The job market is extremely competitive, and you want to make the best impression possible. While there hundreds of resume styles being used by job seekers, you want to take the time to choose the right one.

You may be wondering why there even has to be so many styles. Well, for starters, resumes aren’t just presented as physical documents any more. There’s a growing trend for people to view documents like resumes on the computer. A style that works splendidly as a printed document just will not work as well when sent through email or fax. So, this has naturally led to more styles for each medium.

The particular position that you are applying for may also require a very specific resume style, and you should be prepared to adapt your present resume to best display your skills according to the situation at hand. This after all is what the main purpose of a resume is: to show off your capabilities.

By far, the most widespread form of resume writing is the chronological style, which as the name implies lists all of the positions that you have worked in starting with the most current.

Then there is the functional style, a slightly newer template that has been getting more attention lately. Instead of listing your jobs and accomplishments by date, you list your most impressive qualifications first and then work your way down to the lesser ones. This kind of resume is easy to skim, which helps a prospective employer decide if you sound like a good match for the job. It also helps beef up your strong points.

You’ll find a few other resume styles as well, but most of them are just variations of the chronological and functional resumes. By the way, don’t shy away from experimenting with different combinations of resume styles to suit your needs. The whole idea behind the resume is to communicate your abilities in the clearest way possible, and choosing the best resume style gives you the freedom to do that.