List Your Skills On A Functional Resume
If you are changing careers or industries and do not have extensive professional experience, you might decide to feature them at the top of your resume. This type of resume is called a functional resume.
3. Skills grouped by theme4. Any relevant professional experience5. Education
To include skills on a functional resume, create a separate skill section that lists your successes with key skills relevant to the position for which youre applying. Any professional experience you do have should go below your skills section.
Heres an example of how to list skills on a functional resume:
Skills
Process Streamlining
Complaint ResolutionAnswered an average 50+ calls per day from unsatisfied customers related to delays in shipment, order mistakes and lost orders. Achieved 97% average customer satisfaction rating, surpassing team goal by 12%.
Service-Based SellingConsistently exceeded application targets by 10% with innovative upselling techniques. Pioneered development of improved system for following up with unsatisfied customers, reducing customer churn by 6%.
Resume Reference Page Example
Check out this properly formatted resume references example to see what a references list looks like in practice:
Note that in this example, the candidate matches the style of her reference page to her resume design.
If you need to include a list of references with your resume, be sure to match the formatting to the rest of your application.
Attachments Vs Pasting Plain Text
Keep in mind that some employers do not accept attachments. In such cases, paste your resume into your email message as plain text. However, when there are no instructions, the easiest way to send your resume is;as an attachment. That will preserve your resume content and format. Your cover letter can either be attached as well or written;in the body of an email message.
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Arrange Your Contact Information
Now that you know the format youre going to use, its time to start your resume. First things first, employers need to know who you are and how to contact you.
List the following contact details in your resume header at the top of the page:
- Name
- Telephone number
- Email address
- Link to online portfolio
- LinkedIn profile
Traditionally, you would also include your mailing address on your resume. However, this is no longer mandatory because most job applications are sent via email.
Here are two examples of how you can format your contact information section:
How To Format Your Resume
The rise of online job applications has caused employers to receive more applicants than they can handle. This has resulted in most companies using applicant tracking systems , a tool that can rank, filter, and sort applicants.
Most ATS work by parsing resumes and allowing the recruiter to search by keyword to see a list of top-ranking candidates. This means that without the right skills and keywords, your resume could slip through the cracks. Choosing the correct keywords is essential to making it through ATS.
Resume formatting plays a role in how searchable your resume is within an ATS.
Here are some resume formatting tips.
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Additional Relevant Accomplishments And Volunteer Work
The last section to consider adding to your resume is a shortlist of any other relevant accomplishments or volunteer work. Only include those that are relevant or that may help create a better picture of who you are as an individual as related to the position youre applying for. If youre not sure what information may be a fit for this section, re-read the job descriptions that interest you. Consider if you have any experiences outside of the professional history you already added which may help employers understand your qualifications.
Here is an example of what your accomplishments and volunteer work section could look like:
Volunteer firefighter, 20102012
How To Describe Work Experience In A Resume
Consider these steps when adding a previous work experience section to your resume:
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How To List References
Before you begin your job hunt, gather your references onto a Professional Reference Page. Include each references name, title, organization, phone number, and email address.
List your references starting with your most impressive or important reference.
Dont annotate your application with resume references available upon request. This outdated practice only uses up valuable space and restates something that every hiring manager already knows.
Instead, create a dedicated references page separate from your resume, and attach it to your application.
Next, list each reference like this:
Proper professional references format
Company / University your reference works atFull address of your references company / universityPhone numberEmail address
Never include the personal address of your reference on your reference page, because hiring managers dont contact references via snail mail. Plus your reference may not want you to share their personal information with strangers either.
Underneath each entry on your resumes reference page, you should also make a note clarifying your relationship with the reference, and how long youve known or worked with them.
Finally, if you want to save time formatting your reference page, download our resume references template and fill it in yourself:
Customize Your Resume For Your Industry
People are often encouraged to include personality in their resume, but unless they are applying for a job in a creative industry, they may want to rethink that strategy. A lot of pictures and fonts and colors and a whole lot of personality just doesnt align with the jobs we have here, says Schweikert, whose team recruits for positions in sales, product and marketing. If I was in an organization that, for example, was in web design, then I would want to see those design elements in a resume.
