Whether you’ve worked the same job for years, juggled contract gigs, are fresh out of school, or took time off to care for your family, your career story matters. But how you organize that story on your resume is what gets you noticed.
This resume formatting guide will help you:
- Understand each resume format and who it’s best for
- Choose a format that supports your career goals
- Use formatting best practices to get past applicant tracking systems (ATS)
- Build a resume that recruiters can’t ignore
Why Choosing the Right Resume Format Matters
Think of your resume format as the structure behind your message. Just as a building needs blueprints, your resume needs an intentional design that effectively supports your strengths.
Choosing the right format affects:
- Your first impression: Recruiters typically scan resumes in under 10 seconds
- ATS performance: Structured, keyword-rich resumes perform better in ATS
- Your personal narrative: The right format helps guide how your work history, skills, and potential are understood
The role of resume format in job applications
Your resume format isn’t just a visual choice — it’s strategic. Some formats are better at telling a linear story of progression. Others are better at showcasing capabilities when your path hasn’t been linear. What matters is matching the format to the type of job you’re applying for and your current career stage.
How employers review resumes
Most companies use ATS tools to scan resumes. If your resume lacks standardized headings or uses design elements the software can’t interpret (like columns, tables, or graphics), critical information may not be read.
To get through the ATS and into a recruiter’s hands, use a clean, structured format that prioritizes:
- Clear section headers (Professional experience, Skills, Education, and such)
- Bullet points instead of dense paragraphs
- Simple fonts (no decorative scripts or embedded images)
Even the best content won’t land an interview if it’s trapped in an unreadable format.
Additional Sections To Include on Your Resume
Most effective resumes follow the same fundamental structure — but how you prioritize each section depends on your format. Regardless of industry or career level, your resume should include:
Required sections
- Contact information: Name, email, phone number, city and state, LinkedIn (if applicable)
- Profile/summary: A short paragraph with your job title, years of experience, and three to four highlights that make you a strong candidate
- Key skills: A targeted list of hard skills relevant to your target job (in alphabetical order)
- Professional experience: List of jobs, in reverse chronological order, with results-focused bullet points
- Education: Your degrees, listed with institution, city/state, and major
- Certifications (if applicable): Any licenses or professional training required for your field
Optional sections
- Technical tools
- Volunteer experience
- Languages
- Projects
- Awards or accomplishments
Each format below includes some variation of these sections. The key is knowing where to focus your reader’s attention.
Chronological Resume Format
This is the most widely used resume format. It’s favored by recruiters because it’s familiar and easy to scan. It focuses on work experience, listing jobs in reverse order — from the most recent to the oldest.
Best for:
- People with steady work history in one field
- Professionals applying for roles in traditional industries like health care, education, government, or finance
- Job seekers with two or more previous roles that show growth or responsibility
Pros:
- Most ATS-compatible
- Shows promotions or upward movement
- Clear and familiar to recruiters
Cons:
- Highlights employment gaps or frequent job changes
- Not ideal for people switching careers
- De-emphasizes skills acquired in nontraditional settings (volunteer work, gig work, freelance)
When to use it:
If you’ve been in your field for several years and want to emphasize your experience, a chronological format is likely your best choice.
Chronological format structure:
- Contact information
- Profile
- Key skills
- Professional experience (largest section)
- Education
- Certifications
Use action verbs to describe accomplishments in each job — not responsibilities.
For example:
Increased customer satisfaction scores by 18% through improved onboarding processes and client follow-up
Functional Resume Format
This format focuses on skills first, then includes a minimal experience section at the bottom. It’s less common — and sometimes a red flag — but it can work well when you need to highlight capabilities over titles.
Best for:
- Career changers
- Job seekers with limited work experience (students, recent grads)
- Applicants with employment gaps, inconsistent job history, or caregiving breaks
- Professionals transitioning from military to civilian careers
Pros:
- Focuses on what you can do rather than where you did it
- Helps downplay gaps or unrelated jobs
- Showcases transferable skills more clearly
Cons:
- May confuse ATS systems or recruiters
- Doesn’t tell a linear story of employment or progression
- Not ideal for leadership roles where experience is essential
When to use it:
If your past job titles don’t reflect the skills needed for the job you’re applying to, use this format to put your strengths front and center.
