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What You Should Know About Resume Styles

January 31st, 2008

When it comes to today’s job market, competition is fierce. You want to be seen as one of the best, and you want a powerful resume. Although there are tons of resume styles to choose from, it’s vital that you choose only the right one.

Why so many different styles you ask? For one thing, the wide variety of methods by which documents are sent nowadays requires a different resume style for each one. You cannot expect a resume that is intended for physical viewing to work just as well when it is emailed or faxed and vice versa. The growing trend of viewing documents online has naturally also brought about a need for a resume style that is more appropriate for this medium.

Then you also need to consider that certain positions may call for a very specific resume style. So you’ll need to be adaptable. You’ll want to tweak your resume to suit each situation so that it showcases your relevant skills. That’s what a resume is for, after all: To show off your expertise.

By far, the most widespread form of resume writing is the chronological style, which as the name implies lists all of the positions that you have worked in starting with the most current.

Then there is the functional style, a slightly newer template that has been getting more attention lately. Instead of listing your jobs and accomplishments by date, you list your most impressive qualifications first and then work your way down to the lesser ones. This kind of resume is easy to skim, which helps a prospective employer decide if you sound like a good match for the job. It also helps beef up your strong points.

There are a few other commonly used resume styles, but these are mostly variations of the two aforementioned styles. This brings up an important point: do not be afraid to mix up resume styles to suit your purpose or a specific need. Remember, you want to showcase your abilities the best way possible and using the ideal resume style will allow you to do just that.

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