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Resume Help - Sample Resumes

How you present and sell your potential to your future employer will be different to a student, seasoned professional or career mum.

There are two types of sample resumes that fit a variety of employment situations, chronological and functional. A chronological resume highlights your work history by date and a functional resume puts more emphasis on your skills.

Chronological Sample Resume

The body of a chronological resume includes a listing of your work history, beginning with your most current job.

Other sections may include a job objective; information on your education; a summary of skills; volunteer experiences and other work-related associations; and community activities.

Bear in mind information near the top of the page will determine if the hiring manager reads on. It can be effective to state your job objective and/or your qualifications in a sentence or two before presenting your work history.

The session on work history may be titled Work History, Job History, Employment or Experience. List your latest employment first, then previous job according to dates. State your job title, employer, and dates of employment for each job.

Under each job title briefly outline what you were hired to do. This is your role responsibility. Then list your achievements to demonstrate how much, how often, how well and what results you produced.

List your formal education and training in a section titled Education, Training, or Education and Training. Typically, the most recent schooling is listed first. This section may be presented either before or after your work history. It will depend on which is most important in the qualifications the employer is looking for.

Functional Sample Resume

A functional resume is useful when you want to switch career fields and need to identify skills that may be used in a new situation. You will have limited work experience but still have skills that can be identified and grouped.

The body of a functional resume highlights your major skill areas. Emphasis is placed on your skills, not on work experience. Job titles, dates, or name of employers may be left out. However, other sections may include a job objective, information on education, a summary of abilities, memberships and other work-related associations.

You might label the section describing your skills in a variety of ways, such as:

• Skills
• Abilities
• Accomplishments
• Experience
• Core Competencies

Cluster your skills from paid and unpaid experiences under one heading. For example, if you provided word processing on one job, did filing on another job, and acted as a receptionist someplace else, these activities could be listed under the heading of Office Skills.

To make your functional resume as reader-friendly as possible for employers, include as much context as you can within each functional description. That way, the employer has a better idea of which skill aligns with which job.

If you're unsure whether a functional resume is right for you, try it both ways and show the two formats to people in the field you wish to enter. See which one they feel presents your skills more effectively.

Remember, selecting a sample resume format you like does not mean it’s the right one for the position you are applying for. Make sure you tailor your resume to suit the skills and experience required the employer or recruiter outlines in the job description.

Otherwise, contact The CV Company to write your resume for you using one of their professional sample resume formats.

Find out more about our Curriculum Vitae services or to get your professional resume underway call 0416 299 541 or email enquiries@theCVcompany.com.au.