10/01/2024

Using the Power of Chrono-Functional Resumes to Develop High Schoolers’ Confidence

By Allison DeHorn

Traditionally, the term “work experience” refers to paid experience in a job setting, and teens can feel this requirement makes their quest feel like a lost cause (Meade & Hackett, 2024). Employment history is traditionally the main driver within a resume. However, it is critically important to define work not just as paid work. Students gain experience within the school setting, through extracurricular activities, and during community outreach opportunities, which are often a gateway for learning life lessons and skills that can impress employers and provide students with a renewed sense of self-worth. Guiding high school students in identifying and highlighting their abilities gained from non-paid experiences can provide them with confidence to prepare and submit a resume for that job they are interested in.

With the increasing popularity of chrono-functional, or hybrid, resumes, which focus more on core competencies and key proficiencies than employment history, students may find that they have many more transferable skills than they had imagined (L. Sollars, personal communication, August 13, 2024). In a chrono-functional resume, the basic format usually consists of a summary, key skills that define experience, history (paid employment, community service positions, sports or club leadership positions), and education, with an optional section for special awards or achievements (Indeed Editorial Team, 2023).

When coaching students on building a solid chrono-functional resume, the following items take top priority:

A Dynamic Summary Statement

Since many employers look at resumes only briefly, students need to grab their attention immediately with a well-written summary. Without much practice in resume creation, some students may be confused about where to start and what to write. They can begin by brainstorming a list of all their accomplishments, activities, awards, outreach, and work experience. Feeding this information into an AI model, such as Chat GPT, and asking for multiple iterations can produce a variety of options for how to word their summaries.

To help gain insight into their unique strengths and values, students can use a free assessment like the VIA Strengths Survey (VIA Institute on Character, n.d.) which identifies and ranks 24 strengths, including attributes such as Leadership, Perseverance, Judgment, Teamwork, and Creativity. Finding connections between these characteristics and their experiences can spark ideas for summary content. Beyond that, many of the VIA Strengths are keywords that employers (or their applicant tracking systems) are looking for, which can help the resume get noticed (Tambe, 2023). 

A Relevant Key Skills Section

This section of the chrono-functional resume is the place to display important skills, attributes, or experiences that are relevant to their desired position, regardless of the source of the skill. Ideas for skills the employer may require can come from the O*NET OnLine career database, (U.S. Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration, n.d.). A student can enter any job into the search field under “Occupation Keyword Search” to see a wealth of information about that career. Each career has details about tasks, skills, interests, and work values that can be used to build out their skills section, while making sure they can supply evidence from their own experiences as examples. 

For instance, if a student is applying to be a recreational worker at a camp, they can search for that job on O*NET to see that it requires maintaining discipline, ensuring safety, organizing activities, and leading groups. If the student has had experience babysitting, assisting with a sports team, or volunteering with children at a religious institution, they most likely could feel comfortable listing these key skills on their resume. A position in fast food service requires dependability, cooperation, attention to detail, initiative, and concern for others that a student could have obtained through participating on a debate team, learning a musical instrument at band camp, completing math classes, working on school projects, or taking part in club fundraisers. 

An Experience Section with Examples and Evidence of Key Skills

After students list their key skills, backing them up with evidence brings these attributes to life. For the Experience section, students can craft three to four bullet points under each skill detailing examples. Each statement may be one to two lines and start with a strong action or power verb, a short explanation of how they showcased the skill, and, if possible, any positive results they achieved.

The examples can come from a multitude of unique experiences which can include paid employment, community outreach, clubs, sports, band, theater, shoveling driveways, or taking care of elderly relatives.

For example, if a student was promoting a new item at the local smoothie shop that resulted in a 15% increase in sales, they should state that. If someone did such a meticulous job of mowing lawns for free for grandparents that they got five new paying customers due to referrals, future employers want to hear about it.

A Bonus Advantage of Creating a Chrono-functional Resume

The process students must go through to create a chrono-functional resume challenges them to consider their experiences and achievements, reflect on their skills attained, and present evidence to corroborate those skills. This practice of self-reflection has the added benefit of assisting them with preparing for interviews, especially behavioral questions the employer may ask, like, “Tell me about a time when…” By developing awareness of their skills, students can enter an interview feeling more prepared and confident.

Students without much paid experience can still shine when using a chrono-functional resume format, since valuable transferable skills can be learned and honed in a variety of situations and settings. Self-esteem and confidence in their abilities create assured students that identify their potential and possibilities in the future.

References

Indeed Editorial Team. (2023, August). Combination resume tips and examples. indeed.com. https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/resumes-cover-letters/combination-resume-tips-and-examples

Meade, J., & Hackett, F. (2024, August 15). Tips for teens: How to find your first real job. ResumeBuilder.com. https://www.resumebuilder.com/career-center/tips-for-teens-how-to-find-your-first-real-job/

Tambe, N. (2023, July 14). Top 20 skills that employers look for in candidates. Forbes Advisor INDIA. https://www.forbes.com/advisor/in/business/top-skills-to-get-a-job/

U.S. Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration, (n.d.). O*NET online. https://www.onetonline.org/

VIA Institute on Character. (n.d.). Via character strengths survey & character reports.  https://www.viacharacter.org/ 

Allison DeHorn is the Career Development Facilitator at South Lyon East High School in South Lyon, Michigan. She has a B.S. from the University of Michigan’s College of Literature Science & Arts and worked in market research for several years before taking time off to be a family caregiver and invest time in community outreach, including volunteering in the local public school system. Volunteering led to employment there, where she has happily worked for the past five years. She can be reached at dehorna@slcs.us