There are mainly three types of resume styles:
Chronological
Functional
Combination
Chronological
Employers generally prefer Chronological.
The Chronological gives the start and end date,
company name,
position held, and description of your
accomplishments. It is usually ended with a brief
skills section and education.
Functional
This may seem
ideal for those with gaps in their employment
history, or for those not too far out of
school with only one
job to mention.
The Functional
resume does not rely on listing
jobs, but skills and accomplishments, listed in
detail. It is intended to be used without a listing of employers -- though this is brave. Even a brief mention with
vague dates (years, not
months and
years) will help put the employer's
mind at ease. Again, education can be added at the bottom.
The problem with the Functional style is that employers may think that you are trying to
hide something.
Combination
A good choice if you have not
worked many places, or have been
promoted within a company.
The Combination is just that. It usually begins with detail of skills and accomplishments (from all jobs), and then goes into a very
brief chronological listing of employers, dates, positions, and job description. If you were promoted within a company, list the most recent position first with dates, followed by any prior positions and dates.
Useful
tip:
If you have been out of
work, use a
cover letter to briefly explain why. Mention anything you can about that time off from work -- did you
travel,
consult, do
community service ... Mentioning any of these things will help to make you sound like a
well rounded person and not a
slacker.
Good luck.
Much of this knowledge is from my own job searches, as well as help from sites like monster.com and careerbuilder.com.