Some Resume Formats are Better for You

Previously I never really thought much about resume formats but one day I realized having periods of unemployment on my resume may be costing me interview opportunities.

In my case, I had a number of gaps in my employment history that I wanted to minimize and I also wanted to find a way to shift the focus of the resume to my strong skills. Lucky for me I discovered the functional format for a resume which keeps the focus on skills instead of timeframes. With so many people currently unemployed there are likely many people who are in the same position as me. You seem to have no problem finding positions for which you want to apply but you feel as though your resume is not strong enough to be considered seriously for these positions.

You may even stop yourself from applying for jobs for which you are well qualified because you feel certain that your resume is going to prevent you from getting the job and you would just be wasting your time by applying. After I realized I had a number of choices for resume formats, I decided to weigh these choices to see which would work for me. I did not allow my personal preferences to cloud this decision and instead relied one my ability to select a format for my resume which showed me in the most positive light. However, before I could make this determination, I spent a great deal of time researching the different options available to me. The first important step was to figure out just how many formats were there.

Next I determined the key features of each format and how these features could be used. Then I looked for recommended uses for each format.

Before my resume was complete, I spent some time testing out each of the resume formats. I did this by creating a number of sample resumes using a number of different formats. I viewed these resumes from an employer\’s perspective. It was not an easy process but it really worked for me. I selected a format which made me look very favorable to potential employers.

Cynthia Penfold knows good Resume Formats at her Resume Formats Blog