proper format in resume

How to Choose The Correct Resume Format in 2022 (With Examples)

Choosing the best resume format will be the first step you'll need to get right in order to lay the groundwork for your entire resume.

You may have been taught one standard resume format, but in reality, there are several formatting options for resumes that each come with their own strengths and weaknesses.

In this guide, we will delve into the main resume formats and help you decide which one best fits your needs. 

What are the Main Resume Formats?

• What are the Pros and Cons of Each Resume Format?

How to Choose a Resume Format

Tips on resume formatting, what sections to include on a resume, how to optimize a resume for ats, beautiful resume templates to land your dream job.

It is well known that a resume can make or break a job applicant’s chance at landing an interview for the position they are seeking.

However, resumes are not all made the same, and different formatting styles come with different strengths and purposes. 

Understanding how resume formats can differ is crucially important when creating the perfect resume for the position you are applying to.

There are three main resume formats that should be considered when deciding which best fits your needs: reverse-chronological, functional, and combination/hybrid.

1) Reverse-Chronological Resumes

Reverse-chronological resumes are typically the most commonly used format of resume.

When using this format, the focus of the resume is placed on the most relevant work experience a job applicant has in relation to a specific job. 

The term “reverse-chronological” is used to describe how your relevant work experience should be listed on the resume.

A chronological format would require jobs to be listed out starting with the very first job an applicant held.

Instead, a reverse-chronological format has applicants place their most recent jobs first, followed by the next most recent, etc.

This type of formatting allows for job applicants to show that they have recent relevant experience, as well as showing a history of working within a particular field or industry. 

Tip: When in doubt, it's the safest and most common choice to use.

2) Functional Resumes

While reverse-chronological resumes focus on relevant work experience, a functional resume comparatively focuses on a job applicant’s specific skillsets and areas of expertise.

Functional resumes will generally list skills along with a bulleted list of the applicant’s experience applying those skills in a professional manner. 

Work experience is, in fact, listed much lower on the resume when using this format, and for each job minimal details are given.

By using this type of format, a job applicant can emphasize skills and qualifications that they have to offer and shift the focus away from work experience that may not be entirely relevant or recent. 

3) Combination/Hybrid Resumes

True to its name, the combination resume ( sometimes referred to as a hybrid resume ) combines different aspects of both the reverse-chronological and the functional formats in order to best fit the needs of specific individuals.

This type of formatting will take advantage of the ways in which a functional resume emphasizes and details different skills and qualifications.

Combination resume's also provide more detailed work experience descriptions that would typically be seen in a reverse-chronological resume. 

When using a hybrid format for a resume, the layout may differ according to each individual person’s needs — but generally the section detailing skills and areas of expertise will come before the work experience section.

Additionally, the skills section may be slightly shorter in a hybrid resume in order to provide more room for a more detailed work experience section. 

Again, if you're not sure which format to use, choose reverse-chronological.

Take a look at this reverse-chronological resume example to get a better idea.

What are the Pros & Cons of Each Resume Format?

When it comes to these three main types of resume formats, they each come with their own strengths and weaknesses.

Understanding these is essential when selecting which format is best for your own personal purposes or intentions.

Here is a quick breakdown of the pros and cons of each resume format we have described above:

Reverse-Chronological Resume Format Pros & Cons

Pros of a Reverse-Chronological resume:

• Information about the job applicant is written in a very straight-forward manner, making this format the easiest to read and skim through by employers. 
• For applicants who have consistent job experience or held specific previous positions for a long period of time, this format provides a great opportunity to showcase the applicant’s longevity in a work environment. 
• Reverse-chronological resumes are the easiest to update when new work experiences are acquired and generally do not require too much altercation for each individual job being applied to. 

Cons of a Reverse-Chronological resume:

• Reverse-chronological format typically is the most effective when applicants have a strong working history. For applicants with less work experience, or gaps in their working history, this can prove detrimental. 
• This format is the most commonly used, and as such it can be a difficult task to make your resume stand out from others. 
• For applicants who are changing career paths or entering into a new field or industry from which they were previously employed in, the reverse-chronological format is not ideal as the work experience the candidate has may not be directly applicable to the job they are currently applying for. 

Functional Resume Format Pros & Cons

Pros of a Functional resume:

• Job applicants with large gaps in their work experience, or those who lack relevant job experience, can take advantage of the functional format to emphasize their relevant skills or qualifications instead.
• For applicants looking to make a career path change, this format allows them to highlight the skillsets they have developed in their previous jobs or career that are transferrable to the new career they are seeking.
• Functional formatting provides a greater flexibility when it comes to designing and organizing a resume, compared to reverse-chronological formats that require applicants to list information in a specific order. 

Cons of a Functional resume:

• Due to the majority of resumes following the standard reverse-chronological format, a functional resume has the potential to be confusing or off putting to employers or recruiters. 
• Functional resumes tend to take more of the applicant’s time to craft and structure, as poorly-made functional resumes can come off as deceptive to employers due to the lack of work experience being presented.
• This format can very easily lack context, such as specific dates or job functions performed, which can signal to an employer that the skills listed may not have the backing of real experience and thus injure the applicant’s chances of making it to the interview stage. 

Combination/Hybrid Resume Format Pros & Cons

Pros of a Hybrid resume:

• For applicants without large gaps in their employment history, a combination resume is a good format to use to emphasize relevant skills they have honed in previous jobs that are not inherently relevant to the position being applied for. 
• Many applicants may have robust experience in non-paid positions, such as internships or volunteer positions. The combination resume allows for these experiences to be emphasized more thoroughly as part of a work history. 
• Combination formats utilize the chronological ordering of information that is familiar to employers, while also differentiating the format enough to potentially stand out among competition. 

Cons of a Hybrid resume:

• Due to combination resumes placing emphasis on both work experience and skills, it can be hard to keep the wording concise and the resume a proper length. 
• Without proper structuring, a combination resume can easily become cluttered or unorganized due to too much information being shared. 
• Like with functional resumes, an improperly designed combination resume has the potential to come off as deceptive to employers if they cannot clearly and easily connect the dots between the skills and work experience listed. 

When choosing which resume format is best for you, there are a few crucially important considerations to keep in mind:

• Do you have enough relevant work experience to fully flesh-out a reverse-chronological format?
• If your work experience is not entirely relevant, are there relevant skills you can pull from previous jobs or other experiences – such as from internships or volunteer work - and emphasize as transferrable skills?
• Are you applying to a position within your current career path, or are you switching to a new field or industry?

These questions are highly important to ask yourself, as they will point you in the right direction when it comes to choosing the best resume format to fit your needs.

Reverse-chronological resumes are likely to continue to be the standard that employers and recruiters are looking for from job candidates.

However, they are not ideal for candidates who are switching career paths or are dealing with significant gaps in employment history. 

Comparatively, functional resumes allow for candidates to de-emphasize their work experience, giving those with less relevant work histories or gaps in their employment the opportunity to showcase their other skills and talents that may not be readily apparent from a chronological listing of previous jobs alone. 

Despite this, functional resumes are not typically preferred by recruiters and can harm an applicant’s chances of making it to the interview stage if there is too little information given regarding work history.

Thus, the combination/hybrid resume gives applicants the opportunity to make the best of both world by showcasing both experience and skills, with greater emphasis being able to be placed on whichever category carries the majority of the candidate’s strengths. 

When it comes to formatting your resume, there are many important tips to keep in mind that can be applied to all formats to help make your resume more appealing to potential employers. 

Provide Both Detailed and Concise Information

While it is considered best to keep your information about your work experience or skills concise, there should still be enough detail for the employer to gain meaningful insight into your history and experience.

Incorrect : “ Responsible for staff scheduling .”

Correct : “ Optimized staff schedule to improve staff efficiency during shift and lower labor costs. ” 

Clearly Connect Skills to Experience

Simply listing a skill without any sort of explanation may not cut it for employers, especially in functional or hybrid resumes. Employers reading through your resume want to know not just your skills, but how you came to hone and improve said skills. 

Incorrect : Listing a skill without a proper explanation, such as “ Inventory Management ”

Correct : Describing how you have applied and developed the skills of inventory management through sales analyses or organizational systems you created. 

Include Your Soft Skills

While hard skills include industry- or career-specific traits that have been gained through official trainings or education, soft skills can include your inherent abilities and can be useful regardless of the industry or position. 

Incorrect : Only listing hard skills or listing soft skills with little to no description or explanation.

Correct : Listing soft skills, such as Teamwork or Communication, and following with a brief yet descriptive sentence that shows your merit in these skills. 

Use Easy to Follow Organization

An employer shouldn’t have to hunt through your resume to find the most meaningful or relevant information. Clear organization and writing is essential for impressing potential employers. 

Incorrect : Don’t use long paragraphs or complex sentences.

Correct : Utilize bullet points and singular, simple sentences. 

Regardless of the type of format you end up choosing, it is key to always tailor your resume to fit specific jobs. This will show employers that you are attentive to detail and picked up on keywords hidden throughout a job posting. 

When it comes to writing the perfect resume , there are several sections that should be included.

On any given resume, there are some generally expected sections that employers will look for that provide insight into you, as the applicant.

The organization of these sections will vary depending on the format you have chosen, but generally will follow the following flow of information:

• Your name as the heading
• Contact information, preferably a professional email and/or link to a professional website
• A short personal objective or professional summary statement
• A brief overview of your educational credentials. Note: in resumes being used to apply for academic positions, the education section may be longer and more detailed.
• Your work experience and history 
• Your skills, including both your hard and soft skills, as well as brief descriptions of how these skills are transferable in not readily apparent. 

Additional sections, such as volunteering or awards, can be included to help round out a resume that may be lacking sufficient work experience.

These extra sections are also a good opportunity to highlight transferable skills the employer may not have seen coming from work experience alone.

