Apply It 11.6: Career Connection: Functional Résumé

Lumen Learning

Apply It 11.6: Career Connection: Functional Résumé

Recognize a functional résumé and understand when to use it

Translating Responsibilities into Skills

If you are asked to describe your job, you are likely to give a list of the things that you do or your responsibilities. However, for a functional résumé, you need to focus on skills. It’s helpful to look at individual responsibilities or tasks that you do at your job and translate them into a skill.

Let’s look at the example of someone who works as a server at a restaurant:

Responsibilities	Skill
Greeting customers, answering customer questions	Communication skills
Upselling and recommending menu items	Customer service and sales skills
Taking orders correctly, managing multiple tables, using proper hygiene and safety in handling food	Attention to detail

What is something that you have done at school that is evidence of attention to detail?

Sometimes you might have trouble knowing what to call the skills that you use at your job. This is a situation when using an artificial intelligence (AI) tool such as ChatGPT or Bard might be helpful. Try following these steps:

Make a list of the tasks and responsibilities you have at work.
Using an AI tool, compose a prompt to ask for help. “I am a [insert your role] and at work I am responsible for [a, b, c, and d]. Translate these responsibilities into a list of skills suitable for a functional résumé.”

Here’s an example of how ChatGPT responds:

Prompt: I work in customer service at a hotel reception desk and my duties include greeting guests, checking them in and out, handling reservations, solving guests’ problems, answering questions, processing payments, answering the phone, and communicating with other departments. Translate these responsibilities into a list of skills suitable for a functional résumé.

Sure, here is a list of skills suitable for a functional résumé for a customer service representative at a hotel reception desk, based on the responsibilities outlined:

Customer service skills: The ability to provide excellent customer service by greeting guests, answering questions, and solving problems is essential for this role.
Communication skills: Strong verbal and written communication skills are necessary for checking guests in and out, handling reservations, and communicating with other departments.
Attention to detail: Maintaining accurate records, processing payments, and ensuring that guests have the correct room and amenities requires a keen attention to detail.
Problem-solving skills: The ability to handle guest complaints and concerns in a professional and timely manner requires strong problem-solving skills.
Multitasking: The ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously, including checking guests in and out, answering phone calls, and addressing guest concerns, while maintaining a calm and professional demeanor.
Organization skills: Keeping accurate records and maintaining a tidy work area requires good organizational skills.
Time management: Checking guests in and out efficiently and ensuring that all tasks are completed in a timely manner requires good time management skills.
Knowledge of hotel operations: Understanding hotel operations, including room assignments, payment processing, and hotel policies, is necessary for this role.
Collaboration: Working collaboratively with other departments, including housekeeping and maintenance, is important to ensure that guest needs are met and that the hotel runs smoothly.
Computer skills: Knowledge of hotel management software and other computer programs used for managing guest information, room assignments, and payment processing is necessary for this role.

Using an AI tool can help you with writing your résumé. You can use this list of skills as a starting point and further customize it with other experiences that you have and highlight the skills that are most important for the job posting that you are responding to.