Portland, OR • (404) 123-0000 • miabann@email.com • linkedin.com/in/miabann
OSHA Classroom Safety (2018)
STEM Education First Aid, (2016)
Biology 7-12, State of Oregon (2017)
, “Covid-19 and Virtual Labs: Lessons Learned” (Indianapolis, 2022)
(online) (Atlanta, GA, 2022)
, The American Biology Teacher Journal, 2021
Why this works: It’s simple: the candidate communicated their skills and accomplishments clearly. The Professional Summary section is crisp and includes hard numbers and quantifiable results. The same goes for the Work Experience section, where they focused on superspecific achievements rather than merely describing their day-to-day tasks and duties. The Conferences and Publications sections act as proof that the teacher is actively seeking professional development and is following new trends in the field. Finally, their Volunteer Work is relevant to the position and puts focus on the candidate’s commitment and drive.
Denver, CO • (404) 404-0404 • mholden • linkedin.com/in/mholden
“The Future of Animals We Love: Climate Change Effects on Wildlife”
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Why this works: Although Miles has little hands-on classroom experience, his resume is strong and convincing. The resume objective follows the writing rules to a tee – in 3 simple, yet achievement-packed sentences, Miles manages to convey the idea that he’s a great fit for the role. He added his internship experience to the work section, and also remembered to include the relevant Camp Counselor gig he enjoyed doing while in high school. The state-level and First Aid certifications definitely add credibility, while his volunteer work helps him come across as a person who practices what he preaches.
When I say “format and structure,” here’s what I mean:
Let’s see what this means in practice.
Good design elements and font choice go a long way. Here are some easy-to-follow rules that will keep recruiters and administrators interested.
Save Comic Cans and other fun fonts for your 1st-grade posters. Instead, go for a classic font that’s legible and doesn’t distract the reader. Some great fonts to use on a resume (in no particular order):
As for resume font size, we recommend 11 or 12pt for normal text . Your section titles and headers should be 14–16pt . In case your resume spills over to the second page by just a few lines, you can opt for a 10pt font size, but make sure it doesn’t look cluttered.
Line spacing is the vertical white space between each consecutive line of text. A paragraph looking too dense? This means the line spacing could be increased. Stick to the optimal line spacing, between 1.15 and 1.5 points – this will help the hiring teams scan your resume more easily.
This may sound like overkill, but we promise margins are important.
Margins that are too big may sound an alarm among the hiring managers – Is the candidate using white space to cover the obvious lack of experience? You definitely don’t want that. On the other hand, margins that are too small will leave your resume looking cluttered and visually overwhelming.
That’s why all resume coaches suggest adjusting them to one inch on each side .
Remember that hiring decision-makers start their selection by bulk-skimming the resumes (or using Applicant Tracking Software, but more about that later) and you want yours to be clearly laid out and super skimmable.
To make the section headings stand out, use larger fonts (14-16pt) and bold for your headings . That way, the reader will find the most important bits of information at a glance. Points for you.
Again, there are two things to keep in mind:
Now let’s clarify this through some examples.
There are a few different resume formats to choose from, but most resumes today use the reverse-chronological format. (PS It’s a fancy name for something you’ve seen a million times.)
What’s typical of this format is that, in the Work Experience section, you start from your most recent job, and then work backwards from there . The same goes for the Education section, in case you attended multiple schools or have two or more degrees. This resume format is great because, as your career progresses, you’ll logically have your best and most recent accomplishments listed at the top of your resume (alongside another vital section, the Resume Profile ). This will allow you to list your most impressive and recent work experience first. Both human recruiters and ATS systems love having essential information in the top third of the page, so here’s an extra reason to go with this format.
You’ll also want to describe your skills and experience using bullet points so that things are easy to read and split up with nice spacing. |
Your resume needs to include a few standard sections and follow a particular order (this is non-negotiable):
There are some optional (but recommended) additional sections to include:
Let’s break these sections down and see how to make the most of them.
This is a no-brainer. You want to include relevant contact details so that the HR department can get in touch.