Applicant Tracking Systems, or ATS, are used by employers to automatically scan and organize information provided within a resume to help separate the stronger candidates from the weaker ones – and are used by roughly 40 percent of employers.

As such, it is crucial to optimize your resume for ATS regardless of what format you are using.

Simple formatting and using easy-to-read, non-serif fonts are two major components for optimizing your resume.

Additionally, dates play a huge role in the readability of a resume by ATS, so functional resumes that lack dates may not perform as well. 

Using keywords when writing descriptions and summaries, as well as using common names when titling your sections, are two practices to get in the habit of following when crafting your resumes. 

Final Thoughts

Although reverse-chronological resumes are the most commonly used and may be generally expected by employers, the functional and combination formats can provide great advantages to specific job applicants who may not have the necessary relevant work experience to fill a reverse-chronological resume. 

It is important to always provide concise yet detailed information, whether it be about work experience or skills, as this will prevent your resume from coming across as deceptive to employers.

The key to choosing which format best fits your needs is to assess where your most relevant assets lie and structuring your resume around those strengths.

If you don't have a resume yet, try our online resume builder for free and get your resume ready in minutes, or check out our modern and professionally designed resume templates , and start making your ideal resume today!

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Resume Format Guide: Layout, Spacing, Fonts and Examples

Your resume is the first opportunity to make an impression on a potential employer. It can help a hiring manager decide if you will receive an interview or not. It is important for a resume to be formatted professionally in order to make a strong impression. This guide has everything you need to know to format your resume in an appealing and professional manner.

What is a professional resume format?

A resume is a brief document that highlights your qualifications for a job, including your work experience, education and skills. When applying for a job, your resume should be customized to match the job posting by focusing on skills and past responsibilities which align with key points in the job description. Your experience and skills should be presented in a layout as a neatly organized outline.

How to format a resume

There are many choices to make when laying out your resume. While there is not one exact set of rules to follow, you can create an attractive resume by understanding the guidelines. 

Follow these steps and tips to craft a winning resume:

1. First, choose a resume format style to focus on your strongest qualifications

Choosing the correct format style allows you to highlight your best attributes when applying for a position. 

There are three styles that can put extra emphasis on the area where you are strongest:

• Chronological resume.  The traditional style of a resume features your work experience listed in reverse-chronological order as the focus point. Each entry for an employer should feature a detailed description of your responsibilities and accomplishments while working for that employer. This style is ideally suited for you if you have relevant experience for the job which will appeal to an employer.
• Functional resume.  With a functional resume, your skills section is moved above your prior work, and more space is devoted to describing your talents. When applying for a job where you have applicable talents but lack experience, a function-forward resume allows you to shine a light on your qualifications for the position.
• Combination resume.  Applicants with a mix of prior experience and relevant skills can benefit from the use of a combination format. In a combination resume, you can place either your skills or prior work experience first depending on which is most relevant for the position, but both sections receive room for elaboration where required. 

2. Second, choose the best opening element to introduce yourself

When you’re looking to stand out from a thick pile of applicants, it helps to have an opening statement that catches the reader’s eye. 

There are multiple options for your introductory element depending on the position and your skills, such as:

• Objective.  An objective is a short declaration of what you are seeking from the position and why you should be considered to fill it. Many applicants now opt to replace an objective with one of the modern variants below.
• Profile.  A profile focuses on highlighting the skills you are bringing to the position which would make you an excellent hire. This is particularly useful if your skills outshine your prior experience in the industry in which you are applying.
• Summary Statement.  When you have a long work history within an industry, a summary statement allows you to briefly note some of your most impressive positions.
• Branding Statement.  If you value brevity, a branding statement is a catchy, single sentence summary of why you are qualified for the job by highlighting your best attributes.
• Headline.  A well-constructed headline tells an employer who you are with a single statement which focuses on your professional qualifications.

3. Third, choose a font to give your resume a professional, finishing touch

Choosing the right font for your resume is an essential piece of the layout puzzle. The font you select should be professional and easy to read. 

There are several important aspects to consider when determining the ideal font for your resume, such as: 

• A sans-serif font is easy to read, particularly when dealing with dense blocks of text which may be read in a digital format. You should also select a font which has minimal artistic flourishes, opting instead for one with simple, clean lines.
• The size of your font is a critical decision for your resume. A font size of at least 10 points should always be selected as this ensures that your resume is easy to read. Keep the font size at 12 points or less, however, as larger sizes may give the impression you are padding for space.
• Use a consistent format to highlight the headings for each section of your resume. This can be accomplished with the use of emphasis modifications, such as bold, underlined or italicized text, or by increasing the size of the font by 2-4 points.

4. Fourth, consider the right amount of visual space between elements on your resume

One of the most underrated elements in formatting a resume is setting the right spacing for the information you are presenting. Proper spacing creates a clean look for your resume. 

Here are some tips:

• The margin around the exterior of your resume should be between 1/2-inch and 1-inch. This avoids the risk of creating an overwhelming appearance when the margins are too small while also maximizing the amount of functional space to present your best case for the position.
• Bullet points are an effective and efficient way to convey information and break up large blocks of text. They are an excellent option for highlighting key skills or accomplishments at a prior job or during schooling.
• Use single spacing for standard lines of text, with an additional line break between jobs or sections.
• Although a single-page resume used to be standard, it is now acceptable to have a resume with two pages. While you should not pad out your resume with unnecessary elaboration, you can create your first pass with all the information you think is important to get a feel for if a second page is required, and edit accordingly.

3 Best Resume Formats for 2024 [W/ 5+ Professional Templates]

How you format your resume matters . 

When reviewing your resume, the first thing hiring managers notice is how your resume looks , not what it contains .

And if the first thing they see is a messy, cluttered, crowded resume, chances are you won’t make a great first impression.

So, this begs the question: what are the best resume formats, and which one should YOU use? 

That’s exactly what we’re here to explain! In this article, we’re going to cover:

• Resume Formatting Guidelines
• 5+ Resume Templates (You Can Steal)
• 3 Main Resume Formats (With Examples)
• Resume Format Pros and Cons
• How to Choose a Resume Format
• 7 Other Resume Resources 

Let’s dive right in! 

Resume Formatting Guidelines 

If you’re formatting your resume from scratch, you’ll first want to pay attention to the layout.  

That involves setting the margins, picking the font size, and determining your resume’s length. 

To create a professional-looking resume, follow these general formatting guidelines: 

• Don’t make your resume longer than one page . Unless you have 5+ years of relevant work experience, there’s no reason for your resume to be two or three pages long. 
• Pick an 11 or 12-pt font size and stick with it throughout your resume.
• Pick an attention-grabbing (but professional) font . We recommend Ubuntu, Roboto, or Overpass.  
• Use standard and legible resume sections . For example, your work experience should be called just that “Work Experience” and not “work history” or something else. 
• Leverage bullet points to list information such as work achievements and responsibilities, academic details , etc. They help make the resume much more reader-friendly. 
• Be consistent with resume formatting (e.g. use the same date format everywhere, instead of using 11.2018 in one place and November 2018 in another). 
• Have good line spacing. You don’t want the information on your resume to look all cramped up. 
• Always save your resume as a PDF file . It’s the safest choice, as it guarantees your resume layout will stay intact no matter what device opens it. Only save your resume as MS Word if the job you’re applying for specifically requires you to and never, ever, submit a JPEG or PNG of your resume.

New to resume-making? Give our resumes 101 video a watch before diving into the article!

6 Free Resume Templates (You Can Start Usign Now!) 

Formatting a resume from start to finish can be a time and energy-consuming process.

 If you’re building your resume with Word, for example, you’ll have to spend at least an hour tweaking the margins, making the headers and body text uniform, picking a font, and so on. You’ll spend an hour or two before you can even start filling in the resume contents!

And if all of that wasn’t enough, one misplaced sentence here or a wrong click there, and your resume layout starts spilling over to page 2!

Want to skip all the hassle of resume formatting? Check out some of our free, tried-and-tested resume templates , pick out your favorite, and fill it in as you go: 

#1. Basic Resume Template

Good for conservative, traditional industries. 

If you want to focus on your resume’s contents rather than its design, then the Basic template is for you. With a concise and well-organized layout, this resume format highlights everything the hiring manager wants to see. 

#2. College Resume Template

Good for university students, recent graduates, and entry-level professionals.

If you’re applying for internships or entry-level jobs, you’ll want to show off your skills, academic achievements, and whatever work experience you have. Well, that’s exactly what this template does! 

Not to mention, its contemporary style is perfect for younger candidates who want their resume to be as visually appealing as it is professional. 

#3. Executive Resume Template

Good for senior executives who may be applying in creative or green industries . While very professionally formatted, it also shows off a tinge of personality with its blue color scheme. 

#4. Modern Resume Template

Good for professionals in the business world or IT industries. 

Square brackets, bullet lists, infographics, and icons work together in this template to attract the hiring manager’s attention and get them to go over your work experience and achievements in depth. 

#5. Creative Resume Template

Good for anyone applying to creative industries such as marketing , design, publishing, and entry-level professionals. 

If you’re looking to stand out visually as much as through your skills and achievements, this is the template for you. Creative is designed to be a stylish resume that makes a stunning first impression while remaining professional. 

#6. Simple Resume Template

Good for senior professionals with a lot of work experience who are in conservative industries such as law or banking. 

The well-organized and professional formatting in this resume template is visually modest, allowing your achievements to do the talking. 

What Are the 3 Main Resume Formats? 

Now that we covered all the basics, let’s talk about resume formats in detail . 

The first thing you want to know is that there are three main resume formats out there, namely:

• The reverse-chronological resume format. This is the most common and practical resume format in 2024.
• The functional resume format is also known as the skills-based resume format.
• The combination resume format , or hybrid resume format, is a combination of the other two formats.

At this point, you’re probably asking yourself how these 3 formats are different from each other. 

