Combining Types And Variations

From a high level, it is safe to assume that the type of resume defines the structure, how the resume should be filled out. For example, in the chronological resume, we will historically list the contents either starting with most current or first completed. This helps guide the reader of the resume to understand the flow of the content making it easier to navigate and clearer to understand your entire skills journey.

This is why this series started with discussing the different types of resumes, chronological, functional, and targeted resumes. Now that we have an understanding of how to structure a resume, it is time to focus on the granularity, the variation of the resume. Expanding a resume with a defined variation allows you to specify the level of detail that would be best suited for the specific employer and position.

The variation of the resume is not a new idea but is rarely ever called out specifically. You must have a variation in your resume otherwise your content would have no consistency within its content leaving you with a cluttered non-cohesive mess. Understanding how the different variations work allows for a more thought-out and meaningful resume. The job market can be very competitive which is why your resume should rise above the other applications which is why understanding the power behind the variations can help give you an edge over other candidates.

Similar to types three different variations can be combined with any of the main types to develop very relevant resumes for different job applications; these being detailed, summarized, and focused. You probably have already used the summarized variation in some of the current resumes you have created and this will be the starting point for our deeper dive on resume variations.