You should include:
This is how one candidate did it:
Portland, OR • (404) 123-0000 • lenapeters@email.com • linkedin.com/in/lpeters |
This is the part that sits right under your contact information and has a few versions and names. You’ve probably seen it as Resume Profile too. Despite the confusion, it’s fairly simple. You’ll write a resume objective if you’re an entry-level candidate. If not, you’ll go with the resume summary . (Check out our in-depth guide on Resume Profile to learn how that’s different).
Whichever one you pick, there are a few things to keep in mind :
Drop pronouns, articles, and full sentences. |
Here’s what Jonah, an experienced biology teacher, wrote in his resume summary:
✅ |
Why this works:
Let’s analyze this well-written teacher resume summary. Remember the rules? With four short, condensed sentences, Johan managed to distill his entire career into a short killer paragraph. He conveyed his passion for teaching, knowledge of pedagogical methods and sealed the deal with an award. In the last sentence, he clearly communicates what he’s looking to bring to the High School he’s applying for.
And here’s what not to do (I’ll give you two bad examples, one worse than the other):
❌ |
Why this is good, but not great:
At first glance, this looks like a solid summary, but experienced hiring managers won’t be impressed. Here’s what can be improved:
And here’s another lackluster example:
Why this absolutely sucks: Look twice and you’ll see that this is actually the same example. The previous version was filled with overcomplex, powerful, and (we dare say) pretentious language. And yet, this version is even worse because it describes the candidate in a way so basic that their unique dynamic abilities got lost in translation.
Remember: aim for clarity, be brief, and quantify wherever possible. If you need more help, check out our in-depth resume summar y guide .
Let’s examine this well-written teacher resume objective by Alexandra.
✅ |
Why this works: Instead of pulling your hair out because you lack work experience or are a recent graduate, think about how you can craft your resume objective to show that you’re driven and that you have transferable skills that will come in handy. In the example above, the candidate mentions key skills for a teacher – strong communication and people skills. Her tutoring experience (similar to volunteer work) also sends good signals to the hiring managers. Finally, the resume objective is short and to the point, with zero fluff.
And here’s a teacher resume objective style to avoid:
Why this is wrong: Yikes! This candidate surely kept their objective short, but made some serious faux pas. If I were looking at this resume, I’d have no idea which courses this person could teach, whether they’re certified or not, and the “motivated” with “great organizational skills” isn’t telling me much either. Remember the golden rule – actionable, quantifiable, with as much relevant info in 3-4 sentences.
When coaching job seekers, I always advise them to work on this section last. It’s often a lot easier to write a summary once you have everything outlined in your work history or skills section. Pick the best bits from there and make a “best-of” style bio. You can follow this simple formula: A/an [2-3 DESCRIPTIVE, SOFT SKILLS ADJECTIVES] [YOUR CURRENT ROLE] looking for a [NEW OPPORTUNITY]. Looking/ready/excited/seeking to apply my [TOP TECH SKILLS] to help [COMPANY NAME] reach [THE DESIRED OUTCOME]. |
Also, check out our resume objective guide for more ideas.
Now this is the part that will make up the bulk of your resume and that you really want to nail. The summary/objective and work history should go hand in hand – the ideal work history should reinforce any skills and qualifications you claimed to have in your summary.
To put your best foot forward, you’ll want to follow these basic rules:
Here’s how you can improve a mediocre work experience section in a few simple tweaks:
❌
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Why this is wrong: Another unimpressive example that many candidates think is actually good. Here are some problems:
Here’s how you can improve it in just a few minutes:
✅
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In case you need more information on how to write your work history section , this guide will give you all the answers.
This should be fairly simple. When listing education in your teacher resume, there are some basic rules to stick to. Make sure to include:
And some bonus bits to be aware of:
Here’s an example you can use as inspiration:
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To find more examples and tips on how to organize this section, check out our curated guide on how to list education on your resume .
Next, let’s tackle the Skills section. This is where you list a few relevant skills and abilities to send extra “I’m the one” signals to the hiring team. Sounds easy, but there are two common pitfalls to avoid:
ATS (Applicant Tracking Software) systems are bots that scan resumes for specific keywords that describe the ideal candidate the organization is seeking. When a bot reads a resume that has “good candidate potential,” it will flag the resume for further review. If your resume doesn’t get flagged by a bot, it will likely not be given another glance.Don’t be discouraged by this. Many teacher resumes don’t actually go through ATS, especially if you’re applying for a smaller, less sought-after districts. However, it’s another story if you’re aiming for a popular school that gets tons of applications. |
Take a look at this example job ad and just how many keywords they’ve listed as relevant.
