A resume is your first point of contact with a target employer, so the structure you select can make or break your chances of standing out. With the competition at an all-time high, you need more than just well-crafted text; you should look for the ideal CV format to show your experiences effectively. But what is the best format for resumes?
8 Resume Formats and Their Ideal Use Cases
While there are a dozen resume formats to choose from, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. That’s why we’ll get into different resume templates, share insider tips, and present solutions to simplify your resume creation procedure for different industries.
1. Chronological Resume: Best for Career Stability
The chronological resume format is the most frequently used, and for positive reasons. It categorizes your work background in reverse chronological order, meaning your most current job shows up first. This setup is ideal for persons with a firm work history in the same industry, as it highlights persistence and upward mobility.
Who it’s for:
- Job hunters with a stable career achievement
- Applicants with minor employment gaps
- People applying for positions where experience is more important than skills or education
If you use this format and have a long career bridging many decades, pay attention to the most recent 10-15 years of experience. Everything older might be out-of-date or less related to today’s job marketplace.
In this case, using Allsorter, you can even modify the sequential order for several job applications. It allows you to reorganize your content and guarantee that your most new and relevant experiences take the epicenter stage.
2. Functional Resume: Best for Skills-First Presentation
A functional resume highlights your skills rather than your work experience. This format is great for job changers, current graduates, or anybody with important gaps in their employment. The functional format systematizes content by skill group, so you can emphasize abilities that are directly related to the job you're applying for.
Who it’s for:
- Job transitioners or those transitioning businesses
- Persons with lengthy gaps in employment
- Independent workers or advisors with various experience
If you choose this resume, concentrate on transmittable skills applicable to the industry you’re directing. Set them under groups like “Project Management,” “Team Leadership,” or “Technical Expertise” to grasp the employment manager’s attention.
3. Combination Resume: Best of Both Worlds
The hybrid resume format conveys together elements of both the historical and functional arrangements. It’s intended to emphasize skills and work experience similarly, making it flawless for experienced professionals who want to present their skills while still stressing a solid career history.
Who it’s for:
- Mid-career specialists
- Directors or executives
- Persons with a mix of hard and social skills
If you're applying in a mixed format, ensure your resume isn’t too lengthy. Try to restrict yourself to two pages at most, and focus on your strongest points to keep the hiring manager engaged. The idea is to ensure that your resume remains brief and structured.
4. Targeted Resume: Tailored for Each Application
A targeted resume is tailored to fit an exact job or employer. While this can be laborious, it’s often the most current method for alighting an interview. The format itself can be accurate, practical, or combination-based, but every unit is fine-tuned to match the job description.
Who it’s for:
- Work seekers looking for niche roles
- Entities targeting specific corporations or industries
- Applicants aiming for executive or specialized roles
When using targeted resumes, use key terms from the work description. This enhances your chances of passing Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) and vibrates with hiring managers who are looking for specific experiences.
Resume formatting tools are ideal here, as they let you make and manage several types of your resume. You can hurriedly tweak each section to ensure it brings into line with the certain job you're aiming for, without having to begin from scratch every time.
5. Infographic Resume: Best for Creative Fields
An infographic CV is a graphic representation of your abilities, background, and accomplishments. It shows graphics, charts, and images to make the data more attractive and palatable. This format is perfect for creative experts like designers, vendors, or those in media characters, where showcasing originality is vital.
Who it’s for:
- Graphic designers
- Digital marketers
- Visual artists or content creators
While innovative, infographic resumes aren’t always ATS-friendly. That’s why it’s always a good idea to have an old-style form on hand to submit through online applications, particularly if you’re applying to larger companies.
The good news is that Allsorter can help you create both classic and visual CVs. By offering a diversity of patterns and formats, you can ensure your infographic resume is not only attention-grabbing but also specialized.