Well, the main difference is that they focus on different parts of an applicant’s experience by listing sections in different orders.

Here is what we mean by that: 

So, in a nutshell: 

• The reverse-chronological resume format focuses on your work experience , listing them from most to least recent.
• The functional resume format focuses on your skills that are relevant to the job.
• The combination resume format focuses on your experience and skills by aiming to prove that you possess the skills you list through your work achievements.

What’s the Best Resume Format For Me? 

So far so good - you now know all about the three main resume formats and how they’re different from each other. 

Now, you probably want to know what the optimal format is for YOUR resume. 

Well, mainly, that depends on what point you’re at in your career. Meaning: 

• If you’re a seasoned professional or if you’re looking to get hired in an industry where you have tons of experience, you should pick the reverse-chronological format.
• If you’re applying in a creative industry or for a position that prioritizes your skillset instead of your work history, then you can go for the functional resume format.
• If you’re looking to get hired in a position that requires both experienced and skilled applicants, then the combination format is your best bet.

And now, let’s go over each resume format to see how you can use them to your advantage, based on some real-life examples: 

#1. Reverse Chronological Resume Format

As we mentioned before, the reverse-chronological resume format is the most popular format in 2024.

It usually looks like this:

The main thing about this resume format is that it’s useful for practically every job-seeker.

The reverse-chronological format has a very simple structure, it’s easy to skim, and overall, it’s the most popular format around the globe.

For this reason alone, we typically recommend using this format to most people  - even if using one of the other formats also makes sense. 

Here’s what you’d include in a reverse-chronological resume:

• Contact Information - Your name, phone number, location, and email address. In some cases, you can include useful links such as a LinkedIn or GitHub profile. 
• Resume Summary or Objective - A brief 2-4 sentence summary of your work experience, or your objective for applying for a given position.
• Professional Title - Your title. This should mirror the exact position you’re applying for.
• Work Experience - Your work experience in reverse-chronological order. When possible, talk about achievements over responsibilities.
• Skills Section - Skills relevant to the position you’re applying for.
• Education - Your educational history. Pro tip - if you have a B.A., feel free to skip your high school education.
• Optional Sections - Sections like volunteering, projects, portfolio, hobbies , etc. While they’re not a game-changer, they can help fill up some space on your resume.

As we already mentioned, this resume format primarily focuses on the one part that’s relevant to most hiring managers - your work history . 

As such, the key to making the most out of this resume format is nailing the work experience section. To do that, here’s how you should structure it: 

• Start with your most recent job and go backward from there. 
• Tailor the section to the job description. This means that you shouldn’t list every job you ever worked - only the ones that are relevant for this one. 
• For each job that you list, include your job title , the name of the company, the location, and the time period you worked there. 
• Below, add four to five bullet points for recent jobs and two to three bullet points for earlier jobs. 
• Focus on your achievements instead of your responsibilities. Hiring managers already know the basic responsibilities of the jobs they’re hiring for. So, rather than your responsibilities, they want to learn about your achievements. 
• Whenever possible, quantify your achievements. Facts and numbers are more convincing than words. 
• Use action verbs and power words . (E.g. “created” instead of “was responsible for creating” ). 

Reverse-Chronological Format Example

As we already mentioned, the best thing about the reverse-chronological format is that it’s a great choice whether you’re an entry-level worker or a seasoned professional. 

Any relevant experience you’ve got, the chronological experience will highlight effectively. 

For example, here’s a digital marketer’s resume work experience section created using the reverse-chronological format:

Digital Marketing Manager

Wonderfull Agency Inc. 

06/2017 - Present 

• Created a new format for reporting and presenting the sales, customer engagement and Google Ads reports that decreased the number of meetings by 24% in the last three quarters.
• Updated and monitored the Bid Strategy in Google Ads and Bing Ads which resulted in a CTR increase of 3.2% in the first month.
• Redesigned the webpage UX, decreasing customer turnover by 25% within a period of two months. 
• Conducted keyword research for updating the product pages on the online shop, increasing the organic keywords in the Top 100 by 5.600 and in the Top 10 by 315 for high-volume searches. 

Digital Marketing Specialist 

Company X  

02/2015 - 05/2017 

• Collaborated with a copywriter and designer to update landing pages based on search intent, increasing conversion rates by 20% on average for select clients. 
• Worked directly with company clients, handling their Google Ads accounts. 
• Managed a total of $40,000 in ad spend per month. 
• Achieved an average of 200% ROAS overall ad accounts. 

Reverse Chronological Resume Format Pros & Cons

Still not sure if the reverse-chronological resume format is the right choice for you? See our pros and cons below!

• Recruiters and HR managers prefer this format.
• It will definitely “beat” Applicant Tracking System (ATS) software.
• Provides a reader-friendly chronological history of your work experience.
• The most popular resume format in 2024.
• You need to make your work achievements stand out to catch the recruiter’s attention. 
• Hard to fill in for a recent graduate with no work experience. 
• Makes career gaps very obvious. If you’re a career changer, you need to explain those employment gaps on your resume.

#2. Functional Resume Format 

As we already mentioned, the functional resume format is also known as the skills-based resume format. Here’s an example of what it looks like: 

As the name suggests, the functional resume format focuses on your skills and your key strengths. 

In a nutshell, this resume format takes the spotlight away from your work experience by highlighting what you’re good at instead. 

As such, this resume format is perfect for recent graduates or career changers who have little-to-no experience in a particular field. 

Here’s what to include in a functional resume:

• Contact Information
• Resume Summary or Objective
• Professional Title
• Skills Summary
• Additional Skills
• Work Experience

As you can see, the main difference from the reverse-chronological format is that the focus of the functional resume is the skills summary and the resume objective that’s placed right at the top of the resume. 

Here is exactly how you should write them to impress the hiring manager: 

• Use your resume objective to state your career intent and explain what makes you the ideal candidate for the job. 
• Start off your resume objective by mentioning a skill, education, or certification relevant to the job, mention the responsibilities you could handle, and include your motivation for working that particular job. 
• In the skills summary, include four or five skills that are most relevant to the position. 
• Instead of just listing your skills, be descriptive. In bullet points or in plain paragraphs, give examples of how you applied these skills in practice and try to make them as quantifiable as possible. 

Functional Format Example

Let’s assume that you’re an entry-level journalist. 

Since you graduated, you’ve worked as a part-time intern at a magazine and published a dozen articles online and in print. You also run a blog that has a modest but loyal readership. 

Now, you want to apply for an actual journalism position at a recently founded newspaper. So, you’re using the functional resume format. 

Here’s why it’s the right choice: 

• It highlights your skills. In this case, you don’t have the experience to apply for the job, but you may have all the right skills. 
• It allows you to prove your skills. There’s ample space to show exactly how you can put your skills to use for the upcoming job. 

Now let’s see what your resume objective and skills summary (or areas of strength) would look like in this case: 

Resume Objective

Driven and hardworking journalism graduate looking to get hired as a reporter in The Daily Prophet. I interned at Who Magazine for six months, where I gained hands-on experience in research, fact-checking, and interviewing. Passionate blogger at Fake Blog Website, which is currently followed by over two thousand readers. 

Skills Summary 

Research & Fact checking

• Able to systematically look for information, resources, data, etc. through a variety of sources, such as books, online directories, or social media. 
• Careful to always ensure that every claim and data that gets published is accurate and legitimate. 

Interviewing

• Full knowledge of journalism ethics and standards that are required to conduct successful and dignified interviews. 
• Skilled at connecting with interviewees on a deeper level to ensure comprehensive and detailed interviews. 
• Excel at several types of journalistic writing, including news, feature writing, columns, and reviews.
• Have published over 15 articles in different newspapers and magazines since graduating. 

Considering that the functional resume focuses solely on a candidate’s skills, the only groups of candidates who should consider using it are: 

• Freelancers with impressive portfolios 
• Professionals in creative industries
• Career changers 
• Recent graduates, and entry-level professionals
• Military veterans passing into civilian roles

So, to sum it all up: 

Functional Resume Format Pros & Cons

• Good for highlighting specific skills.
• Useful if you’re switching careers since you can explain how your skills transfer to the new job.
• Useful if you’re a recent graduate with practical skills but not much work experience.
• The functional resume format is not very popular in 2024, and most recruiters and hiring managers aren’t familiar with it, so using this format carries a bit of a risk.
• Since the functional resume has less focus on work experience, recruiters might think you’re trying to hide something.
• Applicant tracking systems (ATS) have difficulties reading functional resumes.

#3. Combination Resume Format

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

This resume format gives equal attention to an applicant’s skills section and work experience. As such, you end up including both the Skill Summary and the Work Experience sections:

• Skill Summary

The focal point here is the skills summary. Placed right after the contact information section, this is where you list the skills that are required for the job and then prove that you have them through your professional experience and achievements. 

Here is exactly how you should write it: 

• List the skills that are required for the position you’re applying for and that you actually possess. 
• Add up to 4 professional achievements underneath each skill to prove that you possess it. 
• Make your achievements as descriptive and quantifiable as possible. 

Combination Format Example

Say you’re a senior program manager with over a decade of experience in your field. 

You can plan, execute, evaluate programs and projects across diverse industries, and inspire your team to do great work. 

Recently, someone told you about an opening for a program director in an international company. To apply, you’re putting together a hybrid resume format. 

Here’s what makes it the best choice: 

• Saves space. For highly competitive positions, you want your resume to be able to cut through the noise. The hybrid format allows you to do that by bringing into focus your most relevant achievements right from the start.
• Combines the best parts of the other two resume formats, which is perfect for senior professionals or executives that have plenty to show for both experience and skills. 

For example, some of the skills required for the program director gig mentioned above may include interpersonal skills , budget management, and project management. 