Kim agrees that resume layout is wholly dependent on the position you are applying for. If you are applying for a designer role, I want to see something creative there. If youre applying for a finance role, I want to see numbers, she says.
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What To Include In Your Resume
Now that you know what not to include in your resume, take a second look at your resume to make sure it includes all the right elements to effectively tell your story and market your qualifications. Click on the following link to learn what 11 pieces of information every professional should include in a resume.
Not sure if your resume includes any of these mistakes? Let us help! Take advantage of;TopResume’s free critique today!
List Your Personal Interests
- This section shows you’re a well-rounded person who people would want to know and work with.
- Employers often use this section at the start of an interview to break the ice.
- Casual interests are better not to list . This is really about highlighting hobbies that have helped you grow as a person.
- This résumé step is considered optional. If you’re having trouble coming up with interests, or feel your résumé is already too long, feel free to leave it off.
Examples:
Ceramics, camping, reading, soccer, automotive repair, carpentry
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Choose A Resume File Format
Be sure to read the job listing carefully for any directions on what format the employer would prefer for your resume. If there are no directions, submit the resume as either a Microsoft Word document or as a PDF document. These are the formats most commonly preferred by employers.
If you have saved your;;or with word processing software other than Microsoft Word, convert your resume to a Word document. You should be able to click File, then “Download” and save it as a Word document or PDF.
To save your document as a PDF, depending on your word processing software you may be able to select the menu File, then the sub-menu Save asor Save a Copyand save it as a PDF. If not, there are free programs you can use to convert a file to a PDF.
Dont Omit A Job From Your Resume If
- It is a long-term position
According to Glassdoor, omitting a job you held for 6 months or less, shouldnt be any trouble at all. However, not including a job that you had for over a year will leave the employer scratching their head.
If you did this and got through to the first interview stage, you would need to be ready to explain why this gap is there. If the omission is a recent position, youre better off including it.
- Youre short of relevant experience
It is crucial to show you have relevant work experience. If you are applying for a role and have little relevant experience, you would be seriously damaging your chances of getting an interview by leaving off a relevant position. Even if the job ended badly you should include it.
- You are applying for a job with a security clearance
Your resume is normally an opportunity for you to showcase your strengths on your terms. However, in these circumstances it is necessary to be meticulous and list every position youve had. The same is true of omitting jobs from applications, if you completing a job application form and are asked to list every position, you should.
- You achieved great things there
If you have accomplished things in a job role, it is wasteful not to use it to your advantage to impress an employer. Achievements demonstrate your skills, abilities, and strengths better than anything else.
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Dont Put Everything On There
Your resume should not have every work experience youve ever had listed on it. Think of your resume not as a comprehensive list of your career history, but as a marketing document selling you as the perfect person for the job. For each resume you send out, youll want to highlight only the accomplishments and skills that are most relevant to the job at hand . Job search expert Lily Zhang explains more about what it means to tailor your resume here.
Organize Your Resume To Make It Easy To Understand
You need to organize your resume to help agencies evaluate your experience. If you dont provide the information required for the hiring agency to determine your qualifications, you might not be considered for the job.
- Use reverse chronological order to list your experiencestart with your most recent experience first and work your way back.
- Provide greater detail for experience that is relevant to the job for which you are applying.
- Show all experiences and accomplishments under the job in which you earned it. This helps agencies determine the amount of experience you have with that particular skill.
- Use either bullet or paragraph format to describe your experiences and accomplishments.
- Use plain language avoid using acronyms and terms that are not easily understood.
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No Relevant Experience No Worries
Dont panic if you dont have any experience that fits the bill. Instead, Zhang explains, focus your resume on your relevant and transferrable skills along with any related side or academic projects, and then make sure to pair it with a strong cover letter telling the narrative of why youre ideal for the job.
Add A Job Description To The Top Half Of The First Page On Your Resume
Many hiring managers see the potential employees description of previous work experiences as the primary source of possible indications that they have the necessary skills to succeed. For this reason, this section should be easily accessible, as it is typically the first place hiring managers look in a resume. Consider adding this section before others like skills or education to ensure the person reading your resume sees exactly why you are qualified.
