You can also include a short work history on your functional resume underneath the skills section. Functional resume formatĮducation is included on every resume format. If you otherwise have work experience in your desired career field, a chronological or combination format is recommended.

Irrelevant work experience: If all of your work experience is irrelevant to the position you’re applying for, but you’ve developed relevant skills, you may opt for this format.

For example, if you’ve taken courses in Computer Science, you can write about class projects or personal projects under each skill.

No work experience: Because you don’t have any jobs to list, highlighting how you’ve used skills in other contexts is beneficial.

Freelancers/Self-Employed: These professionals typically have many clients or “jobs,” so it’s easier to provide examples of their specific skills in in areas like graphic design, writing, or cybersecurity than listing out each work experience.

However, it is a great option for jobseekers in the following situations: When to use a functional resume?Īnyone considering this format should proceed with caution because it is so unique. You will explain how you’ve applied these skills on projects or work initiatives, but it doesn’t need to follow a chronological format. Instead of focusing on specific jobs, this resume format focuses on skills you have, like programming, client management, or sales. In this resume format, the skills section will be the first section after your contact information (and an objective/summary, if used).

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