UOIT Career Centre – Functional Resume Tips
How to Build an Effective Functional Resume
A functional resume is used to focus more on your related skills and abilities rather than your work experience.
This type of resume is good for recent graduates and those with minimal work experience who still have
suitable qualifications for the position they are applying to.
Make sure
your email
address is
professional.
Use an
easy to
read
font
style
and size.
Remove
high
school
diploma
after your
3rd year.
Determine
which
categories
of skills to
use based
on the job
posting.
NAME
ADDRESS
EMAIL and PHONE NUMBER
OBJECTIVE
 Identify the specific job title and company you are applying for i.e.
“Retail Sales Associate with Logo Inc.”
6.25 seconds: the time a
recruiter spends looking
at your resume. Target
your resume by using
key industry words!
HIGHLIGHTS OF QUALIFICATIONS
 Describe 5-7 key skills and experiences that are relevant to the position, i.e.
communication skills, interpersonal skills, leadership/teamwork skills,
technology/computer skills, etc.
 Highlight your unique skills and achievements that may relate to the position such
as fluency in other languages, your co-curricular record, scholarships, awards or
certifications that make your résumé unique
EDUCATION & TRAINING
Name of degree, major/specialization
Expected date of graduation
Name of institution, city and province
 List your GPA if it is applicable to the position with its grade point equivalency
 Mention any academic achievements or awards i.e. Dean’s List
 List any completed academic courses that are relevant to the position
 Certificates and other courses can also be mentioned i.e. WHMIS, First Aid
The
Conference
Board of
Canada
describes
critical skills
needed in the
workplace - be
sure to reflect
these skills in
your resume.
Use of white
space is
good – don’t
try to cram
in too much
information.
RELEVANT SKILLS
CUSTOMER SERVICE
 Answered effectively customers’ concerns and questions in a professional and
efficient manner to increase repeat business to the store
SALES
 Exceeded sales quotas by 10% on a regular basis while providing superior customer
service to clients
COMMUNICATION
 Resolved conflict for customers using active listening and empathy skills to ensure
satisfaction of service
Insert more
than one
point to
demonstrate
your skill.
EMPLOYMENT HISTORY
List jobs in order of most recent
Name of Position, Company, City, Province
i.e. Telemarketer, ABC Painting Company, Oshawa, ON
References?
Add them to a separate sheet and only
give to an employer when asked.
Date
2012
Need more help? Book an appointment with an
Employment Advisor in the Career Centre!
Tailor
your
points to
your
objective.