Functional Resume Sample

The Functional Resume

Definition:

The functional resume rearranges employment history into sections that highlight areas of skill and accomplishment.

Employer Rating:

Some employers dislike functional resumes IF they find it difficult to match up skills with actual job titles, level of responsibility and dates of experience. You can, and SHOULD, avoid or minimize this objection by including the company name in the "bullet" describing each accomplishment.

For example:

Program Coordination

• Coordinated the logistics of opening two HILLCREST Residential Treatment Centers, which included the hiring and training of staff, supervising the set-up of the physical plant, and developing programs.
• Oversaw the computerization of the BEHRING CLINIC accounting unit from initial planning through successful implementation, with no disruption in service.

If you want to take advantage of the benefits of a functional resume, you MUST make it EASY for employers to visualize your overall chronological work history and link your accomplishment statements to it. NEVER omit at least a bare-bones chronological listing of your work experience, in your functional resume.

Works Best For:

The functional resume might be thought of as a "problem solving" format. The functional resume gives you latitude to "make sense" of your work history and match up skills and accomplishments that might not be obvious to the employer in a traditional chronological format. If any of the descriptions below apply to you, you may want to investigate the functional format:

• You have a "mixed bag" work history: no clear thread uniting positions held.
• You are a new graduate or entering the workforce. You must show how the skills you have used in the past (in volunteer or coursework) apply to the job you are seeking.
• Your job titles, such as such as "Administrative Assistant" or "Marketing Coordinator," do not clearly reflect the level of skills you used.
• You are making a career change--either changing industry (from Hospitals to Pharmaceuticals) or changing occupation (from Manufacturing Technician to Sales Representative.)

The functional resume might be thought of as a "problem solving" format. The functional resume gives you latitude to "make sense" of your work history and match up skills and accomplishments that might not be obvious to the employer in a traditional chronological format.  Here is a sample of a functional resume:

LINDA MOWRY

348 Somerset Road
Hayward, CA 94541
(510) 123-4567

OBJECTIVE

A position as Sales Coordinator, Representative or Account Executive.

SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS

·         Twelve years successful experience in direct sales of a range of products and services.

·         Extensive practical hands-on experience as co-owner and manager of a small business.

·         Motivated and enthusiastic about developing good relations with clients.

·         Effective working alone or as a cooperative team member.

·         Professional in appearance and presentation.

RELEVANT SKILLS

SALES & NEW ACCOUNT DEVELOPMENT

·         Increased a small publication's advertising revenue through market research and promotion.

·         Developed new distribution outlets for a special-interest magazine in Northern California
- Made cold calls and follow-up visits to retail outlets throughout the region.
- Organized detailed routebooks and financial recordkeeping.
- Successfully increased readership by more than 40 percent over a two-year period.

CUSTOMER RELATIONS

·         Served as vendor representative for Jana Imports:
- Coordinated product information and distribution for 75 field representatives and major accounts.
- Promoted giftware products at trade shows throughout the region.
- Handled face-to-face contacts with new and established customers.

·         Oversaw the production of advertising and its placement in major trade publications.

ADVERTISING, MARKETING, DISTRIBUTION

·         Organized and styled merchandise for effective presentation in a 20-page giftware catalog.

·         Kept accurate, current computer records of inventory, international suppliers, brokers, shippers, etc.

·         Handled all aspects of order taking and processing, both at Bill's Dairy and Jana Imports.

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

2001-present     Sales Coordinator               JANA IMPORTS, Oakland
1996-2000       Distribution Coordinator     DEJA VU PUBLISHING CO., San Rafael
1990-95  Co-Owner / Manager                   BILL'S DAIRY PRODUCTS, Livermore

EDUCATION

Bay City College, San Francisco, Liberal arts studies 1987-90

Yana Parker's Comments:

Disappointing Performance at Current Job

Although Linda's most recent job title was Sales Coordinator, her sales achievements with that employer were not strong. Her functional resume allowed her to prioritize her achievements by impact rather than chronology. Doing so enabled her to emphasize her second most recent position as a Distribution Coordinator, when she performed her most impressive sales-related functions.