Here’s what the skills summary in your hybrid resume would look like in practice: 

Interpersonal Skills

• Initiated formal and informal coaching and mentorship to 50+ team members regarding project charter development, resource planning, best practices of project management, and appropriate delivery of project outcomes. 
• Coordinated all project inputs with several functional/technical directors, managers, and project core teams, to formulate appropriate project tools and methodologies. 

Budget Management 

• Oversaw the implementation of the enterprise’s multi-year, multi-million dollar research system software that benefited employees company-wide. 
• Analysis of financial and statistical data reduced operational costs by 12%.
• Strategically supervised the project execution teams to ensure the timely and cost-effective completion of projects, saving the company $250K in project costs. 

Project Management

• Provided strategic direction, leadership, and project governance for a multimillion-dollar application project portfolio, which successfully supported a population of 60K+ end-users across the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
• Streamlined project management methodologies and communication in the IT division, which increased efficiency by 90%. 
• Accurately report on project status throughout its life cycle to 20+ project teams, stakeholders, and sponsors, encompassing budget estimation, scheduling, and resource planning.

Combination Resume Format Pros and Cons 

• Allows you to show off more of your experience and skills using less space.
• Useful for very senior professionals or executives who need to highlight more than just their work experience.
• Good for applicants who may have a noticeable employment gap but plenty of work experience nonetheless.
• As with the functional resume format, applicant tracking systems have difficulties reading combination resumes.
• If you’re a recent graduate or don’t have much work experience, this resume format is not very useful.
• As is the case with the functional resume, most hiring managers aren’t very familiar with this format, which might cause some confusion in the process.

The Verdict: What Is the Best Resume Format?  

Now that we’ve covered all 3 of the common resume formats, you’re probably wondering which one's best resume format out there .

Here’s our verdict:

In 90%+ of the cases, we’d recommend going with a reverse-chronological resume format.

In 2024, it’s the most common and useful format:

• Applicant tracking systems can read it without any problems.
• All recruiters and hiring managers are familiar with this format.
• Whether you’re a recent graduate or a senior professional, it’s the easiest format to work with.

So, even if you’re a career changer, a highly-qualified professional, or a college student, it’s risky to choose one of the other two formats over the reverse-chronological one.

There’s a good chance that the applicant tracking system won’t be able to read your resume and automatically discard it - after all the time you put into creating the resume!

At the same time, recruiters might just not be familiar with these resume formats, or think that you’re just trying to hide the fact that you’re not experienced, and disqualify you based on that.

So, the rule of thumb - when in doubt, go for the reverse-chronological resume.

Looking for CV writing tips instead? Here's our full guide on how to write a CV !

How to Beat the ATS Software

Did you know that 75% of resumes don’t even make it to the hiring manager ? 

Instead, they get scanned by ATS software, which evaluates your resume and decides whether it’s relevant enough for the hiring manager to give it a look.

At first, ATS software was used by larger companies that receive thousands of applications daily as a way to filter out irrelevant applicants. Today, though, studies show that most companies use ATS to evaluate applicants. 

As worrying as this thought may be, you’ll be glad to know there is a way to beat ATS and get your resume on top of the hiring manager’s desk:

Creating an ATS-friendly resume ! 

Here is a handy list of our top tips for making a resume that beats applicant tracking systems: 

• Place your contact information at the top of your resume. 
• Sprinkle specific keywords from the job description throughout your resume. 
• Avoid using graphics or charts as part of your resume. 
• Save your resume in PDF format. 

7 Other Resume Resources

Picking the right resume format is just the first step in creating a convincing resume.

Want to learn how to make a resume that lands you the job?

Check out some of our best career resources!

• Job Search Masterclass - This one’s our flagship e-book. It covers literally everything you need to know about job-search: how to make a resume, how to write a cover letter, how to apply for jobs effectively, what are the most common job interview questions, and a LOT more. The book is jam-packed with value, and illustrated, making it an extremely easy read.
• How to Make a Resume - Our comprehensive guide on how to make a resume from A to Z.
• Interview Questions And Answers - Have a hard time with job interviews? This guide features ALL the most common job interview questions that you might encounter.
• How to Write a Cover Letter - Our ultimate guide on writing a cover letter (free templates included!)
• 50+ Resume Examples - Need some inspiration with your resume? Check out our resume examples for 50+ different positions and fields.
• 43+ Resume Tips - A complete list of all our resume tips, ordered by importance.
• 26+ Interview Mistakes - Whatever you do, avoid making these common interview mistakes.

And of course, for more industry-leading job-search advice, make sure to follow our career blog !

FAQ on Resume Formats

Do you still have some questions about resume formatting? We’ll get them answered here!

1. What’s the best resume format in 2024?  

For the majority of job-seekers, the best resume format in 2024 is the reverse-chronological resume format. This resume format involves listing your resume information (e.g. your work experience and your education) starting with the most recent one and going backward through relevant jobs, degrees, or qualifications. 

Here’s why the reverse chronological resume format is the best choice: 

• It’s easy to read and skim through
• Hiring managers are familiar with it because it’s the most commonly used one
• It’s ATS-friendly, which means Applicant Tracking Systems can scan it with ease
• It brings your career progression and professional achievements into the spotlight

2. What is the correct format for a college student resume? 

The best resume format for a college student resume is the reverse-chronological format .

While it is true that a functional resume can help you emphasize your skills more than work experience, it comes with two serious problems:

• Recruiters aren’t familiar with it, and they might think you’re trying to hide the fact that you don’t have work experience.
• Applicant tracking systems have trouble reading this resume format. 

So, unless you have absolutely no experience to show for it (meaning, not even unpaid internships, or even college projects with relevant responsibilities for the job you’re applying for), then you should still choose the reverse-chronological resume format over the skills-based one. 

If you’re worried about your lack of work experience , don’t. For most entry-level positions and internships, you’re not required to have work experience. 

3. What is the best resume format for a job seeker with experience? 

The best resume format for a job-seeker with plenty of experience in the industry they’re applying for is the reverse-chronological format. 

Here’s what makes the reverse-chronological format the best choice: 

• It puts emphasis on your strengths as an applicant, namely your professional experience. 
• It shows recruiters exactly what they’re looking for (your achievements and qualifications) from the get-go. 

4. Is resume format important? 

Yes, the resume format you choose is important. Basically, the resume format involves the type of information listed on the resume and the way this information is organized and presented. 

When they’re evaluating your resume, hiring managers expect to see information that will help them assess whether you’re the right person for the job (i.e. your experience, skills, and qualifications, among others). If, for example, you have five years of work experience but your resume format focuses on your education, the hiring manager may have trouble realizing that you’re the right person for the job. 

At the same time, hiring managers want to spend as little time as possible reading your resume. This means that a disorganized, chaotic resume may get them to throw your resume in the “rejected” pile without giving it a second thought. 

That’s why it’s super important to choose the right resume format that highlights your strengths and that recruiters know and like. 

5. What is an ATS-friendly resume format?

Applicant Tracking System software is software that companies use to sort through the countless applications they receive daily. 

What ATS does is scan resumes for specific keywords mentioned in the job description (e.g. necessary skills for the job), and filter out those applications it deems irrelevant. 

As such, an ATS-friendly resume format is the kind of format that lists information in plain text and organizes it in clear sections, making it easier to be read by applicant tracking systems.

This is important because ATS software is typically unable to read text within images or scan infographics.  

6. What resume format is most ATS-friendly?

The most ATS-friendly resume format is the reverse-chronological format. 

That’s because it allows you to use ATS-specific keywords in your skills section and doesn’t use too many visuals such as graphs, infographics, etc.

7. Are hand-written resumes still used?

No, hand-written resumes are barely used in 2024. As such, you should not submit a handwritten resume when you’re applying for jobs. 

Here are some of the most important reasons why: 

• ATS software is unable to scan hand-written resumes. This means that if the company to which you’re applying uses an ATS, your resume will get disqualified.
• Your handwriting might be difficult to understand. Not just that, but you’ll have trouble differentiating one section from the other and keeping everything uniform, which means your resume will be the opposite of reader-friendly.
• We’re technically living online now. Gone are the days when you’d look up job openings in a newspaper or apply by mail. Everything has moved online, so it only makes sense for your resume to do the same.

8. Is the resume format the same as the resume template?

No, a resume format is not the same thing as a resume template. 

Resume format refers to the layout of the resume, namely, the kind of information, its order, and the way it's organized on the resume. Basic document settings, such as line spacing, fonts, and margins, are also part of resume formatting. 

A resume template, on the other hand, is a pre-designed, blank document that you can fill in as you go. Using a resume template to create your resume is a much easier and less time-consuming process than formatting your resume from scratch. 

9. What is the easiest way to build my resume?

The easiest, most efficient way to create a resume is through a resume builder .

If you use a text editor, you could spend hours trying to format your resume, but the moment you make a tiny design change, the whole resume layout gets completely messed up!

Using a resume builder, on the other hand, comes with a ton of benefits:

• Recruiter-friendly layout. All of our resume templates are created with recruiters in mind - they’re extremely easy to read and skim.
• Easy to build. Our resume builder is extremely easy to use. All YOU have to do is fill in the content - we take care of all the resume formatting.
• ATS-friendly . Applicant tracking systems can read our resumes perfectly fine, ensuring that you don’t get automatically disqualified when applying for positions.
• Free (with premium features). Our base builder is completely free without any hidden paywalls! If you’re looking to upgrade the resume design, though, or get access to several awesome features, you can always upgrade to Premium.

10. What are the 7 resume types?

The 7 types of resume formats include the reverse-chronological resume, the combination resume, the resume with profile, the non-traditional resume, the infographic resume, the functional resume, and the targeted resume.

Key Takeaways

And that’s a wrap on resume formats! 

By now, you should know everything there is to know about the most popular resume formats and regarding what the best resume format is for YOU. 

