Given the fact that there are so many different types of resumes that you can choose from it is not surprising that many people need help in writing resumes. Learning how to choose the right formats for resumes can be a critical part of the resume writing process.

When choosing which resume will work best for your needs you need to give some thought to your work history. Consider whether you have a work history that is long and established or whether your work history contains gaps. If you have a long established work history, then usually a chronological resume format is the best thing to choose. This resume type will point out your most important strengths, including your work history.

If your work history is somewhat short and you have some gaps in your work history then a functional resume format would often be the better choice. Functional resumes give you the opportunity to focus on your skills rather than your experience.

If you cannot tell still what format would be best, a good way to sort it out is to write down all the jobs you have had over the last 10 years. Look at all the dates together and see if they overlap or there are a bunch of gaps in the dates. This can help you to not only structure your resume accordingly but will also give you a good idea of which resume formats will work best.

Once you have decided which format will work best for your situation, it is then important to focus on some key elements that are important in writing resumes. In any resume you write and plan to submit, you need to make sure you are completely honest. While it can be tempting to embellish your resume, you should be aware of the fact that most employers check up on the information that is presented in a resume and will toss aside resumes that prove to be untruthful. Falsifying information to fill up your resume will not help you in any way. Using false information to land a job is never a good idea because should that information be discovered, most likely you will be fired from that job.