Functional Resume
A functional resume allows you to highlight your skills and abilities more prominently and your job titles as less important.
Skills are expressed in groups and can be customized to match the requirements in the job description more closely. This is
a good format for people who have gaps in their professional experience. It might also work well when someone wants to change their
line of career.
It should be noted, though, that this format is not very common and most employers will find it different. Please research the
employer so that you get an indication of whether they are open to thinking 'outside-the-(chronological)box'.
Functional Resume Format
- Objective: The objective should be a sentence that provides a more general picture of what kinds of
careers your skills and experience fit you best. For example, rather than writing 'International development intern', write 'Keen interest and
passion to participate in poverty alleviation and improve the socio-economic status of individuals in developing countries'. This means
your objective is not wrapped around a specific job position, instead, it is a cause, a commitment, something you have deliberately prepared
yourself for and are ready to defend. If you are submitting an application for a job that was not advertised, then you can indicate the type of job (title)
you are interested in.
- Highlights: Highlights are usually bulleted or numbered points summarizing about 4 (maximum 6) of your skills that make you the best fit for the job. One of the bullets can be related to your education, especially if they is a
close connection with the position. Another bullet (or two) can relate to your work experience; previous job you did that gave you the kind of skills that are most relevant for the position you are applying for. You can then include
transferable skills in about two bullets. The opening statement should be designed to capture the attention of the employer, it must be both interesting and precise.
- Education: In the education section, the degree/diploma/certificate you have obtained (or expect to), your area of study / Major/Minor, the institutions you attended, and the years of study can be
included. You are supposed to decide the criteria for prioritization. In most job applications, the program of study is more important than the institution you attended. But there are some exceptions where the institution may be more important to showcase than the
program of study. For example, if you are applying for an IT job but you have a degree in Linguistics, it might be justifiable to indicate, first, that you attended MIT. Because this will make the employer to become more accepting to your program of study. Another example is
if you are applying for a part time job in the cafeteria just opposite your University, indicating that you are a student at that University may be more important than indicating first that you are pursuing a Bachelor of Education degree. Realize that the concept of
prioritization is subjective to some extent.
- Relevant Skills: Group your skills into skill areas. The for each skill area, add 4-6 bullets listing the experiences you have obtained that enabled you to develop those skills. Adding numbers helps provide a
measure of scope. For example, what was the number of years, how many people did you supervise, How much were the sales... etc.
- Work Experience: The work experience and volunteer experience is listed in reverse chronological order with the most recent experience appearing first. No skills will be provided again in this section.
- Additional Skills: These includes relevant skills that are not necessarily associated with any of the jobs listed above. For example, First Aid, CPR, languages, etc.
- Extra-curricular Activities: This section provides an opportunity for you to discuss your values, personalities and other interests, such as sports.
- References: There are normally three options here. Either you indicate that 'References will be available upon request', or 'References will be provided at the interview'
or...you just provide your references with the application.