Before you go, let’s do a recap of the most important points covered in this article: 

• There are 3 common resume formats - reverse-chronological, functional, and combination (also known as the hybrid).
• The reverse-chronological format is the most popular one in 2024, and we always recommend you go with that one.
• A functional resume focuses more on skills rather than work experience and is usually used by career changers or students.
• A combination resume is a mix of functional and reverse-chronological formats and puts equal emphasis on work experience and skill set.
• Both functional and combination resumes are not too popular, and applicant tracking systems have trouble reading them.

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Best Resume Formats + 7 Formatting FAQs for 2024

• Best Resume Formats and Examples

What’s the Best Resume Format for Me?

How to format your resume, formatting faqs, formatting your resume in 2024.

A resume is more than just a summary of your employment history and associated experience, skills, and education; it’s a marketing tool [1] . A recruiter will tend to pass over applicants who provide only the boring basics. Instead, they would rather see your accomplishments and what you can do for the company.

Your resume is the ticket to an interview, so it’s important that your resume template shows the best you possible to a potential employer. Because times change, you can’t simply use the resume you wrote a few years back or, possibly, even last year. Choosing the right format and providing the proper information can land you that interview for your dream job.

3 Best Resume Formats and Examples for 2024

The format you choose for your resume is just as important as what information is actually provided within. The way your resume is set up can either help or hinder a potential employer’s ability to quickly scan to see what they’re looking for in a candidate.

Imagine getting between 75 and 250 resumes for one position [2] . There’s no way you’re going to have the time to read each and everyone to select just a few candidates for interviews. Although part of a recruiter’s job is to go through resumes, they have other responsibilities as well. This means that they’ll only be able to scan through resumes and select a handful to read more thoroughly. A properly formatted resume is more likely to be read.

When you don’t choose an appropriate format for the position that you’re applying for, recruiters get a negative impression of you and your ability to do the job, no matter how qualified you may actually be. Not only that, but a recruiter will skim to see if you actually want the specific position within their company rather than just any ol’ job.

Furthermore, an improperly formatted resume looks messy and unprofessional when information isn’t organized into appropriate sections. It can make it difficult for a recruiter to find the specific information that they’re seeking as a good match for the position they’re offering. With more and more employers turning to applicant tracking systems to filter through large numbers of resumes, improper formatting becomes an ATS nightmare that will cause your resume to be dismissed before human eyes ever have a chance to look at it [3] .

While there are many formatting options that can be used, these three resume formats are typically the most popular for 2024:

Reverse-chronological format

Functional format.

• Combination, or hybrid, format

When a resume is written in a reverse-chronological format, your past employment and experience are what stand out. A prospective employer can readily see a progression of your work history and how long you stayed with each company or organization.

• The most popular format for 2024
• Preferred by recruiters
• Chronological timeline that’s easy to skim
• Limited options for those with little work history
• Highlighted gaps in employment
• Varying positions or multiple career path changes are easily noticed

When using a reverse-chronological resume, you should include certain sections in the following order:

• Contact information : This should include your name, job title, phone number, city, state, and email address. If you have an online employment profile, such as on LinkedIn, you can include it here as well.
• Career objective : We recommend including this if you’re changing career fields or looking for an entry-level position. Using two to four sentences, provide the reason you’re applying for the position or a  professional summary  of how your previous work qualifies you for the position.
• Work experience : Beginning with your most recent job, list your previous work experience. Here you’ll list the achievements that you’ve accomplished at each position you’ve held.
• Skills : This is the area where you’ll list a few hard and soft skills that are relevant to the position you’re seeking.
• Education : In reverse-chronological order, list your education. If you have a college degree, there’s no need to include your high school diploma.
• Additional accomplishments : If you need to fill up space, you can add volunteer work or projects as long as you can reasonably relate it to the position.

The functional resume highlights the skill sets that qualify you for the position. You’ll still include your employment history, but the main focus for recruiters is the skills that you bring to the table.

• Position-related skills are emphasized
• Employment gaps are minimized
• Transferable skills are utilized when you are changing careers or have little job experience
• Unfamiliar to many recruiters in 2024
• Red flags pop up for potential employers
• Difficulty passing through some applicant tracking systems

When creating a functional resume, these are the sections to include in the preferred order.

• Contact information : This is the same as for a reverse-chronological resume.
• Resume summary : Use the career objective placeholder as a resume summary that bundles all your skills, showing how they could easily transfer to the position that you’re applying for.
• General skills : This is where you’ll list some of your basic transferable hard and soft skills.
• Skills summary : List a few specific roles and accomplishments from projects and positions where you used those skills.
• Work history : List any work history with just the details concerning the place of employment in reverse-chronological order.
• Education : Complete this section the same as you would for a reverse-chronological resume.
• Additional accomplishments : These can be added if they’re relevant and you have extra space.

Combination/hybrid format

A combination, or hybrid, resume places equal focus on your skills and your job history. The in-depth skills section comes first to grab the potential employer’s attention before showing your previous employment. This format is often used by those with extensive experience in one field to show how they stand out from other applicants or for those who are changing careers that require a similar skill set.

• Most valuable skills are corroborated with related work history
• Skills from various types of employment are related with the new position
• Employment gaps are minimized as long as there is still significant work experience
• Limited employment history is obvious
• Trouble passing through applicant tracking systems
• Difficult to format properly

Creating a combination/hybrid resume requires these sections in the following order:

• Contact information : See previous resume types for specific information.
• Skills summary : This is where you’ll list relevant skills, and then provide specific examples of your accomplishments using these skills at your previous jobs.
• Additional skills : You may wish to add other pertinent skills that you don’t have concrete examples for here.
• Work experience : As with other resume formats, list your employment history in reverse-chronological order.
• Education : Complete this section the way you would for the other two resume formats.

Depending on your situation, you may think that a specific resume format would work better than the others to show off your skills and experience. Honestly, in today’s job market, the reverse-chronological resume is the top choice for just about everyone. This is, in part, because this format gives you the best chance of passing through ATS systems and making its way to human eyes. With other resume formats, ATS may reject your resume on the first pass.

Additionally, recruiters prefer the reverse-chronological resume because it gives them the information they’re looking for in the areas where they expect to see it, making their jobs easier [4] . Instead of looking at other resume styles as a way for you to better showcase your fit with the company, hiring managers see red flags when viewing other formats because they wonder whether you’re trying to hide something.

It can be really helpful to consult with a professional to help you  build a resume  that works. Right now, we’ll walk you through each resume format, taking into account skills and employment history. However, at the end of the day, we still recommend the reverse-chronological format, and we’re here to help you overcome potential obstacles that you may face in your specific situation.

I have years of traditional work experience

If you’ve worked in similar fields and have a consistent employment history, you might be tempted to go with a combination/hybrid format for your resume to help you stand out from other applicants. Unfortunately, this style may not pass through ATS, and it’s very difficult to pull off correctly.

Whether you’ve only been working a few years or for decades, the reverse-chronological resume format is going to be your best choice. While recruiters are looking for proof of steady employment over the years, they’re also looking for job progression. They want to see if you’ve changed jobs because you’ve acquired additional skills or if you’ve simply moved laterally from one job to the next. With the reverse-chronological resume, you’re able to tell a story of job growth that potential employers want to see.

Furthermore, the reverse-chronological format makes it easier for recruiters to see your specific work accomplishments so that they know what you can bring to the position. Your short sections of skills can be easily verified with this format. You’ll also avoid the potential red flags that could prevent a recruiter from actually looking at your resume.

Don’t worry—if you feel you have more to offer your prospective employer than other applicants, you can still let your skills and experience shine with a reverse-chronological resume by writing job experience bullet points that reflect your  specific skill set . We can help you arrange your skills and employment in the preferred reverse-chronological format to maximize your resume’s impact with recruiters.

I’m a student or looking for an entry-level position

In the past, you may have been encouraged to use the functional format for your resume. Unfortunately, these days, it simply makes potential employers wonder why you’re not using a reverse-chronological style. What are you trying to hide? Instead of reading the relevant skills you can provide, they may just pass over your resume completely, especially if they’re limited on time or have other qualified candidates already on the interview list. This is all assuming your functionally formatted resume even makes it past ATS.

Recruiters understand that you may lack an employment history because you’re new to the job market. Instead, they want to see if you’ve been spending your time preparing for entering the workforce rather than goofing off or procrastinating. To the potential employer, what you’ve done in the time before work can tell a lot about what type of employee you’ll be.

You may not know how to use your previous activities in place of work history, but that’s okay. We’ll show you how you can use any volunteer work or completed projects in place of employment in the preferred reverse-chronological format. Fortunately,  the career objective  near the top of your resume can also be used to your advantage when you have little or no actual work experience.

Functional vs reverse-chronological resume format

I don’t have traditional work experience, or I have career gaps

If you’ve had non-traditional work experience, such as serving in the military, or you have career gaps, you might think the combination/hybrid format will work best for you. This will allow you to showcase the skills you’ve gained that are relevant to the position you’re applying for while then providing evidence for those skills with your previous experience.

While this resume type does have advantages in cases such as these, you should still be concerned if you try to use this style. It’s very difficult to make a combination/hybrid resume look professional and to use the appropriate keywords to draw the reader in. Furthermore, this format typically won’t make it past the first ATS scan. Also, many potential employers will assume you have something you’re trying to hide when you use a different format. Why put all of your thoughtful work to waste if someone isn’t going to be able to get their hands on your resume and read it?

It is more than possible to place your accomplishments and work skills in a chronological order that’s easy for recruiters to skim. We can help you make the most of your abilities using the reverse-chronological format in a way that fits with the proposed job position. Additionally, an  attention-grabbing career objective  can effectively highlight your skill set to portray you as a valuable asset to the company or organization.

Combination vs reverse-chronological resume format

In addition to the basic resume formats described, you need to think about formatting your information for visual appeal and ease of access to specific key points. The best way to do this is to put yourself in the shoes of the recruiter. What layout will be the easiest to get the information across as quickly and organized as possible? Remember that hiring personnel only take about six or seven seconds to gather information from your resume, so it’s vital to make your important information easy to access [5] .

