Resume Writing Formats

The purpose of a resume is to disclose your accomplishments and qualifications to a prospective employer. Your resume is like a promotional brochure, promoting your person.

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You need to show the new boss what you have accomplished and where your experience lies. Your strategy should be to emphasize the experience and skills that fits the requirements of the job you are applying for.

There are several acceptable formats for a resume when you prepare yours. Based on the work experience that you have accumulated, you can use one of the following formats:

Chronological:

This is the most common resume style used by people with significant work experience. The applicant's job history is presented in reverse chronological order, with the most recent jobs placed at the top of the list, as new hirers prefer to see resumes that way.

Functional:

In this non-linear format, your skills and achievements are emphasized in the presentation rather than in a redundant looking job history. Your employment history is summarized and linked to your skills and achievements.

The functional format of resume can be particularly effective if you have held a number of similar positions; it will allow you to highlight your skills which are the employer’s primary interest.

Combination:

The Combination resume is simply a Functional resume combined with a brief employment history. Educational qualifications come first, skills and accomplishments are listed next, and the employment history follows.

You should include information on where you worked, when you worked, and what your job position was. Emphasize the talents you have and show how you used them at the job.

After you know the formats of a resume you can next consider the following resume writing tips:

Keep your resume concise

Resumes should be just one page, if possible, and two if absolutely necessary, to describe relevant work experience.

Make your words count, choose them carefully

Your use of language is extremely important, as this is how you can convince an employer to consider you for the job favorably. Observe the following:

• Avoid large paragraphs; just stay within 5 lines if possible.
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• Use action verbs such as "developed," "managed," and "designed" to describe your accomplishments.
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• Do not be vague in your statements - describe things that can be measured objectively. Use numbers when telling about your accomplishments because employers will feel more comfortable hiring you if they can verify your accomplishments.
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• Be honest and do not exaggerate or falsify when reporting your accomplishments in your resume.

Do not neglect the appearance of your resume – it counts a lot

Your resume is the first impression you'll make on the employer, and a successful resume depends on more than what you say; how you say it counts as well.

• Edit your resume for proper grammar and correct spelling – this is your evidence of good communication skills and attention to detail. Nothing can ruin your chances of getting a job admission more than submitting a resume filled with mistakes that could have been avoided easily.
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• Make your resume easy to read. Use normal margins (1" on the top and bottom, 1.25" on the sides) and do not cram your text onto the page but instead allow for some breathing room between the different sections. Use simple fonts with a professional look.

Eliminate superfluous details in your resume

Unnecessary details can take up a lot of valuable space on your resume. Just list what are needed for the job at hand. Do not mention personal characteristics such as age, height, and marital status on your resume because this information is already mentioned in other portions of your job application.

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You may however list your hobbies and interests and extracurricular activities if these are not covered elsewhere, as these spell out your whole person the employer would also be interested in knowing.