3 Types of Resume Formats

1. A Chronological Resume Format, which is also referred to as the “Reverse-Chronological” format, is a complete listing of your present- most recent job history to your previous, least recent jobs that you have held in the past. 

If you have consistent work history and you’ve worked jobs that are at least 1 year to 2+ consecutive years for each position, with no gaps in your employment history, the chronological resume format would be the best format to use for your career level.
 
2. A Functional Resume Format, which may also be referred to as a “Skill-Based Resume Format”, obviously focuses more on your skill sets and unique industry-related expertise, versus an actual timeline of previous jobs that you have worked in the past. 

This particular format is best used for professionals who may have rather significant gaps in their employment history. For this reason, the idea is to place more emphasis on your unique skills and talents that you have contributed to your previous employers, versus the actual duration of the time spent at each job.
 
3. A Combination Resume Format, which is more commonly referred to as a “Hybrid Resume Format”, is a combination of the Functional/Skill-Based Resume Format and the Chronological/ Reverse-Chronological Resume Format. 

You are encouraged to use a Combination resume if:
 

• You have just recently graduated high school or college with little to no job experience
• You are just starting out in your career with 1–3 years of work experience
• You have only worked with 1-3 previous employers, but have a consistent work history
• You are making a major career change or transitioning to a different industry