Hey, everybody.

I'm Snead.

And coming up in this video, we will show you

six simple steps to crafting a great functional resume.

Functional resumes may be less conventional,

but they are also ideal for some candidates.

While we break down what a functional resume is,

you'll learn who should consider using one because, hey, maybe

it's you.

And then we'll get into the six easy to follow

steps to crafting a standout functional resume.

And if you stick around until the very end,

we've got a great bonus tip about what most resumes could

benefit from.

Which just could be the difference

between getting the interview or getting rejected.

So you definitely don't want to miss it.

All right, let's get started with the basics.

Exactly what is a functional resume?

What is a 'functional resume'?

Well, there is a reason functional resumes are also

known as skills-based resumes, because functional resumes

focus on your relevant abilities and expertise,

rather than on the specifics of your work history.

So yes, this is different from the more common

chronological resume, which presents your work

history in a reverse chronological order.

If you'd like a deep dive into chronological resume writing,

we've got you covered on that front too with this video

from a Indeed's career experts.

Now a functional resume will still mention your education

and work experience.

But really its main objective is to focus on your skills.

But not just any skills, relevant skills

that pertain directly to the job you're applying for.

And because they're formatted to allow employers

to be able to quickly skim through all

of those amazing skills, functional resumes

can really grab attention, which sounds pretty great, right?

Now you may still be wondering if and when someone should

use a functional resume.

So here are a few scenarios when we recommend it.

When to use a functional resume

Career switch.

When you're ready for a job change,

a functional resume helps employers focus

on your transferable skills.

Recent graduation, so you may not

have a lot of professional experience,

but you do have a lot of great skills to showcase.

Gap in employment, discussing a gap in your employment history

can yes, be nerve wracking, but it

is likely to come up in an interview.

So a functional resume is really great to use in this situation

because it shows off your qualifications

rather than focusing on your employment dates.

Dissimilar job titles.

Maybe you have all the necessary experience to fit the role,

but if you've worked a number of similar jobs

or held very similar roles over the years,

it can be hard to see variety in your experience.

Again functional resumes focus on all the great skills

you've acquired instead of your specific past roles.

Matching posted job requirements.

For super specialized jobs that require a unique or advanced

skill set, a functional resume may showcase what you can do

and what unique skills you have better

than a chronological resume.

Another time when functional resumes make sense

is when you are passionate about a certain aspect of the job.

So let's say that you're an avid knitter.

Using a functional resume to highlight your knitting skills

for a customer representative job at the yarn store

just make sense.

Or maybe your mission is to help others as a fireman,

but you've just been released from the army as a combat

medic.

A functional resume may be able to help showcase

your experience saving lives.

Now before we go through the six easy steps of functional resume

6 Steps of functional resume writing

writing, hit the leg button down below

if you found this video helpful so far.

And of course subscribe to our channel for new career tips

every single week.

All right, let's break down these steps.

Step 1: Create & Define

Step one, create a resume outline and define your format.

Now you can start with a blank document

or you can choose from various resume templates on indeed.com.

Our resume builder tool allows you

to skip formatting completely.

All you have to do is respond to the prompts.

And just like that, the tool will

craft a perfectly formatted resume for you.

So be sure to check it out down in the description box below.

All right, now when it comes to formatting

your functional resume, it is important to start at the top

and work your way down, starting with your name and contact

info at the top, your summary underneath, next,

a skills section, followed by experience,

and last, education.

As you craft your functional resume,

keep it consistently straightforward and, of course,

easy to read by following this formatting criteria.

Set equal margins all around.

0.7 inches is good to start.

But you can go up to 1 inch if needed.

Choose a standard font like Times New Roman or Ariel.

Your name should be the biggest, about 16 to 18 point.

Your section title should be a little bit smaller

at about 12 to 14 points.

And you can choose to bold or underline your name and section

titles.

Finally, when filling in the rest of your resume,

use 10 to 12 point font, making sure

it's smaller than your section titles.

And again, feel free to use our resume builder

tool which allows you to skip formatting all together.

All right, now that we have the outline and format

of a functional resume down, let's

start filling out those sections.

Step 2: Contact Info

Step 2, add your contact information at the top.

Your contact information should include your full name,

your email, your cell phone number,

and your city and state.

Pretty straightforward, right?

But definitely be sure to consider the following.

Your name on your resume should match

the name you use online to eliminate

any potential confusion.

Nicknames listed in parentheses such as James, Jim,

Smith is totally fine both on your resume and online.

Include links to your professional social media

profiles.

Now this is always a good move, especially

if you're applying for a social media job or communications

role.

Don't include your street address.

This is simply for privacy reasons.

So only list your city and state.

Pay attention to the details.

Does your email sound professional?

Is your phone number up to date?

Ask yourself all of these questions

when reviewing your resume?

It can be easy to overlook the seemingly minor details,

but double checking that everything is in order

shows your attention to detail.

Step 3: Summary

Step 3, include a summary.

Let's get to know you.

Open up your resume with some context as to who you are

and why you're applying for the role.

One example of a professional summary

may sound something like, experienced US Army Combat

Medic with excellent communication,

interpersonal, and organizational skills,

experienced in critical emergency situations.

Seeking a position as a fireman in the Midwest

where I can apply my skills to improve

the lives of our community.

Now let's say that you've previously worked as a customer

service rep, but you're ready to apply your skills

to a new role in marketing.

Here's a good example of what your summary may sound like.

