Is Your Resume Functional?

As soon as changes of direction and gaps appear in your employment record you may consider a functional resume. The time worn chronological format is a bit like a trail of where you've been as well as how long you remained at each place on the employment circuit. It gives out unnecessary information that can be detrimental to you.

The first move towards a functional layout is when people list their job experience in reverse chronological order. Certainly no employer is too concerned about how you kicked off in your work career as many people take casual jobs unrelated to their studies.

So from a recruiter's point of view your last job is the most important because what you are doing right now gives many pointers as to how employable you are to them.

But why not go further? If your purpose is to match the details spelt out in the job description and you must overtake hordes of invisible other applicants for that one position why not give it your utmost? You've got it - your last assignment may not be the most relevant for the position you're going after. Who decides you must list your background in reverse chronological order? So what are the complications? To start with you can no longer list your start and end dates. What about posting the length of each role you had instead? Does the employer mind if you started the last job in May or April? Who cares!

How will you then reorder your work experience in a functional layout? It will be the best match for that one position you're going after. Here lies the major trump card of the functional resume: it is specifically written for that one job posting in order to improve the chance of being shortlisted.

This is a total departure from the reverse chronological cv that people would mindlessly blast on blogs or resume farms in the hope that the perfect boss will find you. Stop dreaming! It's not going to happen. What you have to do in a competitive job scene is pinpoint the jobs that will both give you the most fulfilment and give you the opportunity to release your skills. Then apply for each one of those job posts with a tailor-made functional resume.

Sound like a lot of work? Don't worry some smart operators are already using online resume tool.