Resumes can be a great tool to help you land a new job or internship, but they’re not created equal. In fact, there are specific types of resumes for each industry that will make your skills and qualifications shine. Using the wrong resume format could even hurt your chances of getting hired.
Here’s a breakdown of the most popular resume formats to choose to match your career development and have a cv maker maker help you with.
The Functional CV: Best For Entry-Level Jobs
A functional resume focuses on specific skills and qualifications, rather than on the chronological order of your work history. This format is often preferred by recent graduates because it allows them to showcase skills they’ve acquired, rather than simply stating previous job titles and companies.
How to Use It:
Fill your resume with action verbs and highlight specific skills that are relevant to the position you’re applying for. Be sure to focus on any experience — paid or unpaid — that is related to your industry so potential employers can see that you are capable of doing the job.
The Traditional Resume: Best For All Other Industries
The traditional, chronological resume is most commonly used by those who have more work experience under their belts. It’s structured in a way that clearly outlines your experiences, education, accomplishments, strengths, and skills for potential employers. This type of format is beneficial because it’s easy to read and highlights your best assets.
How to Use It:
Start with your most recent job, list the company name, address, city, and state of employment, dates of employment (month/year), position held, and highlight any accomplishments that are directly or indirectly related to the position you’re applying for.
List your skills at the bottom of your resume under a separate heading titled “Skills.” A bulleted list works best, so employers will be able to get a snapshot of your skillset in just seconds. You can also add a section about computer or software skills if they’re relevant to the job you’re applying for.
The Targeted Resume: Best For Career Changers
The targeted resume is best for those who are making a career change and want to highlight skills that translate from one industry to the next. This format typically includes a mix of responsibilities, duties, and achievements from previous positions at similar companies or organizations. It’s also good for those who have taken significant time off from their career and want to highlight their most relevant skills.
How to Use It:
This format is similar to the traditional resume, but it includes a separate section at the bottom of your document where you can list related skills and experience from non-related jobs or industries. You should also include additional sections that detail transferrable skills and accomplishments, such as leadership roles or awards that could be applied to your new job or industry.
The Hybrid Resume: Best For Those With Gaps In Employment
A hybrid resume explains gaps in employment by highlighting non-working experiences like volunteering, leading extracurricular activities, or attending school. The format also offers enough space for explaining what you were doing during any large gaps in employment.
How to Use It:
Start with your most recent job, list the company name, address, city, and state of employment, dates of employment (month/year), position held followed by a brief summary that explains what you were doing during any gaps in employment. You should also include additional sections that explain any volunteer experience or extracurricular activities you’ve been involved in to demonstrate your skills are still relevant.
The Club-Med Resume: Best For Older Workers Who Are New To The Job Market
For those who are reentering the workforce after taking time off for family or other reasons, this chronological resume allows you to outline previous work history as well as non-working experiences like volunteering or attending school. It can also help demonstrate your abilities across various industries, which is particularly helpful if you’ve had several career changes throughout your life.
How to Use It:
If you have little to no work experience, start with your most recent or relevant educational experience and list the name of the institution, city, state, and degree earned. Follow that up with a section detailing any paid or volunteer work you’ve done in the last few years that relates to your new position. This type of resume allows room for plenty of accomplishments and strengths — two things employers love — so be sure to take advantage and highlight your skills in each section.
Use a CV Maker to write your resume
One of the most common mistakes people make while preparing their resumes is they write it on their own without using a CV maker like the one of Venngage’s. Writing your resume shouldn’t be tough, and with this kind of help, you can build a professional resume in minutes. Use a CV maker and build the resume that matches your career now!
Bottom line
Keep these tips in mind as you choose a format that best reflects your work history and the skills needed for the position you’re applying for. The type of resume you submit can make or break your chances of securing an interview, so it’s important to take the time to find one that highlights both your background and experience in a way that grabs employers’ attention.