People-centric professional with over three years of experience

resolving complex customer inquiries.

Passionate about building strong customer relationships,

driving brand loyalty, and increasing customer engagement.

As you think about your experience and your skills,

always aim to tie it all back to the job

that you're applying for.

And pro tip here guys.

Change up your summary, so that it's unique to each job

you apply for to ensure that recruiters

will be able to grasp why you're a great fit for this role.

Step 4, create a skills section.

Step 4: Skills

Your skills section further allows

employers to get to know you by showing what you're capable of.

You'll summarize your significant skills

in this section while including your main experience

and your core career goals.

Now using the veteran example, your summary of skills

may sound like compassionate and empathetic attitude

towards patients and civilians.

Great verbal communication and excellent interpersonal skills.

Strong time management and multi-tasking skills.

And when you can add data, do it because it's so important

to bulk up your skills, and to make your resume as

robust as possible.

If you have great measurable examples to include,

you can also group your skills together as shown here.

So for the first skill, service mentality,

the example reads, served four years as Airborne Combat Medic,

and promoted ahead of peers to Sergeant within three years.

Under communication, an example could be,

worked closely with 60 plus nations

as the only team of medics deployed,

Iraq for eight months.

And under professionalism, this veteran's example reads,

achieved Commandment's List in the Basic Leaders Course

top 20%.

W.H.O Method

Use the WHO method as you summarize your skills.

And WHO stands for what you did, how

you did it, and the outcome.

Using the WHO method will provide

a clear, concise summary of how you demonstrated each skill.

Step 5, include your experience.

Step 5: Experience

I know what you're thinking.

Didn't you say functional resumes were all

about skills, not experience?

Aha, you've been paying attention.

Now while skills are definitely the main focus,

any experience you do have should

be included, keeping in mind that the experience should

pertain to the role that you're currently applying for.

So instead of approaching this section thinking,

all right, it's time to list every position I've ever held.

Instead, ask yourself, what work have I done

that's relevant to this role?

Your experience will always go right below your skills,

and should include the workplace name, your job title,

the dates of your employment, and a brief description

of your role and your key contributions while employed.

Now yes, there is a bit to consider here.

So let's bring it down with some examples.

Santa Paula Hospital, California 2018 to 2022.

Registered nurse.

Responsible for checking patient's vital signs

and updating patient medical records,

averaging six patients a day.

Mentored seven newly onboarded nurses

to learn departmental procedures and best practices.

Instituted a new procedure for keeping catheters safer.

Reducing catheter-based infection

by 6% within six months.

Looks good, right?

Now let's imagine that before this applicant became an RN,

they also had other relevant experience, which

means it should also be included in this section.

Here's an example.

Cruz Hospital, Texas 2016 to 2018.

Paramedic Assistant.

Responded to six to 12 calls between a 12-hour shift,

increasing our unit's overall response rate by 50%.

Checked availability and function

of emergency equipment four times a week, 12-hour shifts.

Applied principles of asepsis, infection control,

and medical ethics to 30 patients in first week

on the job.

Now if you don't have any work experience,

don't move past the section just yet.

Take some time to consider what other experience you

may have to bring to the table, like babysitting

gigs, freelance work, or even volunteer work.

As long as it's relevant to the job you're applying for,

don't hesitate to include it here.

Step 6, list your education.

Step 6: Education

If you have completed high school

or attended any post-secondary school,

you'll list the name of the institution, area of study,

and any relevant achievements and diplomas or degrees

received.

If you acquired certificates and licenses,

or if there's any coursework you want to be able to showcase

to employers, you'll include those here too.

I also recommend including the date of completion

if it is within the last three years,

and any upcoming license expiration dates

are great for employers to know too.

Now if you are currently in school working

towards your diploma or a degree,

you can still include it as part of your education.

Just add your expected dates of completion.

This may look like Green Valley State 2020

to 2024, expected graduation date.

Bachelor of Science in Supply Chain Management.

Forklift certified.

And while we're talking education,

check out this video right over here for even more ways

to grow in your career.

But wait, there's more.

Now if you've decided that the functional resume is

the resume for you, remember that best practices

of all resume writing still apply.

So before you get writing, here are a few pointers

to craft an incredible standout resume no matter the format.

Resume best practices

One, keep your resume to one to two pages.

This is the standard for basically everyone,

except for those who are decades into their careers

or in academia.

Two, clear, concise headlines like skills and experience

make your resume so much easier for employers to navigate.

Three, use compelling verbs to fully describe

your impact and accomplishments, such as completed,

led, trained, modernized, or solved.

Four, include tangible, measurable outcomes

for each skill whenever possible.

And if you ever have a hard time measuring your results,

ask yourself, did I reduce risk?

Did I improve efficiency?

Did I reduce costs?

Five, proofread, and then proofread some more.

Yes, take the time to edit that resume.

You definitely want to be sure that it

addresses the skills and abilities listed in the job

description.

And proofreading is the only way you'll

be sure that there are no errors, because let's be real.

A resume with errors is a non-starter.

You worked so hard in this resume.

So let's make sure it's giving you

the best chance of getting an interview before you

hit that Submit button.

It also never hurts to get a second opinion.

Now if you found this video helpful,

please give it a life down below.

And of course, subscribe to our channel right over here.

And then be sure to hit that notification

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But we've got you covered right now with this playlist right

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And for even more tips on writing a standout resume,

you've got to check out this video right here.

I'm Snead.

Thank you all so much for watching.

And I'll see you next time.