Functional Resume

A skills-focused format that downplays work history. Usually a bad idea.

A functional resume organizes your content around skill categories rather than job history. Instead of listing each job with bullet points underneath, a functional resume groups achievements under headings like "Leadership," "Project Management," and "Technical Skills." Employment history appears as a short list of companies and dates, with no bullet points.

Functional resumes have a bad reputation — deservedly. Recruiters see them as red flags because they're typically used to hide employment gaps, short tenures, or a lack of relevant experience. ATS parsers also struggle with functional resumes because they can't correctly associate achievements with specific jobs. Unless you're in a specific field where functional resumes are the literal standard, avoid this format.