Although you want to stand out, the layout isn’t the place to get over-the-top creative. If your information isn’t organized or set up in a logical sequence, would you want to waste your time reading it when you have so many other documents to sort through? In all truthfulness, you’d probably give up on that resume and move on to someone else with an easier-to-read document.

Let’s walk through the following points to keep in mind when creating your resume:

Format to impress

• Include must-haves on your resume
• Learn how  not  to format your resume
• Format to beat ATS

The design of your resume determines whether someone will continue to read it after the introductory six-to-seven-second skim. It will help if you remember these key principles in formatting:

• Consistency : Keep each section similar in layout, including the use (or lack) of punctuation. Use the same font and font size for main content and the same font and font size for headers. 

• Repetition : Repeat the use of bullet points throughout each job experience. If you use a color or underline a heading, make sure that it’s repeated throughout your resume. These tiny, repetitive details help consistency and keep your document looking organized and professional. 

• Alignment : Use left alignment for the body of your document. Centered text is difficult to read and appears unorganized on a resume. As an exception, though, your name and title may be centered.

• Proximity : Place each section in the appropriate order on the page so that it creates a natural progression to each consecutive section. Likewise, keep similar things grouped together. For example, don’t include volunteer experience with your education or skills as it will fit better within work experience (or even under a new section you title “Projects” or “Volunteer Experience”). 

To professionalize your resume, begin by using one-inch margins and single or 1.5-inch spacing in between each section. If you need more space, you can reduce the margins to 0.75; however, avoid using less than 0.50 of an inch because it’s too crowded and information can get lost through ATS translation.

You can choose serif or sans serif for your font, but stick with just one in a style that’s not too cramped or ornate. As a good rule of thumb, you can aim between 10- and 12- point font throughout the document, though you can increase font size for your name, title, and section headers.

Adding a splash of color gives personality and highlights pertinent information. Using the company’s main color can be a plus and subtly demonstrates your initiative to research the company. Also, take advantage of bullet points, but use simple, round bullets because other characters may not translate well through ATS.

Must-haves on your resume

Recruiters have clear expectations of what they expect a resume to look like and what should be included within it. First and foremost, your contact information and job title should be the first thing they see; they shouldn’t have to hunt for it. Include your name, job title, phone number, and a professional-sounding email address. Unfortunately, [email protected] can land your resume in the trash bin before the recruiter reads any further.

Keep your resume to one page, and use a recognized file format, preferably pdf. An appropriate amount of white space breaks up the content into easy-to-find sections. Use bold font or underline the font for section headers. Increasing header fonts to 12 or 14 provides contrast that makes them easier to spot. If you don’t have a lot of color in the rest of the document, consider using it in header text.

Along with color and font style, you have some leeway on being creative with your sections. However, you need to format with both yourself and the potential employer in mind. If you work in a professional field, your resume should demonstrate this through its layout as well as the wording you choose. On the other hand, an artist may look for a more creative approach, though professionalism will always be king.

Don’t just list your job title or job duties at your previous places of employment. Use action words that promote achievement in a way that is factual and quantifiable, such as with numbers, percentages, or dollar amounts.

Editing and proofreading are essential. Recruiters believe you’re going to put your best effort into a resume, so be sure that it’s free of errors and is grammatically correct. If there are any typos in a document that’s supposed to show you at your best, they’ll assume you’ll make even more mistakes when you’re on the job. You only have one chance to make a good first impression.

If all of this sounds complicated, it’s because it can be. That’s why our  free resume checker  will enable you to show your best self while still portraying the level of professionalism that recruiters expect to see.

Line Cook Resume

This line cook resume includes all you’ll need in a successful resume format, and by clicking below, you can start editing your own copy now:

How  not  to format your resume

Knowing what not to do when creating your resume can be just as important as knowing what to include. Poor formatting provides potential employers with a disorganized mess that they’ll simply toss rather than try to puzzle out.

Many issues affect your resume immediately while others may not be seen without further inspection, so it’s important that you don’t take any chances. Be aware of the following:

• Added photos : Pictures, photos, and other graphics won’t pass through ATS, and they take up valuable space that can be better used to sell yourself.
• Too much color : While a conservative amount of color can add personality and effective design elements, using too much distracts the reader from what’s important and depicts you as immature and inexperienced.
• Unprofessional fonts : Although you may wish to show your sense of style, avoid scripted or detailed fonts since these can slow down the recruiter’s ability to read your information and mix up ATS.
• Missing information : It’s important to include all sections required for the resume format you choose because missing information is a red flag to a potential employer and makes you look scattered and disorganized.
• Personal information : Hiring personnel don’t want to know too much about your personal life (plus, they can run into legal issues if they start asking those kinds of questions), so stick with facts that relate to your work history. However, depending on your field, it may be appropriate to include  hobbies and interests  on your resume.

Formatting to beat ATS

ATS is used to simplify recruiters’ jobs by narrowing down the number of resumes that they have to physically look through. Unfortunately, 75 percent of resumes never make their way to an actual person [6] .

In addition to a clear format, ATS scans for certain keywords related to the position and will give you a rating based on how these keywords are included in your resume. Don’t overuse keywords because your resume will be read by a real person if it passes through ATS.

Investment Banking Resume

Click on this ATS-friendly resume below to build and edit your own resume now:

Here are some considerations when creating your resume for ATS:

• Use the right file format : The most acceptable formats are .pdf and .doc, so you may want to keep a copy of your resume in both formats.
• Keep it simple : Use appropriate spacing and sections for readability.
• Avoid graphics : Pictures, lines, and other graphics will be seen as a garbled mess of text by ATS.
• Check your formatting : Copy the contents of your resume and paste into a plain text document. The results are basically how ATS will process it, so look for odd characters and sections that are out of place.
• Use traditional headers : The ATS is programmed to look for basic word combinations, so don’t get too creative in the wording of your section headers.
• Optimize keywords : ATS will look for the job title of the position and key industry terms. Look at the job description to see what words the hiring personnel used to get some ideas.

ATS-nightmare resume example

ATS-friendly resume example

Although there’s plenty of information here to help you get started, you may have additional questions. Please see our FAQs section below to learn more about formatting your best resume in 2024. However, we understand that there’s no way for us to anticipate every question, so if you’re still unsure about anything, feel free to contact us directly at [email protected].

What’s the difference between a resume format and a resume template?

The resume format is  how  you put your information on the page while a resume template is typically a downloadable document that you can put the information into. A basic template will let you put your information into a simple, readable format. However, these templates (like what you might find in Microsoft Word) are often fixed, providing you with little flexibility (and lots of headaches). These resumes may all look the same.

On the other hand, a great template will allow you to rearrange the format to suit your specific needs. We offer  different resume templates  that fall within recommended guidelines while leaving room for your personality to shine through. Every template can be edited in our resume builder for you to create the perfect document to save and share with potential employers.

Also, we don’t leave you on your own. Our  resume builder  offers you AI-powered suggestions and tips for both your formatting and writing needs.

Don’t recruiters get tired of seeing the same format?

Recruiters sort through up to 250 resumes for one open position [2] . While it might seem that hiring personnel would get tired of seeing the same old format over and over again, it actually makes their job faster and easier because they know exactly where to find the information they’re looking for if the document passes through ATS and into their hands.

However, we understand that you want your resume to catch the recruiter’s attention, so we offer  resume template variations  of tried-and-true formats that hiring managers have come to know while providing you with a chance to show your unique brand. There’s no reason to risk your resume making its way to the circular file because it’s unorganized, illogical, or doesn’t appear to make sense to the recruiter or to the ATS.

Can I write my resume in chronological order instead of reverse-chronological order?

In the end, how you decide to create your resume is completely up to you. However, it’s important to remember that you have just six or seven seconds to make the recruiter want to read more. If they have to search for your most recent, and generally most relevant, employment, they may just give up and move on to the next applicant.

When you use reverse-chronological order, hiring personnel see your most recent job position right near the top of the page where their eyes are typically scanning for what information they’re looking for [7] . If they see the first job you ever had fifteen years ago, not only may the position be unrelated to the current one, the recruiter may assume there are gaps in your employment because they’re accustomed to seeing the most recent job listed first.

How much “personality” should be in my resume?

While it’s important to allow for creativity in how you word and format your resume, professionalism is still key. Feel free to use terms and wording that are outside the box because many recruiters are tired of seeing the same old basic terms such as “team player.” However, it’s imperative that everything you include in your resume is easy to read, placed in a logical order, and makes sense to the reader.

Also, remember that ATS and employers are looking for specific keywords, so only show off your style to the point that it doesn’t interfere or distract from finding relevant information. For more information on this topic, check out question No. 2 in our FAQs section.

What’s the easiest and quickest way to format a resume?

Because there’s so much detailed information that you need to know to effectively format a resume for ATS and human eyes, it’s best to go with a  resume tool  that offers  customizable resume templates  to suit your needs. You could always try your hand at making your own with a template or blank document from word processing software such as Microsoft Word or Google Docs. If you’d like to try this method, go back to the section on How to Format Your Resume, so you’ll be sure not to forget any pertinent details.

Better yet, you can alleviate the guesswork by using BeamJob’s  resume builder and checker . We offer plenty of  free resume templates for download , which you can edit. We’re here to save you hours of time and frustration.

What should I name my resume file?

Gone are the days of blindly tossing around mass-produced, hard-copy resumes. Your resume should be specifically tailored to the job position you’re applying for. This means that, ideally, you’ll have more than one resume if you’re hunting the job market to fit with different positions. You want to make it easy to find the specific resume you’re looking for.

