Writing resumes is a time-consuming task. The objective of a resume is to highlight your skills and experience, and let employers see why they should hire you.

If you want to stand out from other candidates, consider writing a functional resume. Make sure that your resume highlights your professional skills.

Writing a functional resume takes practice. There are several things you can do to improve it, such as using bullet points and avoiding too much text. Read our guide to creating a functional resume and get started today!

How can you create a functional resume?

A functional resume is a type of resume used mainly by job seekers with little or no professional experience.

The main difference between a functional resume and a traditional one is that it focuses more on what you did at previous jobs than on what you can do in the current company (e.g., what you learned).

Functional resume examples:

The first section would be your introduction. It usually goes after your name, address, phone number, and email address. Here you can mention why the reader should read your resume. For example: “I am looking for employment in marketing.”

Your next section will cover your education history. In this part, you list all degrees obtained so far. If you went to school in different countries, you could also add information about where you studied if necessary. You can even include awards and achievements if applicable.

Next, comes your professional skills. Here you’ll need to highlight your skills rather than career progression. This should include all your highly developed and relevant skills. These are important because they help your employer build up a clear picture of what you can do for the company.

In your last section, you should write down all the positions you held so far. Do not forget to include any internships you may have had.

What makes a functional resume special?

Unlike a traditional resume, a functional resume has some features that set it apart from others.

You might be wondering what these special features are and how to choose them wisely. Let’s take a look at some of their most popular features and find out which ones to use when writing your own version:

1. Using bullet points

Bullet points are perfect for highlighting sections. They allow you to quickly jump around and give an overview of your entire resume, without going into detail.

This means that you can skip unnecessary information and focus only on the most essential bits of your resume, making it easier for the recruiter to understand you better.

Bullet points are also a visual way of conveying your message. So, when you use this feature, try to keep your sentences concise and to the point. 

2. Bolding and italics

When using bolding and italicizing, stick to a few keywords/phrases. Don’t overdo it though; otherwise, it becomes distracting.

Bolding highlights keywords while italicization emphasizes specific phrases. Use them appropriately and with purpose.

3. Short paragraphs

Paragraphs should be kept short. Try to limit yourself to three lines. If there’s something really important that needs to be included, break it up into multiple paragraphs. However, this doesn’t mean that you should go crazy with bullets and ellipses. Keep everything readable and understandable.

4. Highlighted skills

Don’t worry about including every skill you’ve ever had. The idea of having a functional resume is to show off the accomplishments you achieved rather than listing every single thing you know.

Instead, think of the skills that matter most to the employers you want to target. Choose those and then highlight them in your resume. Make sure to include relevant certifications and other training courses as well.

5. Visual elements

A couple of visual elements can boost the readability of your resume.

First, make sure to present your resume in landscape mode. It helps to break the monotonous vertical space it takes up. If possible, create a page break between each major section (education, professional experience, etc.), or else simply print two pages side by side.

Second, avoid adding too many fonts. Your font size shouldn’t exceed 10px.

6. A solid color scheme

A lot of people like to use lots of colors. But that’s usually not a good idea. It’s best to stick with one or two main colors that help you clearly distinguish the different parts of your resume.

7. Headlines

Headlines are another great way of emphasizing certain aspects of your resume.

For example, if you worked on a project with a deadline, you could write “Project Deadline” under the headline “Deadline”. This would draw attention to the fact that this was an important aspect of the job.

Conclusion

Now that you have a basic understanding of what makes a functional resume work, go ahead and start creating yours. Remember consistency counts!

We all know that resumes are important because they play a crucial role in getting you hired.

However, they need to stand out from the rest. Let’s face it, hundreds of applicants apply for every job opening. As such, it’s very difficult to make yourself stand out among so many others.

Luckily, our team of expert writers can help you craft a professionally written resume that will make sure you stand out and land that interview.