The Positive and Negative Aspect of the Three Main Resume Types

Resume writing is one of life's big mysteries. We all need one, but very few of us enjoy putting one together, and even fewer of us are any good at it. Before you even start writing your resume, you must first decide which style is best for you. There are specialty resumes such as CVs for doctors, lawyers, and professors and federal resumes for gaining employment with the federal government.

However, when looking for work in the private sector, your resume is most likely going to fall into one of three categories. Let's look at the three categories and examine when they work and when they don't. Hopefully, the next time you sit down to write your resume, this will help you decide which style to use.

Chronological
POSITIVE: This is the most widely used and positively accepted resume format. It focuses on the chronology of your work history from most recent back as far as 10 to 15 years. It follows a logical flow and is easy to read. If you career has taken a linear path, this is a great showcase for your growth in skills and responsibility.

NEGATIVE: The chronological resume does not always work. This style of resume points out large gaps in employment. The chronological style does not work well for career changers, as the employer will have a hard time quickly seeing the transferability of the candidate's skills. Someone who has held the same job for more than ten years may also have trouble with the chronological resume as most people do not want to see a list of 20 bullet points in a row.

Functional
POSITIVE: The functional format focuses on skills versus work experience. This style enables you to highlight transferable skills, even when your work experience does not initially appear relevant. The functional resume does not include dates and can be used to disguise gaps or long periods of unemployment or frequent job or career changes.

NEGATIVE: This resume is viewed with suspicion by employers and is not often recommended for use by employees. The lack of dates immediately waves the red flag that you are trying to hide something.

Combination
POSITIVE: The combination style is a resume that is just like the functional, it highlights skills versus experience. Where it differs is that it contains dates of employment. Including the dates can erase the suspicion and doubts from an employers mind while focusing positively on transferable skills.

NEGATIVE:  Most people think - and view resumes - in a very linear fashion. It is important to clearly relate  accomplishments and skills to employers and time frames so employers are not confused. The combination resume does require more effort and creativity to prepare to overcome these obstacles.