The other day, I was reading an article over at ABC News about how to recession-proof your job.

There were some good points, like this one:

In a challenging economic climate, you might not be able to recession-proof your specific job, but you can definitely recession-proof your career. That means if you’re a mortgage lender and your company is in trouble, that job is likely impossible to save at this time, but that doesn’t mean your career is in the gutter …. Don’t panic; just get prepared.

But there was one glaring error, when the author offered examples of “resume templates that can help you to showcase your skills, abilities and accomplishments.” The link opened to show a functional resume format. You can view it here.

Yes, you can showcase your accomplishments by using a functional resume. You can also showcase your Italians suits or Rolex watches by selling them off the back of a truck. But, in either case, you’ll have trouble making the sale.

Why?

No competent recruiter or hiring manager I’ve met since 1996 will buy into the claims you make in a functional resume, because functional resumes are used by job seekers with something to hide. It’s like selling stuff from the back of a truck — smart people will know something’s wrong.

Functional resumes are used by job seekers who want to downplay a potential negative, like a firing, frequent job changes, gaps in employment or the like.

So, what’s the alternative? Actually, there are two …

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