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Step
3: Résumé Preparation
For more information, go to the Virtual
Resource Centre
There
are three types of résumé styles: chronological,
functional and combined.
Chronological Résumés
The easiest type of résumé to prepare, this
style of résumé works well for people who have
a strong, consistent work history that is directly related
to the job they are currently seeking. When preparing a chronological
résumé, start with your most recent work experience
and education and work backwards.
Advantages of Chronological Résumés:
- Presents
your career path in a logical order
- Focuses
on specific jobs and functions
- Effective
for those who know what they want
Disadvantages of Chronological Résumés:
- Shows
frequent job changes
- Shows
sameness of jobs and functions
- No
summary or highlights of qualifications/skills
Functional Résumés
This
type of résumé is most effective for those who
have had a variety of work experience not directly related
to the position they are currently seeking. A functional résumé
is also an effective style for recent graduates with little
or no work experience and those who have been away from the
workforce for an extended time.
Functional
résumés allow you to emphasize the important
positions and responsibilities that you've held. Instead of
a job-by-job account of your work history, relevant skills
are grouped together to form categories. Order the categories
by their relevance to the position you are applying for. If
you are applying for a position as a computer software specialist,
your computer and technical skills would be the first thing
you would want the employer to see. Head the categories by
function performed and list accomplishments and skills underneath.
Advantages of Functional Résumés:
- Allows
you to expand on information, emphasize accomplishments
- Provides
opportunity to minimize any negatives in your employment
history such as gaps, job jumping, etc.
Disadvantages of Functional Résumés:
- Due
to the lack of chronological work history, employers may
assume that you are trying to hide the fact that you are
a job jumper, an older worker, or someone with employment
or education gaps or minimal work experience.
Combined Résumés
This type of résumé is effective for people
with a proven track record. The combination résumé
takes the best features of the chronological (work history)
and functional (summary of qualifications section) résumés.
A combination résumé can be very powerful as
it allows you to emphasize your skills and accomplishments
as well as providing a chronological account of your work
and educational background.
Advantages of Combined Résumés:
- Takes
best features of chronological and functional résumés
- Provides
excellent overview of your skills to an employer
- Includes
all pertinent information that an employer may be seeking
(such as educational and work background)
Disadvantages of Combined Résumés:
Before
creating your own résumé, read about:
For more
information, go to the Virtual
Resource Centre
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