This type of resume stresses skills, not dates. After clear job objective at the top of the resume, the next heading listed is "Skills." Three or four broad skill areas are identified, each of which should relate to the job objective. For example, if your job objective states, "Seeking a position as an office manager," you might decide to create categories such as "Office Skills," "Managerial Skills," and "Organizational Skills." In each category you could describe how you demonstrated those skills in previous jobs. You would have to draw on your experience from all the positions you've held, both paid and unpaid. A functional resume is best for those who
- have held a variety of unrelated jobs. For example, if you have worked in a shoe store and a fast-food restaurant, a functional resume would allow you to stress the fact that you've had experience waiting on customers, regardless of the setting.
- have gaps in their job history. Dates of employment are still listed on the page, but later; they are not the first thing an employer sees.
From: S.D. Greene and Melanie C.L. Martel,
The Ultimate Job Hunter's Guidebook.
Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. 2001. p. 34.