You can list 5-10 skills in total . It’s best to have a mix of hard skills (like classroom software) and soft skills (e.g. your amazing knowledge transfer abilities).
Finally, here’s our ultimate list of teacher resume skills that you can use as guidance.
Soft skills for teachers
Technical (hard) skills for teachers
If you need to save space, you can divide your skills into Soft and Hard Skills and display them in two columns. |
Once you have listed all relevant work experience and a comprehensive overview of your education, you’ll have the option to include additional sections.
Although frequently referred to as “optional,” these teacher resume extra sections can earn you some extra points. Towards the end of your resume, include things like certifications, volunteer experience, conferences, awards, hobbies , and any foreign languages you may speak.
Remember you’re up against dozens of other candidates with similar skills, backgrounds, education, and work history, so these sections can really help you stand out.
In your teaching career, there are plenty of certifications you’ll obtain, but here are some that hiring managers love to see in a resume for a teaching position.
There are 3 ways you can present your certifications:
You don’t have to be a contender for the National Teacher of the Year Award to show off in your resume. And if you think the award you won isn’t worth mentioning, think again – it may be the only differentiating factor between you and another candidate.
Here are some of the awards you can add to your teacher resume:
As a teacher, you have the opportunity to make a positive difference in the world and help others. The same goes for volunteering. That’s why any volunteer work you’ve done will only reinforce the other qualities you mentioned in your teacher resume.
If you’ve volunteered as a teacher abroad during your studies or gap year, definitely add it to your resume (especially if you’re an entry-level candidate). That year you spent teaching English in Cambodia? It will signal the recruiters that your intercultural skills are solid, that you have an open mind and are able to connect with others – all highly-prized qualities in a teacher.
Teachers often attend workshops and conferences, and some of them are worth mentioning in your resume, especially if you engaged as a speaker or panelist. If your work has appeared in a journal or if you have an article published in The Language Magazine, then definitely add that too.
When teaching in a diverse setting, foreign languages come in handy. That’s why you should list all the languages you speak, along with the level of proficiency and any certifications you’ve received.
No job ad is the same, so don’t expect to have a single, generic resume version that you’ll just blast-send to recruiters. This is where going the extra mile really pays off.
If you’d like your teacher resume to hit all the right notes, you’ll have to tailor it so that it reflects the requirements from the job description.
This literally means reading through the job ad, underlining keywords and phrases, and then using those keywords in your resume. It also means customizing your resume summary to include the name of the school you’re applying to.
If this sounds like too much work, there are tools that can help. For example, use the Resume Builder to create an ATS-friendly resume in under 30 minutes. Once you’re done, AI goes through your resume and looks for room for improvement. Neat.
You should also check out the 8 video lessons covering the best practices of resume writing, section by section, with top career coach, Pamela Skillings .
It gives more detail about what we discussed in this article + gives you a step-by-step process you can follow.
And then, when you land the interview, you can prep to ace the big day.
You can check out the tool here or get in touch with us on LinkedIn for more info.
In summary, here are some key things to remember when writing your teacher resume:
Turn interviews into offers
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14 min read
Teaching at any level in the US can be such a hugely rewarding career--inspiring young learners to explore the world around them, instilling discipline and behavior, and remaining as an influence long after pupils have left the classroom. Any teacher, whether that’s kindergarten level, high school, or college, has experienced huge upheaval over the past few years, upskilling massively by having to experiment with online learning, forcing them to quickly adjust to a different way of teaching.
It is incredible to think that there are over 4 million teachers across the US, making up 2.5% of the working population. But with a shortfall of 300,000 teacher and school staff vacancies, according to Rebecca Pringle, the president of the National Education Association, the largest teachers’ union in the US, the race is on to fill those gaps.
Coming to this article was certainly a great move if you’re in the mindset to seek out a teaching position with a fully functioning and engaging teacher resume.
Whether you’re a seasoned teacher or new to the field, your teacher resume needs to reflect your skill set accurately and concisely.
These teacher resume examples were created by ZipJob’s team of professional resume writers with you in mind.
