Functional Resume Myths: What You Need to Know

Do employers like functional resumes?

When it’s time to apply for a new position, you need a compelling resume to get past the applicant tracking system and impress a hiring manager. Fortunately, there are only three to choose from. This makes life a lot easier, considering the hundreds of thousands of templates you can find with an Internet search for acceptable resume formats. 

What are the three types of resumes?

Functional resumes have a lot of stigma surrounding them. Many people think they are okay to use, while others find them taboo. 

Roll up your sleeves; it’s time to learn something. 

From the past to the present

In the past, a functional resume was one of the best options to highlight specific skills. For decades, it was considered “the” tool to attract employers because of its high focus on relevant skills. 

As you’re probably aware, traditional resumes list all the places you’ve worked with bullet points that describe what you accomplished in each role. This is called a chronological resume. 

The functional resume is a bit different. When crafting a functional resume, instead of listing chronological work experience, a summarized work history is included at the bottom. The bulk of the resume focuses on the variety of skills you have, such as managing people, developing robust marketing plans, etc.

The idea behind that type of resume was to force the hiring manager to focus on the transferable skills you have rather than a chronological list of employment history, which was an especially good idea if you didn’t have a whole lot of relevant experience.

As time progressed, people began to use the functional resume format to try to hide the appearance of job-hopping or minimize employment gaps. After a while, employers got savvy to this and started jumping straight to the employment list to see if that’s what is going on in the functional resumes they get. 

Welcome to the future: the applicant tracking system

On top of employers’ opinions of the functional resume changing, today’s resume screening technology, or ATS, has caused the functional resume to no longer be relevant. 

The newest types of resume parsing systems can also determine the skills you possess but also when and how often you’ve performed them. Plus, they can infer based on the meaning of words and concepts instead of relying on a narrow definition.

Put simply, we’re talking about keywords and context. 

These systems screen resumes using relevant keywords, job titles, and years of experience. Applicant tracking systems are programmed to scan resumes looking for a straightforward timeline. When you use a functional resume format, that timeline doesn’t exist in the traditional sense of the word. This can make it harder for the ATS to properly parse information from your career history. 

Here’s what the ATS is looking for that will be missing from your functional resume:

• Clear job titles and dates. Since the functional resume is built with a focus on skills, aptitudes, and transferable abilities, the ATS may have difficulty extracting details about your career timeline. 

• Lacking context for your experience. The clearly defined timeline of a chronological resume makes it clear which skills you got from which job. Since the functional resume doesn’t include bullet point achievements with your work history, there’s no context for the ATS to assess your skills. 

• Less effective keyword matching. You’ll hear it time and again – you have to tailor your resume to different jobs to ensure you’re using the right keywords. The ATS is looking for the right keywords. The lack of association with job titles or experiences makes it harder for the ATS to determine if you’re a match for the job. 

All of this could lead to your resume being wholly rejected by the ATS and that’s one of the main reasons that job seekers are ghosted by companies. 

Functional resumes ARE NOT dead

It may seem that you just received a ton of information about the reasons to avoid using a functional resume. For the most part, avoiding them is the path to take. However, they do still have a place in the world – albeit a very small place.

Changing careers

If you’re changing careers, a functional resume may serve you well. This isn’t to say that you’re changing careers from being a marketing rep in the oil and gas industry to being a marketing rep in the luxury cosmetic industry. 

The only time to use a functional resume for changing careers is if it’s a major change, like from a teacher to a marketing rep. At this point in your career, you’d really have to draw attention to transferable skills and show how you utilized things like project management and data analysis as a teacher to make your students successful and follow district policies. 

Re-entering the workforce after an extended absence

Life happens sometimes. Things cause you to have to step away from work for a while. Perhaps you had children and decided to stay home to raise them for a few years. Maybe one of your close family members became gravely ill and needed someone to take care of them. In these instances a functional resume may be your best bet at properly relaying your skills and knowledge to a new employer. 

Employers are less interested in the fact that you took a break and more interested in how what you know how to do will help their team. If you can make them see you’re capable of fulfilling the duties of the role, you’ll be able to move them past the fact that you were out of pocket for a while. 

Important note: You should avoid using the functional resume format to minimize employment gaps that are less than one year in length. 

Functional resume template

For the very few instances when a functional resume is a good choice for you, you probably would like to know how to put one together. 

The structure is important. You have to use clearly defined section titles and a layout that’s easy to follow. Be sure to include the following:

FIRST LAST

City State Zip | (111) 222-3333 | [email protected] | LinkedIn URL

Title that Mirrors Job Description

MAJOR HARD SKILL | MAJOR HARD SKILL | MAJOR HARD SKILL | MAJOR HARD SKILL

Three to five sentences that outline the major events in your career. Start with something that mirrors the title on the job description to which you’re applying. Next, discuss a few HARD skills. End this paragraph with some SOFT skills.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS & ACHIEVEMENTS

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

• How does your experience with PROJECT MANAGEMENT (or whatever skill you want to highlight) relate to the job to which you’re applying?

• Example(s) of projects or situations where you used this skill.

• 1 to 2 accomplishments or measurable results showing your expertise with this skill.

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

• How does your experience with BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT (or whatever skill you want to highlight) relate to the job to which you’re applying?

• Example(s) of projects or situations where you used this skill.

• 1 to 2 accomplishments or measurable results showing your expertise with this skill.

ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP

• How does your experience with ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP (or whatever skill you want to highlight) relate to the job to which you’re applying?

