Types of Resume: Chronological vs. Functional

When creating a resume, it is important for an applicant to provide a potential employer with a sense of their work experience. This can be done in a variety of ways, but typically is done through a chronological job history or a list of functional skill sets.

The Chronological Resume:

• lists the most recent (or most applicable) jobs
• presents those jobs in reverse chronological order
• is best if the work history has little or no gaps between jobs
• is best for those without too large or too small of a work history

An example of a Chronological Resume (with a downloadable Word version of the template) can be found here: http://career-advice.monster.com/resumes-cover-letters/resume-samples/sample-resume-office-manager/article.aspx

The Functional Resume:

• lists the applicant's most applicable accomplishments and skills
• presents this background in groups of "skill sets"
  
• is best if the work history has long or multiple gaps between jobs
• is best for those with too large or too small of a work history

An example of a Functional Resume (with a downloadable Word version of the template) can be found here: http://career-advice.monster.com/resumes-cover-letters/resume-samples/sample-of-a-functional-resume/article.aspx

The following video by Janis Smith, of RDE Specialists, offers some additional thoughts on deciding between Chronological and Functional Resumes: