A functional resume focuses on transferable skills and experience rather than a chronological work history. It is generally used by career changers or candidates with employment gaps.
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It is the most effective way to deal with a checkered professional history. And it’s easier to write than you think if you follow our detailed guide.
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This guide will show you:
- What is a functional resume.
- Who the functional resume format is best for.
- How to structure a functional resume.
- Expert tips on Write an effective functional resume.
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[I used] a nice template that I found on found Zety. My resume is now one page, not three. With the same stuff.
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- Modern Resume Templates
- Example of a chronological CV
- Example of a career change CV
- Simple CV template
- Examples of an entry-level CV
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Need to jump to the right section that interests you the most? Use the table of contents:
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- What is a functional resume?
- Who is the functional resume format good for?
- Functional resume examples and why they work
- Functional resume layout, structure and writing tips
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Reading: How to create a resume letter
A functional resume is a type of resume format that prioritizes skills over experience. The purpose of a functional resume is to draw attention to transferable skills rather than focusing on a chronological overview of your work history.
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Due to its characteristics, it is sometimes referred to as referred to as skills. based resume.
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This resume format is suitable for people who aspire to a job that is not directly related to their work history.
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Sounds too good to be true, right?
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Here’s the problem:
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The functional resume format is what most recruiters hate.
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Why?
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Think about it. Statistically, recruiters spend 7 seconds scanning each resume. They don’t read resumes. You scan them for the most important thing.
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In these 7 seconds you can see what recruiters are particularly looking for:
- Your relevant qualifications
- Your relevant qualifications
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- Your job titles
- The highest level of responsibility you have achieved
- Where and when you developed your skills
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A functional resume hides what recruiters are looking for. Worse, you lose credibility if your skills aren’t matched with relevant work experience.
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Does that mean CVs like this are totally worthless? Well, not so fast.
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The purpose of a functional resume is to help those who don’t have the relevant work experience.
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It’s not about hiding your skills, it’s about showing that they transcend traditional work history.
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Here’s what distinguishes a functional resume – or competency-based resume format:
- A more comprehensive introduction to the resume.
- A deeper skills section.
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And that’s what’s important for some jobs. To get in for an interview, you need to highlight your strongest skills – a range of hard and soft skills.
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Let’s see if the functional resume can work for you.
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Who is the functional resume format good for?
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In general, the functional resume is best when:
- You are moving to a new industry where your work history is mismatched.
- You highlight your specific skills required for the position you are applying for.
- You lack work experience relevant to the position you are applying for.
- Your professional career has many gaps.
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Do you need specific examples?
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Here are the most common types of candidates who will benefit from a functional, skills-based resume:
- Creative types – your portfolio is in demand most important, and the functional CV gives you more creative space to showcase your talent in an application.
- Overqualified candidates – helps to show your skills and not your work history.
- Resumes for military transfers —Detailed military work experience is difficult for you to demonstrate because recruiters don’t come across it that often.
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One critical disclaimer: A functional resume will don’t do this work if you have absolutely no work history behind your belt.sounds like you? Jump to this beast from a guide written by my friend Christian: No Work Experience? How to write your CV
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The biggest advantage of a functional CV – it is versatile.
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And skills are very important for recruiters.
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Yet, functional resumes are suitable for very few job seekers.
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Fortunately, there are other common resume structures to choose from:
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- Chronological resumes work best for candidates with a linear one , well-structured work history that seeks to highlight work history and key work accomplishments.
- The combo resume is best suited for very experienced job seekers: it highlights skills and links them to relevant experience.
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Before you make your final decision, let’s compare these resume structures to see the pros and cons:
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See also: Wait! Did you know these 3 things?
Chronological CV
Functional CV
Combined CV
Perks
- Highlights experience and achievements
- Easy to scan
- ATS scannable
- Emphasizes your skills
- Good for creatives with a variety d portfolio io
- Highlights your skills in relation to your career
- Conceals employment gaps.
- ATS scannable
Cons
- Requires consistent formatting
- Shows employment gaps
- Difficult to scan
- Hides your experience
- Non-ATS scannable
- Only for highly specialized professionals
- Difficult to format and organize
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When you create a resume in our builder, drag and drop bullets and skills and autofill the boring stuff . spell check? Check over. Start creating a professional resume template here for free.
When you’re done, Zetys resume generator will assess your resume and tell you exactly how it can be improved.
Not convinced that the functional resume is the best format for you? Take a look at our in-depth guide: Resume Format: Examples and Templates for All Types of Resumes (10+)
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Now you know the basics of a functional resume.
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You understand who it’s best for.
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Time For some fun – Watch a functional resume in action.
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Let’s take a look at a well-written functional resume and see why it can be so effective.
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Example of a functional resume format – conceptual artist
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Wow—
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Janice has talents.
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And she backs hers up Talents with key qualifications.
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She chose the functional resume format to highlight the various skills she has as an artist.
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See how she bullet uses points in the skills area? It’s easy for any recruiter to scan and flip through.
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She may not be an experienced candidate having only done one job for the past few years.
