{"id":310,"date":"2022-03-22T07:27:57","date_gmt":"2022-03-22T07:27:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/resumekit.com\/blog\/?p=310"},"modified":"2023-07-04T08:57:24","modified_gmt":"2023-07-04T08:57:24","slug":"top-resume-formats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/resumekit.com\/blog\/top-resume-formats\/","title":{"rendered":"Top Resume Formats. Tips and Examples."},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the advantages of writing a resume is that there is a standard expectation of what should be included. The main sections are the same for all resumes so it is quite simple to follow this structure and fill in your information.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, after you\u2019ve decided what to write, there is also the issue of <strong>how to structure your resume<\/strong> and in which order to present the sections. <\/span><span style=\"font-size: 1.0625rem; letter-spacing: 0.7px;\">Thankfully, there are also standard resume formats you can choose from and use. <\/span><\/p>\n\n    <div class=\"builder-button\">  \n        <a href=\"\/goapp\/new-resume\" class=\"builder-banner__a\">Create your resume<\/a>\n    <\/div><figure class=\"wp-block-post-featured-image\"><img width=\"801\" height=\"542\" src=\"https:\/\/resumekit.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Resume-Formats.png\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"Top Resume Formats. Tips and Examples.\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/resumekit.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Resume-Formats.png 801w, https:\/\/resumekit.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Resume-Formats-300x203.png 300w, https:\/\/resumekit.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Resume-Formats-50x34.png 50w, https:\/\/resumekit.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Resume-Formats-768x520.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 801px) 100vw, 801px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 1.0625rem; letter-spacing: 0.7px;\">Here are the three main formats used for resume-writing:&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Reverse-chronological<\/b><\/li><li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Functional<\/b><\/li><li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Combination (Hybrid)<\/b><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Each of these resume formats has advantages and disadvantages. There is no clear \u201cbest resume format\u201d, rather you should choose the one that suits your situation best. In this article, we will go over these three formats, their pros and cons, as well as advice on how to choose the format that works best for you.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-69d273c3342f8\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #2c1e39;color:#2c1e39\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #2c1e39;color:#2c1e39\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-69d273c3342f8\"  aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/resumekit.com\/blog\/top-resume-formats\/#Reverse-chronological_resumes\" >Reverse-chronological resumes<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/resumekit.com\/blog\/top-resume-formats\/#Functional_resumes\" >Functional resumes<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/resumekit.com\/blog\/top-resume-formats\/#Combination_resumes\" >Combination resumes<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/resumekit.com\/blog\/top-resume-formats\/#How_to_choose_a_format\" >How to choose a format<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/resumekit.com\/blog\/top-resume-formats\/#Some_more_resume_format_tips\" >Some more resume format tips<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Reverse-chronological_resumes\"><\/span>Reverse-chronological resumes<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Also known as the chronological format, this is the \u201ctraditional\u201d and most popular format used in resumes. It focuses on your work experience section, starting by listing your previous jobs from most recent to older &#8211; which is where its name comes from.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since it is the most common basic resume format, it is the one most familiar to recruiters. They will be able to quickly and easily assess your resume, which is why recruiters often prefer this format. For most job seekers, this is the best format to use.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, if you have little to no previous work experience or large time gaps between jobs, you may not want to highlight it. If your previous job experiences are not a strong point for you, you may want to consider a different format.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here\u2019s what a reverse-chronological resume looks like:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/resumekit.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Group-12-min-781x1024.png\" alt=\"resume example\" class=\"wp-image-380\" width=\"800\" height=\"1049\" srcset=\"https:\/\/resumekit.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Group-12-min-781x1024.png 781w, https:\/\/resumekit.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Group-12-min-229x300.png 229w, https:\/\/resumekit.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Group-12-min-38x50.png 38w, https:\/\/resumekit.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Group-12-min-768x1007.png 768w, https:\/\/resumekit.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Group-12-min-938x1230.png 938w, https:\/\/resumekit.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Group-12-min.png 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As you can see, the professional experience section here takes up most of the page and it is quite detailed. The summary is also focused on work experience, while skills, or in this case, certifications, and education are at the very bottom.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n    <div class=\"builder-banner-top\">\n        <div class=\"builder-banner-top__title\">\n            You'll Never Find a Good Job\n        <\/div>\n        <div class=\"builder-banner-top__text\">\n            It\u2019s a job hunter\u2019s common fear, but we can help boost your chances!\n        <\/div>    \n        <a href=\"\/goapp\/new-resume\" class=\"builder-banner-top__a\">Click to use resume builder<\/a>\n    <\/div><h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Functional_resumes\"><\/span>Functional resumes<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This resume format focuses on skills rather than work experience, meaning the skills section goes first and job experiences are last. It is also appropriate to make the skills section larger for this format and even divide your skills into categories or types, such as soft skills and technical skills. You could also create a seperate section for languages you know or other relevant skills. For more details on how to choose which skills to include and how to format this section, check out <a href=\"https:\/\/resumekit.com\/blog\/what-skills-to-put-on-a-resume\/\"><span style=\"color: #e88768;\">our article on the skills<\/span><\/a> you can put on a resume.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This format is more useful for people who just switched careers, recent grads or others who don\u2019t have much relevant work experience. However, it is important to note that many job recruiters do not like this format because they want to be able to assess work experience. Additionally, <a href=\"https:\/\/resumekit.com\/blog\/applicant-tracking-system\/\"><span style=\"color: #e88768;\">ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems)<\/span><\/a> may have difficulty scanning this type of resume, which could lead to your resume being discarded before a human even gets to take a look at it. Therefore, if you have some relevant work experience and career progress to show, it\u2019s best to go with the reverse-chronological format.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here is an <a href=\"https:\/\/resumekit.com\/resume-examples\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/resumekit.com\/resume-examples\">example<\/a> of a functional resume:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/resumekit.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/functional-min-1-232x300.png\" alt=\"functional\" class=\"wp-image-715\" width=\"800\" height=\"1034\" srcset=\"https:\/\/resumekit.