CommunityJobsAdviceEventsReviewsFor EmployersFor ClientsCoach Connect
CommunityJobsAdviceEvents
Fairygodboss Official Job Seeker Group header image
Fairygodboss Official Job Seeker Group logo

Fairygodboss Official Job Seeker Group

Creating career connections, advice and feedback.

open group
Romy NewmanMICHELLE SOUBRANDAlexandra Gerula (Asteris)JENNIFER NARebecca Schlanger14.9k members
Mystery Woman
Tell us more for better jobs, advice
and connections
YOUR GROUPS
Discover and join groups with like-minded women who share your interests, profession, and lifestyle.
COMPANIES YOU FOLLOW
Get alerted when there are new employee reviews.
YOUR JOB ALERTS
Get notified when new jobs are posted.

Group Post

Melissa Centazzo
star-svg
37
Passionate about the challenge!
11/04/20 at 7:58PM UTC (Edited)
in
Fairygodboss Official Job Seeker Group

Chronological Resume vs Functional Resume

I prefer a functional resume due my sprawling work experience over the years. I have five areas of expertise, so I have five unique resumes. Does anyone else use functional resumes? And are then asked to provide a chronological resume?

Share

Join the conversation...
Lynne Cogan
star-svg
871
Career Coach for Realizing Professional Dreams
11/10/20 at 7:54PM UTC
Functional resumes serve an important purpose. I have used a couple of different formats that have worked well over the years. One important factor is that mine include a simple list of employment, so that prospective employers can see where and when my clients worked. (Technically, this makes these combination rather than functional resumes.) Why is this important? A very large number of employers and recruiters do not like functional resumes. They believe people use them to hide gaps and job hopping. Even with listing employment, there will be employers and recruiters who are dissatisfied. They want to see where accomplishments were made. To solve this, include your accomplishment under functional categories the way you normally would--only at the end of each accomplishment put the company in parenthesis,
Melissa Centazzo
star-svg
37
Passionate about the challenge!
11/10/20 at 10:49PM UTC
I always include the full work history in each functional resume, so they can ask all they want.
Austen
star-svg
222
Veteran Pharma and Biotech Consulting Leader
11/07/20 at 2:34PM UTC
Fabulous post -I've had this loooooong resume for years - I am going to switch it up!
Melissa Centazzo
star-svg
37
Passionate about the challenge!
11/10/20 at 10:52PM UTC
Good luck! I make a "master" resume in order to keep track of all of the experience and accomplishments. Then it is so much easier to tailor to the position and not forget anything. Just a thought.
Lucy Quintanilla
star-svg
16
Freelance Art Director
11/04/20 at 11:23PM UTC
I switched to a functional resume last year. As a freelancer, I had more clients than full-time employment, leading to too much repetition under each job. I took the main section of my resume and broke it into small categories with bullet points. A skinny column timeline of employment dates and clients sits on the right side of it. I feel putting my skills on display rather than my place of employment was helpful. However, I kept a text document of my resume that was chronological, making an easy cut and paste situation when companies want it put into their system.
Melissa Centazzo
star-svg
37
Passionate about the challenge!
11/04/20 at 11:34PM UTC
Thank you Lucy! Sounds great!
Barb Hansen
star-svg
9.66k
Startup Product, Growth & Strategy
11/04/20 at 8:37PM UTC
I switched to a functional resume a few years ago. Why? Because my chronological resume was, as you mentioned above, sprawling and in my case, my functional resume was not highlighting my experience, it was only highlighting my age. When I was looking for work a few years ago, I used the functional resume and was never asked to provide a chronological resume. I didn't even know that was a thing - that companies would also ask for a chronological resume
Melissa Centazzo
star-svg
37
Passionate about the challenge!
11/04/20 at 9:29PM UTC
Thanks for the response! For example, BCBS specifically asks for a chronological resume. And I am noticing that more are asking for them again, and I'm not sure why. I've recreated a new chronological resume to include the "good" stuff, and now the resume is so long. But I can't leave it off as it pertains to the job. Arghhhhhhh! I have been sending it to contract houses only right now with this length.
Back to group page

About this group

The Fairygodboss Official Job Seeker Group welcomes Fairygodboss members to ask questions, share experiences and weigh-in with advice — while always having the option to post anonymously. Let's strive to help, share and inform each other where we can.

Group rules

Group Rules: When it comes to the Fairygodboss Official Job Seeker Group, we invite you to be open and contribute to credible conversations and posts that are meant to help forge connections, advice, and feedback. We follow these specific principles and guidelines to ensure that our community encourages expression while creating a safe environment. Be supportive — Advice & Encouragement Fairygodboss Official Job Seeker Group is an inclusive space where we encourage ...Read more
icon
© 2025 Fairygodboss. All rights reserved.
  • about
  • careers
  • FAQs
  • privacy policy
  • terms & conditions
Our site uses cookies to improve your experience. Read More