How to Write a Functional Resume (Formatting Tips, Template, & Examples)

What You’ll Learn

Functional resumes are a debated format among recruiters because of their unconventional structure and how they may (or may not) be parsed by applicant tracking systems (ATS).

In this guide, you’ll learn what a functional resume is, when it makes sense to use one, when to choose another format, how to write a functional resume step by step, and more tips for these skills-based resumes. You’ll also find a customizable resume template and four examples of functional resumes.

What Is a Functional Resume?

A functional resume is a resume format that organizes your qualifications around skills rather than your work history. Also called a skills-based resume, it emphasizes transferable skills, accomplishments, and relevant experience before listing employers and job titles.

Unlike a chronological resume, which highlights career progression, a functional resume draws attention to what you can do rather than where or when you developed your skills.

It’s a specialized format that can be effective in specific situations, such as making a career change when your transferable skills are stronger than your directly related experience, returning to the workforce after an extended absence, presenting freelance or portfolio-based experience, or having job titles that don’t accurately reflect your qualifications.

For many job seekers, however, a combination (hybrid) resume is the better choice because it highlights both your skills and your work history. A functional resume is best reserved for situations where emphasizing your skills over your career timeline provides a clear advantage.

What to Include in a Functional Resume

A functional resume contains many of the same sections as a traditional resume but presents them in a different order to emphasize your skills.

Most functional resumes include:

Drawbacks of a Functional Resume

Functional resumes can work in specific situations, but their skills-first format can make it harder for recruiters and some ATS to understand your experience.

Consider these drawbacks before choosing this format:

Functional Resume vs Chronological vs Combination (Hybrid)

Functional vs chronological resumes differ in how they organize information, while combination resumes take a middle-ground approach. All three include the same core information, but chronological resumes emphasize work history, functional resumes emphasize skills, and combination resumes highlight both.

Resume Format	Pros	Cons	Best For
Functional	Highlights transferable skills while placing less emphasis on chronological work history	May raise recruiter concerns, provides less career context, can create ATS parsing challenges	Specific career changes where transferable skills outweigh directly related experience, extended returns to work, portfolio careers, and professionals whose job titles don’t reflect their qualifications
Chronological	Familiar to recruiters, ATS-friendly, clearly shows career progression and achievements	Draws attention to employment gaps or unrelated work history	Most job seekers with a consistent employment history
Combination (Hybrid)	Balances skills with detailed work history, ATS-friendly, provides context for accomplishments	Can be longer than other formats and requires careful organization	Most career changers, professionals with transferable skills, and experienced candidates who want to highlight both skills and work history

When to Use a Functional Resume & When to Avoid It

A functional resume works best in specific situations where emphasizing your skills provides a clearer picture of your qualifications than a traditional work history. For many job seekers, including most career changers, a combination resume is the better choice because it highlights both your skills and your career progression.

Use the points below to decide whether or not to use a functional resume format:

While functional resumes can be effective in specific situations, Monster career expert Toni Frana recommends a combination (hybrid) resume for most job seekers:

How to Write a Functional Resume in 5 Steps

To write a functional resume, start with a strong professional summary, organize your qualifications into three job-relevant skill categories supported by accomplishments, include a concise skills section, add brief work history and education sections, and make sure your resume is ATS-friendly before submitting it.

If you’ve determined that a functional resume is the right fit for your situation, follow these steps to create one:

• Step 1:

  Create a Strong Professional Summary or Summary of Qualifications

  Begin your functional resume with either a professional summary or a summary of qualifications. Both introduce your strongest qualifications, but a professional summary is written as a short paragraph, while a summary of qualifications presents your top credentials in a scannable bullet list. Tailor either option to the job description and focus on the skills and accomplishments most relevant to the role.

  Professional summary example:

  Professional Summary

  Results-driven customer service professional with six years of experience resolving complex customer issues, training new team members, and improving support processes. Recognized for maintaining a 98% customer satisfaction rating while consistently exceeding performance goals. Eager to bring strong communication and problem-solving skills to a client success role.

  Summary of qualifications example:

  Summary of Qualifications

  • Six years of experience delivering customer support in high-volume environments.
  • Maintained a 98% customer satisfaction rating while resolving complex client issues.
  • Reduced average response times by 20% through process improvements.
  • Trained and mentored eight new team members on CRM systems and service best practices.
  • Proficient in Salesforce, Zendesk, and conflict resolution, with strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Step 2:

  Highlight & Quantify Job-Relevant Skills

  The main section of a functional resume should feature three primary skill categories that closely match the job description. Under each heading, include between three and five accomplishment-focused bullet points with measurable results whenever possible.

