Functional Resume Format: Examples & Templates
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AI TOOLA functional resume focuses on your skills and qualifications rather than your work history. Use our customizable templates and learn how to write a functional resume that wins interviews.
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Chronological
CombinationWhat Is a Functional Resume?
A functional resume focuses on your skills, abilities, and accomplishments rather than your chronological work history, which is ideal for entry-level candidates.
By grouping your qualifications into skill-based sections at the top of your resume, the functional resume format allows you to showcase your expertise and achievements first, while providing a brief overview of your work history.
This approach helps employers quickly understand the value you bring, even if you lack traditional work experience or have a nonlinear career path.
Best format for:
- Recent graduates
- Skill-focused applicants
- Minimal experience
Not ideal for:
- Steady work history
- Linear career progression
- Extensive experience
When to Use a Functional Resume Format
Using a functional resume helps employers focus on what you can do, rather than when or where you gained your experience. Consider this format if any of the following apply to you:
You’re entering the workforce for the first time
If you’re a recent graduate or have limited professional experience, a functional resume allows you to highlight your skills, academic projects, internships, and volunteer work. This helps employers see your potential even without an extensive work history.
You have limited or nontraditional experience
For candidates with freelance work, contract jobs, or varied short-term roles, a functional resume groups your most relevant skills together. This approach emphasizes your abilities and achievements rather than focusing on unconventional or limited work history.
You’re changing careers or have gaps in experience
If you’re transitioning to a new industry or have employment gaps, a functional resume lets you showcase your transferable skills and accomplishments. This draws attention to what you can do, regardless of whether you’ve worked a similar role before or not.
How to Structure a Functional Resume
Below is a breakdown of the key sections of the functional resume format to help you craft a resume that effectively highlights your skills and relevant qualifications.
Resume objective
A resume objective is your first opportunity to introduce yourself and showcase the skills and qualifications most relevant to the role. Think of it as a concise statement that tells employers what you offer and why you are a strong fit for the position.
Summary of qualifications
Follow the lead of this functional resume example and include a summary of qualifications to display how you’ve used your job-relevant skills during an internship, volunteer position, personal project, or extracurricular activity.
Professional skills
In a functional resume, the professional skills section is grouped into categories to highlight your most relevant abilities. Organize your skills by type, such as technical, managerial, or interpersonal, so employers can quickly see your areas of expertise.
Work history
In the work history section, provide an overview of any roles you’ve held that relate to the role, including internships, volunteer work, or part-time jobs. For each role, list the job title, the company name, and the dates of employment.
Education
In your functional resume education section, feature your highest academic credential, including the institution’s name and location. If you don’t have professional work experience, place your education section before your work history section.
Comparing the Three Resume Formats
Our collection of professional resume templates includes a variety of formats for different experience levels and scenarios. Find out which one is best for your career stage and goals.
FUNCTIONAL RESUME FORMAT
Emphasizes skills and abilities over work history, making it an ideal format for recent graduates or job seekers with limited experience.
RECOMMENDED
- You’re a recent graduate with limited professional experience to highlight.
- You have gaps in your work history and want to focus on other areas.
- You’re applying for an entry-level role that emphasizes skills over experience.
COMBINATION RESUME FORMAT
Balances your skills and work history to showcase diverse qualifications, making it an excellent format for career changers and freelancers.
- You’re changing to a new career path and need to highlight key skills.
- You have freelance or varied work experience that you want to showcase.
- You’re applying for a mid-level role that values diverse qualifications.
CHRONOLOGICAL RESUME FORMAT
Highlights your work history by listing jobs in reverse-chronological order, which is ideal for showcasing steady career growth.
- You have consistent career progression in your current industry.
- You’ve built a professional career within a single field of expertise.
- You’re applying for a role that is similar to your current position.
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FAQ
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Is it easy to customize your functional resume templates?
Yes, it is easy to customize our functional resume templates by adjusting design elements and personalizing the content to emphasize your skills and qualifications.
You can easily modify fonts, colors, and spacing to make a resume that reflects your personal style and highlights your most relevant abilities. Sections can be added, removed, or rearranged to showcase your strengths for each job.
All of our professional resume templates are optimized for desktop and mobile, so you can easily preview and download your resume from any device when you’re ready.
Who should use the functional resume format?
The functional resume format (also known as the skills-based resume format) is ideal for candidates who want to emphasize their skills over their chronological work history.
This includes recent graduates, career changers, or those with employment gaps who want to showcase transferable abilities.
Functional resumes are also effective for those with nontraditional or freelance experience, as well as anyone whose most relevant qualifications are not tied to a linear career.
How is the functional resume different from other formats?
A functional resume differs from chronological and combination formats by emphasizing skills and accomplishments rather than listing jobs in order of employment.
While a chronological resume highlights career progression and dates, and a combination resume blends skills with work history, the functional format focuses on what you can do.
This allows you to showcase your qualifications and achievements without drawing attention to a nontraditional or limited work history. See how to write a resume for tips on structuring your resume and highlighting your strengths effectively.
What does a functional resume highlight?
A functional resume emphasizes the skills and accomplishments that are most relevant to the job you’re applying for, rather than the timeline of your employment.
It highlights areas such as technical expertise, leadership abilities, problem-solving skills, and project achievements. For students or recent graduates, it can showcase academic projects, internships, or volunteer work that demonstrate your capabilities.
By structuring your resume around skills categories, this format allows you to present a clear picture of your strengths, even if you have limited or nontraditional work experience.
Where does the education section go on a functional resume?
In a functional resume, the education section typically appears after your skills and qualifications, since the focus is on abilities rather than chronological experience.
For students, recent graduates, or career changers, education can be a key selling point and should include your degree, major, institution, and graduation date. You can also list relevant coursework, certifications, honors, or training programs that support your qualifications.
This placement ensures that hiring managers first see the abilities and accomplishments most relevant to the position, while still providing context for your academic background. Explore our functional resume examples for more guidance on where to place your education section.
How do you make an ATS-friendly functional resume?
Applicant tracking systems (ATS) scan resumes for keywords, structure, and formatting before a human ever sees them. Follow these tips to create an ATS-friendly resume that passes ATS screening while still highlighting your skills effectively:
- Use clear and standardized section headings: Use clear labels for sections such as “Professional Skills” and “Education” so the ATS can accurately parse your resume.
- Incorporate relevant keywords: Identify the skills, certifications, and experience the employer emphasizes and weave them naturally into your functional resume.
- Keep formatting clean and simple: Avoid graphics, tables, columns, and unusual fonts that can prevent ATS software from reading your resume correctly.
- Present your skills and achievements in well-structured bullet points: Use concise, clearly worded bullets that describe your responsibilities and results.
The functional resume samples on this page and our library of resume examples are an excellent resource for learning how to structure your resume according to ATS best practices.
