If you're wondering just how to package your resume, a new survey finding may interest you. An overwhelming majority (78 percent) of executives polled nationwide said that they prefer chronological resumes over those presented by job function.
The survey was developed by Accountemps, the world's first and largest temporary staffing service for accounting, finance and bookkeeping professionals. It was conducted by an independent research firm and includes responses from 150 executives with the nation's 1,000 largest companies.
Executives were asked, "Do you prefer to receive a resume written in a chronological format that is organized by dates of employment, or in a functional format that is organized by skills?" Their responses:
- Chronological format - 78%
- Functional format - 19%
- No preference - 3%
"Hiring managers look for growth in responsibility when reviewing resumes, frequently starting at the bottom and working their way up to the most recent position in order to evaluate career progression," said Max Messmer, chairman of Accountemps and author of "Job Hunting for Dummies(R)," 2nd Edition (IDG Books Worldwide, 1999) and available at
Amazon.com.
"While a functional resume, which emphasizes skill sets rather than actual jobs held, is helpful for those wishing to highlight experience not directly apparent from a work history, this style can be hard to follow if not well-organized," he said.
Messmer advises candidates with a lack of direct experience in a given field to use a combination resume format that chronicles employment by date and focuses on transferable skills acquired with previous employers.
Lynda Grady, Accountemps regional manager, said, "Hiring managers are practiced at scanning resumes for relevant experience. Therefore, a well-written chronological resume is frequently much more effective at conveying a picture of an applicant than a resume organized solely by job function."
Accountemps has more than 240 offices in North America, Europe and Australia, and offers online job search services.
