How To Make a Resume in 2024
Looking for the perfect resume? These resume examples show you what hiring managers want.
Start by selecting a professional template that suits your industry and personal style.
Ensuring the optimal format for your resume is a crucial aspect. Consider this: Recruiters initially notice the visual presentation before delving into the content. A cluttered or perplexing layout can hinder a positive first impression.
However, a meticulously organized resume featuring a clear and cohesive structure instantly grabs their attention, significantly enhancing the likelihood of securing an interview. This guide will address:
- The three primary resume formats.
- Six essential tips for formatting every individual should be aware of.
- Determining the most suitable format for your needs.
- Examples of formats to apply in your job search.
- Key takeaways regarding resume formats.
The three most effective resume formats each offer distinct advantages.
By strategically highlighting different facets of your work history and skills, these formats ensure that your career trajectory is presented in the most favorable light. Let’s identify the format that suits you best. The formats include:
Chronological resume: This widely accepted format arranges work experience in reverse-chronological order, providing a clear showcase of career progression.
Functional resume: Recognized for prioritizing skills over work history, this format is excellent for individuals with limited experience, emphasizing their capabilities and acquired skills.
Combination resume: Blending elements of both chronological and functional formats, it equally emphasizes skills and work experience. This makes it a fitting choice for individuals with a diverse or midlevel background.
The 3 main resume formats
Chronological Resume:
Well-suited for:
Individuals demonstrating a consistent employment record devoid of substantial gaps.
Roles placing high value on extensive experience, such as a restaurant manager or pharmaceutical sales specialist.
Experienced professionals within a specific domain aiming for career advancement, exemplified by an accounting assistant transitioning to a financial analyst role.
Functional Resume:
Appropriate for:
Candidates lacking substantial work experience, exemplified by a high school student.
Entry-level positions like cashier or executive assistant roles.
Positions emphasizing specific skill sets, as seen in roles like graphic designer or data analyst.
Combination Resume:
Ideal for:
Individuals re-entering the workforce or experiencing employment gaps.
Professionals possessing moderate experience within their field, as illustrated by roles like a claims adjuster or digital marketing manager.
Career changers leveraging transferable skills and relevant experiences for a new field.
Chronological resume format
The chronological resume is always a popular choice.
Also known as the reverse-chronological format, you start with your most recent job and work backward. The layout is a hit with recruiters because it clearly lays out the steps in your career journey.
Here’s how to structure a chronological resume
- Contact Information
- Professional Summary
- Work History
- Skills
- Education
- Additional Sections, like Projects, Certifications, and so on.
After the header, the chronological resume format kicks off with a professional summary — a one-paragraph overview of your career high points. Then, you have a substantial work history section, beginning with your most recent job and working backward.
Skills and education are also included, although less prominently than work history.
Here are a few tips to make your reverse-chronological resume stand out:
- Emphasize career progression when you put work experience on your resume. Start with your current or most recent role, then list your previous roles. Put each job title in bold so the reader’s eyes are drawn to them.
- Quantify your achievements throughout your work history. It’s one thing to describe your job duties — it’s even better to show exactly how you made an impact.
- Use bullet points to make your achievements easier to spot at a glance. Each bullet should start off with an action word like “managed,” “developed” and “led” to make your achievements feel even more dynamic.
Finally, let’s consider the good and bad of choosing this format.
Chronological resume: Advantages and disadvantages
Advantages:
Optimal for individuals with a consistent and uninterrupted employment history. Highly effective in illustrating career progression over time. Ideal for accentuating extensive professional experience. Most advantageous when skills closely align with the requirements outlined in the job description.
Disadvantages:
Not suitable for individuals lacking any work experience. May accentuate gaps in employment history, potentially prompting inquiries. May not be the preferred format for those transitioning between industries or roles, as it emphasizes industry-specific experience.
Functional resume format
In this format, the spotlight is on your skills.
Referred to as the skills-based resume, this approach shifts the emphasis to your capabilities and accomplishments rather than your employment history.
Ideal for those starting out, like new graduates or first-time job seekers. It puts your skills and education in the spotlight — perfect if your work experience is limited.
Starting your resume
Here’s how to structure a skills-based resume
- Contact Information
- Resume Objective
- Summary of Qualifications
- Skills
- Education
- Work Experience (if any)
- Additional Sections, like Languages, Hobbies, and so on.
The core of this format revolves around your skill set, which can be emphasized through a summary of qualifications or multiple skills sections. While work history is still incorporated, it assumes a secondary role.
Additionally, you may consider expanding your education section by including pertinent coursework and, if noteworthy, your GPA.
Here are some recommendations to enhance the visibility of this format:
1. Illustrate how you applied each skill in your skills section with specific examples. In a functional format, skills play a pivotal role, so demonstrating their practical application in and outside of the workplace is crucial.
2. Include a concise work history section if you have prior job experience. While the resume emphasizes skills, it is essential to acknowledge your professional background. Whether it involves sustained employment or short-term volunteering commitments, incorporating this information enriches your resume.
3. Tailor your resume for each position. This applies to all three formats but holds particular significance for a skills-based resume. Thoroughly review the job description to identify essential skills and abilities. Integrate these specific skills into your resume, ensuring customization for each application.
Skills-based resume: Plus and Minus
Advantages:
– Mitigates the significance of gaps in your employment history.
– Effective in spotlighting transferable skills.
– Well-suited for individuals in the early stages of their career or currently pursuing education.
– Particularly beneficial when experience is limited or involves numerous short-term roles.Disadvantages:
– Some hiring managers may possess less familiarity with this format, potentially influencing its efficacy.
– Fails to highlight upward career progression and advancements in job roles.
– Functional resumes may occasionally pose compatibility challenges with employer systems, potentially impacting the ATS screening process.
Combination resume format
Introducing the hybrid resume, also recognized as a blended format, which combines elements from both chronological and functional resumes. This approach harmonizes your work history and skills, illustrating their mutual enhancement.
Ideal for individuals possessing a diverse range of experiences or situated at a midcareer level, the hybrid resume enables the presentation of a comprehensive and well-rounded professional narrative.
Structuring a combination resume involves the following components:
1. Contact Information
2. Professional Summary or Resume Objective
3. Work History and Skills (given equal prominence)
4. Education
5. Additional Sections, such as Awards, Volunteer Experience, and more.
In the combination resume format, the placement of a resume objective or professional summary depends on the presence or absence of relevant experience. This format focuses on both the skill set and work experience.
Skills can be highlighted in a dedicated section, a summary of qualifications, and within the context of work achievements. Work experience is listed in reverse-chronological order, with responsibilities, impact, and achievements presented in bullet points for each role.
For recent graduates, expanding the education section with pertinent coursework and GPA, particularly if it exceeds 3.5, is advisable.
Tips to enhance this format:
1. Stress transferable skills by aligning past experiences with the skills outlined in the job listing.
2. Allocate equal importance to skills and experience, given that the combination format emphasizes both aspects.
3. Demonstrate adaptability in various roles and environments by placing the skills section and Summary of Qualifications near the top of the page.
In conclusion, we will examine the positive and negative aspects of employing a combination format.
Who should choose a combination resume?
Choose a combination resume if:
- You’re a midcareer professional with both a strong work history and unique skills.
- You have a consistent work history but want to highlight specific skills like leadership.
- You’re returning to work after a short break.
Don’t choose a combination resume if:
- You have substantial gaps in your employment history.
- Your experience includes some job-hopping.
- You lack the relevant experience for the position.
- You do not have the required skills to perform the job.
