The reverse-chronological resume focuses on your employment background, and lists your work experience in chronological order with your most recent experience listed first.
This is the most popular resume type, with the majority of recruiters saying that they prefer receiving resumes in this format.
The reason being that this format makes it easier to screen candidates as recruiters can (at a glance), quickly determine whether you have the required experience and qualifications.
In this format, the focus is on where you worked; the dates showing how long you worked there; and your responsibilities and duties on the job.
A major drawback of this format is that it focuses on your employment background, (on what you did), rather than on your accomplishments on the job, and how you used your skills.
The Functional Resume
The functional resume focuses on your skills and accomplishments rather than just focusing on your employment background.
With this format, you can highlight your skills and accomplishments. You get to show how well you have used your skills, and how the previous employer/s have benefitted.
This type of resume is used if you had:
pursued a number of different careers in the past, and you are now focusing on a job in one of them
been at home, raising a family
been ill for an extended time
no formal employment background
been in prison
A drawback of this type of resume is that it does not satisfy those employers who want to see relevant job details, including dates and key work duties, that would match/fit you to the position advertised.
This format leads to a harder sell.
The Combination Resume
As the name implies, the combination resume combines the best characteristics of the chronological resume with those of the functional resume.
In this resume, you would include your chronological employment background as well as your achievements and accomplishments illustrating the skills you used on the job. If you worked in multiple positions for different employers at various times, this type of resume enables you to group all related work experiences together.
In this chronological resume, it is also advantageous to include any community or voluntary activities which you are involved in.
When prepared correctly, this resume will give you a very effective marketing tool.
In choosing from the above types of resume formats it is best to prepare draft copies of each format, then from these drafts you would customize a resume that best meets the job advertisement requirements.
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