6. Optional
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Eight Tips To Keep Your Resume Concise
1. Avoid repeating information: Did you perform the same or similar job tasks for more than one employer? Instead of repeating job duties, focus on your accomplishments in each position.
2. Eliminate old experience: Employers are most interested in what you did recently. If you have a long career history, focus on the last 10 to 15 years. If your early career is important to your current goal, briefly mention the experience without including details. For example: Early Career: ABC Company — City, State — Assistant Store Manager and Clerk, 1980-1985.
3. Don’t include irrelevant information: Avoid listing hobbies and personal information such as date of birth or marital status. Also, eliminate outdated technical or business skills.
4. Cut down on job duties: Many job seekers can trim the fat off their resumes simply by removing long descriptions of job duties or responsibilities. Instead, create a paragraph that briefly highlights the scope of your responsibility and then provide a list of your most impressive accomplishments.
5. Remove the “references available upon request” line:;Many job seekers waste the valuable last line of the resume on an obvious statement. Delete it.
6. Use a telegraphic writing style: Eliminate personal pronouns and minimize the use of articles when preparing your resume.
How Do You Choose The Skills To List On A Resume
Heres the deal.
You know what youre good at. ;You know the things you grew up doing as a kid, or the things you learned in school , or the activities you did after school .
So you should already have a list of things that you would consider yourself proficient in.
This is a good place to start.
Here are the steps for choosing the right skills:
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Executive Assistant Resume Objective
Looking to work in a fast-paced and challenging executive assistant role that allows for the application of strong organizational, support, coordination, scheduling and communication skills.
To obtain a position as an executive assistant to provide outstanding support to executive-level professionals by coordinating schedules, meeting deadlines, working effectively as part of the team, managing communications and overcoming all challenges.
Add Your Education Certifications And Any Other Relevant Information
There are other resume sections that may be worth adding, depending on both the job and your unique experience. These sections include things like education, awards and accolades, volunteer experience, and certifications. Keep in mind that your resume should always be showcasing your skills for that particular job, so anything in your history that doesnt support the image of you being a perfect candidate for the role doesnt need to be included.
Education
Its common to include your education on your resume, especially if you are applying to a job that requires a degree. If youre a few years into your career, your resumes education section can be minimized at the bottom of your resume. Unless youre applying in a career that puts extra emphasis on education , most job seekers can get away with providing only the following information on their resume:
- Name of Institution
Awards, Accolades, & Certifications
All three of the aforementioned things can be embedded in the work experience and skills sections of your resume. However, if you would like to highlight them, they could warrant a section of their own. Either way, relevant certifications, and honors will increase your credibility.
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What Should My Resume Include
- Personal details;Start by listing your full name and contact information, including your phone number and email address.;
- Career objective or summary;These are short statements to help you pitch yourself. If youve recently left school or university and dont have much professional experience yet, begin your resume with a career objective a sentence or two outlining your skills and your work ambitions. If you have experience in the workforce, you might want to include a short career summary instead, describing your experience and where youre aiming to go next in your career.
Next, include your education or work experience start with whichever is more recent.
After this, its a good idea to add some more information to reinforce or add to the picture of what youve got to offer.
- Skills, strengths or interests;You could create headings for these topics and list information thats relevant to the job youre applying for. Highlight any relevant professional memberships, too.;
- References;Most employers will require references from people you know professionally who can vouch for your skills and abilities. You could include contact and company details for a former employer, manager, or an academic advisor if they agree to be your referee, or you might wish to write references available on request.
How Many Pages Should A Resume Be
The short answer is that one page is the ideal resume length for most candidates. However, if you have a lot of relevant work experience, it can be two or even three pages.
Just note that unless youre applying for an upper-management position or an academic post, one page will be enough for hiring managers. Even Elon Musks resume could be tightened into one page.
If youre applying for an academic position, youll need to send a CV instead of a resume. Keep in mind that CV templates are often several pages long, and contain more information to show the progression of your academic career.
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Whats A Resume Summary & When To Use It
A resume summary is a 2-3 sentence summary of your career. You should use a resume summary in basically any situation, unless youre a recent university graduate or switching careers .
In your resume summary, you need to mention: