There are three primary types of resumes; the chronological resume, the functional resume, and the targeted resume. Each of these types also has variations.

Which type of resume you create depends on how much experience you have in the industry and in occupation you want to work in.

Chronological resumes: A chronological resume typically lists each job you have held in order, beginning with the most recent. This type works well for the person with several years of relevant experience, especially when the job titles you’ve held show an ever increasing amount of responsibility. The modified chronological resume allows for changing the order in which jobs are presented to highlight those most relevant to the position being sought.

Functional resumes: Functional resumes are good for people with too little or too much experience. If you do not have years of experience in the hospitality industry, but you have abilities and skills you have learned as a student, volunteer, or through a hobby or sport, the functional resume lets you highlight these strengths and downplay your lack of industry experience.

If covering your years of experience in a chronological resume would require more than two pages, or if the description of your responsibility in several jobs would be repeating the same information, a functional resume gives you more latitude in how to organize information.

Combination resumes: Professional resume writers and career counselors often recommend combining the best qualities of the chronological and functional resume. Your work history is presented in chronological order, but it may come after a review of your functional skills and your achievements. Another combination variation lists your jobs in chronological order, but in place of a description of responsibilities and duties, you list achievements and demonstrated skills used or learned.

Targeted resumes: A targeted resume may be any of the three types above, but it is written for a specific company or a specific position. You use a targeted resume when you know about a particular job opening either through someone in your network or through a formal posting of the position in a classified ad or on a job board.

A targeted resume can also be used when you are contacting a specific company for which you would like to work and where you know jobs for your occupation exist, but you are not responding to a specific announcement of an opening. If you have skills for more than one occupation, you need to create separate, targeted resumes for each occupation.