Resume Building: Should you write a functional resume?
I recently received an email inquiring about our resume building experience, specifically functional resumes. I found that the job seeker is changing careers after speaking with him on the phone. He believes he needs to divert employers’ attention away from her background in one area so that they can envision him in another. As a result, he’s considering using a functional resume. I know we’re not meant to use capital letters on the Internet because it implies, we’re shouting, but I am shouting in this situation, so my response is “NO!” (Imagine a lot of underlines beneath the word “no.”)
What is a functional resume?
A functional resume is one that does not present your work experience in a chronological order. Instead, the job seeker categorises his achievements under numerous skill headings such as “HR management” and “IT leadership.” The idea is that by using this approach, you may express transferrable talents without revealing that your entire career has been in a completely other industry.
Why functional resumes don’t work?
The issue with this method of resume building is that it simply does not function. Recruiters aren’t inept or unskilled in any way. They’ve been reviewing applications for a long time and have seen every tactic you can think of (plus a few you didn’t think of!). They understand that a functional resume is a ruse to conceal something. The only thing they aren’t aware of straight away is what you’re attempting to conceal. They might try to figure it out if they have a few minutes to spare. But, you see, this is just for fun because they’ve already determined they don’t like you. Obviously, the impression you were looking for with your updated resume is not here!
Making a career change isn’t as easy as changing your resume
The truth is that if you want to change careers, you must approach it differently than a typical job search.
The secret isn’t a brilliant résumé or a killer cover letter, though both of these things can help. A proactive approach and an intensive networking and personal contact campaign are required for a successful job move.
And, when drafting a CV for a career transition, you must admit to your lack of experience right away and rapidly demonstrate why it doesn’t matter. For example, when I was transitioning from HR to resume writing, I might have begun my resume with the following headline:
CAREER TARGET: RESUME WRITER/CAREER COACH
HR professional with 15 years of real-world hiring experience and great writing and marketing abilities eager to make the switch to marketing.
This approach would be honest, simple, and truthful, and it would be far more effective than a “smart” structure that tried to hide the fact that I had no paid resume writing experience at the time.
The truth is that the more you try to hide your lack of experience, the more apparent it becomes. Your ruses will only serve to highlight the facts. So, if you’re looking for a new job, use this unique approach to presenting yourself: Tell it like it is!
Want to learn more insights on the same? Get in touch with the best resume writing services Toronto today!
