Making A Job-Winning Resume That Includes Your Disability

When you’ve decided to return to work with a disability, one of the most critical tools you’ll need in this journey is a well-crafted resume. For individuals with disabilities, building a resume might bring unique challenges—like addressing employment gaps or navigating disclosure concerns. But these challenges are also opportunities to highlight your resilience, adaptability and problem-solving skills.

Understanding The Purpose Of A Resume

Your resume is more than a document; it’s your professional introduction to potential employers. Think of it as a snapshot that highlights your skills, accomplishments and potential. Its purpose is to convince hiring managers that you’re the right fit for the job—and to do so quickly.

To craft an effective resume, focus on aligning it with your career goals. Tailor it to the job you’re applying for, emphasizing transferable skills and achievements relevant to the role. If you’ve been out of the workforce for a while, remember that gaps in employment don’t define you. Instead, focus on the strengths you’ve gained during that time, such as volunteering, caregiving or skill-building activities.

Choosing The Best Format

Choosing the right format is an important step in crafting an effective resume. Here’s a deeper look at the four main types and when to use each.

The Chronological Resume 

The chronological resume is the most common format, organizing your work history in reverse order. This format is best if you have a steady work history and minimal gaps, or if you are looking to highlight a clear, upward career trajectory in your field.

• Advantages:
  • Employers are familiar with this format, making it easy to review.
  • Clearly shows career progression and long-term experience.
• Challenges:
  • Employment gaps or frequent job changes can stand out.
  • Less suitable if you are transitioning to a new field or returning after a long absence.

Pro Tip: If you want this format yet are concerned about gaps, consider including brief explanations (e.g., caregiving or professional development) in a functional section or cover letter.

The Functional Resume 

A functional resume focuses on your skills and expertise instead of work history. It organizes information into categories, such as leadership, communication or technical skills. These are best if you have long employment gaps, limited work experience, or are transitioning to a new career or field.

• Advantages:
  • Allows you to emphasize your transferable skills rather than job titles or dates.
  • Offers flexibility in presenting your most relevant qualifications.
• Challenges:
  • Some employers may find this format less straightforward.
  • May require added context to explain the relevance of your skills.

Pro Tip: Use clear, skill-focused headings and back up your abilities with concrete examples, such as accomplishments or measurable outcomes.

The Combination Resume 

The combination resume blends elements of the first two types, highlighting your skills and achievements followed by a brief work history.  These are best if you have a lot of different skills and experiences, including those returning to work after a disability. They also work well if you are seeking a balance between showcasing skills and providing a typical work timeline. This type of resume provides the most balance if you’re unsure of which one to go with.

• Advantages:
  • Offers flexibility by emphasizing strengths while including a structured work history.
  • Allows you to position your skills and achievements front and center.
• Challenges:
  • Can become lengthy if not well-organized.
  • Requires careful formatting to maintain clarity and flow.

Pro Tip: Start with a “Skills and Achievements” section that aligns directly with the job description, then provide a succinct overview of your work history.

The Skills-Based Resume 

A skills-based resume is like a functional resume but focuses on your strongest skills and abilities without attaching them to specific jobs or dates.  These work well if you have a non-traditional career path or minimal formal work experience. These are also useful if you have unique skill sets that line up with the role you are seeking.

• Advantages:
  • Allows you to focus on what you bring to the table.
  • Especially effective at showcasing specialized or technical abilities.
• Challenges:
  • Work history may raise questions for some employers.
  • May require additional explanation during interviews or in a cover letter.

Pro Tip: Group your skills into categories that reflect the job’s requirements, such as “Technical Proficiencies,” “Project Management” or “Customer Engagement.” 

Building A Proven Structure

The following are the necessary ingredients to make a resume that gets noticed, read and acted on. Consider these to be the minimum to include:

1. Contact Information—Include your name, phone number, email address, and LinkedIn profile (if applicable).
2. Professional Summary—Open with a compelling summary of your qualifications and career goals. For example: “Experienced customer service professional skilled in conflict resolution and problem-solving. Seeking to leverage a strong background in communication to deliver exceptional client experiences.”
3. Work Experience—Highlight accomplishments rather than job duties. Use bullet points to list achievements, such as “increased efficiency by 20% by implementing a new filing system.”
4. Skills Section—List both hard skills (e.g., proficiency in Microsoft Excel) and soft skills (e.g., teamwork, adaptability).
5. Education and Certifications—Includes degrees, relevant training and certifications.
6. Optional Sections—Showcase volunteer work, personal projects or community involvement to demonstrate initiative and value.

