Your resume is more than just a document. It acts as a link between you and your potential employer. Your resume format showcases your qualifications, your skills, your accomplishments. It serves as your first impression because it reaches the recruiter before you do. Think of it as a mechanism to market yourself to your dream company. So your resume format must stand out from the masses that are competing for the same position as you.
Resume formats differ according to the candidate’s qualifications and work experience. For example, a fresher looking for his first job will not have much to highlight in terms of experience.
But he can showcase his skills, talents, and achievements in a way that draws immediate attention. On the other hand, a professional who has been in the industry for more than a decade has lots of work experience and expertise which he can proudly display on his resume.
Key Elements For A Resume Format:
- Personal Information: Every resume has to begin with the personal information of the candidate. This includes the name, address, email, and contact number. This information is essential as it is the first thing that the recruiter reads. Also, your contact information is important for them to reach out to you in case they are interested in your application.
- Objective: This is your chance to get creative. In an objective, you get to phrase your purpose of job search. It can highlight what you are looking for, and also some of your skills which fit in with the desired role.
- Education: In this section, as the name suggests, you write your qualifications, the subjects you studied, the school and boards you attended, along with the relevant dates. This can serve as an excellent chance to mention your suitable background that makes you perfect for the desired job.
- Work Experience: Under this section, the candidate gets to talk about all the work experience they hold along with the companies they have worked for and for how long.
- Awards and Honors: Under awards and honors, a candidate can mention all the achievements and recognition they might have gained over the years. But it is important to keep this relevant to the position you are applying for. This section usually comes at the end of the resume.
Types Of Resume Format:
Generally, there are three types of formats that are most common for a resume.
- Chronological Resume
- Functional Resume
- Hybrid or Combination Resume
Chronological Resume Format:
The chronological resume format is the most well-known and usually the default template for writing a resume. As the name suggests, it showcases your work experience in chronological order.
This format starts with either the current or most recent job position followed by the one before it and so forth. It displays both your job role as well as the duration you spent doing that job. It is usually recommended to include no more than 10 years of experience and elaborate only on the first three job positions in your resume, leaving the rest to be quite brief.
Here is a sample resume template for Chronological Format:
John Doe
928-xxx-xxxx
linkedin.com/in/johndoe
Objective
A progressive-thinking graduate from Arizona State XYZ University with a BA in Economics and an appetite for digital publications. Eager to join the media industry as a Content Creator to help execute content strategies, as well as create amazing content admired by the audience. Comprehensive background in writing and editing digital content.
Experience
June 2018–September 2018
Company XYZ
SEO Intern
- Operated with 3 SEO analytics tools to review relevant keywords along with editorial supervision.
- Worked with 2 managing editors to ensure articles are optimized for Google.
- Worked with the editorial team to formulate and publish new content verticals.
Education
XYZ University, 2016
Bachelor of Arts, Economics
Relevant coursework:
- Linguistics
- Cognitive grammar
- Statistics
Key achievements:
- Winner of a student essay-writing competition
- Editor-In-Chief of booksnbeyond.com—online magazine
Key Skills
- Communication (written as well as verbal)
- Search Engine Optimization
- Google Analytics
- SEMrush
- Adobe Photoshop
Interests
- SEO
- Graphic design
Is Chronological Resume Format For You?
Chronological Resume is not recommended for freshers or those who are seeking entry-level jobs as it highlights the lack of experience in the candidate. It is also not recommended for those who have a gap in their careers. But it is excellent for experienced workers who have a great story to tell and highlight their milestones over the years. This format is also what most recruiters prefer and are familiar with.
Functional Resume Formats:
Unlike a chronological resume, a functional resume is best for freshers because it highlights your relevant skills, talents, and achievements instead of focusing on your experience.
Work experience is not emphasized, in fact, it is added right at the end mentioning just the companies and the duration of the job. Since this kind of resume format showcases a candidate’s skills, it is also called “Skills-Based Resume”.
