BSPH: Resume Styles

Chronological, functional and hybrid: three templates for students and alumni recommended by the School of Public Health.

Top two things to remember about resumes

  1. RELEVANCY – how relevant is the information about yourself to the position you are applying for?
  2. CLARITY – how clearly can you present this information to the audience reading your resume/CV?

Key Characteristics

  • Lean toward brevity
  • Position-driven
  • Have more than one version
  • Strong emphasis on content & action verbs
  • Goal of a resume is to…construct a professional identity CURRICULUM VITAE

 Hybrid Style 

  • A combination of the chronological and functional formats
  • Organizes past experiences into functional headers
  • Generally used by individuals with divergent backgrounds
  • Advantage: Looks chronological but the relevant experience can appear 1st – great for PH students
  • Disadvantage: Dates are not consistent

Chronological Style

  • Reverse date order (present to past)
  • Particularly effective when recent experiences are the most relevant
  • Emphasis on job titles and organizational names
  • Advantage: preferred format for employers and recruiters
  • Disadvantage: most recent experience might not be the most relevant or important

Functional Style

  • Focuses on qualifications of the individual
  • Used to highlight transferable skills & experience rather than job titles or organizations
  • Generally used by individuals with little experience
  • Advantage: relevant training and experience can be grouped together
  • Disadvantage: employers cannot figure out where/when you gained your experience
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