Designing With Applicant Tracking Systems In Mind

The lift in volume of applicants has given rise to Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), software that helps recruiters and employers with the processing of candidate information. These systems are known for “reading” your resume in a way that can be affected by how you write and organize it.

To create an ATS-friendly resume, focus on keywords and clean formatting:

• Start by incorporating relevant skills, qualifications and industry terminology from the job posting into your resume, including a dedicated skills section.
• Include clear section headings, measurable achievements and proofread thoroughly for errors.
• Use standard fonts like Arial or Calibri (10-12pt font size, larger for your name), stick to one of the four types of resumes described above and avoid complex elements like graphics or tables.
• Save your document as a .docx file (or .pdf if accepted), maintain a single-column layout and customize the content for each job.
• Test your resume's ATS compatibility using online scanning tools (see Tools & Resources below).

Representing Your Disability

This is the part that may seem confusing or even intimidating: how to account for being unemployed due to a disability. The truth is your experience has contributed significantly to your skills and abilities—and this is the place to express those gains.

Disclosure is voluntary, and it is often not necessary. In fact, the best practice is to not include your disability on a resume (while still explaining gaps in employment; see below).

Your disability may not impact your ability to perform the essential functions of the job. You may also have a specific concern about experiencing bias and wish to sidestep that altogether, or simply have a desire for privacy.

Start by determining whether any accommodations are needed to fulfill the job requirements and perform at your best.

If any are needed, handle in an initial conversation during the interview then at length with the hiring company’s HR representative (if possible). Remember that discussions with HR should be strategic and focused on your contributions. Present the accommodations matter-of-factly while emphasizing your capability to excel in the role.

If employment gaps exist, briefly acknowledge them before redirecting the conversation to your qualifications and the value you'll bring to the position. Use a functional or skills-based format to focus on what you bring to the table rather than on gaps. Include activities like volunteering, skill-building or caregiving to show productivity.

Focus on the positive by showcasing your strengths and problem-solving abilities rather than limitations. For example, write about how your experiences have improved your adaptability and resilience.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

As a quick check, go back over your resume to find these typical pitfalls:

• Irrelevant details or outdated work experience.
• Listing any references (provide these separately).
• Failing to highlight your most relevant skills and achievements.
• Typos or grammar errors.
• Personal details like photos, marital status or hobbies (unless relevant).

Tools & Resources:

• A to Z: Disability Disclosure and the Americans with Disabilities Act (JAN) - https://askjan.org/topics/Disability-Disclosure.cfm
• Resume Scanner (Jobscan.co) - https://www.jobscan.co/resume-scanner
• Free ATS-Friendly Resume Templates (Jobscan.co) - https://www.jobscan.co/resume-templates/ats-templates
  • Certifications and free learning at public libraries, Coursera.org, Udemy.com, Udacity.com, SkillPath.com, Findcourses.com, and more.
• Volunteer and community involvement opportunities at Idealist.org, Volunteer.gov, VA Center for Development and Civic Engagement, and more.

Returning To Work Successfully With Allsup Employment Services

Building a resume can feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to do it alone. Allsup Employment Services (AES) specializes in helping individuals with disabilities re-enter the workforce.

As an SSA-authorized Employment Network (EN) for the Ticket To Work Program, AES offers personalized guidance, resume-building assistance and job placement support. We have over 10 years of experience helping thousands return to work successfully.

Are you currently receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and would like to return to work?

The Ticket to Work Program helps you protect your SSA disability benefits by:

• Maintaining your SSDI income while you attempt working again.
• Safeguarding your Medicare coverage.
• Pausing SSA medical disability reviews if you make timely progress toward your work goals.

Benefits Of Working With AES:

• Earn More. Make as much income as you choose during the Trial Work Period and protect your full SSDI benefits.
• Stress Less. Avoid medical disability reviews and the worry that comes with them.
• Keep Medicare. While working, you can keep Medicare for over seven years.
• Avoid Risk. If you stop working anytime within five years, your SSDI benefits can resume through a reinstatement process.
• Pay Nothing. As a Social Security-authorized Employment Network, our services are provided at no cost.

Choosing AES means working with an EN who’s focused on your goals and will work with you every step of the way.

Get started – With No Cost And No Obligation.

Connect with Allsup Employment Services today by calling 866-540-5105 or requesting a call.