By Cathy Francois, MBA, GCDF
Contributor, Career Services
The most common resume style is the chronological resume. However, sometimes the chronological order of your life doesn’t work in your favor. This could be the result of a gap in employment due to school, illness, time served in the military, or a break to raise a family. In addition, you may have switched from one industry or career to another, and your most recent experience does not highlight your potential for your desired career very well. I recommend bringing function to your resume by using a functional style resume, which allows you to highlight specific experience, skills, and/or knowledge as it relates to the career you are seeking.
Prior to beginning to write your resume, pick apart your skills, experience, and knowledge. Conduct research on the specific skills that are expected for the position you’re seeking. For example, if you’re a recent accounting graduate, go to O*Net (Occupational Information Network developed by the US Department of Labor) and look up ‘Accountants’ for a complete job analysis report. Go through the list of skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities, then check off the ones that you possess from your education, training, and professional/volunteer experience. After this, pick 3 to 4 functions that you would like to highlight on your resume. Create sub-headers for each function (i.e. Analyzing Data), then list at least 3 bullet points underneath each describing work you have done that demonstrates your knowledge or skill in the area listed.
On the top of your resume, underneath your contact information, I recommend creating a strong 1-3 sentence profile statement. Unlike an objective statement, where you state what you would like from an employer, the profile statement focuses on what you bring to the employer. I prefer profile statements because it forces you to define your brand (if it’s well done anyway). For example, the profile statement could read, “Recent Accounting Graduate with experience in analyzing data and processing information to solve problems along with knowledge of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).” In the following sentence you can expand on this statement by including personal attributes, and any passion you possess as it relates to the position you’re seeking and the organization’s overall mission and culture.
Having a standout resume is just one step towards a successful career transition. Be sure to network within your social circles and consider converting elements from your profile statement into a 15 second elevator pitch. How’s that for adding function to your resume?!
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