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What Do Employers Respond Best To Chronological or Skill Based Resumes?
Many job seekers have been told that employers only want chronological resumes. On the surface this is true, because if asked most employers and recruiters say they prefer chronological resumes. However, in the open job market employers respond extremely well to good, skill based resumes. Several years ago, I worked with Sharla, a gifted reading instructor. She was completing her master's degree while working as a teacher full-time and doing part-time sales. Sharla wanted a full-time sales position with a much higher pay rate. We talked and I suggested she use a skill based resume because she had held more than 15 part-time sales positions within the last 10 years. A chronological resume just wouldn't work effectively for her.

Sharla called the day after we completed her skill based resume. She was very agitated and said, "All my friends say I have to have a chronological resume." She wanted to come right over and write a new resume. I said, "Wait, we haven't even tested this resume to see if it will work. Your resume is just like an advertisement. We won't know how employers are going to respond to it until we send it out for several job openings and see how many calls you get." After about 15 minutes I calmed her down and she proceeded to send out her skill based resume. In about 2 weeks she called me and said, "You won't believe how many interviews I've gotten. I just received an offer for a position with Microsoft at $50,000 to travel throughout the Northwest calling on software stores to setup and display Microsoft products." Here's what Sharla's objective and qualifications section said at the top of her resume:

Obviously, employers were impressed that Sharla generated an income of $30,000 from part-time sales while employed full-time as a teacher. Sharla's image would have been severely damaged by using a chronological resume because she had held so many different sales positions. Her story illustrates that you must test your resume in the marketplace to effectively determine how employers will respond to it - whether it's a chronological resume or a skill based resume. If you get a poor response, then you haven't done a good job of identifying skills employers want and you must change your resume. If you get a great response and the interviews you receive are in the salary range you want - then you know you've created an effective resume.

$9,000 Salary Increase
The first resume workshop in this site shows how Fran's after resume resulted in a $9,000 salary increase.  Fran wanted a $33,000 Corporate Customer Representative job but her resume created an image of her being at a $20,000 to 24,000 salary level -- that's $9,000 to $13,000 beneath her goal.

What Level Does Your Resume Market You At?
If you are curious to see what level your resume is marketing you at … then be sure to read and use the graphing techniques in my first workshop.  By graphing the job titles used in Fran's resume it's easy to see why her resume failed … and once you understand this … you will understand why the majority of resumes fail.  You'll then understand how to analyze your job titles and see if you are better off using them or replacing them with skill headings that market you more effectively. 

Most People Have Job Titles that Weaken Their Image
I estimate that at least 85% of all job seekers have job titles unrelated to their current career goals … and that they are much better off using skill headings rather than job titles to land higher salaries and double and triple their interview rates.

For example, Fran had been a Directory Operator but in most people's minds that doesn't sound like she's at the level of a Corporate Customer Representative making $33,000 … that's because most people don't view directory operators as providing true customer service.  Most people say that Directory Operator sounds like someone making only $20,000.  However, by using the 12 Questions in my Proven Resumes Series, Fran wrote a new description of her duties as a Directory Operator that described her being selected out of 100 Directory Operators to provide specialized Customer Service to the Governor's Office and Political Dignitaries in the Washington State Capitol … now that information begins to change our image of Fran doesn't it?  That makes her sound much more like someone being able to command $33,000. 

Which sounds like a better match for the $33,000 Corporate Customer Service Representative goal… her old job title of Directory Operator  … or a skill heading like Customer Service Representative to State of Washington Account.  In Fran's actual resume we used the heading of Customer Service Representative but you can see how you can play with skill headings to control and elevate your image … this is one strategy I explain in detail with examples throughout my book, Proven Resumes: Strategies That Have Increased Salaries, and one of the strongest things I can offer you as a resume writer … just in case you don't have the time or patience to write your own.

Going from 0% to 100% Interview Rate
By using skill headings that matched her goal, Fran went from a 0% interview rate to a 100% interview rate -- meaning none of her prior resumes had landed an interview but her new resume landed an interview for each position she applied for.

Click here to learn other ways we improved Fran's resume and landed her a job paying $9,000 more click here to read my first set of resume workshops!  If you've entered my site via this page, be sure to go to my home page for an overview of more than 60 Free Resume & Job Search Workshops that include tons of Resume Tips for 45 Career Fields, Job Search, Electronic Resume, Cover Letter, Interviewing, Networking and Confidence Building strategies. 

The testimonials at the top of this page and throughout my site describe salary increases ranging from $10,000 to $30,000 and more.  Here's one of my most recent ones: 

In Summary
It's Critical That You Create A Format That Markets You The Best!
Selecting the correct resume format is probably the most important, single thing you can do to create a resume that gets the results you want! The correct resume format can have a dramatic impact by allowing you to effectively control the image you present in your resume...and this translates into more interviews and higher salary offers!

My newest booklet, Proven Resumes: Strategies That Have Increased Salaries provides six pages of worksheets to take you step by step through the process of analyzing which resume format is best for you (so you can see that the information above really is just a snippet of details from the book). Whether you use a skill based resume or a chronological resume, you'll also want to use the worksheets in this section to help you determine if each of your job titles will sell you best. If one, or several of your job titles, don't relate to the type of jobs you want or weakens your image you'll be guided in modifying and strengthening your titles or in developing strong skill headings to replace them. Your goal is to correctly select and use a resume format that sells your top titles or skill headings in seconds and makes the best of your work history! Then to make sure that the main headings and titles that stand out at first glance market you effectively!

Here's are two more testimonials that speak of the success job seekers have had in using the system laid out in Proven Resumes: Strategies That Have Increased Salaries. I really have to say that testimonials like these are what keep me going! Mikel Schutz, mentioned below, attended a workshop that I presented when I was a Job Placement Specialist with the University of Washington. He was also kind enough to appear on the video that I sell as part of my instructor transparency set. On the video he shares his testimonial. I also met Anne Illinitch while working at the UW Bothell. After seeing one of my presentations at the campus she asked me to come into her classes and give resume presentations to students completing their degrees in business administration. She then purchased and used my book in her classes.

Using the strategies in Regina's book, I developed a resume with targeted headings for a position as a Product Manager with a major software company. My resume resulted in my being 1 of only 3 people selected for an interview out of 400 applicants. In the end I didn't get that position but did accept a comparable position at a 10% salary increase. Both experiences say much about the effectiveness of the Proven Resumes System.  Mikel Schutz, Materials Manager

As with any testimonial, please keep in mind that your results will vary!

As a Business Communications professor, I've seen scores of books on resume writing. This book is truly vastly superior in its emphasis on the visual and psychological framing of the resume and its suggestions about how to target market experience to achieve maximum results--and salary increases! The 'before' and 'after' examples are excellent! Anne Illinitch, Assistant Professor, Business Administration

Now that we've covered these short tips on two popular resume styles, we're ready to move on to the next workshop and talk briefly about identifying and marketing your top skills.

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