Name your file with your first name followed by a period, your last name followed by a period, the job position title with no spaces followed by a period, and 2024. Use the format first.last.jobpositiontitle.2024 or something similar. Here is an example: john.smith.accountssupervisor.2024. Not only will this help you find the exact resume you want for each job application, but it’s also easier for job recruiters to find when they want to re-evaluate your resume to invite you to an interview. Don’t let something as simple as a file name keep a recruiter from contacting you for an interview!

How do I make a good resume?

Be confident in your abilities when  writing a resume . Also, take advantage of the tools available on BeamJob’s resume builder to make the time you spend creating your resume easier and faster. Remember, no matter how great a fit you are for the position, it won’t matter if improper formatting prevents your resume from being read.

Once you have edited and proofread your resume and have it the way you want, it is extremely helpful to have someone else evaluate your work and provide feedback on something you may have missed. Great sources can include colleagues, friends in a similar field, close contacts who have extensive grammar skills, or even your favorite college professor.

If any of these contacts suggest that you make changes, you can just go back to the resume builder without risk of having to reformat your entire document as everything is automatically saved for you after you make a  free account  with us. You can make as many copies as you like, so you always have the best, most updated version to send to potential employers.

Your resume opens the door for interviews (or closes it!), so it’s important that it’s properly formatted and includes relevant information in a way that’s easy for recruiters to view in the limited time they have available. Although reverse-chronological format is the most preferred style and is absolutely our recommendation, you know yourself and your experiences best, so choose what you believe will benefit you the most. 

However, you need to remember that only a fraction of resumes pass through ATS and into the hands of recruiters, so take your time to get the right layout. Format to impress with white space, an appropriate font, concise information, and related keywords. Contact information should be at the top of your resume followed by the career objective as this is where recruiters will look first. Avoid obstacles that detract the reader from getting the information they need and want.

Create a resume for each position you’re applying for, name each one appropriately and save them in .pdf and .doc format. Keep it simple yet professional, and emphasize actual, quantifiable achievements. Always edit and proofread your resume, and utilize friends and associates for feedback.

Remember to take advantage of BeamJob’s  downloadable resume templates  that you can edit for individuality while staying within the recommended guidelines. To make the task even simpler, try out our  free resume builder  and  resume checker  tools that can save you time and headaches throughout the process—and don’t forget—you may need to w rite a cover letter , too!

[1] Recruiter.com. (2016 February 5). 6 things employers want to see in your resume.

[2] Workopolis. (2015, January 20). Application revelation: What really happens to your resume after you apply for a job?

[3] Kerri Anne Renzulli. (2019 February 28). 75% of resumes are never read by a human – here’s how to make sure your resume beats the bots. CNBC Make It.

[4] Dawn Graham. (2018 February 6). Ready, set, switch: Make your resume and cover letter stand out. Forbes.

[5] Ladders, Inc. (2018 November 6). Ladders updates popular eye-tracking study with new key insights on how job seekers can improve their resumes. PR Newswire.

[6] Robyn Ryan. (2021 February 9). Want to be noticed by recruiters? Try this resume strategy to get through the applicant tracking system. Forbes.

[7] Katie Bindley. (2012 May 9). Resume design: Eye-tracking study finds job seekers have six seconds to make an impression. Huffington Post.

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Best Resume Formats (With Examples and Formatting Tips)

How to Choose a Resume Format

• Chronological Resume
• Functional Resume
• Combination Resume
• Other Elements

How to Format Your Resume

Maddy Price / The Balance

The right resume format will grab the hiring manager’s attention immediately and make it clear that you’re the best candidate for the job while deemphasizing aspects of your career that you’d prefer not to highlight.

There are three basic types of professional resume formats:

• Chronological
• Combination

Some resume formats will work better than others for your situation. For example, if you have a  gap in your resume , a history of job-hopping, or a career path that’s taken some strange twists and turns, a  functional resume  might be the best choice because it emphasizes skills over linear job experience.

On the other hand, if you can show a clear progression toward your current job opportunity, a  chronological  or combination resume might be the best option.

Your choice will depend on your career level, work experience, and job history. The job description might also make a difference. So, be flexible when choosing a resume format.

If you create several versions of your resume, including a comprehensive, a targeted, and a short teaser resume, you'll have the flexibility to market your credentials quickly and easily.

Which resume format is best for you? We’ll break down the advantages of each type and offer detailed resume layout examples to help you make your decision.

Keep page length in mind as you format your resume. One to two pages is fine for most situations; three or more pages is relevant for senior-level, government, and academic positions.

Chronological Resume Example and Template

The most common resume format is chronological (sample below). It lists your work history in reverse chronological order, with your most recent work history listed at the top. You may also add a summary or objective, and you'll want to include your education and credentials as well.

The advantage of this type of resume is that it highlights a linear progression in your career. In other words, if you've been focused on one type of career and you want to show how you've progressed on that path, a chronological resume is the way to go. It's also standard for some types of jobs, like teaching or government positions.

To create your own chronological resume, you can download the chronological resume template below (compatible with Google Docs and Microsoft Word) or review the example.

Chronological Resume Example (Text Version)

Jennifer Elliot 1890 Grant Street Cleveland, OH 44109 555-123-1234 j.elliot@email.com

Career Summary

Analytical and detail-oriented legal professional leveraging recent JD training and 6 years of law office experience to excel as a Junior Associate Attorney with an established law firm. Well-versed in federal, state, and municipal court filing processes, rules, and deadlines, with direct experience in commercial litigation and specialized training in e-Discovery methodologies. Unparalleled multitasking and time management skills, deftly managing heavy caseloads from initial client intake through all phases of discovery, drafting, pretrial, trial, and appeal.

Professional Experience

US District Court, Cleveland, OH Law Clerk Intern , 2019-Present

• Serve as Law Clerk to the Chief Judge of the US District Court for the Northern District of Ohio.
• Perform legal research; draft bench orders, opinions, and memos, carefully verifying accuracy of all citations.
• Communicate with counsel to confirm deadlines and address case management issues.
• Use advanced verbal and written Spanish skills as court translator when warranted.

Hatchett, Garner, and Winn Attorneys, Cleveland, OH Paralegal , 2013-2019

Skillfully managed caseload of ~70 ongoing cases for national law firm specializing in commercial litigation. Scheduled and facilitated client interviews, performed legal research, prepared documents and exhibits for trial, and ensured timely submission of all pleadings and court filings.

• Proactively earned Certified E-Discovery Specialist certification from ACEDS.
• Researched, acquired, and trained firm’s attorneys in use of Symantec eDiscovery Platform.
• Entrusted by senior partners to prepare firm records for inspection during IT and cybersecurity audits.
• Served as Vice President of regional paralegal association (2014 to 2016).

Education and Credentials

Juris Doctor (JD), 2021 Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, Cleveland, OH

Associate of Applied Business in Paralegal-Legal Assisting , 2013 Rhodes State College, Lima, OH

Certified E-Discovery Specialist (ACEDS), 2017

Technical Proficiencies: Microsoft Office Suite, LexisNexis Concordance, Symantec eDiscovery Platform, Westlaw, MyCase Legal Practice Management Software, Clio, and Photoshop.

Functional Resume Example and Template

Functional resumes focus on skills. They are organized by different types of skills or experiences, rather than by chronological work history. Functional resumes are good for people with gaps in employment history or whose work history is not directly related to the job.

With this type of resume, your skills are listed first. List the skill first, and then go into more detail about that skill. Follow your skills with your education and work history.

You can create a functional resume by downloading the functional resume template below (compatible with Google Docs and Microsoft Word) or by following the example.

Functional Resume Example (Text Version)

Jennifer Elliot 1890 Grant Street Cleveland, OH 44109 555-555-5555 j.elliot@email.com

Summary of Qualifications

Analytical and detail-oriented legal professional leveraging recent JD training and 6 years law office experience to excel as a Junior Associate Attorney with an established law firm.

• Legal Affairs : Well-versed in federal, state, and municipal court filing processes, rules, and deadlines, with direct experience in commercial litigation and specialized training in e-Discovery methodologies.
• Communications / Client Relations : Excellent verbal and written communications and legal drafting talents. Easily instills trust and confidence in clients stressed by challenging life events; handles private client data with 100% confidentiality and integrity. Fluent in Spanish.
• Information Management : Technical proficiencies include Microsoft Office, LexisNexis Concordance, Symantec eDiscovery Platform, Westlaw, MyCase Legal Practice Management Software, Clio, and Photoshop.
• Key Strengths : Finely-tuned analytical skills with a dedication to expanding subject knowledge and workplace competencies through continuous training. Unparalleled multitasking and time management skills, deftly managing heavy caseloads from initial client intake through all phases of discovery, drafting, pretrial, trial, and appeal.

Associate of Applied Business in Paralegal-Legal Assisting , 2012 R Rhodes State College, Lima, OH

Serve as Law Clerk to the Chief Judge of the US District Court for the Northern District of Ohio. Perform legal research; draft bench orders, opinions, and memos, carefully verifying accuracy of all citations. Communicate with counsel to confirm deadlines and address case management issues.

• Utilize advanced verbal and written Spanish skills as court translator when warranted.
• Researched, acquired, and trained firm’s attorneys in use of Symantec e-Discovery Platform.
• Entrusted by senior partners to ready firm records for inspection during IT and cybersecurity audits.
• Served as Vice President of regional paralegal association (2015 to 2017).

Combination Resume Example and Template

Combination resumes are a mix of the chronological and functional resume formats. They provide a chronological list of one’s work history, but they also have a section that focuses on different types of skills. This format shows employers both your skills and your experience. It's a good choice if you're changing careers or if you have a varied but steady work history.

With this type of resume, you'd start with a section to show your skills. The next section would show your job experience, followed by your education.   You might also include an objective or summary at the beginning. You can download the combination resume template (compatible with Google Docs and Microsoft Word) or review the example below.

