There are multiple different examples of resume and resume formats. One of the resume formats places a lot of emphasis on your professional abilities and how you may use them in a future position. You may decide if skills-based resumes are the best fit for your job experience and educational background by learning more about them.
In this article, we define a skills-based resume and how to create one.
What is a skills-based resume?
A skills-based resume, often called a functional resume, emphasizes the candidate’s skills in particular skills over other factors like education. You may also highlight particular aspects of your professional background, but only if those aspects are important to the position you’re applying for. With a focus on your skills rather than your employment history, skills-based resumes set themselves apart from reverse-chronological or chronological resumes.
When should you use a skills-based resume?
- You just graduated from college and have little to no work experience.
- You want to change careers, but you lack a significant amount of relevant experience.
- Your relevant experience is mainly composed of voluntary work.
How to create your skills-based resume:
- Select the skills you want to emphasize. You should first decide which skills are most important for the position you want before choosing the others. Sort these into three or four broad categories, and then add your unique qualities to each one. The foundation of your resume will be composed of these skill sets.
Three skills category
- Job-related skills – The majority of individuals usually develop these skills through school or work. Usually, they are directly related to the desired role. A skill with Photoshop or a web design tool is necessary if you are seeking a job as a web designer.
- Transferable skills – These skills are typically important to persons who are considering a career shift and may apply to many fields of specialty. Specific examples of transferable skills include team management and negotiation techniques. However, they might also be more general, like research abilities.
- Adaptive skills – These are also referred to as personal skills and often include non-measurable character or personality attributes that are useful for a certain job. Adaptive skills could include traits like honesty and cooperation with others.
- Create a skills list and describe it. You may start describing each of the specific bullet items in further detail once you have a concept of the skill sets you want to highlight them. Statements explaining your related experience in every skill category should contribute to each bullet point.
You are not required to include information about the companies or roles you’ve joined in this section. However, it is often advisable to focus on accomplishments and outcomes than to go into precise detail about specific companies.
- List down your accomplishments. The skills you previously listed can be applied to the workplace by describing your accomplishments in a section for future employers. It’s important to only list accomplishments in this section that relate to the job you’re applying for. The accomplishments you can include are somehow flexible but ensure they relate to the desired position. For instance, if you’re applying for a job in human resources, you might highlight your skills in communication or time management.
- Indicate your work history. You can spend the remaining space on your resume with a summary of your professional experience. You don’t have to go into precise detail in this part, except for an experience-based resume. Identify the business, the years you worked there, your job title, and a short explanation of your duties. Internships and voluntary work are also acceptable as long as they are relevant to the desired position.
- Add additional information. Think about including information that could strengthen your credibility and raise your potential value. Your educational background, professional affiliations, projects you’ve worked on or finished, development courses you’ve taken, community-based activities, and published work are just a few of the elements you can include.