Which type of resume is best to use when you are changing careers or have gaps in your work experience?

The chronological format is the most recognizable and traditional format for resumes. It is preferred by most recruiters and hiring managers because it requires less guesswork than other resume formats. In a chronological resume, your experience is laid out in a familiar and easy-to-understand manner. It also presents your skills in context, making it easier for a recruiter to see your career progression and development.

Also referred to as “reverse-chronological,” this resume format lists your most recent experience first then works backward through time. This helps recruiters and hiring managers see your highest-level achievements and most timely experience first. For example, in a chronological resume’s education section, you would list a master’s degree above a bachelor’s degree because you earned your master’s more recently.

The chronological resume format accommodates most industries. It emphasizes the where and when of your employment history more than other resume formats. Its straightforward layout also makes it the easiest format for recruiters and hiring managers to digest. This is beneficial as recruiters rarely take extra time to hunt for information. If they can’t locate the required skills and experience immediately, they might move on to the next applicant.

How to set up a chronological resume

Contact information: Your contact information should go at the top of your chronological resume. Include your name, phone number, email address, location (city, state, and zip code), and LinkedIn profile URL. Make it easy for recruiters to contact you for an interview.

Work experience: List your work experience in reverse-chronological order, with your current or most recent job first. Be consistent in the way you list each position. Each position should contain the following information in the sub-heading:

• Company name
• Job location (city, state)
• Your job title
• Start and end dates

Use the same formatting style for each new listing. For example, if your start and end dates are “04/2018-09/2020” on one job, don’t switch to “May 2016 through January 2018” on another. If you’ve had promotions, make them clear in this section. There are different ways to format your promotions.

Education: List education in reverse-chronological order as well. At very least, your education section should include:

• Name of Institution
• Degree
• School Location
• Years Attended

High school experience is not typically required on a resume unless you have recently graduated. Focus on collegiate experience if applicable. If you are a recent graduate or in a field that emphasizes higher education (like legal or medical), move your education section above your work experience. Recent grads can also expand this section to include GPA (if it’s above 3.5), relevant coursework, extracurriculars, and other information a recruiter might find valuable.

The more resumes you look at, the more confused you can get especially since there are so many different formats to choose from. Most people don’t realize that the format is one of the most important choices when writing a winning resume. Get this wrong and you could effectively be hiding your own career highlights from the reader.

The bad news is that you only get about 10 seconds attention from the person screening your resume so you best make a good first impression. The good news is that I have narrowed it down to only three formats worth considering. Here they are, complete with reasons why you should choose them and in what order the content should be in your resume.

Chronological format:

The chronological resume is the most used out there, it’s the employer’s favorite as it is very easy to read and it’s hard to hide anything in it. It works brilliantly when you have stayed consistent in your career. As long as the job you are applying for is in the same field, the full chronology will be relevant to the reader and therefore the focus is on your experience.

Your employment history is actually in reverse chronological order and your current position will be at the top of the list. The chronological resume doesn’t work well when you have gaps or when you have shifted industries often, as it will expose your weak points.

• Objective
• Summary
• Experience
• Education
• References

Functional format:

The functional format should be used when you want to draw attention away from your work experience due to job hopping, a very long career, a very short career, long gaps, re-entering the job market and so forth. The functional resume focuses on what you can do, what your achievements are and your core competence.

This format is used by graduates, people seeking to change their career completely and anyone with employment gaps that don’t add any value to their experience. If you are looking to change industries, make sure to focus on transferable skills such as sales or people management. A word of warning; employers are known to raise their eyebrows when they see a functional resume so only use this format if you absolutely have to.

• Objective
• Accomplishments
• Capabilities
• Employment History
• Education
• References

The combined format

The combination format is exactly what it sounds like; it combines the chronological and functional formats to give you the best of both worlds. It allows you to use the tasty features from the functional resume but you can still fly in under the radar in the eye of the reader.

Examples of people that can benefit from this would be someone wanting to change careers and has some relevant skills for the new field. It can also be useful when someone wants to pack more skills in than the work experience section allows for or would not bring out adequately.

• Objective
• Summary
• Accomplishments
• Experience
• Education
• References

5 housekeeping rules that apply to all formats:

1. Make sure you put all your contact details on every page, make it easy for the employer to call you up for an interview.
2. You have to put exact dates against every employment and education. If you don’t it will look slightly dodgy and you have to be prepared for a lack-of-dates grilling.
3. All education and qualifications should be listed. The fact that you majored in art history doesn’t mean you can’t apply for a Java consultant job; it means you are trainable and can learn anything.
4. The layout should be pleasing on the eye and never distracting, allow for enough white space in between your text, boxes and bullet points.
5. Make it a habit to use a spel cheker [sic], as your intended audience will swiftly delete a resume that contains typos.

Great, so which format do I use again?

If you can, go with the chronological as it’s everyone’s favorite. If you are shifting careers and possibly have transferable skills, go combined. If you have a short career or big holes in your experience, go functional.

Which format do you use and are you getting interviews? Let us know in the comments below!

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The right resume format will boost your chances of an interview.

Too many people make the mistake of thinking that a resume's purpose is to get them a job. Actually, resumes open and close doors. Their main purpose is to make an employer interested enough to invite you in for an interview. As such, knowing which resume format will work best in your favor is key to your success. Just as people come in different sizes and shapes, so do resumes.

Chronological resumes

The chronological resume seems to be the most popular resume format used. This type of resume usually contains an objective and/or career summary statement and a chronological listing (from most recent to past) of all your employers along with related accomplishments. Educational information is included along with certifications and special skills.

This type of resume format may be fine for someone who is experienced, but if you are switching careers or are just entering the workforce, this type of resume will most likely help you wind up in the "no" pile. So how do you showcase your talents if you can't lay them out like everyone else?

Functional resumes

Take the time to develop a strong functional resume. Functional resumes highlight your abilities, such as hiring, managing or coaching, rather than your chronological work history. You'll still need to summarize your work history, but this is usually done at the bottom of your resume. Don't panic. By the time the reader has gotten to that point, he is usually sold on bringing you in for an interview.

Most books on resume writing contain sections on how to write functional or skills-based resumes. Go to your local bookstore or library and thumb through some books. Then make your selection.

One of my favorite books on this topic is an oldie but goodie. It's old enough to be out of print, but you can still find copies online or at libraries. The book is titled Go Hire Yourself an Employer by Richard Irish. It just goes to show that solid advice is just that—solid.

Who should use a functional resume?

A functional resume format is particularly useful for people who:

The reason functional resumes work well in these situations is that many of us have acquired skills while working that are very transferable. For example, if you have worked as a retail manager, chances are you were responsible for hiring, training, coaching, evaluating and handling employee relations issues.

If you were to submit this information in a chronological resume, there's a good chance a hiring manager (or computer) might skip right by you, because you did not hold the title of human resources manager, even if 50 percent of your day was spent dealing with HR-related issues.

It all comes down to how you package yourself. You can give employers the same information, only in a new and improved package. This is bound to get you more interviews, which will increase your chances of landing the job you want.

Get free writing help

We get it; it can be tricky to know which resume format to go with. Looking to increase your chances of scoring interviews and landing a job? Get a free resume evaluation today from the experts at Monster's Resume Writing Service. You'll get detailed feedback in two business days, including a review of your resume's appearance and content, and a prediction of a recruiter's first impression. Whether you choose functional or chronological, your resume should be a strong indicator of your awesomeness.