Selecting an appropriate resume style will help you communicate your qualifications
more effectively and give you an advantage over your competition. Some common resume
styles are traditional (which includes chronological) and functional.
Different styles must be used for resumes that will be e-mailed, scanned, or viewed on the
Internet. Some combination of styles is often very effective, and more than one
resume may be necessary.
One person may best present his/her qualifications with a traditional resume, while
another may use a functional format. You may need to use more than one style of resume,
depending on the positions you are considering. Understanding how and when to use each
type enables you to present yourself in the most powerful manner. While these are the
basic styles, there are others; and there are variations of each of them.
Learn about a variety of resume styles; don't hesitate to modify them so the resume
fits your situation, not vice versa. Check the sample resume notebooks and the books about
resume writing on the Resumes and Correspondence shelf in the CDO for examples.
The differences in resume styles or types affect primarily the way that experiences,
activities, skills and achievements are presented.
TRADITIONAL
In the traditional style, experiences include the following information:
- job title (or title representing your role, such as "Accounting Intern" or
"Social Work Volunteer")
- organization name, city, and state (no street address or zip code)
- dates or length of time ("Fall 200_, 10 weeks")
- descriptive phrases (Refer to "Describing Your Experiences" in Career Guide R3.)
Organize experiences in chronological order when you want to show that you have
uninterrupted, progressively responsible experience (over a period of time) directly
related to your objective. Dates are placed in the left margin for emphasis. This order
can be useful for experienced candidates to show career progression. It can work against
you if your most recent experience isn't related to your current goals or if you have gaps
in your employment history.
Organize experiences in priority order when you want to show relevance by
grouping your experiences in order of importance or by type instead of by date. Dates can
be placed on the same line as the job title or on a separate line. Dates are not placed in
the left margin unless using the chronological order.
In the traditional style, either the job title or the organization name is presented
first (be consistent), so that when a reader skims a resume written in this style, that
information is most apparent. If you have job titles or organization names that are
directly related to the positions you are considering, this style may be effective for
you. Example:
Student Teacher, Kindergarten, Fall 2003_, 10 weeks
Highland Elementary School, Derby, NY
- Assumed full classroom responsibility for two weeks.
- Developed and implemented unit on space incorporating learning centers in all subject
areas.
- Directed developmental math activities based on Math Their Way.
- Participated in parent-teacher conferences.
FUNCTIONAL
In this style, instead of putting your descriptive phrases with each
job title, group the phrases to demonstrate a skill, ability, or function
you know is desired for the positions you are considering. Use phrases
from several different experiences in one group; include 2-4 groups
and place them in priority order. Name the groups by the skill or
function you are illustrating. Place your position titles, organization
names, cities, states, and dates in a separate section with no descriptive
phrases.
When a reader skims a resume written in the functional style, the names of related
skills or functions are most apparent. This is a good way to present skills gained and
tasks performed in class assignments, activities and volunteer experiences. If your
position titles and organization names do not communicate the skills and experiences you
have that are related to your goals, this style may be effective for you.
COMMUNICATION SKILLS
- Gave presentations to prospective college students as a peer recruiter.
- Conducted informational tours of college campus as an ambassador.
- Taught group and individual lessons to first and second grade students for five weeks.
- Hired to contact parents and alumni for donations as a fundraising telemarketer.
- Successfully completed Technical Writing class to sharpen business writing skills.
- Represented college as ambassador at official functions, open houses, and alumni
receptions.
COMBINATION
A combination style is any resume you create which uses elements of more than one
resume style. Many resumes are written in this way, resulting in your personal style. One
person may, for example, choose to include a "Capabilities" section and present
experiences in the traditional style in priority order. Another person may choose to include two
or three "Skills" sections in the functional style and present the position titles,
organization names, and dates in the traditional style in chronological order.
ELECTRONIC
A discussion of resume styles usually refers to resumes that will be read by human
eyes. The increasing use of technology in the transmission, storage and retrieval of resume data has introduced new considerations for resume construction and formatting. If you plan to use technology to
transmit your resume, or if the organizations to which you are applying use scanning or
imaging technology and computerized databases for the storage and retrieval of candidate
information, some basic considerations are:
Resumes that will be scanned should be prepared with the understanding
that a keyword search will probably be used to screen qualified
candidates. That means using very specific, carefully selected nouns
and using a plain font that is easily readable by a scanner.
A resume that will be forwarded by electronic mail should be created
in a plain text file format or rich text file (RTF) format in order
to be certain that it will be readable by its recipient unless the
organization has indicated that they are willing to accept attachments.
For more detailed instructions about these technology-related issues, consult the
Resumes and Correspondence shelf in the resource area of the CDO.
FINALLY: Think about the positions you are considering, how you can most
convincingly communicate your related qualifications, and write a draft. Bring your draft
to the CDO during Drop-in Hours for suggestions and answers to your questions.
 CAREER GUIDES are provided by the Career Development Office,
Gregory Hall, 2nd floor, SUNY Fredonia, Fredonia, NY 14063 (716) 673-3327
|