• Example(s) of projects or situations where you used this skill.

• 1 to 2 accomplishments or measurable results showing your expertise with this skill.

WORK HISTORY

NAME OF COMPANY | Position Held | mm/yyyy to Present

NAME OF COMPANY | Position Held | mm/yyyy to mm/yyyy

NAME OF COMPANY | Position Held | mm/yyyy to mm/yyyy

NAME OF COMPANY | Position Held | mm/yyyy to mm/yyyy

EDUCATION

DEGREE | Name of School

While a functional resume can be a good option if you have large employment gaps or are changing careers, a more successful modern resume is a combination format with both chronological and functional elements.

Using a different format will help you do two things:

1. Avoid any stigma associated with the use of a functional resume 

2. Minimize the risk of the ATS not being able to properly read your resume

A great alternative to functional resumes

A combination resume includes a functional skills summary that presents all the exciting transferable skills you have but also has a chronological list of work history that talks about the top things you accomplished at each position. 

Overcoming the stigma

By using the functional and chronological format together, you increase the transparency of your career history. It’s important to remember that hiring managers are people, too, and it’s unlikely that even their career timeline is spotless. Everyone has something to explain. 

When you pair your combination resume with a cover letter, you address any concerns head-on, which can help elevate you to the top of the stack of potential candidates. It proves that you are the type of person who values open communication and professionalism. 

Resume writing involves strategy

Since you’re writing your resume for two audiences – the ATS and the human hiring manager, a bit of strategy is critical. Not only do you have to use the right keywords to get past the ATS, but you have to also highlight your qualifications in a way that the hiring manager can immediately understand the type of value you’ll bring to their team. 

We’ve already mentioned the ATS will be scanning your resume for experience and keywords, but engaging the human on the other side of the ATS is just as important. It can be difficult to create a document that impresses both a human and a computer, but it’s quite doable. 

• Select the right keywords to optimize for the ATS

• Use the correct formatting to appeal to the human hiring manager

• Tell a story that resonates with someone within a few seconds

• Tailor and update your resume to different jobs

Combination resume template

Making the transition from a functional resume to a combination can be a tough nut to crack, but climbing this hill can be the difference between getting an interview and never hearing anything back. 

Here’s what your combination resume should look like:

First Last | (111) 222-3333 | [email protected] | www.linkedin.com/in/clientname

Title That Mirrors Job Description

A three to five-sentence profile paragraph that acts like your elevator pitch to the new company. Mention how much experience you have and add in some hard and soft skills. Make a note about how what you’ve learned from previous roles sets you up to be successful in the new position.

CORE PROFICIENCIES

This is the place for a bulleted list of skills. Include 9-12 skills that you have that mirror the job description. Just because you can do it doesn’t mean it needs to be here. 

You’re targeting THIS resume to THAT job.

APTITUDES or CAREER HIGHLIGHTS or SIMILAR

• The idea with this section is to include up to 5 bullet points that indicate why you’re a great candidate for the job to which you’re applying.

• This section is called out if you’re in sales and need to quantify achievements OR if you’re changing careers and need to demonstrate how your transferable skills match the new company.

• These bullets should be VERY achievement-based (i.e., I did this great thing that resulted in a huge WIN for my company).

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

COMPANY NAME | mm/yyyy to Present

POSITION TITLE

2-3 Sentences that briefly explain your role. DO NOT copy and paste your job description. Talk about what you did on a daily basis and at least 1 major thing you accomplished.

• 3-5 bullets MAX that show achievements you had.

• Anytime you can use numbers, it is best to do so.

• ATS scans search for measurable accomplishments – most want to see at least 5 pers 10 years’ experience.

COMPANY NAME | mm/yyyy to mm/yyyy

POSITION TITLE

2-3 Sentences that briefly explain your role. DO NOT copy and paste your job description. Talk about what you did on a daily basis and at least 1 major thing you accomplished.

• A great resume has between 10- and 15-years’ experience represented.

• Your resume isn’t meant to be a record of your professional life’s events.

• Talk about achievements that will intrigue a hiring manager to call you for an interview.

COMPANY NAME | mm/yyyy to mm/yyyy

POSITION TITLE

2-3 Sentences that briefly explain your role. DO NOT copy and paste your job description. Talk about what you did on a daily basis and at least 1 major thing you accomplished.

• The era of the 1-page resume has died.

• RULES: Recent college grad or less than 10 years’ experience – 1 page; 10+ years’ experience – 2 pages.

• Avoid going to 3 pages.

EDUCATION & CREDENTIALS

DEGREE | School

CERTIFICATION | Where you obtained it

It is no longer customary to put graduation dates unless you are still in school or graduated within the last year. Be sure to spell out degrees (i.e., Bachelor of Science) and school names. Put any relevant acronyms in parentheses after you’ve spelled out the words. 

Functional doesn’t usually work anymore

In the past few years, a more modern resume that is successful is one that keeps up with technology and job search trends – like the rampant use of the ATS. In the contemporary job search world, a functional resume simply won’t work. The stigma that surrounds them is just too much for you to have to worry about. 

A professionally written resume that combines the functional style with the traditional reverse-chronological format will provide a clearer and more concise overview of your work history in a way that will impress hiring managers. 

Bottom line: Avoid the less-than-ideal functional resume and use other tools at your disposal – e.g., a cover letter – to make your case for being chosen for a new job. 

TopResume can help turn your functional resume into a hybrid resume that will win interviews. It all starts with a free critique of what you’re currently using when you apply for jobs.

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