Resume formats

 

Resume formats: Employment history

Similar to the skills section, the employment history or professional experience section of the resume will differ depending on the format of the resume you are using. For all three formats, the basic information you include will be:

• Job title
• Company name
• Location
• Dates employed

The information is listed in reverse order, starting with your most recent position and working backward. You should only list jobs going back for 10 years. Anything prior to this either is no longer relevant to contemporary positions or the experience has already been described in more recent employment listings.

EXPERT TIP

In the functional resume, this is all the information you provide. The focus in this format is your skills, which you have already described in detail.

If you are using the chronological resume format, this is the most important section and will contain a great amount of detail. In addition to the basic information, you will provide the following:

• A brief description of your key responsibilities and contributions, in 1-2 sentences
• A bulleted list of 3-5 key achievements, contributions to the company’s objectives or duties you performed that mirror those in the job description you are applying to

In the hybrid format, you will provide the basic information and a brief (1-2 sentence or bullets) description of your responsibilities.

Education

This section is the same for all three resume formats. It details both your formal and informal training related to the job you are applying to. The formal education is listed in reverse order, starting with the most recent or highest degree attained. The information you include is:

• Degree, with major and any minors if applicable
• School or institution
• Activities including offices held, organizations, key projects or publications

If you have had informal education related to the jobs you’ve held or are applying to, include it. The descriptions should include:

• Name of the class or certificate attained
• Instructional institution or issuing agency
• Dates

These items should only be included if they enhance your qualifications for the job.

Optional resume sections

Once you’ve completed the education section of your resume you are done. However, you may opt to include some additional information, but only if it contributes to telling the story of why you are qualified for the position you are applying to.

Keep in mind that employers will only hire you if you can do one of the following:

• Make them money
• Save them money
• Save them time
• Fix their problem

Anything you put in your resume should speak to one of these objectives. Otherwise, don’t include it.

Having said this, optional items you can include in your resume, regardless of which format you use are:

• Certifications, awards, or recognitions
• Industry or trade organizations you are a member of, and which are relevant to the job
• Volunteer work
• Patents or publications
• Foreign languages you are fluent in

How you choose to format these is flexible but should be consistent with the other section of your resume. Using the same format as in the education section is the easiest guideline.

Resume formats: Summary

Most people are good at what they do for a living but stink at describing it in writing. Luckily, there are many resources available to help you format and write a resume. The key is choosing the right resume format for your particular situation and then filling it with the right content, written in the right way.