Resume Formats

Each one of us has many skills, degrees, certificates, etc. When we apply for a job, we cannot start narrating the same to the employer. We need to present it systematically, and in a way that the most important and relevant information reaches the employer. Thus, one needs to pen down everything in a systematic and precise manner. This systematic documentation of one's qualifications, professional experiences and skill sets is known as a Resume. The resume is used for screening the job applicants and thus calling up the most professional candidates for an interview. Let us discuss about resumes and types of resumes to help you draft one for yourself.

Today there are 'n' number of search engines offering different sample resumes, resume templates, professional resume writing services, etc. However, before choosing one, you must know what your resume should be like, and what the different types of resumes are.

Wonder why there are different types of resumes. The purpose of the resume is to provide information about your professional details and skill sets. Then why do we see different types of resumes. This is because the resume content varies depending on different factors like - experience, information, industry, etc.

Basically, there are three main types of resumes. These are:

  1. Reverse Chronological Resume
  2. Functional Resume
  3. Hybrid Resume

Besides these, there are some other types as well, but these three types of resumes are more commonly used. Let us discuss in detail about these.

  1. Reverse Chronological Resume:

    • As the name suggests, this resume provides an account of the individuals work experiences and qualifications in a reverse order (starting from the latest) and giving details of about past 10-15 years.
    • The work experiences or the positions held are written with the start and end dates.
    • This type of resume is usually suitable for people who have considerable work experience. It helps the applicant illustrate his/her career growth path.
    • Candidates who have taken gaps in their career should not opt for this type of resume, as the dates make the gaps more visible and this could lead to a negative opinion.

  2. Functional Resume:

    • This type of resume focuses on skills and work experience sorted based on the job function
    • This resume focuses on the skills that are most relevant to the position sought by the applicant. It emphasizes on professional capabilities making use of experience summaries to communicate about professional competencies. The chronological type of resume just allows you to list the information. However, this type of resume helps you elaborate on your professional competencies.
    • It is suitable for candidates who have worked in varied fields and positions, opted for career change, and have a little work experience.
    • This resume is also preferable for jobs wherein the applicant must possess particular skills or particular personality traits

  3. Hybrid Resume:

    As the name suggests, this is a combination of the above-mentioned resume types. It takes the best from the two, and helps an applicant to list his/her skills, and also provides information on the work history in a chronological order. The job skills are listed first, followed by the chronological work history.

    These are the three main types of resumes. However, with the advent of internet and varied demands of the employer, there are some other types like- targeted resume, mini resume and online resume also. These are more or less like the above-mentioned three types, and thus are not specified. Let us discuss in brief about the same.

  4. Targeted resumes:

    This resume is customized as per the job requirements and the position one is applying for. After reading the job advertisement or the job description thoroughly, the candidate decides on what should be included in the resume. Writing a Targeted resume requires more efforts than a simple resume, because here the applicant needs to analyze the employer's job requirements, and thus present his/her skills and expertise accordingly.

  5. Mini Resume:

    This is again used when asked for. Sometimes the employer mentions that he just needs some specific details, and one has to submit a mini resume. It just gives an overview of your resume.

  6. Online Resume:

    Last but not the least, is the online resume. Usually we send our resumes via email. Employers do not ask for hard copies of resumes before meeting the candidate in person for an interview. The most preferable format for online resumes is the MS Word - 97 -2003. Some others request to send in PDF, ASCII or HTML format only.

Resume Keywords:
The employers use job search engines to find resumes that suit their requirements. In these search engines, the resumes are filtered based on specific keywords that the employer would use, to filter his/her search. An example of such filtering would be as follows:

The employer searching resumes for the position of Manager would use the following words to filter his/her search -

MBA
Work experience - 5 years
Marketing, etc.

The search engine thus produces results as per this search and presents the resumes that include these words. Thus, keywords help you clear the filtering of resumes.

Now you can clearly understand the difference between the types of resumes, and probably would be able to judge which resume suits your profile the most. Reading a few examples of resumes would help you understand the difference further.

Your resume is your mirror image. Do not go wrong with it, if you wish to have a great career. Read, understand and draft a resume carefully. Go through it twice before sending it across, and success will be all yours.

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