This post has three sections:
A general sample teacher resume, ready to be adapted for the many different variants of educators there are out there, written by ZipJob’s team of experts
General advice on how to write a great teacher resume
20+ examples of teacher resumes from kindergarten up to college level
This example is a basic teacher resume that can be customized. The main sections include your name and vital contact information, a professional summary, your core competencies, work experience, and an education section. The teacher resume follows a reverse-chronological format, meaning the professional experience starts with your most recent position at the top. Throughout this teacher resume, keywords have been incorporated, including hard skills, soft skills, and qualifications. The bullet points and consistent line spacing makes this teacher's resume easy to read while being concise and relevant, with enough white space so that it does not overwhelm the reader.
Now let’s look in more detail at each section that is required on a teacher's resume.
Qualifications and certifications.
When drafting a teacher’s resume, you’ll want to display your qualifications and certificates prominently. Teaching jobs require certain certifications by law. Many teachers also have graduate degrees. All of this information should be displayed under an education heading. For those jobseekers with professional work experience, this section should go at the end of your resume.
If you don’t have a teaching certification, you can note your current credential program, temporary or emergency certifications, or substitute permits (depending on your state) instead .
Pro Tip: If you are a newly qualified teacher with little work experience, place your education section underneath the Professional Profile towards the top of your teacher resume.
You’ll also want to include your soft and hard skills on your resume . Your soft skills, such as communication, classroom management, lesson planning, and time management, will demonstrate how well you work with students, administration, and other teachers.
Your hard skills will display your familiarity with certain technologies. For example, you may want to note how comfortable you are with Google Classrooms, Blackboard, Zoom, and other EdTech (education technology) tools.
Your skills are usually pulling double duty these days. Try to match your skills to the job description using the same language. By doing this, you’ll look like a great match for teaching positions to both administrators and any ATS ( applicant tracking systems ) used by a school’s HR team.
For example, if a job description requires that applicants are fluent in Spanish, your resume needs to include the keyword phrase “fluent in Spanish”.
Finally, all teacher resumes should include your experience in teaching. To earn a credential, you must log a certain number of hours teaching. Your teacher resume should include the educational establishment where you taught, along with the dates, and the name of your supervisor. Detail your classroom experience with the focus being on results and data. No one can argue with data! A Californian teacher may emphasize the Common Core Standards she taught, whereas a high school teacher would want to draw attention to the stunning test scores that his students achieved year after year, with comparable data to really drive home those achievements.
How do we know what a teacher’s resume needs? ZipJob is a leading resume writing service. Our professional writers have helped thousands of teachers land new jobs--and we can help you too. Learn more about ZipJob's teacher and educator resume writing services here.
The rest of this blog post is devoted to examples of teacher resumes at various grade levels and different subjects. Click on the link that is relevant to you in order to view a teacher resume that you can tailor to your needs.
Elementary school teacher
Art teacher
Special education teacher
Substitute teacher
Music teacher
Physical education teacher
Online teacher
Middle school teacher
Math teacher
English as a second language (ESL) teacher
Spanish teacher
High school teacher
High school mathematics teacher
Biology teacher
English teacher
Early childhood teacher
Montessori teacher
College professor
Adjunct professor
Yoga teacher
Sunday school teacher
This elementary school teacher resume includes all the elements required for a successful resume. The complete two-page example is displayed on the full post here-- Elementary Teacher Resume Example & Template .
You will note that the qualifications and certifications are listed in the education section on page two. The practical skills are detailed up top in the professional summary (labeled profile on this example) as well as in the core proficiencies and throughout the work experience. The work experience is comprehensive. It provides a robust look at what this candidate is recognized for, capable of, and will likely bring to a new position.
The work experience section of this teacher resume highlights the candidate’s ability to differentiate learning, which is a key element that school administrators emphasize when looking for new hires. There are also many instances of creating a safe and effective learning environment for pupils under a variety of circumstances.
Many art teachers, and artists in general, make the mistake of turning their resume into an art project. Your resume should not be a collage of colors and patterns. Instead, it should keep the focus on your proven skills and experience. This example shows how an art teacher can write about a job using keywords that fully engage the reader.
