Types of Resumes

Creating a resume is the very best way to document your career and accomplishments. If you build and maintain one as you move along your career path, you'll be able to capture key achievements and results while they are still fresh in your mind.
The resume format that you choose should be based on your work experience and the strategy to make that experience seem relevant to the job that you are applying to.
The majority of resumes follow a similar format by listing most recent jobs and work experience first. This is called a "reverse chronological" format. But there is also the "skills-based" or "functional" format that highlights what you can do rather than what you have done. Some find that blending these two formats is the best way to summarize their experience and capabilities. These are called as “Hybrid resume”

There are three main types of resumes:
1. Reverse chronological resumes
2. Functional resumes
3. Hybrid resumes

Reverse chronological resumes list the candidate’s work experience starting from the most recent one based on the premise that it is also the most relevant to the job. That is often true for career-oriented people looking for another job in the same field. The reverse chronological resume is the most commonly used resume format.
Using this format is best for those who have had a steady work history and a record of increased responsibility and career growth. This is also a great format if the companies you worked for, especially your most recent employer, are well-recognized and well-respected within your industry.

Functional resumes list a candidate’s experiences by skill areas. This resume format is used most often when a person decides to switch career, when a person has held many different types of jobs during his career, or when there has been a prolonged period of absence from the workforce. The focus is therefore no longer on “career progression,” but instead on “transferable skills.”
The functional resume includes a career objective that states what type of job you desire or a career summary that encapsulates your work history, education and strengths in a sentence or two.

Hybrid resumes possess some characteristics of both reverse chronological resumes and functional resumes. For instance, they can list a candidate’s work experience by skill areas, but also include the periods of employment.
It might begin with a summary of qualifications and bulleted skills, followed by a chronicled job listing that demonstrates, through measurable results, how you used or applied the skills you just highlighted.

Those are the three main types of resumes. Do not restrict yourself to the above however. If you think there is a better way to grab the employer’s attention, go for it. At the end of the day, if you get an interview, you must have done something right.

Main Points of Resume

Personal Information
Name - your full name, typed in title case.
Address - your address, written out in full, without abbreviations. In fact, it's better to avoid abbreviations anywhere in your resume.
Telephone - your home phone number with area code, also give your mobile number if you have one.

Job Goal
In one sentence, describe your job goal. This tells the employer exactly what type of work you're looking for. Try to link your job goal to the job you're applying for.
Related Skills - List the special abilities and skills that relate to the job you're applying for. They can be from paid or unpaid work, volunteer experience, and even hobbies.

Education
List your education, starting with the most recent diploma or training course and working backwards. Include the name and city or town of each school you attended (secondary and beyond), the type of programmes you took, your areas of interest, and the years you completed. Certificates or diplomas should also be listed, including those for mini courses like a computer or software course, first-aid, small engine repair, or any other training that might be useful to the job you want.

Additional Knowledge
Use this section to include such things as the languages you speak, software programmes you know, and other abilities that relate to the job. If there is a lot of information, break it into separate sections with specific headings. The point is to get everything into your resume that shows why you are the right person for the job.
List all the skills you have in a bulleted format.

Interests / Activities
Briefly outline a few of your interests and activities that demonstrate something about you. Be sure to mention achievements or awards you may have received. If you have volunteer experience that is relevant to the job, make sure you put it in, transferable skills are important. Do not mention all the hobbies you have over here. This might do a bit more to the resume. List only main hobbies or hobbies related to the job applied for.

References
References are not included in your resume, but you should have them ready. Think about who could be your references and get their permission before you pass the names and numbers. Type the names, addresses, and phone numbers of up to three references on a separate piece of paper, which matches your resume. Keep your reference list as up-to date as possible. If you can, give your reference an idea of the type of job you are applying for, and whenever possible, let them know when you think an employer will be calling them, so they can be available and will have some time to think about what to say.

Whom can you ask to be a reference?

• Someone from your school (teacher, guidance counsellor, coach)
  
• Someone you've worked for (summer, part- time employer)
  
• Someone you've worked for on a casual basis
  
• Someone you've helped (as a volunteer or as a friend)
  
• Someone whose opinion is respected (elder, minister, community leader)