An Approach for Students with Less Experience

The Career Services resume template uses a format called “reverse chronological” that lists your most recent accomplishments and then follows them with your previous endeavors. Although this is the format preferred by recruiters, as previously noted, it may not be the best for everyone. If you are concerned that you don’t have enough experience to fill a reverse chronological resume, you may consider a “functional resume.”

The benefit of a functional resume is that it allows you to match the skills you possess to the job “functions” of the position to which you’re applying. However, since this resume format is less popular with recruiters than the reverse chronological, it’s imperative that you ask the experts what the best option is for you. Career Services recommends that you start by creating a reverse chronological resume using the template in F&MConnect and only switch to a functional format if you feel that you can’t fill the page.

Although you may choose to use a functional resume for now, as a long term strategy Career Services suggests that you continue to gain experience and switch to the reverse chronological format in the future. See the internships section for suggestions on employment opportunities that will allow you to gain experience, and also consider leadership roles in student organizations and on-campus initiatives throughout the academic year as a means to building your resume content.

Creating a Functional Resume

If you choose to use a functional resume, use the sample in F&MConnect as your model and fill the Experience section with headings that relate to your target job function (i.e., instead of using the names of employers). Select these functional headings by reviewing job postings and identifying the qualifications that are repeatedly requested.

You can then add to each heading any pertinent experiences (e.g. class projects, community, sports, club leadership and other experiences, skill sets, etc.) without having to put them in chronological order. Relevance to your target opportunity is the key.

For example, if you’re majoring in English and are seeking an assistant editor internship, you may choose to use the following headings: “Communication,” “Research,” and “Project Management.” Your next step would be to match specific accomplishments or experiences to each of these headings (e.g. articles published in the student or academic press, research undertaken for faculty, major projects completed for class, etc.).