Here is a sample resume template for Functional Format:
John Doe
(123) xxx-xxxx
Objective
Experienced and versatile professional with strong metropolitan outlining as well as people, management, and research skills seeks a position in urban planning and environmental impact analysis with a principal city or Fortune 500 company.
Qualifications
- Background managing direct transportation planning and programs
- Adept at managing urban planning programs and people
- Able to anticipate and project organizational change
- Background as an administrator of office operations
Skills
- Skilled in Government Guidelines
- Quality Control
- Urban Planning
- Geology/Hydrology
- Site Evaluations
- Computer Software Tools
- Environmental Impact Mitigation and Research
Employment History
ABC Corp.
Senior Process Engineer, September 2016-Present
ABC Corp.
Process Engineer: Technical Support, September 2012-September 2016
Stars Corp.
Technical Professional, September 2010-September 2012
Education
Master of Business Administration (2015)
ABC University
Bachelor of Science (2012)
XYZ University
Is Functional Resume Format For You?
A functional resume is the best kind of resume format for freshers i.e. candidates who don’t have relevant work experience to show. It is also perfect if you have a lot of inconsistencies and gaps in your careers. Those who are contemplating to switch their field or trying to enter a new kind of industry with no prior work record can also use this type of format to highlight the skills they possess which might work well for the desired job role.
Hybrid Or Combination Resume Formats:
As the name suggests, this type of resume format is a combination of both chronological and functional resumes. It adds the strength of both formats and gives you the best of both worlds.
Hybrid Resume Format highlights your skills and talents as well as your work history and achievements, hence providing equal emphasis to both elements.
Here is a sample resume template for Hybrid Format:
John Doe
IT Manager
202-xxx-xxxx
linkedin.com/in/johndoe
Skills Summary
Programming and App Development
- Refined and built 20+ mobile apps and 30+ websites implementing an exceptional user experience.
- Named BCD M&E’s “Top Programmer of The Year” for three consecutive years 2009-2011.
- 15+ years of experience in C, C++, Cocoa, and Objective-C.
Leadership
- 8+ years of experience in team management (teams of 10-50 colleagues) and project coordination.
- Designed and implemented a new IT management model with Apple’s New York Branch, increasing the quarterly productivity by 33% and resulting in an increase in employee satisfaction.
- Trained and mentored 50+ junior developers for certification exams (88% success rate).
Additional Skills
- Adobe Photoshop
- InDesign
- CRM Platforms
- Google Analytics
Experience
IT Manager
EFG Corp.
2013-Present
- Accompanied the IT team in formulating mobile apps providing the best user experience for customers.
- Polished, evaluated, and examined innovative and new applications using surfacing technologies.
- Guide for people that present technical support and instruction while working in conjunction with the business team.
Senior IT Professional
XYZ Corp.
2006–2013
- Developed, reviewed, and tested websites for internal and external stakeholders, led innovation in mobile applications.
- Cooperated with procurement teams in optimizing procurement processes.
Software Engineer
ABC Global
2003–2006
Education
MS in Computer Science
The City College of ABC
2002
BS in Computer Science
The University of XYZ
2000
Is Hybrid Resume Format For You?
The hybrid resume works best for people seeking mid to senior-level positions as it emphasizes both, your work experience as well as the relevant skills you have mastered over the years. So it is recommended for those who have a distinct career record as well as recent college graduates.
Those candidates who are making a change by applying for a higher position can use this format to show their amazing skill set which is necessary for the job, all the while not removing focus from the relevant work experience they have.
Tips To Make A Professional Resume:
- Try to keep your resume crisp and precise. Avoid exceeding more than 1 or 2 pages.
- Be honest but not negative. Be humble but not braggy.
- Avoid including too many details in personal bio, like birthdays, marital status, religion, etc.
- Don’t use personal pronouns (I, me, etc)
- Practice easy to read font with font size within 12-14.
- Use websites that provide the option for resume format download to make your resume.
- Utilize pre-made resume templates available on the internet or MS Word to avoid errors.
