Job seekers looking to keep up with the changing market may want to use a skills-based resume to highlight their relevant accomplishments. A skills-based resume, as opposed to a reverse-chronological format, focuses on a candidate's specific experience rather than just list his or her work history. According to Forbes, a skills-based resume works best for job seekers who have held several short-term positions, have significant gaps in their work history, who are embarking on a new career or are trying to turn their hobby or volunteer work into a full-time job. Job seekers should first pick skills that are tailored to the job description, craft a list of bullet points that include skills which are non-industry-specific and then add a short work history at the bottom of their resume. Other options to add include education, professional affiliations, testimonials and publications. Career services manager Amy Michalenko said a candidate should always follow the basic resume rules - be concise, use a simple font and try to keep it to one page. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that there were approximately 3.2 million job openings in the U.S. as of December 2011. |