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But – her skills show how her transition into the new role will be smooth with all the important accomplishments she highlights.
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You’ve seen the functional resume in action.
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And the format of the functional resume is super helpful.
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But – you need a little more detail to make each section of your functional resume shine.
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Look no further – this section breaks down each part of your functional resume.
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Let’s start with the basic layout of sections in a functional resume:
- Name and job title
- Contact information – address, phone number, email and social me dia accounts (if needed)
- CV Goal – Highlight Skills and Achievements
- Skills Summary – Highlight your skills in this Section highlighting your position Resume
- Work experience – smaller section but can be omitted
- Education – highest degree and most relevant credentials
- Additional skills – in addition to the position you are applying for
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Let’s break down each section so you know how to write a functional resume.
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Start with your name and job title
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Seems like the easiest part of your functional resume, right? Well, it’s a little harder than you think.
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Which job title should you choose if you are a creative type or unemployed?
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Or should it be for the position you’re hoping for?
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If your skills match the position, choose a default title – Artist, Copywriter, Teacher.
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But –
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If you’re the one using a functional resume to change roles or industries, don’t add a job title as it could be confusing recruiter.
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Need more information on which job title to include on your functional resume? Read our guide: 450 job titles that work on a resume and job search [Current and Wanted!]
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List yours Contact information on
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Make sure your contact information is current on a resume.
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Also provide Your cell phone number, a LinkedIn profile on your resume, and an email address.
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Make sure your email looks professional.
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Go with a CV Goal
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See also: How To Make a Clothing Website: A Quick Guide to Help Retailers Build an Online Presence
Let’s downplay the gaps in your employment with an absolutely perfect CV goal.
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It puts your functional resume on the right foot – by showing your skills and key achievements.
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Add 3 -Add 4 examples of your most important personal achievements. Select achievements based on the position you are applying for.
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Convince recruiters that you will use your skills to help your future employer.
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Need help writing your resume profile? Check out our in-depth guides: Resume Summary Examples (30+ Professional Summaries) and 50+ Resume Goal Examples: Career Goals for Any Job (+Tips).
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Write the perfect competency summary
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This is the shining moment for your functional resume.
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It should raise the hiring manager’s eyebrows.
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It should convince him that your skills are more important than your career.
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Remember that the position you are applying for has certain requirements. This is the section where you prove you are capable of fulfilling the job role.
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Follow these simple steps to get the skills section right to do:
- Compile a master list of all the skills you have. Include your soft skills, hard skills, and technical skills.
- Go to the job posting and review the skills required for the position. Write these skills down.
- Compare these skills with your master list and identify those that overlap.
- Choose 3-4 of these skills and list them in this one section of your resume.
- Assign 3-4 key points to each skill. A bullet point should quantify your skills in a relevant way.
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Want more information on how to include your skills on a resume? Read our guide: 99 key resume skills (list of best examples for all types of jobs).
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Describe your work experience
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Now comes the hard part.
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How do you show relevant work experience when you have gaps? Employment?
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Follow our tips and it shouldn’t derail your application.
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Think about why first you were unemployed . There are many acceptable reasons why people are unemployed.
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Were you a full-time student? Parent? Travel? Identify periods of unemployment and why.
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Perhaps you took on many temporary projects but did not have a permanent job. Use years instead of months to indicate your work experience on your functional resume.
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If you’ve had a gap within the year, it still shows you’ve worked consistently, with small breaks -between.
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When you list employment history, be sure to include the dates, job title, and company name for each position you held. Also add the location of the company.
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Add your education
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The The education section tells your employer that you are valuable.
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It also takes into account what skills you have on your functional resume.
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If you are fresh out of school or have breaks from work, consider adding:
- GPA
- Relevant coursework
- Minor
- Dean’s List
- Honors
- Study Abroad
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Read more tips for your education in Our dedicated guide section: How to Put Your Education on a Resume [Tips & Examples].
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Show off your additional skills
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Use this section to add any additional skills you have beyond those listed in the Skill Summary section.
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Only add skills to increase your chances. Here are some ideas:
- Languages
- Software – WordPress, SEM Rush, Adobe InDesign, MS Office Suite
- Certificates
- Volunteer work
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Finally, remember to write a cover letter to send along with your functional resume. Cover letters are still expected today!
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In addition, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an edge over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter generator here. It could look like this:
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Check out more cover letter templates and get started You start writing .
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And there you have it!
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Now you can create a functional resume for write your specific needs.
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Don’t see your imperfect work history as a weakness.
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Think of your great skills – and highlight them it with an absolutely perfect functional resume.
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Here’s everything you need to know about writing a functional resume:
- A functional resume format is best for those who don’t have traditional work experience—or none at all.
- A functional resume draws the recruiter’s attention to your skills.
- A well-written functional resume needs to draw attention to the Tailored to the job you are applying for.
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Have questions about writing a functional resume? Maybe you want to give advice on how to do everything right? Let us know in the comments below. We’re here to help!
See also: How To Create a Perfect &x27Contact Us&x27 Page
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- Your relevant qualifications
