Resume writing might sound to most of us as a very easy and simple but the truth is revealed when you actually sit down and start writing it.  Often, simple sounding things prove to be tedious, time consuming and extremely technical.

Fact of the matter:

Resume writing is an extremely technical job involving some bit of creativity and a lot of dedication, focus and research. In today’s world where jobs are limited and job applications in thousands, resume becomes the first tool for short-listing a candidate. It might sound like a child’s play, listing your jobs and their responsibilities and the job is done! Every resume is a story that needs to be articulated that attracts and makes the hiring manager pick the story.

Resume Basics

You might have searched, seen and tried resume templates that are widely available on the Internet but do you that know that more than a resume template, a resume format is what needs to be decided first. Resume format gives that flow and structure to your resume. Every resume is unique and has a different story to tell, hence every resume needs to be structured in the format that best brings out your experience.

Resume Formats

There are primarily 3 resume formats, Mixed, Functional and Chronological and depending on your experience and job, the format needs to be decided. Let’s, look at these formats in a little more detail:

Mixed: A mixed format is one in which key skills or competencies are mentioned upfront followed by the details of the organizations worked. This format is widely used in profiles with varied experience; showcasing the key skills gathered across the various organizations worked, it helps recruiter to first read on competencies / skills and further on about the organizations worked.

Functional:A format typically used for sales profiles, which has a lot of accomplishments or achievements to highlight. In this particular format the stress is on the achievements or value additions in each organization, hence every organization is mentioned in detail with roles and accomplishments.  It is often referred to as an achievement driven format.

Chronological:  As the name suggests the format lists down the organizations worked in a reverse chronological manner upfront on the first page of the resume and is then followed by role / tasks handled across these organizations. This format is most suited for finance or civil personnel as these profiles are not very achievement oriented but boast of projects handled or daily routine tasks executed in an effective manner.

A lot of people get confused between resume templates and resume formats; a template is one in which the just the content needs to be pasted. It is more about the look and feel of a resume, while a resume format is more about the flow and structure of a resume. A neat, attractive resume template is equally important as an appropriate and correct format.