Top 3 Resume Formats for 2023. Templates and Examples

What is a Resume Format? 

A resume format is the way your resume is structured. It’s how you arrange or organize your job experiences, skills, and education. Different formats highlight different parts of your career. The format you pick can change how employers see your qualifications.

How to Format a Resume

Do you want to create a winning, well-formatted resume? Here’s a roadmap with essential formatting tips:

• Layout. Use a clean, professional layout. Keep margins between 0.5 to 1 inch on all sides.
• Use clear sections in your resume to improve readeability.
• Choose a professional, readable font, like: Times New Roman, Arial, or Calibri. Keep the font size between 10 and 12 points.
• Add a clear heading to each section of your resume. These could be “Work Experience,” “Education,” “Skills,” etc. Use a slightly larger or bold font for these headings, (14 to 16 points).
• Use Bullet Points. Under each job role in the “Work Experience” section. This helps the hiring manager quickly scan your resume.
• White Space. Don’t cram in too much information. Add white space before and after sections to improve readability.
• Length. Keep your resume as short as possible and not shorter. If you are wondering how long should a resume be, the answer is: as long as you need.
• Ensure consistent formatting throughout your resume. This includes fonts, font sizes, and text alignment.
• Don’t add photo to your resume.
• File Format. Save your resume as a PDF file type, to keep the formatting across different devices and platforms.

Different Styles Resume Templates

Creating a resume from scratch can be overwhelming. However you can make the whole process much simpler and use resume templates.

Templates offer a pre-arranged format. All your work is to select the one that suits you most and replace the pre-written text with your data.

Of course there is always a room for your unique touch. If you use MS Word Resume Templates you can customize them as you like.

Creative Resume Template

Creative resumes are good for highlighting your individuality and artistic skills. Especially useful while applying to creative industries, like: marketing, arts, photography, graphic design, or advertising. Additionally, for jobs in modern, forward-thinking companies, a creative resume can signal you’re a great cultural fit.

Basic Resume Template

Such standards resume templates would be good for candidates looking for a job in a traditional industry, like: finance, law, administration, and healthcare. It’s also good for entry-level jobs and fields where creativity isn’t a main focus, like: an accountant, nurse, or an office manager.

Collage Resume Template

A college resume template is great for students or recent graduates. These candidates might not have much professional experience yet, but they can highlight internships, study projects, or coursework.

If you want to see more examples, go to all resume templates.

What Are the 3 Main Resume Formats? 

The three primary resume formats are:

1. Reverse-chronological Format – most popular one. Also known as standard resume format. Shows your work history from most recent and goes back to your earlier jobs.
2. Functional Format or skills-based resume focuses on your skills and experiences, rather than chronological work history.
3. Combination/Hybrid Format highlights both your skills and your work history.

Choosing the right resume format depends on your job search goals and employment history. You should pick a format that effectively communicate your value to potential employers.

Let’s go through all three resume types:

Reverse-chronological Resume Format

Reverse chronological resume format, also known simply as the chronological format, is a resume layout that presents your work experience in reverse order. It starts with your most recent job and goes back through your career history. This is the most popular resume type. Here’s why:

• It clearly shows your career progression. By listing your roles from most recent to earliest, you demonstrate your career growth, especially if you’ve stayed in the same industry without significant gaps in employment.
• It puts the most current and relevant information first. When a recruiter scans your resume, they’ll see your most recent job and achievements right away. These are often the most relevant to the role you’re applying for.
• It uses a clear and consistent writing scheme. For each job, you should stick to the pattern, like:
  

[start date], [end date], [company name], [job title], and a [description of your duties]

What to include in a reverse-chronological resume?

In a reverse-chronological resume, you should include:

1. Contact Information: full name, phone number, email address, and possibly your LinkedIn profile or professional website.
2. Professional title – clarify your professional identity or desired role.
3. Resume Summary or Objective. Shortly highlight the key information about yourself, or your career goals.
4. Work Experience listed from most recent to oldest. Include the job title, company name, dates of employment, and a summary of your responsibilities and achievements for each role.
5. Education. List your highest degree first. You can add other relevant educational achievements.
6. List relevant skills, both hard and soft, that would be useful in the role you’re applying for.
7. Trainings, Certifications or Licenses – if relevant.
8. Additional sections, like volunteer vork, hobbies, portfolio, publications, or personal projects. They can showcase your involvement in the community or industry.

Remember to tailor your resume to each job you apply for.

Reverse Chronological Resume Format Example

Functional Resume Format 

Functional resume format is growing in popularity, although they’re still less common than chronological – standard resume formats.

Look at main features:

• The chronology of your work history isn’t the main focus. Instead, it’s all about showcasing your skills, qualifications, and experiences.
• You present especially those information, that are relevant to the job you’re applying for.
• This format works well especially for career changers, or candidates with gaps in their work history, like parental leave or working in a job unrelated to their career path.

This resume type can make it hard for recruiters to understand your skills in the context of your career timeline. They can find it difficult to trace your career progression. That’s why creating a functional resume, that highlights your core competencies can be challenging.

Remember to keep a clear, readable layout. Avoid filling your resume with empty buzzwords.

You don’t want to give the recruiter the impression that you’re hiding something. So, along with listing your strengths, make sure you back them up with facts.