The work experience section also references pursuing professional development. If this is something valued by a particular school or in a certain job description, you can reinforce your professional development in the education section.
Related resume example: Special Education Paraprofessional
Showcasing experience of teaching students who have developmental delay or intellectual disabilities can be hard to convey in words. This example of a special education teacher resume displays several bullet points related to these required skills:
Created and managed IEPs to define student learning objectives and educational strategies, in addition to applying instructional knowledge and methods to support goals.
Established a safe play environment for the students.
Gave one-on-one attention to students, while maintaining overall focus on the entire group .
Source: Special Education Teacher Resume Example & 3 Expert Tips
Clashing cymbals, students who are tone deaf, and a talented youngster on the flute–all of these scenarios can happen at once in a music room. Music teachers need to control a classroom in addition to knowing how to teach music. This resume includes experience with both of those attributes.
Substitute teachers may have experience in just one subject, but they also want to show how they can add value to the classroom, despite not necessarily knowing the children in their charge. This teacher resume displays great power verbs to show the flexibility that a substitute teacher requires: led, communicated, encouraged, and proctored. Demonstrating your experience in classroom management and behavior control are also great key phrases to include.
A physical education professional teaches physical fitness, generally outside of the traditional classroom setting. This example conveys experience with coaching. Depending on the depth of experience and how relevant it is to the potential job, you could add on a separate job title or include it in an “Additional work experience” section.
Keen to know if your experience is relevant to the job applied for? Consult our guide on What Does Relevant Experience on a Resume Mean?
Increasingly important and relevant, most teachers now will have some sort of online teaching experience. If you’d like to reflect that in your teacher resume, this example has some great descriptions of desirable skills such as digital classroom administration, documentation, scheduling, computer program technologies, and remote video conferencing.
This sample of a basic middle school teacher resume shows a language arts teacher with an exemplary suite of core proficiencies including:
Middle School Education
Educational Technology
Curriculum Development
Research Methodology
Student Engagement
Classroom Management
Learning Differentiation
Literary & Rhetorical Analysis
Learning Strategies & Assessments
High-Impact Lesson Planning
Conflict Resolution
Behavior Management
Communication Theory
Media Integration
Least Invasive Interventions
Independent Educational Plans (IEP)
Source: Middle School Teacher Resume Example & Guide
This section is the perfect place to display your core strengths as they relate to a specific job posting. You can add, edit, or remove skills as needed. This process is all about tailoring a resume and can greatly increase your chances of earning that all-important interview at your chosen middle school.
This math teacher sample leans towards the use of technology and other hard skills to show excellence. This message is first mentioned in the professional summary--“Adept with innovative technologies”--and reinforced in the work experience section with, “Leverage educational technology comprising various calculators, computers, and simulators to illustrate various mathematical concepts.”
Be sure to include any specific skills from the job description in your skills section to create even more impact.
Ola! This Spanish teacher resume example displays several instances of collaborating with teachers, as well as professional development, in the work experience bullet points. That’s another important aspect of this career--it’s not all about teaching the students!
An ESL teacher, who teaches English as a second language, is predisposed to being a linguistic genius, as well as being able to cooperate with pupils of different cultural backgrounds. This teacher resume showcases both of these strengths by stating that the person is tri-lingual and “enriches learning experience to diverse populations.”
High school teachers may teach one or more subjects depending on job demand. Generally, a high school teacher’s resume should focus on the subject that is core to standardized testing, but still includes the additional subject or subjects within the work experience.
The example above uses a paragraph and bullet point format to explain past jobs. This ensures the most important information is easy to view, without leaving anything out.
A high school math teachers’ core competencies section on their resume should include only the most relevant skills. This will be determined by the job description as well as a person’s aptitude.
Here are some examples for a high school math teacher resume:
Core Competencies
Mathematics
Trigonometry
Performance Metrics
Web-Based Learning
Program Evaluation
Student Motivation
Relationship Building
Source: High School Math Teacher Resume Example
This candidate includes skills that are the foundations to being a successful math teacher, such as algebra, geometry, and trigonometry, as well as skills required for an instructor, including performance metrics, relationship building, and student motivation. As an extra, web-based learning is included to add even more value.