Functional format structure:
- Contact information
- Profile
- Skills grouped into categories (with bulleted accomplishments)
- Education
- Certifications
- Professional experience (just job title, company, and dates)
Example skill grouping:
Customer service
- Maintained a 97% customer satisfaction rate over 12 months
- Resolved 200+ customer inquiries weekly via phone and email
Team leadership
- Mentored four new hires, reducing training time by 30%
- Led weekly team stand-ups to coordinate shift schedules
Combination (Hybrid) Resume Format
The combination format blends the skill-focus of a functional resume with the job history of a chronological resume. It gives equal weight to what you can do and where you’ve done it.
Best for:
- Job seekers with diverse work experience
- Professionals changing industries but with related accomplishments
- Candidates with strong skills developed outside traditional roles (freelance, consulting, academic work)
Pros:
- Balanced focus between skills and employment
- Customizable based on the job
- Great for freelancers or multi-role professionals
Cons:
- May be longer than other formats
- Risk of repeating information in multiple sections
- Slightly less familiar to recruiters than chronological resumes
When to use it:
If you want to highlight both achievements and technical expertise — especially across several roles or industries — this is an excellent choice.
Combination format structure:
- Contact information
- Profile
- Key skills with examples
- Professional experience
- Education
- Certifications
Tailor your top skills to match keywords from the job posting. Tools like our Skills To Put On Resume list can help.
Targeted Resume Format
Unlike the formats above, this one isn’t defined by structure — it’s defined by intent. A targeted resume can use any of the three main layouts, but every section is custom-written for one specific job.
Best for:
- Senior professionals
- Applicants applying to highly specific or competitive jobs
- Candidates customizing resumes for different job descriptions
Pros:
- Feels personalized to the employer
- Shows your understanding of the company’s needs
- Helps pass ATS by aligning with the job posting’s exact language
Cons:
- Time-consuming to customize for every application
- Inconsistent versions can create confusion if not managed properly
When to use it:
If you’re applying to fewer, more competitive roles and want to improve your chances, targeting each resume is your best move.
Targeted resume example:
Profile
Experienced digital marketing manager seeking a growth-focused role at Shopify. Proven success in email campaign strategy, conversion rate optimization, and managing $500,000 ad budgets. Passionate about eCommerce and creating brand value through data-backed decisions.
How To Choose the Best Resume Format for You
Ask yourself the following:
- Are you applying in a traditional field? Use chronological
- Are you making a major career shift? Consider functional or combination
- Do you want to highlight skills from multiple areas (freelance, education, volunteer)? Try combination
- Do you have limited experience but valuable skills? Explore functional
- Are you customizing your resume for a specific job posting? Use a targeted version
You can always build a master resume with all your skills and experience, then pull targeted or customized versions from it for each job application.
Tips for Formatting Your Resume Effectively
In addition to choosing the right structure, follow these formatting guidelines:
Do:
- Use fonts like Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, or Georgia in 10–12 pt
- Utilize black text only, no colors
- Align everything left — center-aligned resumes are harder to read
- Stick to one-page resumes unless you have 10+ years of experience
- Use action verbs (see our Resume Action Words list)
Don’t:
- Include graphics, charts, or images
- Use first-person pronouns (I, me, my)
- List hobbies or personal details
- Copy/paste job responsibilities — focus on outcomes
- Submit in formats that might break (stick to PDF unless told otherwise)
Resume Format Examples by Profession
Explore resume format examples tailored to specific job fields:
Each includes entry-level, mid-level, and senior-level templates.
Frequently Asked Questions About Resume Formats
The reverse chronological resume remains the most popular and effective format in most industries, especially when paired with a strong profile and bullet-point achievements.
Combination or functional resumes are ideal for students and entry-level candidates because they emphasize skills and educational experiences over formal work history.
Focus on the past 10 to 15 years. If older experience is still highly relevant, include it under an "Additional Experience" or "Previous Roles" section.
No - but ensure the resume you submit is ATS-friendly. Stick to simple formatting, avoid text boxes, and use consistent section headers. Save as PDF unless the application system requests another format.
Key Takeaways
- The best resume format depends on your background and goals — not one size fits all
- Reverse chronological is safest and most familiar for recruiters
- Combination resumes offer flexibility for career changers or multi-role professionals
- Functional formats highlight transferable skills but should be used with caution
- Targeted resumes improve results by tailoring content to each job
Resume Templates offers HR approved resume templates to help you create a professional resume in minutes. Choose from several template options and even pre-populate a resume from your profile.