The purpose of a resume, whether a functional resume or any other type of resume, is to show a prospective employer that you have the skills, the experience, the aptitude, the training and the knowledge necessary to perform the job for which the employer seeks candidates. The purpose of a functional resume or any other type of resume is to convince the employer that you should be invited to an interview for the position.
Functional Resume Is Not Right For Everyone
Before you start your functional resume, or even determine that a functional resume is the type you should be writing, you must do a careful assessment of yourself. You must look at your abilities, your work skills, the values you possess that are important to the work place and especially to the position and industry for which you are applying. You have to think about your accomplishments, asking yourself what skills you have honed, what your strengths you have, what you have accomplished at prior work places, and why an employer should hire you.
What Are Your True Skills?
Starting your functional resume may be the most difficult part of the resume construction process for its here that you have to do your most objective and probing thinking. You must look at your academic achievements and environments, your work experiences and your volunteer positions and accomplishments. You must gather documentation as well.
You must take considerable time doing this and perhaps brainstorming with others who know you well. You'd be surprised, as you prepare to write your functional or other resume, how many skills you can define that you hadn't original thought of.
While there are several types of resumes some of them are simple variations on the two major types. The two primary types of resume are chronological resume and functional resume.
Functional Resume vs. Chronological Resume
The most common type of resume is the chronological resume. That does not mean, however, that you should assume it is the resume that should be preferred for you over the functional resume. The chronological resume is most commonly used, but that doesn't mean it was the best choice. If your work history is in the same industry and shows no significant time gaps and progressively more advanced work, you would be well to use a chronological resume rather than a functional resume.
A chronological resume is one in which the applicant's work history is listed in reverse chronological order, with the most recent job listed first. After the listing of job title and firm you would include a brief summary of your duties, responsibilities and achievements while holding that position with that firm.
A functional resume, on the other hand, emphasizes your skills more than it does your actual job duties and the dates during which you performed each job. A functional resume does not necessitate your listing the positions in chronological order. The first job listed, in contrast, is the one whose skills most closely match the skills required in the job for which you are applying.
A functional resume is best used if you are making a change of career or industry, or if you have significant time gaps in your work history. You should also use a functional resume if your education or work history is limited.