A functional resume brings your skills and expertise front and center. This contrasts with a chronological resume, which emphasizes your work history. If you lack experience or are changing careers, the functional resume format is a good choice as it accentuates the specific skills you can bring to a job, rather than your job history.

If you have gaps in your work history, plan to transition into a new career field, or are a first-time job seeker, the functional resume is an effective format because it highlights your transferable skills.

For example, an administrative assistant who specializes in customer service skills can position himself for a sales position by emphasizing those qualities in a functional resume, rather than his lack of job experience in the sales industry. Candidates with an extensive job history in the same career field should consider a chronological format, which places more significance on a robust work experience section.

Focus on your skills and your objectives. Using the employer’s job description as a guide, express what kind of position you want in your summary, and then feature relevant skills in your skills section, paying particularly close attention to technical abilities the job requires.

If you have specific academic or extracurricular achievements that relate to the job, make sure to include them in your education section, or create an “awards and honors” section to feature them if needed. Internships are also valuable to mention, as they prove you know how to handle yourself in a work environment.

Above everything else, employers want candidates who can prove they are qualified for the job — that means stressing the skills that will make a positive impact on the position you are seeking. As mentioned above, research the job and pick out keywords that apply to you, and include them in your resume.

You should also write a strong summary statement that shows you understand the job, and expresses your confidence in being able to perform it. Your summary can be reiterated and expanded upon in your cover letter.

A functional resume is a great choice, as it underscores the important skills you can bring to a job, rather than the experience (or lack thereof) you have with the industry. Another option you can look into is the combination resume, which features both your work experience and skills — this format is useful if you’ve performed work that relates to the new job, even if it’s not extensive.

Sometimes, if they are recruiters who assume the worst. They might believe that job applicants who use this format are trying to hide something about their employment history. But most recruiters understand that some candidates, such as those who are still in school, have never had work experience, and who are changing positions and industries, have qualifications that merit a functional resume. Those recruiters will look past the format and at the applicant's skills and related accomplishments.

Yes! Listing related skills together in a functional resume helps employers see you have the appropriate skills to do the job. You can list them by theme, such as “Technical skills,” “Customer service qualifications,” or “Leadership credentials,” for example.

The functional resume format can be ATS-friendly if you use it properly. While most ATS software is programmed to “read” the more common chronological format, it also scans resumes for keywords based on the job description. While you don’t want to overload your resume with every single word from the job description (this will come across as completely inauthentic and lazy to employers), you should name the exact skills they are looking for if they apply to you.