I’ve been a career coach for almost a decade and during that time,
I’ve read, reviewed and evaluated hundreds and hundreds (That’s not an
exaggeration!) of resumes. In recent years, I’ve included resume writing
as one of the services I offer via my coaching consultancy, Ascension
Careers. So, I feel pretty confident in my “bona fides” when it comes to
offering resume advice and guidance.
Everyone wants the pain of a job search to be over as quickly as
possible, so they want all facets of their candidacy to be
persuasive. Meaning they want pointed interview responses, pithy
elevator pitches and absorbing LinkedIn profiles. Oh, and there’s one
more thing they want – a compelling resume – one that makes a hiring
manager say, “I want her and 10 more just like her!” Well that’s a lot
to ask of a resume, particularly when a manager’s initial resume review
is typically under 10 seconds.
In reality your resume is doing its job if it gets you
interviews. However, that’s still a heavy lift – structuring your resume
so that it has the best chance of a) being noticed, b) being read from
beginning to end and c) getting you an interview requires thoughtful
content and design. While what you say (the content of your resume) is
critical; how you say it (the design of your resume) is what’s going to
get you from a six-second read to a more thorough and complete
read. Therefore, your resume’s format needs to be easy to scan and
simple to interpret. So, let’s walk through formatting options for your
resume and determine why, how and when to use each option.
Option #1 - Reverse Chronological
Why it works – It’s the traditional format that readers know. Therefore, a hiring manager knows what to expect and where to expect it. One
upside of this format, a reader doesn’t waste precious time searching
for and understanding your career progression. Moreover, it highlights
your most recent and presumably your most significant career
accomplishments. The reader has a chance to get to the good stuff even
when she does a quick, abbreviated review.
How it works – Start with your most recent “job” and
work backwards. Ideally, your resume will include the most recent 10-15
years and be written in a way that highlights the impact you made on an
organization.
When to use it – No matter the situation, you won’t
go wrong with this format. Feel free to use it for any type of candidate
and any type of position.
Relauncher specifics – Employers want to know that
your skills haven’t been idle during your time away from the paid
workforce. Therefore, this format is still appropriate for you. It’s
acceptable and necessary to treat volunteer work, freelance projects and
pro bono consulting as jobs and include them just as you would for any
other positions.
Option #2 - Functional
Why it works – Functionally formatted resumes allow a
candidate to showcase relevant skills and experiences. The keyword is
relevant. Meaning, if your related experience is from several positions
back or if it’s from a personal hobby or if it’s something you did for
only a month, this resume format lets you “upsell” the experience and
make it more salient to a reader. Essentially, this format reduces the
importance of your work history and emphasizes your skillset.
How it works – Describe your core competencies,
areas of expertise, specific achievements and responsibilities. Context
is generally downplayed, and the focus is on showing the breadth and/or
depth of your talents.
Relauncher specifics – This format is appealing
because a candidate can “hide” certain aspects of her candidacy. (Like
maybe a years-long career break.) However, functionally formatted resumes have a bad reputation for exactly this reason. Instead
of hiding, you’re shining a spotlight on the fact that you’re trying to
cover something up. (Oh, and if that something is a career break,
there’s nothing wrong with stepping away from the workforce. You
shouldn’t apologize for your break either implicitly or explicitly.)
When to use it – Some “experts” will suggest this
format is appropriate if you: are making a substantial career change,
have gaps in your work experience or have limited work experience. This expert (me) says “Step away from the functional resume.”
They are a victim of their own success. Their initial popularity was
explosive, so they still get mentioned as an acceptable alternative. The reality is that everyone’s suspicious when they get a functional resume. You don’t want a reader to spend the few precious seconds she has trying to unlock a mystery.
Option #3 - Hybrid
Why it works – It’s the best of both
worlds. You pick and choose the hardest-hitting aspects of your
candidacy (as you would in a hybrid format) while still using a familiar
layout (no reader time wasted deciphering what’s on the
page). Hybrid resumes are successful because you quickly “topline” and
then provide detailed support.
How it works – Hybrid resumes are all about
directing a reader’s attention to what you want her to know and
following it up with what she expects. Let’s clarify, here’s a hybrid
outline:
Contact Info – How the company can get in touch with you.
Professional Summary – A few sentences highlighting your skills and career progression.
• Relauncher tip - it’s a sneak peek and it should make a reader want to know more.
Competencies and Skills – Tells the reader the talents you’ll leverage when you’re part of the team.
• Relauncher tip – if a reader stopped here, she should have a good sense of how you’d contribute.
Career Highlights – Two to four achievements written in bulleted form describing noteworthy career moments.
• Relauncher specifics – Say your most impressive work is from 12 years
and three jobs ago – no problem, this section is where you put it. Not
only is it included on the resume, it’s prominently placed.
Work Experience – This is self-explanatory.
• Relauncher specifics – It’s okay to be expansive with your
definition of “work." Include volunteer activities, freelance and
consulting jobs.
When to use it – I recommend 100% of the time!
Good luck and happy resume writing!
