Resume Formats to Use to Land the Role of Your Dreams

Simple, yet definitely subtle–this is the best way to describe the impact of your resume format. As job hunting becomes even more competitive, having an impressive resume isn’t enough. It needs to be well-written and well-formatted to beat the applicant tracking system.

A modern resume needs to be polished and compact. It also needs to be easily viewed. If a resume manages to beat the ATS with resume buzzwords, a recruiter still won’t read through more than two pages of a lengthy document. This is why using a simple yet effective format is essential.

Popular and Simple Resume Formats to Use

There are three simple resume formats that both recruiters and applicants find the easiest to use: chronological, functional, and combination. These three are also the most common submissions in recent years. But when and how do you use them?

Chronological

The most common structure and the ideal resume format for experienced candidates is the chronological resume, commonly referred to as the reverse-chronological format. The work history part of a chronological resume highlights your listing of current and previous positions, beginning with the most recent.

It is best used by applicants with rich work experience when they apply for a senior role in the same industry. Starting with your current role, the chronological resume aims to highlight your experience in a role or industry. This is especially beneficial for recruiters since the roles alone will give them an estimate of your abilities. Unfortunately, a chronological resume may not be the best option for applicants with gaps in their employment or when you’re switching industries.

A chronological resume format has the following sections:

1. Resume Summary or Objective
2. Current Job Title
3. Work Experience
4. Skills
5. Education

An important thing to remember when using this resume format is that it is not a CV. Limit the content to relevant work experience and eliminate anything too far back. Make sure to highlight achievements you’ve done in your listed positions, as that will be what recruiters focus on.

Advantages of the chronological resume

This format works for many candidates because of its simplicity. It has many advantages that make it a good choice:

• It’s straightforward. It makes your resume easy to navigate so recruiters can quickly evaluate your qualifications. In addition, it’s the most familiar format for them. They receive the majority of resumes in chronological style. In this case, familiarity is a good thing. You want to stand out with your experience, not the resume format. 

• The chronological resume focuses on career progression. It shows your consistent career growth. It puts an accent on your promotions, achievements, and increasing responsibilities. 

• This is the most standard structure of a resume. It’s familiar to Applicant Tracking Systems, so they easily review it. 

• A chronological resume clearly demonstrates that you’re a relevant candidate for the role. If you’re applying for a new position within the same industry, the hiring manager will instantly see how much relevant experience you’ve gained through your previous positions.  

Drawbacks of the chronological resume

There’s a reason why there are multiple resume formats: there’s no universal structure that works for every single job applicant. Although the chronological resume works for most candidates, sometimes it’s not the best choice. Here are its disadvantages:

• Chronological is not the right format to choose if you have employment gaps. Since the style focuses on work history, it will make the gaps more noticeable. When it’s the first thing a hiring manager sees, it’s an immediate red flag. The other formats will still clarify your employment gaps, but the hiring manager will first see your strengths. 

• Don’t opt for the chronological resume if you’re aiming for a career change. Since it focuses on your past roles, the hiring manager may not see you as someone with relevant experience. 

• The chronological resume may overshadow your skill. It mostly focuses on work history. If you’re targeting a role that requires unique expertise, it’s best to consider the functional format. 

• This is the most challenging format for recent graduates. They don’t have a substantial work history to highlight, so they have to list their internships and part-time jobs. It’s not enough to impress a recruiter, so you might want to emphasize your skills instead. 

How to customize a chronological resume for different industries

These tips will help you make the chronological format suitable for your industry:

• Use industry-specific keywords. You can use them in the resume summary and job descriptions. These terms should be relevant to the target industry. That way, they will improve the resume’s ATS compatibility. 

• Focus on your transferable achievements. A chronological resume works best when you apply for a position within the same industry. But if your application is for a similar industry, highlight the responsibilities that directly apply to the new role. 

• Adjust the skill section position for technical roles. The skill section should be prominent for a job in IT or engineering. That’s because your technical proficiency is just as important as your experience.  

• To make a chronological resume suitable for your industry, you should include measurable outcomes that matter. For example, in sales and marketing, measurable outcomes for revenue and growth matter the most. 

