
Functional Resume: Examples & Skills Based Templates
You’re in the middle of a career change or have gaps in your employment. Show managers and coordinators how valuable your skills are with a great functional resume.
Your best skills and achievements demonstrate your strengths. How to identify and list them in a resume? This article explains it all and includes a sample resume.
Listing skills on a resume is one thing. But what about strengths? Skills embody strengths. If you’ve excelled at managing a team of accountants, for example, leadership is not just a skill you possess, but your strength.
Employers are not interested only in candidates who simply know how to do certain things. When deciding who to put on the shortlist, they have specific strengths in mind. In other words, they need someone who excels at particular abilities. What are those strengths and how to include them in a resume?
In a moment you will see what strengths to put on your resume, but… Perhaps you don’t even need to read through—
The Zety resume builder will suggest bullet points, resume objectives, strengths, and achievements. Just what the recruiter ordered.
Create a resume with a perfect strengths section using the Zety’s resume builder now.
Were you looking for a list of skills for a resume? Try here: Best Examples of Skills You Can Put on a Resume
You might find other related guides interesting, too:
Resume strengths are things you’re best at, traits or capabilities that make you excel at your work. Often they are talents that let you exceed expectations. Sometimes, they are even special abilities you may not be aware of, because they’re part of who you are. To help identify your strengths, keep in mind that they are closely related to your personal values.
What strengths should you put on a resume? The best list of your strengths to include in a resume is the one most relevant to the specific job you’re applying for. Here’s a general list:
Read more: How to Answer 'What Are Your Strengths?' in an Interview
The items above are strengths—and skills. But what makes them your strengths is having a natural knack for using them. This is what the recruiters are interested in. All you need to do is to recognize yours, and to know how to highlight them in your resume.
See many more ideas for resume-worthy strengths in:
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Sample resume made with our builder—See more templates and create your resume here.
The strengths you sprinkle throughout your resume depend on the company’s needs. How to do it the right way? Just follow these steps:
Our sample candidate’s strengths are organization and marketing.
Take a look at how those can be accentuated, and how you can make your strengths stand out on a resume:
Maria J. Wilkinson
marisjwilkinson@gmail.com
(682) 463-5240
Dallas, TX
Resourceful and creative event planner and promoter with 6 years of experience in the events and advertising industries. Eager to join Plan A in supporting charity organizations through coordinating and promoting auctions and concerts. Oversaw successful organization and promotion of two 2000-guest trade shows, 24 concerts, and 37 ad campaigns. Exceeded expected event attendance by 20% by proactively engaging in marketing and promotion.
Event Planner
Blue Spark Productions and Management, Houston, TX
January 2016–March 2020
Marketing Promotions Assistant
LSI, Phoenix, AZ
September 2013–November 2015
Bachelor in Marketing
Tilburg University, Holland
Graduation: May 2013
Like the sample above? You can recreate it fast with the Zety resume generator. Just pick a professional resume template and get started.
Sample resume made with our builder—See more templates and create your resume here.
Here’s a summary on how to build the perfect resume:
Read more: How to Build a Resume
Last but not least, remember to attach a cover letter to your resume, and be sure not to start it with salutations such as To Whom It May Concern, or Dear Sir or Madam. According to a Forbes article, these types of cover letter greetings immediately tell the hiring manager that you don’t care enough about the job to do even the most basic research. See our guide on how to write a cover letter.
Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:
See more cover letter templates and start writing.
Thanks for reading! Would you like to see more examples of including strengths in a resume or do you have any suggestions? Let’s chat in the comments!
You’re in the middle of a career change or have gaps in your employment. Show managers and coordinators how valuable your skills are with a great functional resume.
Not sure what your resume should look like to impress recruiters and land you that dream interview? You’ve come to the right place to find out. See for yourself.
If you’re serious about getting a job, you must know how an ATS works. Otherwise, you’ll expend your time and energy making resumes no one will ever have a chance to read.