Which format do most employers prefer for resumes | 3 Best Resume Formats

Best resume format: Submitting a good-looking resume is just as important as dressing sharp for a job interview. To learn what a resume should look like according to modern hiring standards is very important for everyone.

In this guide, you will learn the best resume format and also determine exactly what to include on your resume to standout from others.

What Are The 3 Main Resume Formats

Presently, there are 3 main resume formats:

• Reverse-chronological – This is the most common and practical resume format. A reverse-chronological resume lists your work experiences and skills in reverse-chronological order.
• Functional – The functional resume is also known as the skills-based resume. What differentiates this format from the other two is that it focuses more on your skills rather than your work experience.
• Combination (or, hybrid) – As you probably already guessed, this one’s a combination of the other two formats. It focuses on both skills and experiences.

Which format do most employers prefer for resumes

A chronological resume (also known as reverse chronological order) is the most widely used resume format among job seekers today and is generally preferred by most hiring managers. A chronological resume leads with your work history, which should list your current and previous positions in reverse chronological order.

What your resume should look like

1 – Reverse-Chronological Resume Format

The reverse-chronological resume format is the most popular format. This is how your resume should look:

Checkout another sample below

2 – Functional Resume Format

This resume format has also been called a skills-based resume format. A functional resume focuses more on skills rather than work experience.

It’s mainly useful for recent graduates or career changers since your work experience is not the main focus of the resume.

The main difference from a reverse-chronological resume is that the focus of the functional resume is the Skill Summary (or Areas of Strengths in the example above) section.

Below is a sample:

3 – Combination (Or, Hybrid) Resume Format

The combination resume format, also known as the “hybrid,” is a mixture of the functional and reverse-chronological formats.

It also comes with a skill summary section, but there’s a greater focus on the work experience.

The typical sections you’d find on a combination resume are the same as that of a functional resume, the main difference being the focus on work experience.

Below is a sample:

Proper Resume Formatting and Design

1. Good font

• Use an easy-to-read typeface. One that’s elegant and formal on the one hand (so no Comic Cans) and modern and stylish on the other (so no Times New Roman).
• Keep your font size between 10 and 12 pt.
• There are many good picks. Some fonts you can consider include: Cambria, Calibri, Helvetica, Bookman Old Style.
• Both serif and sans-serif fonts can look good on a resume so feel free to experiment in this area.
• Once you choose a font, stick to it on the whole document. Ideally, use the same font when writing a cover letter for a resume.

2. Evenly-set margins

• Resume margins on all four sides should be 1-inch.
• If you want to fit more into a single-page resume, you can take some margin space out, but at least half an inch has to stay.

3. Consistent line spacing

• Go for single or 1.15 line spacing for all resume sections.
• Use a double space before and after each heading, and in between entries in your work experience and education sections.

4. Clear section headings

• Make your section headings slightly bigger than the rest of the text.
• You can also make them visually stand out by typing in ALL CAPS.

5. Enough white space

• Recruiters need some breathing room when reviewing resumes. Jam-packing the contents won’t make a resume look good. To check if there’s enough white space on a resume, print it out and look at it from a bit of distance. Does it feel crammed? If so, it most likely is.

6. No graphics, no photos

• Fancy graphics can cause your resume to fail the ATS scan. Unless specifically asked for in the job ad (it might be the case for certain positions), leave pictures off your resume.

7. Ideally one-page

• How long should a good-looking resume be? Read more…
• Two-page resumes are OK for experienced candidates.

8. Includes a professional summary, work experience, education, skills, and extra sections.

• Include all the proper sections in the correct order

9. Follows a standard format: reverse-chronological, functional, or combination.

• While the items order on your resume might vary depending on your career situations, for more than 9 out of 10 candidates, it’s best to follow the rules of a standard reverse-chronological resume format.

In summary

When writing your resume, it is important to include all the best information about yourself. Below are 5 key points on what to include on your resume:

• Always tailor your resume to fit the job you are applying for
• Choose a resume format that will best fit your needs and experience level
• Include both hard and soft skills within your skills section
• Omit overtly personal information, such as personal social media accounts
• Always use bullet points to make your key sections more organized and readable