Creating your resume is usually a stressful experience. You want it to be unique and stand out from your competition, be free of errors, and expertly convey your past experience and what you can bring to future employers. Sometimes you have so much experience it becomes challenging to list it all on one page. Perhaps you’re new to the workforce and filling a complete page is difficult. It could be you’ve worked for many companies, but none of those positions relate to a new job you’re pursuing. Regardless of why, the standard chronological format works for some, but not all.

Job Listing vs. Skills-Based Resumes

Most resumes are set up in the chronological or reverse-chronological format. The applicant’s work history is highlighted towards the top of the resume, usually starting with the most recent position. This is meant to show progression in a career, which works if you’re staying in the same field with relevant job titles and experience.

An alternative to listing jobs is using a skills-based approach, which highlights what you’re able to do for the current job you’re seeking. Instead of focusing on where you’ve worked, you show what skills you’ve learned that are transferable to new opportunities.

The focus is your skills, but you still list your jobs, as well. Rather than making them a focus, you’ll shift those details to a bottom section and list where you worked, when you were there, what your title was, and where the company was located.

Is a Skills-Based Resume Right for You?

Use the following statements developed by The Muse to determine if a skills-based resume is a better option for you:

• You’re just starting your career and find yourself without an abundance of experience
• You have gaps in your work history longer than a year.
• All your positions are essentially the same and listing them out is redundant
• Your past experience favors short-term opportunities instead of long-term
• You’re changing industries and need to showcase why you can do the job

Developing Your Skills-Based Resume

If any of those statements apply to you, a skills-based approach is likely the right option. Start by determining what skills you want to highlight. Around four is a good number to shoot for, with relevant details to explain how you’ve acquired these skills.

Once you’ve completed your skills section (which will be your main section), you’ll move on to everything else you need to include, like education, work history, and anything else you feel is necessary and you have room for, i.e. professional affiliations, volunteer work, published work, etc.

Use Your Skills to Land Your Perfect Job

At Staffing Resources, we care about your skills and goals. We’ll review your resume and talk with you about what you want to do and why you can do it. Then, we’ll work with you to find the right opportunities for you to use your skills and reach your goals.