1. IS THE FUNCTIONALRESUME FORMAT RIGHTFOR YOU?

2. Very frequently we have clients come to usasking about having a functional resumewritten. Most often, after discussing thereasons why they may want a functionalresume, we advise the client against one.While a functional resume can bebeneficial and effective in some situations,you must be very strategic and thinkcarefully about the pros and cons beforedeciding on one for your background. 3. TheU resaseonf?u Thl eI fmuncationgale fosrm aat rnaisdes Iconsserious red flags when a recruiter orpotential employer comes across them asit is often used to hide or masksomething less-than desirable in a jobseekers background.So much so that many recruiters wonteven accept a functional resume and willsimply toss it aside and move on to thenext resume. Even if they do read it, doyou really want your resume studied withan eye out for the flaws in yourbackground? This isnt usually the way tomake the best first impression. 4. So with all of these negatives, you mightask why a functional format would ever beused. Its simple. Some situations simplydont lend themselves to a reversechronological resume.WHEN MIGHT A FUNCTIONAL RESUME BE THE BESTCHOICE? AS YOURSELF THESE QUESTIONS:Are you changing careers? Career changers, especially thosewho are trying to enter a very different profession, have a needto emphasize transferable qualifications. A functional formatcan help you do that in a way that simply isnt possible in achronological resume. Here is an example of a functional resumewritten for a career changer. 5. Do you have significant gaps in your workhistory? A functional format can help tominimize large gaps of unemployment inyour work history that would otherwiseeliminate you from consideration before youeven had a chance for a face-to-faceinterview. Here is an example of afunctional resume written to minimize workhistory gaps. 6. Are you returning to the workforce after a long period of unemployment?Whether you have intentionally taken time out of the workforce or havebeen out for unintentional reasons, you may want to consider a functionalformat. Here is an example of a functional resume written to help a clientreturn to the workforce after years of unemployment. 7. Has all your past work been of a very similar nature?Rather than being repetitive, if your entire career hasbeen in a very similar type if role, a functional formatmight be a good choice.In the strictest sense of the term, a pure functionalresume would not include dates on the work history.But, there are some cases where you would want toinclude them. This is one of them. Here isan example functional resume for an auto technician. 8. Some other situations in which youMIGHT consider a functional formatinclude if your work history presented ina chronological format would make youlook overqualified, if you are a recentgraduate with little-to-no workexperience in the field you are targeting,or if you have a very diverse workhistory without a clear career path. 9. As always, we advise that you consult witha professional resume writer. At DistinctiveDocuments, we have worked with countlessthousands of clients and have helped our clients dealwith nearly every imaginable work history challenge.We can help you not just decide wither a functionalresume or chronological resume is best for you, wecan help you write one that will give you anenormous edge in the job market. 10. Michelle Dumas runs of one of the longest-standing and mostrespected professional rsum writing firms on the internet, DistinctiveCareer Services, LLC (dba Distinctive Documents). Since 1996,Michelle has empowered thousands of professionals with rsums thatget results and win jobs fast. Get insider rsum writing tips that youwon't find anywhere else at her website. Go nowto www.distinctiveweb.comCopyright 2014, Distinctive Career Services,LLCThe Internets Rsum & Career Marketing SpecialistsSince1996www.distinctiveweb.comresumes@distinctiveweb.com(800) 644-9694Copyright 2014, Distinctive Career Services, LLC