{"id":774580,"date":"2014-05-07T14:34:00","date_gmt":"2014-05-07T14:34:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.goodwill.org\/blog\/general\/chronological-or-functional-which-resume-type-will-put-your-best-foot-forward\/"},"modified":"2026-02-18T13:57:41","modified_gmt":"2026-02-18T13:57:41","slug":"chronological-or-functional-which-resume-type-will-put-your-best-foot-forward","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goodwill.org\/blog\/career-and-financial-advice\/chronological-or-functional-which-resume-type-will-put-your-best-foot-forward\/","title":{"rendered":"Chronological or Functional: Which R\u00e9sum\u00e9 Type Will Put Your Best Foot Forward?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Question<\/h3>\n“I’ve mostly just filled out job applications before, but now I have to make a r\u00e9sum\u00e9 for the first time. I guess there are multiple types\u2014how do I know what to use?”\u2014Sarah from St. Paul, MN\n

Answer<\/h3>\nWhile a job application lets you provide the information that the employer wants to know, a r\u00e9sum\u00e9 lets you decide what information to share and how to organize it.\n\nThere are two main types of r\u00e9sum\u00e9s\u2014chronological and functional.\n\nA chronological r\u00e9sum\u00e9<\/b> is the traditional format, which many recruiters expect to see. It lists, in time order from current to oldest, each job that you have held, what you were responsible for and how it relates to the job you want. A chronological r\u00e9sum\u00e9 includes dates of employment, whereas a functional r\u00e9sum\u00e9 may not. This format works best for traditional job seekers who are moving from one role to the next in the same career path and have a steady employment history.\n\nA functional r\u00e9sum\u00e9<\/b> highlights skills without necessarily revealing employment dates. Rather than listing each job, you list your skills and describe how they were demonstrated rather than where or when. The descriptions should also explain how your skills and accomplishments apply to the job you want. While the meat of this r\u00e9sum\u00e9 will be your skills, you should still list your most recent employers and positions held, but you don\u2019t need to include dates or descriptions. This style is beneficial for people who have gaps in employment history, recent graduates, workers who want to de-emphasize their age and people who are changing careers.\n\nRegardless of which type you use, remember to include these important elements in every version of your r\u00e9sum\u00e9:\n