This resume, which is specifically for a high school biology teacher, uses the core competencies to highlight general classroom management skills instead of subject matter expertise. This is a smart move for teachers who are open to teaching students additional subjects, whether or not they have any experience in teaching them. It is also a good tactic for substitute teachers who fill in for any class.
This English teacher resume sample uses the core competencies section to blend subject matter skills related to English with soft skills that relate to teaching. Team building, effective communication, collaboration, and student evaluations are great skills to note on a resume for both English and ESL teachers.
Further related resume examples include Teacher Aide , Assistant Teacher , Long Term Substitute Teacher , Online Teacher and Homeschool Teacher .
Instilling a sense of fun and enjoyment into learning for young children is vital, in order for them to grow and flourish, and want to keep learning throughout their lives. They say patience is a virtue, along with tolerance, and they are certainly great assets to have when teaching in early years education!
Montessori teachers adopt a particular method of education that places more emphasis on developing children’s natural interests and activities, as opposed to using more formal and traditional teaching methods. These strengths are highlighted in this teacher resume with bullet points such as, “Observed children and interpreted their needs,” and “Coordinated with other teachers to develop lesson plans for children to develop their intellectual, physical, emotional, and social skills.”
Similar examples of resumes in early education include Kindergarten Teacher , Daycare Teacher and Preschool Teacher Assistant .
In higher education, a resume must display your expertise in your subject matter as well as your ability to lead a classroom. The resume summary is an excellent opportunity to do both.
In the above example, notice how the resume summary refers to the instructor’s ability to communicate with multiple groups of people including students, colleagues, and administrators. It also highlights the candidate’s ability to lead engaging class discussions. These soft skills can make all the difference between a good educator and a great one.
The professional summary also makes references to research and tenure. These aspects should be echoed in the work experience section. If there is a lot of research to include, that can have its own section.
Source: College Professor Resume Example
As an adjunct professor, this candidate summarizes both an established reputation on campus along with industry experience. Adjunct faculty--as well as guest lecturers and other higher education professionals who are not on a tenure track--should use a resume to showcase what makes them distinctive. The summary is an excellent place to start, as it is the first section that the reader sees.
Source: Adjunct Professor Resume Example
Other related resume examples are Professor (general) and College Instructor .
Pro Tip: These higher educational examples are of resumes, not academic CVs. The terms are not interchangeable, so please refer to each job description to know which document to submit.
Yoga teacher resume.
A major part of teaching is retaining and furthering your knowledge of industry advancements. A successful yoga teacher resume illustrates your ability to drive fitness and wellness by leading students through controlled breathing, visualizations, and meditation lessons. On your resume, demonstrate how you maintain up-to-date knowledge of yoga practices in order to apply cutting-edge expertise of techniques and exercises that meet individual client needs.
Sunday school teachers hold a special place in the hearts of lots of children, so illustrate your strengths in a tightly written and informative resume, with the focus on promoting good values and community spirit.
It’s always a good idea to have an up-to-date resume, even if you’re not currently on the hunt for a job. While updating your resume, it’s smart to compare your work experience with recent teacher job listings and updated professional resume samples. That will give you a better idea of how your resume should look, and what teaching skills are valued at this moment in time.
Crafting a teacher resume on your own can be time consuming and frustrating, even if you have had a lot of expert advice. To make the journey smoother for you, ZipJob offers a free resume review .
ZipJob is a premier resume writing service that has been helping job seekers create job-winning resumes since 2016. Our network of over 100 professional resume writers are experts in all industries, not just education! That includes IT, business, marketing and sales, along with construction, HR and product management.
How to List Education on Your Resume (+ Examples)
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Elizabeth Openshaw is an Elite CV Consultant with over 12 years of experience based in Brighton, UK, with an English degree and an addiction to Wordle! She is a former Journalist of 17 years with the claim to fame that she interviewed three times Grand Slam winner and former World No.1 tennis player, Andy Murray, when he was just 14 years old. You can connect with her at Elizabeth Openshaw | LinkedIn .
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11 min read · Updated on August 28, 2024
What is a functional resume, and is it suitable for your job search?
Submitting the best resume possible is essential regardless of the job you're applying to. Selecting the proper format for your unique circumstances is one aspect of ensuring that's the case. Many turn to the common chronological resume format. But what happens if your work history and skills don't fall neatly within that format? Then, a functional resume might be an option.