Combination Resume Example (Text Version)

Analytical and detail-oriented legal professional leveraging recent JD training and 6 years law office experience to excel as a Junior Associate Attorney with an established law firm. Well-versed in federal, state, and municipal court filing processes, rules, and deadlines, with direct experience in commercial litigation and specialized training in e-Discovery methodologies. Unparalleled multitasking and time management skills, deftly managing heavy caseloads from initial client intake through all phases of discovery, drafting, pretrial, trial, and appeal.

E-Discovery

Technical Proficiencies

• Microsoft Office Suite, LexisNexis Concordance, Symantec eDiscovery Platform, Westlaw, MyCase Legal Practice Management Software, Clio, and Photoshop.

Litigation and Records Management

• Skillfully managed caseload of ~70 ongoing cases for national law firm specializing in commercial litigation. Scheduled and facilitated client interviews, prepared documents and exhibits for trial, and ensured timely submission of all pleadings and court filings.

Legal Research

• As Law Clerk to the Chief Judge of the US District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, performed extensive legal research, carefully verifying accuracy of all citations.

Communications and Outreach

• Utilized advanced verbal and written Spanish skills as court translator when warranted.

Work History

Law Clerk Intern, US District Court, Cleveland, OH, 2019-Present

Paralegal , Hatchett, Garner, and Winn Attorneys, Cleveland, OH, 2013-2019

Resume Formats With Headlines and Profiles

Studies have shown that recruiters spend only seconds reviewing a resume before sorting it to the “yes” or “no” pile and moving on. For this reason, many candidates choose to add a section highlighting their most relevant skills at the top of their resume. There are several ways to do this:

• Resume with headline :  A resume headline (also known as a resume title) is a phrase that summarizes why you are an ideal candidate. It usually appears near the top of your resume. Headlines can be used by a variety of candidates to highlight their best attributes and experience.
• Resume with headline and profile :  Including both a brief headline and a profile can provide the hiring manager with even more information about you.
• Resume with summary statement : A summary statement is a brief paragraph or two along with a short list of your strongest qualifications for the job. It is also known as a summary of qualifications.
• Resume with branding statement : A branding statement is a brief, catchy statement (usually 15 words or fewer) that showcases what you have to offer to a hiring organization.
• Resume with objective : A resume objective is a one to two sentence description of who you are as a candidate and what you are looking for in a position. Some employers prefer a resume profile or summary over a resume objective, but it's up to you to decide which option is best. While objectives used to be standard, today it varies by the industry and position you're applying for. A profile and/or summary statement serves the same purpose and is preferred by many hiring managers.

Employers want to hire candidates who are interested in their specific job opening, not just any job. Customizing your resume every time will make sure that your resume is tailored appropriately.

In addition to choosing a type of resume, you will also need to select a font and font size and make style choices (such as when to use bullets, bold, and italics). Choose a font that's easy to read and professional. Calibri, Times New Roman, Arial, and Tahoma are all good choices for a font.

Keep the font size large enough to be legible. The body should be a 10-12 point font, but you can use a slightly larger font for headings.

It’s also important to be consistent in your style choices. If you decide to bullet your experience, for example, do so throughout. Similarly, once you choose a font, stick with it for the whole resume.

Template for Writing Your Own Resume

Use the following template to generate the information you'll need to include in your resume. Next, you can revise your resume so that it’s in the format you want. It might take a few drafts to get it right, and it's helpful to have someone review your resume for typos and other issues.

Remember that this is only one example of a resume format. It's a starting point. You can add information not included here, including some of the introductory information listed above, and change the order of the resume as long as your contact information stays at the top.

Sample Resume Format

Your Contact Information

First and Last Name Street Address City, State ZIP Phone Email Address

Career Summary (optional)

This customized section of your resume lists key achievements, skills, traits, and experience relevant to the position for which you are applying can serve dual purposes. It highlights your relevant experience and lets the prospective employer know that you have taken the time to create a resume that shows how you are qualified for the specific job .

This section of your resume includes your work history. List the companies you worked for, dates of employment, the positions you held, and a bulleted list of responsibilities and achievements.

City, State Dates Worked

• Responsibilities / Achievements

Company #2 City, State Dates Worked Job Title

In the education section of your resume, list the schools you attended, the degrees you attained, and any special awards and honors you earned. College, Degree Awards, Honors

Skills Include skills related to the position/career field that you are applying for, such as computer skills or language skills.

References There is no need to include references on your resume or even to mention that references are available. Rather, have a separate list of references to give to employers upon request.

Key Takeaways

• The basic types of resume formats include chronological, combination, and functional resumes.
• Choose the best format for your personal and professional circumstances.
• Highlighting your most relevant skills at the top of your resume is a good strategy to showcase your most relevant qualifications for a job.
• Creating several versions of your resume will enable you to quickly and easily market your credentials.

CareerOneStop. " Select the Best Format ."

Monster. " How Long Should a Resume Be? "

Vermont Careers. " Resume Help ."

GCF. " Resume Formats: Choosing the Right One ."

The Ladders. " You Have 7.4 Seconds to Make an Impression ."

CareerOneStop. " Headline and Summary Sample ."

SHRM. " How to Write Powerful and Memorable HR Resumes ."

Monster. " Entry-Level Resume Objective Examples Are Outdated—Use a Career Summary Instead ."

Monster. " The Best Fonts for Your Resume Ranked ."

HubSpot. " Recruiters Reveal the 7 Best Fonts for Your Resume ."

Resume Formatting

The goal of a resume is to tell the story of your experiences as they relate to a specific job description. See our sample resumes for formatting guidelines and ideas. Remember, your resume should represent you and also catch the employer’s eye. Resume guidelines may vary from industry to industry, so it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with specific industry examples.

Resume Format Tips

• One page . Keep your resume to one page. Save it as a PDF or print in on resume paper.
• Be concise . Use brief statements in the form of bullets or sentences.
• Keep font size to 10, 11, or 12 point and set margins to no less than 0.5 inch all around.
• Do not use the word “I” or other first-person pronouns.
• Use past tense in describing past positions and use present tense for your current position(s).
• Be consistent in your use of punctuation throughout the document. For instance, either use periods at the end of all your bullets or not.
• Use bold, italics and underlining formatting to break up the text and make the document easy to read.

Resume Content

• See our action verbs page to find verbs that are more descriptive than common verbs such as “do/did,” “completed,” “responsible for,” etc.
• Customize . Tailor your resume to focus on the work and extracurricular experiences that are most relevant to the job or industry you are targeting.
• Include multiple titles and responsibilities if you had multiple roles at one organization.
• Do not lie , exaggerate, or include something that you would not want to discuss in an interview.
• Avoid Georgetown jargon and acronyms without first spelling them out (e.g., GUSA, NHS, GPB).
• Do not include personal data (e.g., birth date, marital status, photograph). If you are applying to a position in another country, find out what the resume expectations are for that country.

Last-Minute Resume Checklist

• Create a log of applications you send. Include position descriptions, dates, contact information, follow-up date (if appropriate), and notes on follow-up communications.
• Have someone else look it over . Do not rely on spell-check! Remember — review the names of companies and people.
• Save documents as PDFs with appropriate names. Example: M.CrawfordEventPlannerResume.
• Make sure your outgoing voicemail greeting for the phone number you list on your resume is professional .
• Is your email address professional? (for instance, no “[email protected]”)?
• Write a relevant email subject line,  such as “Application for Event Planner Position #4420”?
• Print all documents on neutral resume paper and use a laser printer if you’re delivering it in as a hard copy.

Resume and Cover Letter Templates

Sample resume formatting, step 1: header.

• Your name should be bold and in a larger font than the rest of the resume.
• Below your name, list your current mailing address, phone number, and the email address you most frequently use. You may use your permanent mailing address if you wish.

Step 2: Education

• List your most recent education first. Indicate your university, your school (e.g., Georgetown University College of Arts & Sciences), major, minor(s), and graduation month and year.
• Include your GPA on your resume. You may also include the GPA for your major and minor, especially if they are higher than your cumulative GPA. If you are hesitating to include GPA, connect with a member of our staff.

Step 3: Experience

The experience section of your resume is where you list and describe your experiences that are most relevant to the position you’re applying for. Often those experiences will be jobs and internships. But they don’t need to be. They might also be extra-curricular activities or coursework. 

List and describe your experiences in reverse chronological order (most recent first).

You might divide your experiences into two different categories—based on skills or experience in a particular industry—if doing so helps you make a stronger case for your candidacy. 

For instance, you might devote a section of your resume to your experiences in a particular industry. Instead of one “Experiences” section, you could create a section called “Relevant Experience” and another “Additional Experience.” Or you might get even more specific and call a section something like “International Relations Experience” and another “Additional Experience.” This can help direct an employer’s attention to the experiences you most want them to pay attention to.

If you create multiple experience sections on your resume, list the entries in each section in reverse chronological order (most recent first).

For each entry in your experiences section: 

• Create a header that includes the name of the organization, the location of the experience, dates, and your position title.
• Write three or four sentences describing the work you did. Think about what you accomplished or contributed during the experience. Avoid weak verbs such as “did” or “worked.” Avoid passive constructions, such as “responsibilities include.” If you want help finding strong action verbs to improve the writing in your resume, see our action verbs page .

Download sample chronological resume

Download sample combination resume, step 4: activities.

This is the place to list your extra-curricular activities, such as sports, on-campus involvement, or volunteer experience. You may provide a brief description of accomplishments and responsibilities for each.

Step 5: Skills

Important skills to include are:

• Languages–be sure not to overstate (basic, intermediate, advanced or fluent).
• Technical skills–list specific and relevant software with which you are familiar (e.g., MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, WordPerfect, Adobe Photoshop, SPSS).
• Any training or certification programs you completed that would be relevant to the job.
• Social media and web technologies, if applicable (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, WordPress, Pinterest).
• You may list the headings under two separate subtitles (“Extracurricular Activities” and “Skills”) or one (“Skills & Activities”) if you need to save space.