasizes Experience
Chronological Downsides
Punishes Non-Traditional Workers
Downplays Cross-Trained Skills
Hinders New Career Moves
The Functional Format
In contrast, the functional format barely touches the subject of job history, focusing instead on the skills you have acquired from any activity, including homemaking, volunteer work and self-employment.
Unfortunately, the functional resume format is not preferred by many employers and most online job boards do not support this type of resume, either.
Functional Pluses
Showcases Skill Development
Acknowledges Volunteer and Homemaking Work
Downplays Work History
Functional Downsides
Not Well Supported Online
Not Accepted By Many Employers
The Combination Format
The combination resume format takes a hybrid approach, stressing the skills you have to offer an employer, while providing more detail about your job history. If you are making a career change, the combination format may be more suited to your job hunting goals.
Combination Pluses
Highlights Skill Development
Enables Career Changes
Combination Downsides
Not Preferred By Employers
Not Well Supported in Online Environments
A proper resume format enhances your value in the eyes of potential employers. An improper resume format lowers your value by hiding achievements and obscuring your talents. Make sure that your resume format is not getting in the way of your job hunting goals or you may be singing the resume format blues for a long time.
