Format of Resume - What Resume Format is Best for You?

Before you start writing your resume, carefully read and understand our resume samples. The sample resumes are suitable for a variety of job roles.

Don't simply copy a resume example that you like. Instead, plan your resume carefully to highlight particular areas. If there are obvious weaknesses in your employment record, then consider using one of the alternative resume formats to put across your strengths.

The format for the resume can have a huge bearing on the selection of candidates for an interview. We strongly recommend our flow of information for constructing a resume: summary of experience, skills table, work history, education, and optional areas for awards and recognitions.

Your resume must grab the attention of the reviewer within the first few lines. The conventional wisdom is that resume reviewers spend an average of thirty seconds on a resume. Be sure your strongest accomplishments are well presented in the first few lines of your resume.

There are essentially three ways to organize your information on the resume:

a) Chronological

b) Functional

c) Skills

Additional variations include combining these formats to create “blended” representations. A chronological format is best if you have a steady, fulltime employment history. It displays your work history in “reverse” chronological order, meaning the most recent job first, and going backwards in employment history. A few examples are provided below.

A functional resume, in contrast, is preferred if there are employment gaps, or roles have changed a good bit. See the example provided below.

Summary vs. Objective

Ten years ago it was common for resumes to include an objective section at the top. The preferred format today is to include a career summary instead of an objective. Unlike an objective that frequently bears little resemblance to the target job position, the summary should convey an idea of your experience and accomplishments, your areas of strong interest and indicate how you will perform the target job position. Mention your career highlights, including past roles and your strongest skills.

It is a good practice to maintain an updated list of specific work accomplishments and outcomes you've achieved to help you write a powerful résumé. You may use a spreadsheet to catalog your various job titles, employers, key projects, challenges, specific achievements, competencies and technologies. Once you compile this employment record, be sure to continue to maintain it in the future. As you customize your resume for each job submittal, you'll be able to reach into this compilation to quickly pick out suitable examples for submittal.

In your career summary, include the job title that's listed on the posting (see example resumes below). This has the benefit of relating you to the target job position in the mind of the reviewer.

The key is to make the first words on your résumé match the title of the advertised job. This creates an instant rapport between you and the hiring manager. Provided you have experience in a similar position, it can put the reader in the right frame of mind to read the rest of your résumé as a convincing case to consider you for the job.

Resume Formatting Tips

Chronological Resume

A chronological format is best if you have had a steady, fulltime employment history. It displays your work history in “reverse” chronological order, meaning the most recent job first, and going backwards in employment history. A few examples are provided below.

Functional Resume

A functional resume, in contrast, is preferred if there are employment gaps, or roles have changed a good bit. See the example provided below.

Skills Resume

A skills resume emphasizes the areas of specialization (skills), rather than work history. If the work history is checkered then a skills resume is the format of choice.

Hybrid (or Blended Resume)

A hybrid resume may combine aspects of a chronological and a skills resume.

Keywords

Keywords, like career summaries, are signs of the time. Today, many employers use software to scan submitted résumés for keywords that suggest an applicant is a good match for the job. Although you won't know which exact words the software is looking for, a job posting can give you a good idea. Incorporate phrases and terms from the posting, and see what words reappear in several industry ads. Concrete terms such as "infrastructure development" and "strategic planning" will fare better than generic phrases like "hard worker" and "team player."

One way to appreciate the power of keywords in your resume is to do this exercise. Go to our JOBS page and search for a job in your field. Type is some generic keywords such as “retail”, and you’ll get 5,000 or more job listings. However, type in “merchandizing manager” and the listings will dwindle to under 100.

The same applies when a prospective employer searches on resumes. If you have not used the right keywords – often present in a job description – your resume will be screened out.

Keywords are specific words or phrases that job seekers use to search for jobs and employers use to find the right candidates. Keywords are used as search criteria in the same way you do research on the Internet. The more keywords you use, the more closely the job will match what you're really seeking.

Get key worded up
Most job postings are loaded with industry- and position-specific buzzwords. Take your cues straight from the source and include those same words in your resume. To find more keywords, research industry trends and visit professional association Web sites to uncover current buzzwords -- especially those used by the hiring company or industry leaders.

Don't get lost in translation
Most companies use applicant tracking software, which scans resumes for keywords relating to skills, training, degrees, job titles and experience. Make sure your resume gets through the gatekeeper -- present your qualifications as if the reader is comparing the words on the resume to a list of desired qualifications as specified in the job description. That means you should thoroughly read and understand the most important requirements in the job. Use the target job title in your resume, at the top of the summary, as we have indicated in the examples below.

Remember the magic words
Here are some specific examples of popular powerful keywords. Make sure to also use keywords that are specific to your industry:

Strategic planning
Performance and productivity improvement
Organizational design
Infrastructure development
New media
Internet
E-commerce
Change management
Team-building
Leadership
Competitive market
Product positioning
Investor and board relations
Oral and written communications
Problem-solving and decision-making
MBA
Project management
Customer retention
Business development
Corporate vision
Long-range planning
Cost reduction

Avoid these "empty" words (or empty "claims")

Aggressive
Ambitious
Competent
Creative
Detail-oriented
Determined
Efficient
Experienced
Flexible
Goal-oriented
Hard-working
Independent
Innovative
Knowledgeable
Logical
Motivated
Meticulous
People person
Professional
Reliable
Resourceful
Self-motivated
Successful
Team player

Resume Formatting

We suggest a font size of 10.5 or larger. Line spacing of 1.15 to 1.25. Suggested fonts are Arial, Verdana, or Times Roman. Unfortunately the standard font in Word 2007, Calibri, creates unprintable characters when copied and pasted into an online text buffer. Be very careful in the selection of fonts.

Our preferred method for submitting a resume is in PDF format (provided it is permitted). There are many free utilities available on the Internet for creating a PDF document.

Checklist Prior to Submitting Your Resume

Spelling mistakes (spell checkers should be turned OFF)
Grammatical errors (grammar checkers should be turned OFF)
Be sure the information flows smoothly and consistently from one sentence to next.
Check if each line is producing the desired impact.
Don't just focus on the past; address the requirements of your future job

The reason we suggest turning off the spell checker and grammar checker is because these two tools can wreak havoc on a resume. You could inadvertently click "Change All", resulting in incorrect replacements. For instance spell checkers may suggest replacing a company name, "NEC" with "NECK".

Download Resume Templates

You may view and download FREE blank resume templates from this link.