Chronological, functional, or combination? Learn which resume format will showcase your qualifications most effectively and impress recruiters.
The chronological resume format is best for most job seekers and is preferred by recruiters and ATS systems. However, your optimal format depends on your specific situation:
Best for candidates with a steady work history in one field, showing clear career progression.
Best for career changers, those with employment gaps, or limited relevant experience.
Best for experienced professionals changing industries or with specialized skills to highlight.
Compare the three main resume formats to find which one best fits your career situation
Focuses on work history, listing your most recent position first
Emphasizes skills and abilities rather than chronological work history
Blends chronological and functional formats to highlight both skills and experience
Explore each resume format in depth to understand its structure, strengths, and limitations
The chronological resume format focuses on your work history, listing your most recent employment positions first. This is the most common and widely accepted resume format, familiar to recruiters and hiring managers across industries.
Contact Information
Name, phone, email, LinkedIn, location
Professional Summary/Objective
Brief overview of your career and key qualifications
Work Experience
List of previous roles with dates, companies, achievements
Education
Academic credentials and relevant certifications
Skills
Relevant technical and soft skills
Additional Sections
Awards, certifications, volunteer work, etc.
Work history is the primary focus
Jobs listed in reverse chronological order (most recent first)
Includes specific dates of employment
Emphasizes job titles and employers
Highlights career progression and growth
Each position includes accomplishments and responsibilities
A marketing professional with progressive experience from Marketing Assistant to Marketing Director would list each role with the company, dates, and key achievements, showing clear career advancement and developing expertise.
Most familiar to recruiters and hiring managers
Clearly demonstrates career progression
Highlights stability and growth within industries or roles
Works well with ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems)
Shows job titles and employers prominently
Easy to follow timeline of your career
Highlights employment gaps
Not ideal for career changers
Can expose job-hopping patterns
Less effective for those with limited work history
May not highlight transferable skills effectively
Difficult for those re-entering the workforce after a long break
The functional resume format puts the spotlight on your skills and abilities rather than your chronological work history. It organizes your experience by skill categories that relate directly to the requirements of your target position.
Contact Information
Name, phone, email, LinkedIn, location
Professional Summary/Objective
Brief overview of your career and key qualifications
Skills Summary/Core Competencies
Detailed sections organized by skill categories
Achievements
Accomplishments that demonstrate your skills
Work Experience
Brief listing of previous positions (often without detail)
Education
Academic credentials and relevant certifications
Skills and abilities are the primary focus
Experience organized by skill categories or functional areas
De-emphasizes chronology and employers
Minimizes attention to dates
Focuses on transferable skills and accomplishments
Employment history often condensed to a simple list
A teacher transitioning to corporate training might organize their resume by skill categories like 'Instructional Design,' 'Performance Assessment,' and 'Presentation Skills,' drawing examples from teaching experience that translate to corporate training.
Minimizes employment gaps or job-hopping
Excellent for career changers highlighting transferable skills
Helps those with a diverse work background show cohesive skill sets
Ideal for those returning to the workforce after a break
Good for highlighting specialized skills or expertise
Can help those with limited direct experience in a field
Many recruiters are skeptical of this format
May appear to hide work history details
Often performs poorly with ATS systems
Can seem evasive about career progression
Lacks the clear timeline recruiters are accustomed to
May require more explanation in cover letters or interviews
The combination (or hybrid) resume format blends elements of both chronological and functional formats. It showcases both your skills and your work experience, offering flexibility to emphasize your most relevant qualifications.
Contact Information
Name, phone, email, LinkedIn, location
Professional Summary/Objective
Expanded overview highlighting key qualifications
Skills Summary/Core Competencies
Relevant skills organized by category
Work Experience
Reverse chronological work history with accomplishments
Education
Academic credentials and relevant certifications
Additional Sections
Awards, certifications, volunteer work, etc.
Balance between skills and work experience
Begins with a robust skills or summary section
Includes a traditional chronological work history
Allows customization to emphasize strengths
Maintains timeline while highlighting capabilities
Can spotlight achievements in separate sections
A project manager moving from construction to IT would feature a skills section highlighting project management, stakeholder communication, and budget management, followed by a chronological list of project management roles showing progressive responsibility.
Offers the best of both chronological and functional formats
Allows customization based on individual circumstances
Effective for experienced professionals changing industries
Good for highlighting specialized expertise alongside work history
Works reasonably well with ATS systems
Satisfies recruiters' desire to see work history
Can become lengthy if not carefully edited
Risks redundancy between skills and experience sections
May dilute focus if not properly structured
Requires thoughtful organization to be effective
More complex to create effectively
Can be challenging to fit on one or two pages
Use these factors to determine which resume format is right for your specific situation
If you have relevant internships or coursework, choose chronological. If you have limited relevant experience but transferable skills, consider functional.