Below, we answer, “What is a functional resume?” and share tips with a template, as well.
The functional resume format emphasizes your skills over your work history. The goal of a functional resume is to craft your carer history in such a way that proves how the skills you've acquired align with the job you want. It's these skills that will stand out first and foremost to the hiring team.
You still include your work history in a functional resume, though you don't go into detail about your accomplishments for each specific position. Instead, you include your accomplishments within each skill category.
FORESHADOWING: We have a functional resume example at the end of this post you can refer to and see how this works.
A functional resume tends to be a last-resort format for a couple of reasons:
Applicant tracking systems sometimes have a difficult time reading a functional resume format.
Since the functional format is not that common, it can be more difficult for recruiters and hiring managers to find the information they're seeking quickly.
Still, if you don't have a traditional work history but have many skills relevant to the job you're applying for, a functional resume could be the best choice for you.
The chronological resume, also referred to as a reverse chronological resume, is the most commonly used resume format. This format focuses on your work history instead of skills like the functional format.
In the chronological format, you will include your most recent job first, with the rest of your experience in reverse chronological order. Each position will have a set of bullets that flesh out your achievements in that role.
A chronological resume is an ATS-friendly format when it's written correctly. It also tends to be the most popular among hiring teams since they're familiar with the format and can easily locate the information that matters to them.
Related reading: How to Use a Reverse Chronological Resume Format
A hybrid resume, also called a combination resume, blends aspects of the chronological and functional resume formats. The goal of a hybrid resume is to equally emphasize your skills and work history.
The hybrid resume has become a popular format choice for candidates since it gives the opportunity to emphasize the skills you have in combination with your work history. It's also a format that tends to be easily read by ATS and human readers.
Related reading: The Best Resume Format to Get You Hired
Now that we've answered “What is a functional resume?” let's discuss when you should and shouldn't use this format option.
A functional resume might work well for you if:
You have been out of the workforce for a while. Suppose you're reentering the workforce after some time. In that case, you might not want that fact to be the first thing prospective employers notice about your resume. Instead, you'd prefer they see your impressive categories of skills.
You have a large gap in your employment history. Similar to being out of the workforce for a while, a functional resume helps to emphasize your relevant skills first to give a positive spin on your resume, helping to take the emphasis off of your employment gap(s).
You have held jobs that span a lot of different types and industries . If your employment record is all over the place regarding the industries and types of jobs you've held, it might not be easy for a hiring team to connect your experience to the job you're applying for. A functional resume will allow you to emphasize that you have the skills necessary for the job first, so your diverse employment record isn't called into question (hopefully) as much.
You have little to no work experience. You might not have much work experience if you're right out of college. You do likely, however, have a lot of skills you've acquired through school activities, sports, part-time work, or school clubs. A functional resume allows you to be creative in the skills you represent first, helping to grab the attention of hiring teams with what's most relevant.
Your skills have been acquired through means other than traditional work experience. Suppose you have relevant skills acquired through things like hobbies, interests, or volunteer experience over conventional work experience. In that case, a functional resume will allow you to emphasize these skills so they stand out better than they would in a chronological format.
If any of the following pertain to you, then it's likely in your best interest to choose a hybrid or chronological resume format:
You have a traditional employment career trajectory. If you have plenty of work experience related to the job with a typical career growth path, then a chronological or hybrid resume is the way to go.
You're changing careers and want to emphasize transferable skills. If you've gained a lot of transferable skills and are making a career shift, a hybrid resume is an excellent way to highlight your transferable skills first, with your work experience coming in second.
Your most recent employment history is relevant. If your most recent employment is relevant to the job, even if some of the rest of your work history isn't, you'll likely do better with a hybrid or chronological format over a functional one.
Here are the sections to include in a functional resume:
Regardless of the format you select, you'll start it off with your contact information. This includes your name, cell phone number, email address, and location (city, state, zip code). You can also include your LinkedIn or professional website URL.
Another common element across all resume formats is starting it off with a resume summary . Your summary should encapsulate what your resume is about. You want to grab the reader's attention enough for them to want to learn more. Include three to five essential skills and one to two accomplishments, with some powerful adjectives to describe you.
