Best Resume Format for any Job | Chronological, Functional & Hybrid

Best resume formats always help you attract recruiters. However, when you begin writing a resume, you need to keep in mind that depending on your experience, skills, and background, which resume format type to use on your resume varies. Therefore, it is always advisable to have a look at the different resume types available and which one goes with the job you are going to apply for

Read and learn about the best resume formats in 2023 which to choose for your job, industry and the country you are migrating for a job.

Three Best Resume Formats [Main Types of Resumes]

Below are the main resume formats used for resumes/CVs

1. Reverse Chronological Resume Format
2. Functional Resume Format
3. Hybrid Resume Format

Let's have a quck view ar the below video and understand the core concepts of these resume formats and the usages

Reverse Chronological Resume Format

This one of the best three resume formats that highlights your work experience. This format requires you to showcase your experience in the reverse chronological order (latest experience at first, then next and so on) so that the recruiters or the hiring managers could clearly identify your work progress in different companies and experience.

Here is a sample of a Chronological Resume Format

We recommend this Resume / CV Format for following professionals with the experience level listed below.

Who May use Chronological Resume Format?

Virtually any job type can utilize the reverse chronological resume format, including but not limited to,

1. Office Jobs: Administrative assistants, project managers, and office managers
2. Professional Services: Lawyers, doctors, consultants
3. Creative Jobs: Writers, designers, artists
4. Technical Jobs: Engineers, IT professionals, data analysts
5. Healthcare: Nurses, technicians, pharmacists
6. Sales and Marketing: Sales associates, marketing coordinators, account managers
7. Education: Teachers, academic administrators, counselors
8. Manual Labor and Trades: Electricians, carpenters, plumbers
9. Service Industry: Waitstaff, bartenders, customer service representatives
10. Public Sector: Police officers, firefighters, public administrators

Who Might Not Use It

1. Freelancers and Gig Workers: Those with a lot of short-term jobs might prefer a functional or hybrid format that focuses more on skills than a list of jobs.
2. People with Gaps in Employment: This format will make employment gaps more visible, so a functional or hybrid format might be preferable in these cases.
3. New Graduates: While they can use this format, they might also opt for a format that highlights education, skills, and internships over sparse work experience.

2. Functional Resume Format

This resume format places more emphasis on your skills rather than experience. This is commonly used when you have some gaps in your experience or no experience or changing your career.

Below is an example of of Functional Resume Format

Who May use Functional Resume Format?

1. Freelancers and Consultants: Those with a variety of short-term projects or gigs might find it beneficial to group these experiences by skill set rather than listing each job individually.
2. Creative Jobs: Artists, writers, designers, and other creative professionals who want to highlight a diverse skill set rather than a list of jobs.
3. Technical Jobs: IT professionals or engineers who have specialized skills may use this format to focus on technical proficiencies rather than job history.
4. Healthcare Professionals: Individuals in roles like therapists, counsellors, or even certain types of nurses might use this format to focus on specific clinical skills.
5. Service Industry: Customer service representatives, retail employees, or others who have customer-facing roles but have switched employers frequently.

Who Might Not Use It

1. Mid-Career Professionals: Those who have been in a specific industry for a long time and have a clear career progression may find the reverse chronological format more advantageous.
2. Public Sector Employees: Government jobs often require detailed work histories, for which the reverse chronological format is usually better suited.
3. Academic Positions: Academic roles usually require a CV, which is more detailed and typically organized in reverse chronological order.

While the functional resume can be effective for highlighting specific skills and qualifications, it's worth noting that some hiring managers and Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) prefer the more standard reverse chronological format. Always read job postings carefully to determine if a specific resume format is required.

3. Hybrid Resume Format

This emphasizes both your experience and skills. That’s why this is called hybrid resume format. This is also known as a combination resume due to this combined nature. Since this resume format focuses on both experience and skills with an extension of gained experience, this is often considered to be beneficial for people who have some experience gaps, are changing careers or are new to the workforce.

Below is an example of a hybrid resume format

These are the best resume formats in 2023. However, although these could be applied to any job you are going to apply for, there are some country specific requirements in which case that you would need to think about changing content in the same format. For example Canadian Resume Format requires no personal details such as religion, gender and marital status as well as photos, references etc. while European CV format requires you to include some other content.

People who read this also read: How to write a Federal Resume