Are you interested in learning how to write a resume? Do you know the best resume writing format for your resume?
There are many different resume writing formats to choose from and we will be discussing the 2 most popular.
The most COMMON resume writing format is what’s called the “professional” or “chronological” format.
This resume format basically consists of a chronological order of your previous employment. It highlights the company you worked for, the position you had, and the location of employment. Under each entry you then can add details about your employment such as accomplishments and responsibilities.
One common question I am asked is how to handle promotions. Each promotion should be entered as a NEW entry with an update on the job title and focus on additional accomplishments and responsibilities.
The most important concept to remember if you are using a “professional” resume format is that the additional “details” should ideally be focused on the job your applying for! This means you should have multiple copies of your resume as you emphasize different accomplishments and responsibilities based on the job description of the job your applying for.
The 2nd most used resume writing format is the “skills” format. In this resume writing format the layout is similar to the chronological but rather than focusing on job history, the layout focuses on skills and accomplishments.
This resume format is best used by individuals who are making a transition in employment where the jobs are quite different, however the skill sets are still applicable. The overwhelming emphasis on the “skills” format is results. It is not enough to simply say “Sales” with no explanation of why that’s a proven skill set. Each entry MUST be followed up with verifiable evidence that you indeed have practical knowledge and application of the stated skill.
So … how do you know which resume format to use? This ultimately depends on the job you are applying for, previous work history, and skills. A simple rule of thumb is if the job you are applying for is similar to other jobs you have had in the past you can use the “professional” format.
If the job your applying for is not similar to other jobs you have had in the past you may want to use the “skills” format.
Regardless of which you ultimately end up using writing a draft of your resume in each helps you focus on results and skills that future employers are looking for. My personal recommendation … use BOTH!