  Example:

  Professional Skills

  Project Management

  • Coordinated cross-functional projects involving more than 20 stakeholders while consistently meeting deadlines.
  • Reduced project turnaround time by 18% by improving documentation and communication workflows.
  • Managed competing priorities across multiple projects while maintaining a 100% on-time delivery rate.

  Customer Service

  • Maintained a 98% customer satisfaction rating while resolving complex customer issues.
  • Trained six new team members, reducing onboarding time by two weeks.
  • Handled an average of 60 customer inquiries per day while consistently exceeding service goals.

  Data Analysis

  • Analyzed sales trends to identify opportunities that increased quarterly revenue by 12%.
  • Built reporting dashboards that reduced manual reporting time by five hours per week.
  • Created monthly performance reports that helped leadership make data-driven business decisions.
• Step 3:

  Include a Separate Skills Section

  Even though your primary qualifications appear in the professional skills section, you should still include a traditional skills section. This gives recruiters and ATS an easy way to identify additional hard and soft skills that don’t need their own accomplishment section.

  Example:

  Skills

  Microsoft Excel • Salesforce • Google Workspace • Project Management • CRM Software • Data Analysis • Customer Service • Written Communication • Time Management • Team Collaboration

• Step 4:

  Create Brief Work History & Education Sections

  Unlike a chronological resume, your work history should be concise. List each employer, job title, and employment dates without adding detailed responsibility bullets. Since your accomplishments are already highlighted in the skills section, detailed bullets usually aren’t necessary.

  Work experience example:

  Professional Experience

  Administrative Assistant
  Keystone Business Solutions | Philadelphia, PA | 2022–2025

  Office Coordinator
  Pinnacle Healthcare Group | Allentown, PA | 2019–2022

  Customer Service Representative
  Liberty Financial Services | Bethlehem, PA | 2017–2019

  Education example:

  Education

  Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
  Temple University

• Step 5:

  Carefully Check Your Resume for ATS Compatibility

  Before submitting your resume, make sure it can be easily read by ATS software. While some platforms may have more difficulty parsing functional resumes than chronological or combination formats, using standard section headings, a simple one-column layout, and keywords from the job description can improve compatibility.

  It’s also a good idea to run your resume through an ATS resume checker before applying. These tools can identify formatting issues, missing keywords, and other potential problems that could make your resume harder for an ATS to parse or evaluate consistently.

Simple Functional Resume Template (Copy & Paste)

If you’re ready to build your own functional resume, use the functional resume template for Word documents below as a starting point. Simply copy and paste it into Microsoft Word, Google Docs, or another word processor, then customize it for your job search.

Functional Resume Examples for Different Scenarios

A functional resume isn’t a one-size-fits-all format. The examples below show how this format can be adapted for different career situations, from changing industries to returning to work after a break. Notice how each resume emphasizes relevant skills and accomplishments while keeping the work history brief.

7 Key Tips for Creating a Functional Resume

To create an effective functional resume, keep the design simple, organize your skills strategically, optimize for ATS, quantify your accomplishments, provide enough employment context, and review everything carefully before applying.

• 1.

  Make clean and simple design choices. Use an ATS-friendly layout with readable fonts, consistent formatting, and plenty of white space to make your resume easy to scan.

• 2.

  Group skills into targeted themes. Organize your strongest qualifications into two to four skill categories that closely match the job description and support each with measurable accomplishments.

• 3.

  Use standard headings ATS will recognize. Stick with familiar section titles, such as “Summary,” “Professional Skills,” “Work Experience,” and “Education,” instead of creative alternatives that ATS may not recognize.

• 4.

  Incorporate keywords from the job description. Include relevant skills, qualifications, and industry terms naturally throughout your resume to improve ATS compatibility and demonstrate you’re a strong match for the role.

• 5.

  Quantify your accomplishments. Include numbers, percentages, dollar amounts, or other measurable results to demonstrate the impact of your work whenever possible.

• 6.

  Don’t omit dates and titles entirely. Even on a functional resume, include a concise work history with employers, job titles, and employment dates to provide context and reduce recruiter skepticism.

• 7.

  Have it reviewed before applying. Proofread your resume carefully, and use an ATS resume checker or ask a trusted colleague, mentor, or career professional to review it for errors, formatting issues, and missing keywords.

Ready to Try a Functional Resume?

A functional resume can be a valuable tool when emphasizing your skills gives employers a clearer picture of your qualifications than your work history alone. It’s best suited for specific situations, such as significant career changes, extended returns to the workforce, or when your job titles don’t accurately reflect your experience.

For many job seekers, however, a combination resume is the better choice because it highlights both your skills and your career progression.

If a functional resume fits your situation, use the examples and template in this guide to create a resume that showcases your strongest qualifications. Otherwise, consider whether a chronological or combination resume would better present your experience.