• The chronological format is not perfect for creative fields, but you can adjust it. Include a subtle design element or highlight projects that show your creativity. Still, the format should be kept professional.

Functional

For functional resumes, work functions, skills, and abilities that enable you to accomplish a role are the main focus. This is the most appropriate format to highlight all of your qualifications and experience that match the job description. It's also an excellent option for first-time job seekers and college or entry-level applicants.

Some experts discourage the use of functional resumes, arguing that it can be pretty confusing for recruiters. Another problem this simple resume format may have is that it isn’t usually optimized for ATS. However, this doesn’t mean that functional resumes are bound to be useless–in fact, it really depends on the job!

When creating a functional resume, make sure to highlight skills. Feature both soft and technical skills, especially if you’re a recent graduate or shifting industries. Transferable skills should be the highlight of this resume format. One of the most important features is that employment dates are absent or minimal. You will highlight your accomplishments in the Skills category.

Combination

To settle the debate between chronological vs functional resume, the combination or hybrid format is simply that–a combination of the two previously mentioned resume formats.

The main purpose is to provide a concise overview of your skills in bullet form, each with supporting examples from your previous achievements and work experience.

Enumerate your abilities based on their relevance to the position you're applying for, and include up to four bullet points highlighting your career accomplishments that demonstrate your proficiency in each category. Focus on measurable and quantifiable results.

The combination resume format is great for a large variety of roles and industries, but it’s especially useful for job-seekers who are shifting industries for mid-level positions, applicants with noticeable job gaps, and those who want to highlight and contextualize their skills.

This is the specific layout to follow for a combination resume:

• Contact Information
• Resume Summary
• Skills and Accomplishments
• Work Experience
• Education
• Additional Sections (optional)

When compared to the previous two formats, the combination resume stands in between. It’s the perfect balance between the skills-focused and experience-focused approach. You will list the skills upfront, but you’ll support them with specific examples from your past roles. This format also includes a reverse-chronological work history. The dates are included, so the overall impression is more credible.

Ideally, the combination resume works for mid-level professionals transitioning between roles or industries. Candidates with diverse experiences can also use it, especially when they want to balance their skills and job history. 

Advantages of a combination resume

This format stands out because it gives context to your skills. Here’s why it works for most job applicants:

• The combination resume makes a lasting impression of both your qualifications and work history.

• It’s perfect for career transitions since it brings your transferable skills forward. It supports them through relevant work experience. 

• You can always customize this format to work for you. It gives you space for tailored content, which you can write in accordance with the job description. 

• It works even if you have employment gaps. Although it lists your experience chronologically, it puts the emphasis away by balancing with relevant skills.

• It doesn’t matter what industry you target; this resume format will always work. Employers are used to it!

Disadvantages of the combination resume format

It would be so easy to say: “This is the perfect resume format, so use it always, no matter what.” Well, it’s not that simple. In some circumstances, the combination resume won’t be the best choice. There are a few disadvantages to consider:

• It requires some heavy editing for each job application. You will have to make it highly relevant every time, so it’s a bit time-consuming. If you’re in a hurry to send a job application right before the deadline, you’ll only get nervous trying to write a combination resume. In that case, it might be time to consider getting executive resume writing help.

• The combination resume format can get too long. It combines your skills and experience sections, so it extends the standard resume format. Some employers won’t be happy to see a longer resume.

• It’s not the most ATS-friendly format compared to the chronological resume. It will need some optimization to ensure all the right keywords are included. 

• It’s not easy to find the right balance between skills and work experience. This is a tricky type of resume for those with basic writing skills, and it usually requires some professional assistance. 

How to customize a combination resume for different industries

This is the most flexible format. If you have more time to work on it, you can make it work for any industry. Here’s how to make it relevant to the job description:

• List the skills that matter in your industry. For example, if you’re in IT, you can start with data analysis. If you’re in healthcare, you can mention regulatory compliance.   

• Only list the most relevant accomplishments. If you get into details, the combination resume format will turn out too long. Focus on the achievements that matter for this position, and use metrics to make a stronger impression. Like this: “Increased regional sales by 25% through targeted Instagram campaigns.”

• Use headers that are relevant to the industry. For example, you can go with “Leadership and Strategic Planning” for management roles. 