Many recruiters recommend a combined approach instead of fully functional resume format. You can begin with the key elements relevant to the position, then go into a chronological format. This way, your resume will present the most relevant information upfront without losing clarity.

What to include in a functional resume format?

In a functional resume, you should include:

1. Contact Information
2. Career Objective or Resume Summary
3. Skills Summary
4. Work Experience
5. Education
6. Optionally additional sections if relevant.

In a functional resume, focus on your skills and abilities, rather than on your chronological work history.

Functional Resume Format Example

Combination Resume Format

The Combination Resume, also called the Hybrid Resume, blends the best of chronological and functional resumes. It gives equal importance to your job history and key skills. Because these areas use most of the space, you might need to skip less important parts like a summary statement / resume objective or hobbies.

The hybrid resume is flexible. You can choose to put your skills or job history first, based on what’s more important for the job. For example, if you have special skills that are in high demand in your field, you might want to put these first, before your job history.

So, when should you use a hybrid resume format?

It’s a good fit if you’re looking to make a small career change. Another case is if you’ve had lots of different jobs and it’s not clear how they all relate to the job you want.

Example. Let’s imagine that you’re applying for a manager role and you’ve led teams before but you’ve never been officially called a “manager”. In that case, a hybrid resume can help you show off your leadership achievements and relevant leadership skills.

What to include in a Hybryd Resume?

Usually, a combination resume has such a structure:

• Contact details
• Top skills or skills summary
• Work experience
• Education

Combination Resume Format Example

What is the Best Resume Format?

There is no “the best” resume format. It all depends on your career history, job target, and the industry, where you are looking for a job. If you are convinced that funtional or combination resume would work for you, go for it.

However, if you are unsure which in to choose, we recommend standard resume format: reverse-chronological.

Here’s why it’s a good choice:

• Reverse-chronological is the most common resume format. This means recruiters are used to it and can easily find the information they need. On the other hand not all HR Managers are familiar with the hybrid or functional formats, so it’s safer to stick with what they know.

• Also, the reverse-chronological format is Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) friendly. This standard resume format is clear and simple, so the ATS should easily read and understand it.

Ats-friendly Resume Formats 

In the hiring process, 90% of large employers use an ATS to screen the resume before it will be in the hands of the recruiter.

ATS (Applicant Tracking System) is a software used by recruiters and employers to collect, sort, scan, and rank the job applications they receive in the hiring process.

What Resume Format Can Pass Through the ATS?

There’s no guarantee that any resume format will always pass an Applicant Tracking System (ATS). However, the reverse chronological resume is considered to be most ATS-friendly.

This format includes all the important details like: education, experience, and skills. The information is organized in a clear and easy-to-follow order. That can help ATS to understand all the information.

But the format alone isn’t everything.

To increase your chances of passing through ATS, follow these tips:

• Stick to a straightforward layout with clear headings for each section.
• Use standard, readable fonts such as Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman.
• Avoid complex designs, images, or unusual formatting.
• Save your document in a widely accepted file type, like .docx or .pdf.
• Avoid Tables and Columns and present your information in a simple, linear format.
• Don’t include graphics or pictures in your resume.
• Use Bullet Points.
• Include the right keywords or phrases from the job description. The ATS scans for these keywords to determine if your resume matches the job requirements.

Remember, the goal isn’t just to pass the ATS. After that, your resume lands in the hands of a real person – the recruiter or hiring manager. This is where the true test begins.

That’s why it needs to be compelling and persuasive to the human reader. It should highlight your achievements, and demonstrate how you can add value to the prospective employer. Craft your resume in a way that showcases your talents, skills, and experiences.

Free Resume Formats

If you want to get your resume right, it doesn’t mean you have to start from a blank page. You can find excellent free resources to help you create a winning cv.

Whether you’re starting your career or updating your existing resume, these free resume formats can ease your work. First of all we encourage you to have a look at our free resume templates.

Apart from that you can try these free resources:

• https://www.canva.com/resumes/templates/
• https://www.indeed.com/profile/resume-templates
• https://create.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/resumes-and-cover-letters

Frequently Asked Questions on Resume Formats

Key Takeaways

Congratulations on getting to the end!
Now, let’s concentrate on the essential takeaways on selecting the correct resume format and crafting an impactful resume:

• There are three main resume formats: reverse chronological, functional, and combination.
• The reverse chronological format is the most common and is excellent for candidates with extensive, consistent experience. It showcases your work history starting from the most recent.
• The functional format, while less common, is perfect for emphasizing your skills. This format is particularly suitable for students and fresh graduates.
• The combination format is a blend of the two aforementioned styles. It highlights both your skills and work experience.
• Before selecting the right resume format analyze your career history, the job requirements, and the company culture.
• Remember about ATS. Use clear and readable fonts, straightforward layout, and include keywords from the job posting. Steer clear of graphics, tables, and complex formatting to ensure ATS compatibility.
• Use a professional resume format that not only passes the ATS system but also will be convincing to your future employer.

Remember, your resume is your personal marketing offer that should convince an employer to hire you. Choose the right format that showcases your strengths and aligns with the job you’re targeting. Don’t stick blindly to general trends. If another format suits your unique career path better, use it. Ultimately, your resume should reflect your professional journey in the most effective way.