John Kellogg ⋅ Wellesley Hills, MA Leadership Portfolios ⋅ 30 years experience

In almost all cases, a chronological format is preferred. Examples of exceptions would be if you're changing industries or going from the public to the non-profit sector. Functional resumes are often seen as trying to hide something about your experience. Best of luck! John

Pat Cullins ⋅ Pompano Beach, FL U.S. Army, Private ⋅ 1 years served

I am on the Advisory Committee that helps Veterans prepare their resumes and prepares for interviews. A free program, no cost to the Veteran. Also helps with job placements in much higher than entry level jobs. Check out their link below:
http://ver2.thewelcomehomegroup.org/

Paul Pendergast ⋅ Frisco, TX Coca-Cola ⋅ 30 years experience

Nicholas, in the last 5 years I have seen a significant increase in the use of functional resumes submitted by candidates. My company does not look for a chronological or functional style. We focus strictly on the core competencies needed for the position we are looking to fill.

As a hiring manager my preference is to see a summary of skills and functional capabilities highlighted at the top of the resume and then a chronological history of work experiences. Doing this brings your qualities to the surface quickly and helps you rise to the top of electronic searches done by software technology that HR departments use to glean through electronic applications.

I hope this was helpful.

Paul

Kelly Williams ⋅ Newark, DE Stars to Stripes Military Transition Assistance ⋅ 10 years experience

Nick,

My company provides free resume critiques to all military service members. You can submit your resume to us via email or by using our secure online submission form:

Email: Info@ExpertResumeSolutions.com
Form: http://tinyurl.com/nwz27gc

Please allow 3-5 business days for completion.

We use two different formats for corporate and federal applications. I can send you examples of each to get you started.

Connect with me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kellywilliamsmaresca

Thank you for your service.

Warmest Regards,
Kelly Williams
Career Strategist & President
Security Cleared Careers
Expert Resume Solutions
Business: (732) 686-6455
Email: info@expertresumesolutions.com
www.ExpertResumeSolutions.com
Job Board: wwww.SecurityClearedCareers.com

Deb Yeagle ⋅ Tampa, FL Plan To Win, Inc. ⋅ 39 years experience

Hi Nicholas-
Thank you for your service!
Great advice from Syacy and Susana!
I recommend making it easy for recruiters to find your education, certifications, total number of years experience, security clearance, and relevant skills by placing that info at the beginning of your resume. A chronological resume is almost always preferred so that recruiters can validate your years experience as you have progressed in your career.
Always tailor your resume to highlight the relevant skills and experience for each position.
Best of luck!
Thanks again-
Deb

Philip Steffes ⋅ Waterville, MN Cray Inc. ⋅ 37 years experience

Hi Nicholas, the advice others have given you is excellent. My suggestion is to ensure the beginning of your resume tells your prospective employer what job you're looking for and how you are qualified to fill that job. I believe your experience should be listed chronologically, but it is possible a hiring manager won't bother with reviewing your experience unless your introduction makes it clear you are a viable candidate. The introduction in your resume is similar to the first chapter in a book. If you want the reader to continue reading you need to give them a strong reason to do so.

Good luck,

Phil

Jenna Klueger ⋅ Hoboken, NJ Fox Business Network ⋅ 10 years experience

I prefer chronological. In my experience, functional resumes take longer to evaluate because the manager has to go back and forth to piece together your employment history. It's just not as clear. And I get wanting to highlight your most relevant experience on top, but if that was from a couple years ago, I'm immediately going to look for what you have been doing since then and you don't want that to get buried. Good luck with your search!

Jenna

Stacey Murphy ⋅ Denville, NJ Beacon Consulting ⋅ 18 years experience

I agree that there is a preference for the chronological resume, as Susana had mentioned. I also think it's important to have a "Professional Summary" section on top that captures a five or so sentence description of the key value you will bring to role, and a short bulleted list of some of the key skills that your bring to the role. I looked for you on Linked In, do you have a linked in profile? If not, try creating one. It's in the chronological format, but in the Summary Section, you can put a summary description with your key skills.
Let me know if you would like to talk this through further.

All the best!
Stacey

Susana Moraga ⋅ Hayward, CA California State University East Bay ⋅ 20 years experience

Nicholas,
Everything I am seeing tells me the opposite, however, I always encourage functional resumes when one is changing fields and your relevant experience gets pushed down in your resume.
Most employers want to know how long and the environment one was in when doing specific things, which is why the chronological is preferred.
A hybrid resume identifying specific skills as categories based on the job description: under Experience: Finance and group those jobs, Analytical, etc.
The point is what is going to best present your transferable skills to an employer is what you want to use.
Good luck,