Functional Resume - Could This Be Your Answer?

Functional Resume Facts

There is much discussion about the functional resume. Some employers plainly do not like them because they believe anyone who uses one is "trying to hide something." That is an issue that must be confronted by anyone who considers resume formats.

However, your career and the possibility of getting an interview for a much pursued job is too much to risk without considering a resume format other than the traditional "obituary" touted by many. While there are certainly reasons to consider the chronological resume, you must remember that it is more important to present your greatest assets in your resume's hot zone than to blindly follow some cranky, snooty HR executive's whims that only affect his company.

It may be that you consider the crank's opinion for his company. But, if you do not have the right career history that a chronological resume embellishes (20 years of constant progress up the chain of command in a Fortune 5 company), then you owe it to yourself to consider what will make you appealing to other employers.

A Very Useful TOOL

Many resume professionals, while they acknowledge the difficulty, also recognize a very important fact:

Think about the tool motif for a moment. Consider a carpentry tool with which many are familiar: a hammer. Hammers find their best function when they are used to pound on things, like nails.

Now, think about a building project in which you have a board that is too long and needs to be shortened. Can that be done with a hammer? Possibly... but it would really be hard to cut a board with a hammer with any precision unless you had an additional tool, like a chisel. The hammer is designed to pound on things, not cut things.

On the other hand, cutting a board to a specific length at a specific angle is a relatively simple task for a saw. The secret to making the best object is to find the right tool for the job.

The same is true with getting a job. The best resume is the one that best represents you and your assets to a potential employer.

The real question is not just what the employer thinks is a good format. Rather,

Frequently, the resume that best represents a potential employee is not a chronological resume. Does that mean it is hands down the only way to go? Of course not.

But if your career has not followed the "come in as the janitor and work your way up to be President of the company" route, you may wish to consider a functional resume.