6. Mini Resume: Best for Networking Events
A mini resume is basically a shortened version of your complete resume, emphasizing only the most important features of your career. This format is often used for networking intentions or as an extra to business cards, particularly at conferences or business events.
Who it’s for:
- Specialists attending networking events
- Advisors and freelancers
- Work seekers in informal settings
When using mini resumes, the idea is to keep all information in one page. Concentrate on your job title, key achievements, and contact information. This format should be a discussion starter, not a full failure of your career.
Here, it’s a good idea to go for branded resumes or personalized mini CVs, which can be practical for quickly producing brief versions for many networking chances.
7. Video Resume: A Modern Twist
A video resume is a quick video presentation where you sum up your skills, background, and qualifications. While it’s not a traditional setup, it’s gaining popularity, particularly in industries like press, advertising, and sales. A video resume helps employers to get clues of your character and communication skills, which can be hard to address in writing.
Who it’s for:
- Salespeople
- Marketing experts
- Anybody in client-facing or media roles
If you go for a video resume, remember to keep it brief, possibly under 90 seconds. Ensure great lighting, clear audio, and a specialized appearance. Don’t just recite your resume—use the chance to showcase your nature and eagerness for the role.
8. Digital Resume: The Future of Job Applications
An electronic resume is an online portfolio or LinkedIn outline that helps as your primary resume. This format allows for interaction elements, such as hyperlinks to work samples, articles, or performances. Many managers now favor digital resumes because they are simpler to store, contact, and share.
Who it’s for:
- Creative experts
- Freelancers or advisors
- Candidates applying to IT-savvy or digital-first businesses
If you’re going digital, don’t just copy-paste your CV into your LinkedIn profile. Use the platform’s extra features like recommendations, endorsements, and portfolio uploads to create a more dynamic presentation.
Bonus Tips on Achieving the Best Resume Format
Finding the best resume can be challenging if you don’t have the right tools, information, and aims. However, using these insider tips, you can create a resume that stands out to both networks and individuals—ultimately giving you the best chance of landing your dream job.
Keep Your Resume ATS-Friendly
In today’s digital recruiting landscape, many businesses use automated applicant tracking systems (ATS) to screen resumes before they even reach a human recruiter. These organizations look for specific key terms and formatting features, which means a CV that is visually attractive to humans might not always present well when run through ATS software.
Guaranteeing your resume is ATS-friendly is vital to getting past this initial obstacle. This is where tools like Allsorter are godsent. With Allsorter’s pre-built ATS-friendly templates, you can structure your resume in a way that both the system and job recruiters will appreciate.
Tailor Your Resume for Remote Jobs
As online work becomes gradually popular, adapting your resume to emphasize your ability to work from home is more significant than ever. Employers seeking remote workers often seek applicants with skills in time management, communication, and skill in remote tools like Slack, Zoom, or project management software.
When arranging a resume for a remote role, think of adding a “Remote Skills” section to highlight your working background independently. Allsorter makes it simple to customize your CV for remote roles, allowing you to involve a separate sector that emphasizes relevant soft and practical skills for a remote atmosphere.
Keep Your Resume Refreshed
It’s quite easy to only refresh your resume when you’re diligently job hunting. However, maintaining your resume recent—even when you’re not looking—can spare you a lot of stress when the time arises.
Frequently updating your CV ensures that no major achievements, new skills, or job errands are left out. CV formatting tools like Allsorter let you update your resume on the fly, making it clear to adjust parts as your career advancements.
Having an up-to-date resume at all times also positions you for unexpected chances, enabling you to be ready whenever the flawless role comes along.
Wrapping Up
Discovering the best resume format is just the first step in making a lasting impression on potential employers. Whether you opt for a sequential, useful, or infographic resume, it’s vital to ensure your document is well-structured and improved for modern hiring practices.
With ATS-friendly samples from Allsorter, you can effortlessly format your resume to pass these schemes and reach the hiring director's desk. So, stop wasting precious time and try Allsorter today!