Washington State Department of Services for the Blind

Introduction to Résumé Formats*

Many different types of résumé formats are acceptable to employers, and there are many books that tell you how to write different résumés. However, the most important thing is that the résumé clearly and quickly draws attention to your best “selling points.” Research has shown that employers typically spend only 8 to 30 seconds reviewing each résumé.

There are two basic résumé formats that most people use. They are:

The chronological résumé format

The functional résumé format

Regardless of which type of résumé format you choose to use, some basic guidelines should be considered when writing your résumé:

It should be one or two pages in length – no more.

It should look good – neat, concise, and easy to read.

It should clearly point out your skills and worker strengths and tell the employer what you can do for the company.

It should be accurate – no slang, spelling errors, or abbreviations.

It should contain information about your work, educational, military, and volunteer experiences. Include dates and special accomplishments for each experience.

It can list your “employment objective,” or you can leave it off the résumé.

It can list activities, interests, and references.