How to Write a Functional Resume with Examples

A functional resume is a resume style that showcases an individual’s experience and skills rather than specific previous work history. This type of resume may begin with a summarization of their qualifications and then go into a list of the person’s top skills and examples of how they’ve used those skills successfully in the past. For instance, you could list ‘communication skills’ and then provide examples of times when your communication abilities improved a situation or brought about valuable results.

This resume is used by people who have time gaps in their work history or who are making a career change. The difference between a functional resume and other types of resumes, such as chronological resumes and combination resumes, is that this resume style emphasizes skills over a professional background. Functional resumes enable hiring managers to quickly see your strengths in relation to the position and place less emphasis on actual job experience.

A few instances in which a functional resume would be appropriate to use during your job search include:

• You don’t have much work experience. If you’re a recent graduate, there’s a good chance you don’t have a ton of relevant work experience to list on your resume. However, you probably gained several valuable skills throughout your schooling and internships, so a functional resume would work to highlight those rather than drawing attention to your lack of work experience.
• You’re changing careers. When you’re making a drastic career change, such as going from a writer to a therapist, you likely won’t have much previous work experience for the new career. However, you’ll have training and knowledge gained through schooling and skills that give you the ability to perform the duties in the new career.
• You haven’t worked in a while. Whether you took time off to have a child or you traveled for a few years, there’s no shame in taking time off work. However, if it’s been a few years since your last job, this gap in your work history could raise a red flag with potential employers. Using a functional resume will highlight your skills and help grab recruiters’ attention before they get to your employment history gap.

The following are the steps you should take when creating a functional resume:

1. Start with your name and contact information. Like with other resume styles, you’ll want to include your first and last name, your address, your phone number, and your professional email at the top of the resume.
2. Write a resume summary. A resume summary at the start of your functional resume is a great way to quickly catch the attention of recruiters by highlighting your most relevant qualifications for the job. The summary should be two or three sentences long.
3. Note keywords from the job posting. Each resume you submit should be tailored to the specific job you’re applying for. Before writing your resume, take note of any keywords in the job description, such as specific skills, and use them throughout your resume to show hiring managers you possess the qualifications and skills they are seeking.
4. Create an organized skills section. The next section on your resume should be your qualifications and skills. Organize this section by theme; for example, one theme could be ‘leadership skills’ and under this heading, you’d list all relevant leadership skills you possess.
5. Include an experience section. Even if you have little work experience or gaps in your work history, you should still include the experience you do have. Include where you worked, your job title, and a few key contributions you made if relevant. Dates of employment aren’t necessary.
6. Mention your education. Include your education information, such as the colleges you’ve attended, degrees or certificates you’ve attained, and any relevant training you’ve participated in.

Here’s a template you can use when writing your functional resume:

[Your full name]

[Your address]

[Your phone number]

[Your professional email]

Resume summary: [Include two or three sentences that summarize your skills, qualifications, and experience that are relevant to the job you’re applying for.]

Relevant skills: [List skills/qualifications organized into related groups.]

[Skill group 1]

• [List one skill within this group per bullet point or one example per bullet point of how you’ve demonstrated this skill.]

[Skill group 2]

• [List one skill within this group per bullet point or one example per bullet point of how you’ve demonstrated this skill.]

[Skill group 3]

• [List one skill within this group per bullet point or one example per bullet point of how you’ve demonstrated this skill.]

Work history

[Name of company, location of company]

[Job title]

[Name of company, location of company]

[Job title]

Education

[Degree received]

[Name of school, dates attended]

The following is an example functional resume to help guide you when writing your own:

Claire Chancey

579 White Circle

Los Angeles, California 98210

301-543-7778

clairechancey@email.com

Summary

Customer service professional with more than two years of experience working in customer relations. Committed to providing the highest level of customer service and ensuring every customer is satisfied to increase customer engagement and boost sales.

Areas of Expertise

Conflict resolution, technical support, client retention, upselling techniques, communication

Skills

Conflict resolution

Resolved an average of 20 customer complaints per day related to order dissatisfaction, shipment issues, and unavailable merchandise. Increased customer satisfaction rates by 10% over the course of six months.

Communication skills

Communicated regularly with both customers and colleagues to ensure streamlined service and clear expectations.

Problem-solving skills

Made suggestions for additional services and products based on client feedback which ultimately achieved 14% more orders over the span of six months.

Work history

Sephora, Los Angeles, CA

Sales Representative

Victoria’s Secret, Los Angeles, CA

Sales Representative

Education

Associates Degree in Hospitality

University of Southern California, 2014 – 2018