Introduction to Resume Formats

Many different types of resume formats are acceptable to employers, and there are many books that tell you how to write different resumes. However, the most important thing is that the resume clearly and quickly draws attention to your best “selling points.” Research has shown that employers typically spend only 8 to 30 seconds reviewing each resume.

There are two basic resume formats that most people use. They are:

1. The chronological resume format

2. The functional resume format

Regardless of which type of resume format you choose to use, some basic guidelines should be considered when writing your resume:

- It should be one or two pages in length – no more.

- It should look good – neat, concise, and easy to read.

- It should clearly point out your skills and worker strengths and tell the employer what you can do for the company.

- It should be accurate – no slang, spelling errors, or abbreviations.

- It should contain information about your work, educational, military, and volunteer experiences. Include dates and special accomplishments for each experience.

- It can list your “employment objective,” or you can leave it off the resume.

- It can list activities, interests, and references.