Skills-Based Resume

In this guide, we’ll unpack questions like “What is a skills-based resume?” and provide tips to help you stand out. The guide even includes a skills-based resume template to help you land your next role.

What is a skills-based resume? 

A skills-based resume (also called a functional resume) is a format that puts your capabilities front and center. Instead of listing jobs in reverse-chronological order, it groups your experience by specific skills, like communication, leadership, or software proficiency. The skills-based resume format differs from:

• Chronological resumes, which emphasize your work history
• Hybrid resumes, which balance the job history and skills summary sections

Instead, a skills-based resume focuses on transferable skills and strengths, which makes it ideal if you:

• Have gaps in your employment
• Are switching industries
• Lack extensive job experience 

Choosing the right resume style can help you stand out from other applicants and showcase your greatest strengths. Let’s take a closer look at whether a skills-based format is right for you.

Rather than focusing on job titles and dates, this resume format emphasizes your abilities, achievements, and potential.

Who should use a skills-based resume?

The skills-based resume approach isn’t right for everyone, but it can be incredibly useful for the following applicants:

• Career Changers: If you’re changing industries, a skills-based resume helps highlight your relevant abilities without being tied to job titles from your old field
• Recent Grads: New grads can lean on classroom projects and internships to showcase what they bring to the table
• Freelancers or Gig Workers: When your job history includes numerous short-term roles, a skills resume organizes your experience clearly
• Military-to-Civilian Transitions: Veterans can focus on mission-critical skills that align with civilian jobs, even if the titles don’t translate directly
• Job Seekers With Employment Gaps: This format can downplay gaps in your work history and focus on your abilities

Do you meet any of these criteria? If so, then you may want to use a skills-based resume instead of more traditional formats.

Key components of a skills-based resume

A skills-based resume must include the following:

Contact information

Include your name, phone number, and email. You can also add your LinkedIn profile if it’s up to date. If you are applying to a creative role, consider adding a link to your portfolio.

Professional summary

Create a strong introduction that highlights your top two to three skills and career goals. Sum up what makes you a strong candidate.

Skills summary (core section)

In a skills-based resume, your list of abilities should make up a large portion of the content. Traditional resumes typically have shorter skills sections and include a list of bullets to highlight relevant abilities. The skills-based approach assigns a separate subheader to three or four different skill categories.

Once you select your categories, use bullet points to describe achievements relevant to each skill. Provide specific examples and hard data to back up your claims. Here are some examples:

Communication

• Delivered weekly presentations to clients and internal stakeholders
• Managed customer outreach, resulting in a 25% increase in client retention

Project Management

• Led multi-department projects
• Completed projects 10% under budget on average

Technical Skills

• Proficient in JavaScript, SQL, C++, and Python
• Led a team of developers to create new application features for B2B clients

Breaking down your skills in this way can help fill out your resume and draw attention away from any work history gaps.

Work history (condensed)

List previous roles with minimal detail. Stick to basics like the company name, your job title, and the dates of your employment. You can also include a co-worker or supervisor reference, if required.

Education and certifications

In this section, you should list your degrees, the institution(s) you attended, and your year of graduation. Any relevant licenses or certifications can go in this section as well.

How to write a skills-based resume (step-by-step guide)

Here’s how to write a resume that showcases your skills:

Analyze the job description

Carefully review the job posting and look for repeated keywords and required skills. Your resume should reflect any relevant skills you possess that align with what hiring teams are looking for.

Identify relevant hard and soft skills

Choose a mix of hard and soft skills that relate to the role. Soft skills are people-focused and include things like communication and emotional intelligence. Hard (technical) skills include talents unique to the role.

Gather proof of those skills

Think back on your professional history and pull examples that demonstrate your effectiveness in the areas you listed. Hard data is always the most powerful. Saying what you achieved and quantifying the impact that it had on the business you worked for can help set you apart from other candidates.

Format clearly and logically

Use standard headings and avoid graphics or tables that can confuse applicant tracking systems (ATS). If you are applying to a company that uses an ATS and your resume is difficult to scan, the software may automatically reject your application.

Tailor to each job description

Don’t use generic resumes and cover letters. Adjust your skills and language to reflect what’s most important to each employer.

Need help applying these tips? Try a resume template.

Example: Skills-based resume template (U.S. style)

Here is a skills-based resume example:

Explore more resume examples for inspiration about what to include in your job application documents.

Pros and cons of a skills-based resume

There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all resume. Each format has benefits and potential drawbacks. The pros and cons of a skills-based resume include the following:

Before using a skills-based resume, make sure that you have evaluated several different formats to ensure you are choosing the right solution based on your background.

Tips for making it ATS-friendly

To ensure your skills-based resume makes it through automated systems, you should:

• Use standard resume headings
• Mirror keywords from the job listing in your summary and skills sections
• Stick to a clean, easy-to-read layout without tables or unusual fonts

If your documents get past the ATS, you need to give yourself the best chance of landing an interview. That means submitting a resume that is clean, crisp, and engaging. Lastly, make sure that your cover letter and resume are complementary documents that build on one another.

Common mistakes to avoid

Be wary of common mishaps, such as the following:

• Listing too many vague soft skills without evidence (i.e., team player)
• Not tailoring the resume to match job descriptions
• Forgetting to include results or quantifiable achievements
• Skipping a work history section entirely

Compare your documents to resume and cover letter examples to assess for these common mistakes.

Use a skills-based resume to revitalize your job search

If a traditional resume hasn’t been getting results, don’t be afraid to try a new approach. Make sure to take advantage of online resources, such as templates, examples, and document builders. Resume and cover letter templates can help jumpstart the process and ensure all of your documents give you the best chance of landing an interview.