Chronological is usually best to show career progression, but combination works well if changing industries.
Combination format allows you to highlight relevant skills and accomplishments while showing your extensive experience, without dating yourself.
Chronological format best highlights your consistent growth and advancement within your field.
These formats help emphasize transferable skills rather than industry-specific experience you might lack.
Combination format allows you to group diverse experience by relevant skill sets while still maintaining a timeline.
These formats de-emphasize timeline gaps by focusing on skills and achievements over continuous employment.
Functional format shifts focus from your frequent job changes to the consistent skills you've developed across positions.
These formats highlight your skills and downplay the time gap in your employment history.
Conservative fields typically expect traditional formats that clearly show your career progression and credentials.
These industries offer more flexibility, allowing you to showcase creativity while still highlighting relevant experience.
Tech employers value skills and achievements but also want to see your progression and specific experience with technologies.
ATS software typically handles chronological formats best, with clear job titles, companies, and dates.
When your resume doesn't need to pass through ATS, you have more flexibility to choose the format that best showcases your qualifications.
For roles with many applicants, the familiar chronological format makes it easier for recruiters to quickly assess your qualifications.
Different industries often have different expectations for resume formats
Tech companies value skills and specific technologies, but also want to see project history and progression. Combination formats work well to highlight both technical skills and career progression.
Traditional industries like finance typically prefer chronological formats that clearly outline career progression and stability within financial institutions.
Healthcare roles prioritize relevant experience, certifications, and specific work history, making chronological formats generally preferred.
Creative industries offer flexibility, but still value seeing your progressive experience alongside creative skills and accomplishments.
Educational institutions typically prefer traditional formats with clear timelines of teaching experience, education, and certifications.
Marketing roles benefit from combination formats that showcase both marketing skills and progressive experience with measurable campaign results.
Government positions generally require traditional chronological formats that clearly document your work history, security clearances, and relevant certifications.
Nonprofit roles value both relevant experience and transferable skills, making either chronological or combination formats effective options.
Senior Recruiter, Tech Industry
"When using a combination format, make sure the skills section at the top directly connects to achievements within your work experience section. This creates a cohesive narrative that's easy for recruiters to follow."
HR Director with 15+ years experience
"No matter which format you choose, always customize your resume for each position. Carefully analyze the job description and rearrange sections and content to highlight what's most relevant to that specific role."
Career Coach and Former Fortune 500 Hiring Manager
"If you're using a functional resume to address employment gaps, be prepared to discuss your work history transparently in interviews. The format can get you in the door, but you'll still need to address the gaps candidly."
What goes wrong
Assess your experience level, career path, and industry before choosing a format. Don't simply choose a format because it's popular.
What goes wrong
Even with a functional format, include a brief work history section. Complete omission of work history raises red flags for recruiters.
What goes wrong
Carefully edit combination resumes to avoid redundancy and ensure every word serves a purpose. Aim for a maximum of two pages.
What goes wrong
Consider your audience (recruiters and ATS systems) when selecting a format, not just what you think looks best.
What goes wrong
Maintain the same fonts, spacing, and styling throughout your entire resume, regardless of format or length.
What goes wrong
Resume standards evolve. Research current best practices for your industry rather than relying on advice from decades past.
The three main resume formats are chronological, functional, and combination (hybrid). Chronological format focuses on work history in reverse chronological order, functional format emphasizes skills and abilities rather than work history, and combination format blends elements of both by showcasing both skills and work experience prominently.
The chronological resume format is best for most job seekers and is preferred by most employers and ATS systems. It works well for those with a steady work history, career progression in one field, and when applying for roles similar to previous positions. Most recruiters prefer this format because it clearly displays your work history and professional growth.
You should consider using a functional resume format if you have significant employment gaps, are changing careers, have varied work experience with a common skill set, or are entering the workforce with limited professional experience but transferable skills. However, be aware that some recruiters are skeptical of functional formats because they can appear to hide work history details.
A combination resume format is ideal for experienced professionals looking to change industries while leveraging transferable skills, those with a diverse background who want to tie their experience together, and mid to senior-level candidates who need to highlight both specialized skills and progressive work history. It offers flexibility to emphasize both skills and experience.
Most employers and Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) prefer the chronological resume format because it clearly shows work history, job titles, and career progression. However, preferences can vary by industry and role. What's most important is choosing a format that best showcases your qualifications for the specific position and ensures your resume is clearly organized, regardless of the format you choose.