The bulk of your resume for a functional format will be your Professional Skills section. Here's where you'll categorize your skills and include key accomplishments from your experience to showcase how you applied those skills successfully in the past.
Following your Professional Skills section, include your work history. Here, include the name of the employer, your position, and the dates you were employed. Where you would include bullet points of your accomplishments below each position for a chronological and hybrid format, you will leave those off in the functional format. You've already covered key accomplishments within your categories of skills.
Like other resume formats, your functional resume will end with your Education section . An exception to this is if you are a new hire with little to no work experience and a few skills to highlight. In that case, you'll emphasize your education by listing it first, followed by your Skills section and then your work history.
Your Education section should include your degree and where you obtained it. You can also include any honors you might've achieved.
Many also choose to include any relevant certifications in their Education section. Or, you can opt to include a separate Certifications section if you have more than one to highlight.
You may include additional sections on your resume depending on your unique circumstances. Additional sections could include Volunteer Experience, Hobbies and Interests, Certifications, Special Projects, and Technical Skills.
Here are a few additional tips to help you craft a job-winning resume:
Tailor your resume to each job. Refer to the job description and tailor your resume to include keywords and information that aligns with your skills and experience.
Use power verbs. Begin each work accomplishment bullet point with a power verb .
Include as much quantifiable information as possible. When describing your accomplishments, include results and use data to quantify those results as much as possible.
Here is an example of a functional resume for someone pursuing an HR-related job. You'll see this individual has a brief employment gap and a bit of an unconventional career path, making a functional resume a suitable option.
Kendra Smith
555.555.5555 | [email protected] | Morgantown, WV 26250
Intuitive professional with multi-dimensional expertise in Human Resources for diverse group of industries, including oil & gas, finance, Internet marketing, and real estate. Timely and efficient with the ability to work with all levels of staff within an organization. Influential in working with leadership teams to support the best interests and wellbeing of employees. Expertise includes recruiting, employee relations, training and development, and performance management.
Staffing & Recruiting
Employee Relations & Performance Management
Communications & Policy Design
Training & Development
HR SME Copywriter: IESquared, LLC, Houston, TX, 6/2020 - Present
Public Relations Specialist: PrimeWay Credit Union, Houston, TX. 4/2017 - 6/2020
HR Recruiter: HighMount E & P, Oklahoma City, OK, 11/2012 - 5/2013
HR Operations Manager: Dominion E & P, Houston, TX, 9/2010 - 10/2012
West Virginia University – Morgantown, WV
Now that you know the answer to “What is a functional resume?” it's time to decide if it's the right option for you. If you have a traditional work history, recent relevant work, or are applying for a job where your work history is necessary to include in detail, then you should forgo the functional resume format. If you fall into any of the other categories above where a functional resume could be of value, then go for it. And, when in doubt, you can always hire a resume writer to help. Good luck!
Are you using the right format for your resume? Find out by submitting it for a free resume review . Our experts will review it and provide specific tips to help improve it and get past an ATS!
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by Morning Show Producer
BALTIMORE (WBFF) — On a Wednesday edition of Fox45 Morning News Tom Rodgers spoke with Joe Gonzales, a regional director at Robert Half, about concerns surrounding the qualifications of teaching candidates and the signs that employers can detect when it comes to recognizing falsified information on a candidates resume.
An example of this was scene this past spring, after the former athletic director at Pikesville High School was arrested for using artificial intelligence to from the school's principal. That man, Dazhon Darien, was later found to have misrepresented his qualifications for the position in the resume he submitted to Baltimore County Public Schools.
ALSO READ | Baltimore County hiring process scrutinized after athletic director used fake transcript s
When sifting through resumes, Gonzales says it's difficult r pick out what a potential candidate is falsifying and that the best way to catch it is during an in-person interview.
“Do the stories match up? Is there information that someone takes from the resume to the explanation,” Gonzales said. “When you speak about your experience, you can write it. But the question then becomes if it's not real can I speak clearly to it and that catches up with everybody if you do it.”
Gonzales went on to say that there are other steps in the vetting process for any position but that any individual employer decides their standards and processes the ensure information they are given is valid.
You can watch the full interview above, and for more interviews like this one be sure to tune in to Fox45 Morning News every weekday from 4:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
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