What is a resume?
A resume is a document that provides an overview of your professional qualifications, such as work experience, skills, and education. It should also include any notable accomplishments related to the position you are applying for.
This document can be used to apply for a job, a grant, or a scholarship. It shows the potential employer what you can do, and it contains sufficient information with the objective of getting that interview!
A resume has five main sections: contact information, an opening summary of your skills and experience, a list of your previous jobs and their responsibilities (called an “employment history”), education details from most recent to oldest, and any other relevant information.
Types of Resume
Chronological Resume
A chronological resume begins by listing your work history, beginning with the most recent position and ending with the oldest. Below each job you’ve held, list its start date (or if it has changed or terminated) followed by a brief description of what you did there.
Employers tend to prefer a chronological resume because it shows the progression of your career and makes it easy for them to see what jobs you’ve held.
For job seekers with strong, solid work history, this type of resume works well. If you are starting your career or changing career fields and have an average level of experience—meaning there aren’t many jobs but some time spent working in those roles—you might consider using another format that focuses on skills instead of employment history.
Functional Resume
A functional resume highlights your skills and achievements, rather than listing jobs in chronological order.
Instead of listing your employment history at the top of the resume, you can list what you’ve accomplished professionally in various positions.
This type of resume might not include one’s employment history at all and instead place emphasis on education or other achievements.
Functional resumes are commonly used by job seekers who have recently changed careers, had long breaks in their work history, or started working at a young age.
Combination Resume
A combination resume is like a hybrid, blending elements of chronological and functional resumes.
The skills and qualifications are listed at the top of a resume, followed by one’s work history.
However, the work history is typically a small section of the resume.
With this type of resume, you can emphasize the skills relevant to a specific job as well as provide an overview of your work history.
How To Build Your Resume
- Include A Summary Of Your Relevant Work Experience
Employers spend only a short time reviewing resumes, so your goal is to highlight the most relevant and impressive aspects of your background.
These statements should be tailored to the specific position you are applying for, but they should all include elements that make you stand out from other candidates.
- Focus On The Results Rather Than Individual Tasks
Use concrete examples of results (e.g., “reduced turnover by 5%” or “achieved a quality score of 98% for three months in a row”).
Be sure to highlight your accomplishments and skills when you write up a resume, rather than simply listing the duties that you performed in each job.
- Use The Right Format
Instead of assembling a resume by filling in information into easy templates, you should choose one standard format and then fill in the appropriate information.
This will make your resume more professional and easier to read. Most employers use software that scans multiple resumes and identifies the most relevant ones for review.
A resume that is not in a standard format makes it harder for the software to identify your relevant skills and experience. In addition, you will lose out on potential interviews because of this.
At Aneta Staffing, we’re committed to helping you get the job that’s best for you. Check out our career blog for advice on how to stand out from other candidates!
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