Classic or Technical: Which Resume Works for You?

There’s one word you’ll seem to hear throughout your career, and that’s resume. No matter how high you climb in a company, your resume is used to reflect your journey. In reality, the resume is merely a sheet or two of paper — but it’s one that can get you hired at your dream company.

Consider this article as your guide on which resume style will work to your advantage. In total, there are three different types of resumes: classic, technical, and comparison, but today we are going to focus on the first two and how they contrast. Ready for new doors to open in your career? Keep reading… 

The Classic ‘Story of Your Career’ Resume

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What makes this format a win-win?

To give recruiters a sense of where you’ve been in your career and where you are headed, the classic resume is your best bet. From the image above, you’ll notice that this resume lists your work history and accomplishments in reverse chronological order. This resume is most likely to benefit you if you have a consistent experience and a clear career path.

Making the Most of the Classic Resume

This resume is a one-pager with an emphasis on your previous positions and should be easy for recruiters to digest. More often than not, action verbs can be used to make your accomplishments shine. Since space is limited, make sure that the information you share is working in your favor. Remember, recruiters only spend about 7 seconds scanning a resume!

Pro tip: Those with 10+ years of experience can expand this format to be two-pages.

Recommended for:

●      People with a structured work history

●      People who are looking to move up in their industry

●      Applicant tracking systems (ATS) that scan resumes

The ‘Show Off Your Technical Skills’ Resume

 

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Why choose a technical resume?

The technical resume, also known as the functional resume, puts the focus on your skillset. This resume uses bullet points to expand on how you successfully used these skills at work. Unlike the classic resume, the technical resume doesn’t list your education and experience at the beginning of the resume, but rather near the end.

Taking Your Technical Resume to the Next Level

When applying for the job, be sure to find keywords from the posting that you can integrate into your resume. Since this format is two pages long, you’ll have more room to showcase your skills. This is also an opportunity to share additional selling points about yourself. Do you speak another language, do volunteer work, or have hobbies? List them!

PRO TIP: Get creative with your layout!

 Recommended for:

●      People with limited work experience

●      People looking to make a career change

●      Freelancers, contract workers, or those who have gaps in their employment

Still can’t decide which type of resume works for you? There is a third alternative as previously mentioned, and that’s the combination resume. Which — you guessed it — allows you to share both your skillset and previous experience on one page. To make this format more effective, be sure that your skills & work achievements complement each other.

With a few adjustments to your resume, and maybe a change in layout, there are two words that might consistently surprise you in the course of your career: you’re hired.

For more advice on polishing your resume, be sure to read some of our other articles.