How to Write a Functional Resume

How to Write a Functional Resume

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When to Use a Functional Resume?

It’s better to use a functional resume in the following situations: 1. You’re a recent graduate with no work experience. As the functional resume focuses on skills rather than experience, it can be very helpful to students. 2. You’re switching careers. If you have some work experience, but the said 

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When to Use a Functional Resume?

experience isn’t relevant for the position you’re applying for, you can use a functional resume to highlight how your skills make you the right candidate. 3. You have a long history of unemployment (or gaps between jobs). Since the functional resume format focuses on skills, you can use it to downplay your work experience gaps.

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When to Use a Functional Resume?

That being said, in around 90% of cases, we don’t recommend using a functional resume. While it does have its perks (e.g. standing out as a recent graduate), it also comes with significant downsides. First off, it’s nowhere near as popular as the traditional resume format, and in certain parts of the world, recruiters might not even know that the

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When to Use a Functional Resume?

functional format is a thing. In addition, some recruiters might find the lack of work experience in a resume suspicious because it can hint the candidate isn’t being truthful (e.g. red flags, being fired from previous employment, etc.).  These 2 disadvantages combined make a compelling case against the functional resume format.

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When to Use a Functional Resume?

So, if you do decide to create a functional resume, weigh the pros and cons and proceed at your own risk!

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How to Write a Functional Resume

Contact Information While it might sound elementary, there’s a ton of tid-bits you need to know about getting the contact information section right. Here’s what you need to include in the contact information section: – First and last name – Current job title – Email address

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How to Write a Functional Resume

– Phone number – City and country you’re based in Optionally, you can also include links to relevant social media profiles. For example: – If you’re a writer, you can link your portfolio page or website. – If you’re a developer, you can link your GitHub profile. – If you’re a marketer, you can link your Instagram or Twitter page.

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How to Write a Functional Resume

– Your LinkedIn profile link (if it’s up-to-date).

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How to Write a Functional Resume

Skill Summary This one’s going to be the bulk of your functional resume.  In a skill summary section, you mention the top 3 skills required for the position you’re applying for and then provide information on how you’ve gained the said skills right under them. 

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How to Write a Functional Resume

Education The next section on your functional resume is Education, and this one’s actually pretty straightforward. Here, list out the following information: – Name of the degree (e.g. B.A. in Computer Science) – Name of the university and dates attended (e.g. Boston State University, 2012 - 2016)

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How to Write a Functional Resume

Optionally, you can also include the following as part of your education section: – GPA. If you had an impressive GPA in your university (3.5 - 4.0), you can list it in your resume. Most companies, however, don’t really care about your grades all that much. – Honors. E.g. Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude, etc. – Academic Achievements. Your thesis, interesting or 

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How to Write a Functional Resume

noteworthy research papers you’ve written, etc. – Courses Attended. If you’ve taken some very impressive classes (and they’re related to the role you’re applying for), you can mention them in your education section.

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How to Write a Functional Resume

Optional Sections Still have some space left on your resume? Here are some other sections you can include: – Projects - In our opinion, this one’s the most underrated resume section. Here, you can include any kind of personal or university project you’ve worked on. E.g. blog you’ve started, a piece of software you coded, etc. – Extracurricular Activities - 

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How to Write a Functional Resume

If you’re a recent graduate, you can include a section about the extracurricular activities you’ve participated in during university. – Languages - Knowing an extra language or two can always come in handy. When filling these out, though, make sure to include your level of understanding (Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Fluent, or Native).

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How to Write a Functional Resume

– Work History - Yep, you CAN include work history on your functional resume. If you decide to do this, though, your resume will be a combination resume and NOT the functional one.

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