• The combination resume gives you space to mention certifications and training. If you’re targeting a position in finance or tech, such specific credentials will be valued. 

• Always use keywords from the job description so you’ll improve the resume’s chance to pass the ATS scan.

How to Format a Resume

Formatting a resume can be quite complicated. On one hand, you want to highlight your skills, experience, and accomplishments. On the other hand, you want to keep your resume sleek, compact, and aesthetically pleasing. Thankfully, you can do both without having to resort to rocket science calculations.

Whether you’re creating your resume from scratch or simply revamping an old one, here are a few rules to consider:

Stick to one page

There is no need for your resume to be more than two pages unless you have five or more years of relevant work experience. Oh yes, you will be tempted to include every single detail about your career. When you look back, it feels like each step of the way was important for where you found yourself today. But a potential employer doesn’t care that much. They only want to see the most relevant info, and they want it compressed to one page. Most recruiters will spend mere seconds scanning your resume. You want them to absorb the most critical information with a glance.  

Pick a legible font at pt 11 or 12

Your resume isn’t word art–nor is it a novel of 500 pages. While you are free to express your creativity in the resume format, it’s best to limit it to practical and professional options. For fonts, pt 11 or 12 makes reading through a resume easier. Pick commanding yet sleek fonts such as Ubuntu, Helvetica, Roboto, or Overpass for a sleek and powerful look.

Standardize readable parts in your resume

For instance, your job history should be referred to as simply "work history" and not in any other way. Be consistent with this, as well as other formatting (such as date formatting) in your resume.

Use bullet points

When listing down work duties, academic information, and work accomplishments, use bullet points to make your resume easier to read. Take it a notch higher and hire professional resume writing services to ensure that your bullet points are optimized and filled with buzzwords.

Maintain adequate line spacing

Save a PDF version of your resume  

It's the most secure option because it ensures that no matter what device opens your resume, its layout will remain untouched. The PDF format eliminates the risk of misaligned text or distorted fonts. Those layout issues can occur when files are opened on different operating systems or with incompatible software. 

The PDF format also makes your resume look professional. It gives a polished final version of your resume that prevents accidental edits.  

Some ATSs may have difficulty scanning PDFs, so employers specify the requirement for a different format in the job description. Never, ever submit a JPG or PNG of your resume; only save it as MS Word if the job you're applying for specifically asks you to.

Beating the ATS with Resume Optimization

Even with the catchy subject lines to use when submitting a resume, many applications don't even get to a hiring manager because of the ATS. That's why beating the ATS is such a huge deal and guarantees an advantage. After all, if a bot discards your resume, then the people who are hiring won't give you the attention you require.

In general, an ATS program assesses your resume and determines whether it is relevant enough for the hiring manager to look at it at the beginning of the hiring process.

Larger businesses that get thousands of applications every day initially employed ATS software as a way to weed out unnecessary candidates. Nonetheless, research indicates that most businesses now use ATS to assess applicants.

No matter what resume format you use, your applications will be subject to an ATS. This is why optimizing your resume to beat the software is essential. That said, maximizing it is easy when you know what to do.

Here are some practices that you can employ to beat the ATS:

• Put your contact information at the top of your resume. Include your name, phone number, email address, and LinkedIn profile (optional). Some ATS may not read contact details in headers or footers, so it’s best to write them as text at the top of the resume. 

• Your resume should contain keywords and specific terms from the job description. Applicant tracking systems scan for terms that match the position’s requirements. 

• Do not add graphics, charts, and images to your resume. While visually appealing, they can confuse the ATS, which is designed to read text, not visuals. 

• Keep a PDF format of your resume. It’s the best way to ensure that ATS will see your resume as intended. Some ATSs may prefer Word, so check the job description for such a requirement. 

Maximize Your Chances and Optimize Your Resume Format with Resumeble

There are many resume formats and their corresponding examples out there on the internet. At this point, it’s easy to create a file that looks similar to what you see–but it’s another thing altogether to create an effective resume. This is where our services come in.

At Resumeble, we pair you with highly skilled and experienced resume writers to help you write, format, and submit an optimized resume to land the role of your dreams. Work with us today.