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Format
There are three primary types of resume formats: the chronological resume, the functional resume, and the combination chronological-functional resume. Generally, the chronologically formatted resume is recommended. However, the functional format may be more suitable in certain cases: new graduates with minimal work experience, career changers, and those who are returning to the workforce after an extended gap.
Chronological resume
Education, experience, jobs, activities, projects and technical skills are entered individually within specific categories. These entries are made in reverse chronological order, beginning with the most recent. Date ranges are included for each entry.
Functional resume
The functional resume combines transferable skills together under appropriate headings, such as “Event Coordination,” “Leadership,” and “Fundraising.” The employers, positions, and (sometimes) dates of employment are listed in simple form at the bottom of the resume.
Combination resume
The combination resume takes the best of both the chronological and functional resume formats by combining descriptive information on your work history with information on your specific skill areas. Combination resumes are designed for job seekers who already have quite a bit of experience. Like functional resumes, a combination style heavily focuses on the applicant’s skills and abilities right from get-go. For those applying for a position that requires a lot of technical skills and expertise, using a combination format is a good way to showcase these abilities.
Formatting tips
Regardless of format, here are some tips for creating a professional looking resume:
- Use a professional, consistent font across all resume sections
- Use bold or italics to highlight important information
- Use black text only
- Make sure your font is readable, usually at least 10pt
- Align key information along the right and left margins, to make the resume easy to scan
- Use bullet points, rather than paragraphs, to describe your experience
- Consider including horizontal lines to distinguish each section, and/or border, but not if you have to cut content to do so
- Edit for typos, extra spaces and indentations, consistent use of periods, etc.
Learn more
For more in-depth information, explore the following Career Steps online lesson:
Developing application materials: Formatting your resume