There are many resume styles typically used by job seekers today and choosing the right one is essential if you want to stand a chance of making a favorable impression in the current highly competitive job market.
You may be wondering why there even has to be so many styles. Well, for starters, resumes aren’t just presented as physical documents any more. There’s a growing trend for people to view documents like resumes on the computer. A style that works splendidly as a printed document just will not work as well when sent through email or fax. So, this has naturally led to more styles for each medium.
Then you also need to consider that certain positions may call for a very specific resume style. So you’ll need to be adaptable. You’ll want to tweak your resume to suit each situation so that it showcases your relevant skills. That’s what a resume is for, after all: To show off your expertise.
By far, the most widespread form of resume writing is the chronological style, which as the name implies lists all of the positions that you have worked in starting with the most current.
A newer resume style-the functional style-has been increasingly more popular recently. This method involves listing your most significant accomplishments first, with lesser accomplishments following. This will allow any would-be employer to quickly skim through your qualifications and determine if you are right for the job. At the same time, this form also allows you to play up your strengths.
There are a few other commonly used resume styles, but these are mostly variations of the two aforementioned styles. This brings up an important point: do not be afraid to mix up resume styles to suit your purpose or a specific need. Remember, you want to showcase your abilities the best way possible and using the ideal resume style will allow you to do just that.