Tag: reverse chronological resume

Listing Hobbies and Interests on a Resume?


Recognized resume styles

As was indicated in one of our earlier posts, there are two types of resumes; one identified as a chronological resume and the other a functional resume. A chronological resume is structured by listing past employers and education in order, starting with the most recent jobs and/or achievements, and proceeding in reverse order with the previous of such listings until a reasonable number (5 recommended), or the very first event is reached. This type of resume is also – at times – referred to as a reverse chronological resume because of the order in which the listings starts and ends.

Chronological Resume Template: Resume Solution, What you Need to Creat your US and Canadian Resume (Template, Resume, Functional, Jobs, Opportunities)

Functional resumes, on the other hand, focus on an individual’s qualifications instead of his/her career timeline, in the sense that it highlights the skills s/he possesses rather than where and when s/he acquired or utilized them. In other words, instead of listing the job applicant’s experiences and job titles, a functional resume will contain sections titled as they relate to that applicant’s skills; such as verbal and written communication, customer satisfaction and project management, among others.

Best uses of a functional resume

The functional resume style is recommended for college students seeking internships or their first jobs out of college; for job seekers with little or no professional experience, or for career changers. This resume style allows job seekers to reference their hobbies and interests in a way that apply to their career objectives only; but the listing of hobbies and interests outside of the job seeker’s career objective is not recommended as such outside listings do not promote that individual as a professional in any way.

Consider for a moment that you are a job seeker composing your resume and you would like to prepare it in the most professional way you possibly can. The important you must do to accomplish this is to keep your career objective uppermost in your mind. You want to present yourself in a best possible light to your potential employer, so the information on your resume must answer one very important question:

Why are you the best candidate for the job? And the bet way you can prepare yourself to answer this question is to maintain constant focus on your career objective while composing your resume.

Resume mistakes to be avoided

The biggest mistake some job seekers make on their resumes is including information that is not related to their professional experience. Facts pertaining to your volunteer positions, community work, interests and hobbies that disclose your race, ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, religious beliefs or other personal descriptors that do not directly impact professional performance must be excluded from your resume.

Understanding that the functional resume does not require you to list names or organizations you have worked or volunteered for allows you to list any experience you have acquired at a given company or organization without potentially disclosing any demographic information.

Additionally, you should not create a separate section on your resume for hobbies and interests since this is typically seen as amateur, thereby detracting from your resume by rendering it less credible. Listing hobbies and interests as they apply to the position you are applying for should be done under specific functional sections.

Use hobbies & interests ONLY to enhance resume

For example, if you are seeking a position in graphic design, and have samples of related work that you have done as a hobby, indicate this fact on your resume or in your cover letter. In fact, any of your hobby activities that are related to the type of work you are seeking should be listed on your resume, but only such a listing will be advantageous to you

And if you’ve read books or completed seminars at the local community center that are applicable to your chosen job, make mention of them and many potential employers will welcome the opportunity to have you demonstrate those qualifications that make you a perfect candidate for the job or position they’re offering.

As a final step, have a friend review your resume, or if you are a college student, seek assistance from a career center at your school. Having another person review your resume will help uncover any items that may raise questions about your experience or education, as well as point out whether or not the inclusion of your hobbies and interests works to support your career objective. Perfecting your resume will go a long way to assure your potential employer that you are the best candidate for the s/he is offering job.

About Chronological and Functional Resumes

Use of a chronological resume

The typical resume is a one-to-two page document summarizing an individual’s career objectives, professional experiences and achievements, as well as his/her educational background; and while there are numerous ways to format a resume, there are two basic resume styles. The chronological resume and the functional resume.

As its name implies, a chronological resume is one that lists your experience and education in order, beginning with the most recent jobs or achievements. This type of resume is sometimes also referred to as reverse chronological resume, because the order of which items are listed begins with the individuals’ last or current employment details and continues in reverse order to the first or oldest employment details.

 

A chronological resume is generally preferred by –employers, since they will want to know what job an applicant currently holds so that they can better asses his/her qualifications for the job in which s/he has interest. The same is true for an applicant’s education since a potential employer would rather know that applicant’s most recent scholastic achievement. By listing experiences and education in reverse chronological order, a job applicant shows his/her potential employer the overall career progress s/he’s made.

Emphasis on employment history

Such reverse listing also helps in determining the length of employment at each organization, and indicates any gaps in the individual’s career (in case of gaps, make sure to address them in the cover letter as to not lead a potential employer to believe that s/he is omitting information on purpose). If you are the job applicant, a chronological resume should list your current job, as well as two to four previously held positions.

However, you should not skip any employment information intentionally; and if your employment history is long, or if you have held jobs further in the past that align well with your current career objective, you can address these qualifications in your professional profile or in your cover letter. Chronological resumes are the most commonly used style, and work best for anyone who has had some professional experience.

When a functional resume is useful

Functional resumes focus on the individual’s qualifications, not his/her career timeline, because this style of the resume highlights what skills that person has, rather than where and when s/he acquired or utilized them. In other words, if you are an applicant writing a functional resume, you would forego listing your experiences by job titles and, instead, your resume will contain sections titled by your skills such as verbal and written communication, customer satisfaction and project management, among others.

This resume style is recommended for college students seeking internships or their first jobs out of school; for those with no professional experience; those who have not worked for some time; or for career changers. While potential employers will appreciate the overview of your skills, you should consider using a chronological resume if you have any professional experience; or you can even use a combination resume over the functional format.

Combination resume: A hybrid of resume styles

A combination resume, although not often discussed, has become a popular format in recent years; and as its name implies, it is a combination of chronological resume style and functional resume style. This hybrid style allows professionals to highlight the qualification they have that are critical for the job of their interest, while at the same time listing employment and educational history in reverse chronological order.

A word of caution, however: Don’t try to do too much when using a combination resume, by going over board with the type and number of sections you include in your resume. It is best to keep the information listed – even in the combination format – to what is relevant for the job. The same rules apply for each style. Don’t exceed two pages; simply tailor your resume to your career objective and put your best foot forward in order to get the interview, and eventually the job you desire.