TYPES OF RESUME APPLICATION

Although the unemployment rate in the United States (U.S.) decreased by 0.33% in the first quarter of 2010 compared to last quarter of 2009, it is still not significant for us to become complacent in the employment industry. The average unemployment rate from January to March 2010 was 9.7% while data showed an average of 10.03% from October to December 2009 based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). However, the unemployment rate increased to 9.9% for the month of April 2010. But it recently decreased to 9.7% for May and 9.5% for June.

It may be a sign of hope, but we cannot deny that there is still an unemployment crisis even up to this day. I have previously published some articles about job hunting specifically more about interviews. We may all agree that before we can go to the next step, we must take our first phase that is making an impressive resume, or some may call it as comprehensive vitae (CV).

There are a lot of articles on secrets of, do’s and don’ts, how to make, or rules about resume making. These may sound as great advices coming from different opinions of writers, but the final decision will still come from the readers. I believe an applicant must first know the type of resume he needs to prepare before he can follow any of these tips.

Every resume varies depending on the educational background, work experiences, skills, or interests of the job seeker. Some may find it easy, while others still find it hard to get their resume to be read by their prospective employers. But if there is advancement in technology, change in fashion and healthy diet, as such there will also be a need for a makeover of our resume. There are three main types of resume you could use depending on your needs, which are the TRADITIONAL, FUNCTIONAL or COMBINATION.

TRADITIONAL RESUME

This is the type of resume in chronological format based on your work experience. You write the name of all your employers, starting from the recent ones, and listing your accomplishments below each company. This may be an acceptable type, but it may be the least advisable layout to use especially if there is an unemployment gap. This can be used for entry level positions or by new graduates who doesn’t have a solid work history.

FUNCTIONAL RESUME

This is the type of resume that focuses more on the skills rather than the work history of an applicant. In this format, you enumerate the necessary skills and accomplishments you have that are related to the job you are applying. Your skills can be validated by your achievements at work. This is one way of diverting the attention of your reader rather than considering the number of years being unemployed. This is a great format to use for applicants who have a strong relevant work experience.

COMBINATION RESUME

This is the type of resume that combines the element of a traditional and functional format. You indicate first the most pertinent information needed for the position you are applying. This is suitable to use for career changers, unemployed with relevant skills or stay-at-home moms returning to work. This allows you to sell your most significant background proving your skills and solid work experience.

A stay-at-home mom for almost 10 years with 4 children landed in a part-time job after 3 months of job hunting and was absorbed on a full-time position within her 5 months stint with the company. I reviewed, edited and used this Combination type of resume for her qualifications. It gave her a chance to be interviewed by her prospective employers that helped her find the work she really liked best.

You may click the photo link to get a larger view of samples of these resumes.  Applicants do not need to limit it to one page only, but 2 to 3 pages are still acceptable.  A newly graduate will have a different resume versus somebody who has 7 years of professional expertise.  It will all depend on your experiences and accomplishments. Keywords related to the job position is also important in your resume. Understanding the type of resume that you need to use will help you land in your dream job.

Note: The author used fictitious names and information in the attached resume. These were only used to present as samples for better understanding.