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/functional-min-1-232x300.png 232w, https:\/\/resumekit.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/functional-min-1-793x1024.png 793w, https:\/\/resumekit.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/functional-min-1-39x50.png 39w, https:\/\/resumekit.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/functional-min-1-768x992.png 768w, https:\/\/resumekit.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/functional-min-1-938x1212.png 938w, https:\/\/resumekit.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/functional-min-1.png 1008w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In this case, the job seeker just graduated and is seeking her first job. Her strong points are her education, certifications as well as some unpaid work experience. She only has had one slightly relevant job, so this is at the very bottom.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Combination_resumes\"><\/span>Combination resumes<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Also known as hybrid resumes, this format is a combination of the previous two formats: reverse chronological and functional. It starts with a detailed skills section, like in a functional resume. However it is followed with a more detailed work experience section. Therefore, it focuses on both of these sections at once instead of choosing one over the other.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&nbsp;Combination resumes can work for many different situations. For example, if you don\u2019t have extensive work experience in a specific field of work, but instead have various jobs with some <a href=\"https:\/\/resumekit.com\/blog\/transferable-skills\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"3997\">transferable skills<\/a>. Or if you have gaps in your work experience but still some good experiences to include.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The main disadvantage of combination resumes is the same as with functional resumes: it is a less popular format with hiring managers. Also, if you don\u2019t have any previous work experience, this format won\u2019t be ideal since it still focuses on that.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Take a look at this example of a combination resume:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/resumekit.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/combi-min-232x300.png\" alt=\"combination\" class=\"wp-image-713\" width=\"800\" height=\"1032\" srcset=\"https:\/\/resumekit.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/combi-min-232x300.png 232w, https:\/\/resumekit.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/combi-min-793x1024.png 793w, https:\/\/resumekit.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/combi-min-39x50.png 39w, https:\/\/resumekit.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/combi-min-768x992.png 768w, https:\/\/resumekit.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/combi-min.png 1008w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You may notice that it has an unconventional feel. Instead of a simple skills section, there are descriptions of areas of expertise, where relevant skills are displayed with info on how these skills were demonstrated in previous jobs. Next comes the work experience section, which has a few previous positions and brief descriptions, since most of the details have already been elaborated on.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_choose_a_format\"><\/span>How to choose a format<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you have a decent amount of work experience and a clear career progression in the field, it&#8217;s best to use the good old reverse chronological format. In most cases this is the best one to use as it is the most familiar and preferred by both recruiters and their ATS.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, if you have some gaps in your work experience, or if you are switching careers, you can go with the combination one, as it focuses both on your skills and work experience.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Finally, if this is your very first job hunt or you simply have very little work experience, you can use the functional resume as it will focus on your skills and include a small work experience section afterwards.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Some_more_resume_format_tips\"><\/span>Some more resume format tips<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Keep your resume one page long.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> You want it to be concise and easy to read. There\u2019s no point in filling in multiple pages of irrelevant information.<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Use bullet points<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to list skills, achievements and other points instead of full sentences.&nbsp;<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Save your resume in PDF format.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Other formats may get corrupted or not open correctly for the person receiving. Never use image formats such as JPG or PNG.<\/span><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, in conclusion, there are three basic resume format types and you should choose one based on your situation. If you want a more general guide on how to write a resume with more details about each section, read our <a href=\"https:\/\/resumekit.com\/blog\/how-to-write-a-resume\/\"><span style=\"color: #e88768;\">article on the topic<\/span><\/a>. You should also be ready to write effective <a href=\"https:\/\/resumekit.com\/blog\/how-to-write-a-cover-letter\/\"><span style=\"color: #e88768;\">cover letters<\/span><\/a> for your job hunt. With the right amount of preparation and determination, you\u2019ll be able to find work in no time! Good luck!<\/span><\/p>\n    <div class=\"builder-banner\">\n        <div class=\"builder-banner__title\">\n            Build your perfect resume in&nbsp;a&nbsp;snap\n        <\/div>\n        <div class=\"builder-banner__text\">\n            Use templates created by HR pros to make your resume and cover letter catch the recruiter's eye.\n        <\/div>    \n        <a href=\"\/goapp\/new-resume\" class=\"builder-banner__a\">Create your resume<\/a>\n    <\/div><div style='text-align:left' class='yasr-auto-insert-visitor'><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>One of the advantages of writing a resume is that there is a standard expectation of what should be included. The main sections are the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":2714,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"yasr_overall_rating":0,"yasr_post_is_review":"","yasr_auto_insert_disabled":"","yasr_review_type":""},"categories":[5,3],"tags":[],"table_tags":[],"yasr_visitor_votes":{"number_of_votes":1,"sum_votes":1,"stars_attributes":{"read_only":false,"span_bottom":false}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/resumekit.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/310"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/resumekit.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/resumekit.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/resumekit.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/resumekit.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=310"}],"version-history":[{"count":24,"href":"https:\/\/resumekit.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/310\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6553,"href":"https:\/\/resumekit.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/310\/revisions\/6553"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/resumekit.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2714"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/resumekit.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=310"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/resumekit.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=310"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/resumekit.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=310"},{"taxonomy":"table_tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/resumekit.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/table_tags?post=310"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}