What Is a Functional Resume?

A functional resume focuses on skills and experience rather than on your chronological work history. Learn more about functional resume and how to develop one. Furthermore, it's typically used by job seekers who are changing careers or who have gaps in their employment history.

What Is a Functional Resume?

A functional resume showcases an applicant's skills. It may start with a summary of qualifications followed by a list of a candidate's skills and examples of using those skills. And, for example, you might say, "Managed the sales department of five staff members. Increased sales by 25% in six months."

This is different from a traditional, chronological resume that displays a timeline of your work experience with brief explanations of each job. Furthermore, as a result, the focus is shifted from job titles and the amount of time that has passed to the actual skills you possess.

How a Functional Resume Works

A functional resume is less commonly used than a chronological resume, which recruiters and interviewers generally prefer. Moreover, It de-emphasizes gaps in your work history or the fact that you're making a significant career change.

A functional resume draws attention away from items that a hiring manager might find problematic. If you don't have a reason for using a functional resume, opt for a chronological one. And, Additionally, some applicant tracking software programs reject resumes without a chronological work history.

Writing a Functional Resume

Here's how to approach writing a functional resume:

• Start with a resume summary: Consider including a resume summary at the beginning of your resume, which is a brief statement that highlights your most relevant qualifications. Furthermore, this sets the tone for how the employer sees you (and your resume) right from the start.

• Use keywords: Use keywords from the job description in your resume. Keywords are words or phrases that relate to the job requirements, and you can use the job posting for a guide to which words to use. Moreover, Use keywords as the titles for your subheadings or in the bulleted lists where you describe your skills and accomplishments in more detail.

• Include your employment history: Placing this section at the bottom of your resume helps the employer focus more on your skills than your work history.

• Mention relevant projects: Include any personal or professional projects that are related to the job. Furthermore, projects demonstrate your success in developing and completing tasks.

• Organize by theme: hen writing a functional resume, use themes like skills or qualifications. For example, you might group skills under “Recruiting Experience” or “Customer Service Experience.”

• Write a strong cover letter: Use your cover letter to expand on the skills and abilities you have that make you a strong candidate for the position. And, this will help lessen any concerns the employer might have about your work history.