Functional resumes shift the focus from your work experience to your skills related to the position. This format is ideal for people starting a new career, those with gaps in their employment, and those seeking to change careers or industries.

You should start your functional resume with a summary section. In a short paragraph, this should highlight your essential skills and most recent positions.

1. Highlight Your Skills

A resume skills section in a functional format is where you can highlight your ability to perform well at the job. Choose at least three relevant skills to the position, and then group them and describe each with 3-4 bullet points. Make sure to include any quantifiable data that can demonstrate your skill sets, such as dollar amounts or percentages saved.

A functional resume also lets you downplay your work experience by leaving out the dates, which can be helpful if you’re changing careers or have a gap in your employment history. This could include a recent graduate, a stay-at-home parent, or an experienced worker reentering the workforce after a period away.

The format is also best for students or teenagers with little to no professional experience, as it allows them to focus on the skills they have developed in school and through extracurricular activities, such as volunteering or organizing a campus event.

2. Focus on Transferable Skills

As its name suggests, the functional resume format focuses on your skills rather than your work history. This is an ideal option for job seekers with large gaps in their employment, as it allows them to highlight their relevant experience.

The functional resume format also benefits applicants with a lot of education and training but little to no work experience, as well as those looking to switch industries. It’s often used by people who have had multiple jobs for a variety of reasons, including returning to school, taking time off to care for children, or making career changes.

The functional resume format typically begins with a summary section, which allows you to explain your primary experience and overarching career goals. Then, you’ll move on to your transferable skills section, which takes up most of the space in this type of resume. This is a great place to list your languages, professional affiliations, IT skills, etc.

3. Highlight Accomplishments

If you’re an experienced worker who has a long work history without significant gaps, you may find that the functional resume format is the best option for you. This format de-emphasizes your work experience and puts skills front and center.

In a functional resume, your strengths and achievements are featured first to show recruiters that you’re the perfect candidate for their job. Emphasize your most significant accomplishments in this section, and include relevant keywords.

You can also highlight your educational background in a functional resume, though be careful not to add too much detail. Keep your education section to one or two pages and highlight the qualifications most relevant for the position you’re applying for. For example, if you’ve won an award related to your industry, mention it in your education section. This will give your resume a professional, unified look. It will also make it easy for hiring managers to identify your key strengths.

4. Highlight Certifications

Many career paths are not linear, and a functional resume format is a good choice for those whose work history doesn’t clearly show their progression. Use this type of template to highlight your relevant skills and experience so recruiters won’t miss them.

For example, you can include the following in your Skills Summary section:

You can also list certifications in this section, but be sure to keep it short and to the point. Including too much information can distract recruiters from the page’s main purpose: to get them to interview you.

The functional format is also ideal for candidates who are changing careers or have gaps in their employment histories, as it allows them to focus on the skills they have developed. But despite these advantages, some recruiters are still wary of this style and may think you’re trying to hide something. To avoid this, you should always be honest about your employment history.