YMCA Employment Programs
Find the resume format that works for you
27 July 2020 - by YMCA of Greater Toronto
Creating a resume can be frustrating for different reasons. What do I include? What do employers look for? How do I capture my skills? What if I’m changing careers? We asked our experts from YMCA Employment Services to weigh in. This is the first blog in a four-part series they created to answer all of these questions and more.
The first thing to consider when writing a resume is the format you’re going to use. There are three different resume formats: chronological, functional, and combination. The one you choose depends on your employment goals, skills, and work experience.
1. Chronological resume format
As its name suggests, this common resume format lays out your work experience, education, and accomplishments in chronological order. Your most recent work experience is listed first, and you work backwards through your other previous experience from there.
The chronological resume is ideal when your work experience is aligned with the job you’re applying for, and you don’t have any large gaps in your employment history.
2. Functional resume format
The functional resume puts your skills and accomplishments front and centre, leaving the details of your work experience for later. For example, you start a functional resume by laying out skills such as leadership, problem solving, time management, and so on.
This is the resume format for you if you have gaps in your employment history, you’ve changed jobs a lot, you’re changing careers, or you don’t have much work experience. A functional resume lets you shine a light on the transferable skills you bring to the table.
3. Combination resume format
In case you haven't guessed, this format combines the chronological and functional formats. It highlights your relevant transferable skills while showcasing your work experience chronologically.
So, the combination resume combines the best of both worlds, making it perfect if you’re looking to strongly connect your achievements to your work experience.
Ready to get started? Our expert team prepared templates you can use to start creating whichever style of resume works best for you. Download your copies here.
If you don't know which format to use, our YMCA Employment Specialists are ready to help! Book your free one-on-one phone or Zoom consultation today.
The first thing to consider when writing a resume is the format you’re going to use. There are three different resume formats: chronological, functional, and combination. The one you choose depends on your employment goals, skills, and work experience.
1. Chronological resume format
As its name suggests, this common resume format lays out your work experience, education, and accomplishments in chronological order. Your most recent work experience is listed first, and you work backwards through your other previous experience from there.
The chronological resume is ideal when your work experience is aligned with the job you’re applying for, and you don’t have any large gaps in your employment history.
2. Functional resume format
The functional resume puts your skills and accomplishments front and centre, leaving the details of your work experience for later. For example, you start a functional resume by laying out skills such as leadership, problem solving, time management, and so on.
This is the resume format for you if you have gaps in your employment history, you’ve changed jobs a lot, you’re changing careers, or you don’t have much work experience. A functional resume lets you shine a light on the transferable skills you bring to the table.
3. Combination resume format
In case you haven't guessed, this format combines the chronological and functional formats. It highlights your relevant transferable skills while showcasing your work experience chronologically.
So, the combination resume combines the best of both worlds, making it perfect if you’re looking to strongly connect your achievements to your work experience.
Ready to get started? Our expert team prepared templates you can use to start creating whichever style of resume works best for you. Download your copies here.
If you don't know which format to use, our YMCA Employment Specialists are ready to help! Book your free one-on-one phone or Zoom consultation today.
