If you are anything like me you probably never gave the subject of resume formats any consideration at all until you realized there was something on your resume that could be holding you back.
In my case, I had a number of gaps in my employment history that I wanted to minimize and I also wanted to find a way to shift the focus of the resume to my strong skills. Lucky for me I discovered the functional format for a resume which keeps the focus on skills instead of timeframes. With so many people currently unemployed there are likely many people who are in the same position as me. You seem to have no problem finding positions for which you want to apply but you feel as though your resume is not strong enough to be considered seriously for these positions.
For years, I gave up on even applying for these dream jobs because I knew I would not get them until I realized there are different formats for resumes which could really help me. The first thing I did when I realized there were many resume formats to choose from was to really think about which of these formats suited me best. This decision was not made based on personal preference but was instead based on what highlighted my most marketable features. This involved some research. I had to first figure out how many formats of resumes where available.
Next I determined the key features of each format and how these features could be used. Then I looked for recommended uses for each format.
Before my resume was complete, I spent some time testing out each of the resume formats. I did this by creating a number of sample resumes using a number of different formats. I viewed these resumes from an employer\’s perspective. It was not an easy process but it really worked for me. I selected a format which made me look very favorable to potential employers.
Cynthia Penfold discusses Resume Formats at her Resume Formats Blog