Creating a professional resume that will get you an interview is the first step in finding a new career and is the first impression future employers will have of you. Knowing which of the most commonly used resume formats to use will improve your chances of getting that first interview. Hiring managers and employers don’t want to see uniquely formatted resumes. You may think that it helps you stand out, but more often than not, those resumes are harder to read and end up being deleted.
Behavioral Health Jobs is an online database of jobs and career tips for people interested in a career in the healthcare industry. We have new jobs uploaded daily for technicians, clinicians, administrators, and managers at top companies around the country. The healthcare industry is one of the fastest-growing job markets today, and employers are offering enticing salaries and benefits packages to attract quality candidates. If you are searching for careers in behavioral health, check out all of the available jobs on the Behavioral Health Jobs website today.
Formatting A Professional Resume
When creating your resume, you will want to choose one of the most commonly used resume formats to increase your chances of being selected. Employers and hiring managers prefer a specific format for all resumes to make them easier to read. Imagine having to sort through two hundred resumes a day with different fonts, colors, and sections.
There are over 500,000 different types of fonts that you can use today. While those curly and script fonts may be fun and showcase your personality, they are frowned upon on professional resumes. There are two styles of font available; Serif and Sans Serif. Serif fonts are more elaborate and decorative, while Sans Serif fonts are cleaner and simpler. The font style you want to use for your resume is Sans Serif, which includes the following preferred fonts:
- Arial
- Calibri
- Cambria
- Garamond
- Georgia
- Helvetica
- Times New Roman
Your font size should be between 10-12 points for general text, with section titles, company and school names, and dates bolded. Personal references and letters of recommendation are not typically included in the resume you initially send to potential employers unless specifically asked for in the job posting. This information is usually given after an initial interview and is a good sign they want to continue the interview process.
Most Commonly Used Resume Format
There are two main formats for resumes. Chronological and functional, with the most commonly used resume format being chronological, meaning your resume shows your education and work experience based on time. Chronological resumes are in a reverse-chronological format where you start with your most recent work or education experience. Your first job will be listed last on your resume.
Reverse-Chronological Format
Here is the basic format for a reverse-chronological resume:
- Name and contact information – Include your full name, address, email, and website if applicable. Do not use hard-to-spell or offensive words in your email address. Keep it simple and use your name, such as firstname.lastname@email.com.
- Career goals – Write a 2-3 sentence summary about your career goals and why you are pursuing this line of work.
- Work experience – Format your work experience in the following manner:
Job Title
Company Name
Employment dates
Bullet points listing the work you did with specific terms to describe processes and procedures and any software or specialized equipment that you use to perform the job.
- Education experience – List your education with the most recent degree or certification you received. Include the name of the school, dates attended, GPA, and any relevant coursework, academic achievement, and extracurricular activities.
- Skill set – This section is for hard and soft skills that you have learned through school and work experience.
Reverse-chronological resumes are ideal for job candidates with several years of experience in one or multiple positions.
Functional Resume
A functional resume uses the same basic format as the chronological resume, but the main section is the skills section instead of work experience. After the career goals section, you will list the skills you have that are relevant to the position:
Skill Title
Years of experience
Bullet points of skillset and your personal or work experience using that skill
A functional resume format is best for students who don’t have a lot of work experience and for men and women who have a large gap between jobs or are changing careers.
Find Exciting Careers in Behavioral Health at Behavioral Health Jobs
The Behavioral Health Jobs website is the best place to find a new job at treatment centers, hospitals, private practices, and government facilities for anyone looking for a fulfilling career. Our job board is updated daily with entry, mid, and senior-level positions all across the country. You can search for a new career by job title, education, work experience, type of industry, and other search criteria.
Check out all of the healthcare jobs that are available today on the Behavioral Health Jobs website.
