The Recruiting Blog of KG Workforce Solutions.
There are three main resume formats that are considered standard and appropriate for most job seekers. These formats include: Chronological, Functional, and Combination formats. Deciding the best format for your situation can be a challenge. Below are some tips to help you decide the most appropriate resume format for your experience and career goals.
The chronological format, according to Monster and most industry experts, is the most widely recognized and accepted format for resumes. Technically speaking, it should be called the Reverse Chronological Resume since it is strongly recommended to include your most recent work experience first and then work backwards.
A functional resume can be challenging to create but has significant merit when well-crafted for the right candidate. Functional resumes focus on your abilities and skills more than your employment history. This enables hiring managers to quickly reference related skills that might get buried or hidden in a chronological resume. While an employment section should still be included at the end of a functional resume, the details are typically minimal and are not the primary focus of the resume.
In some circumstances, using a blend of a chronological and functional format can be ideal. Combination formats typically consist of a career summary, education section, and competencies or skills section at the top of the resume, with employers, dates of employment, and brief descriptions of accomplishments and duties listed in reverse chronological order towards the end of the resume. The summary sections in combination resumes are typically shorter than in functional resumes, while the employment sections are slightly more detailed than in functional resumes.
More than one format may be appropriate for your situation. In such a case, you should select the format you feel will allow you to best represent yourself to a prospective employer. Ask yourself, “which format showcases your strongest attributes the most” and go with that format.
Selecting the format of your resume is only one facet of crafting an effective resume. Follow us on social media or our blog for more tips on writing an effective resume.