Which Resume Format Do Employers Prefer?

Are you preparing to apply for your dream job and looking for tips and tricks to impress your potential employer? If yes, then you need to know that the very first step towards landing your dream job is submitting the kind of resume capable of grabbing the recruiter’s attention. Hence, it would help if you considered hiring a resume writer proficient in portraying you as the right fit for the job by professionally formatting your resume.

The format of your resume should be according to the potential employer’s needs and your previous work history. Generally, three popular formats are used to build resumes; the names of these are Chronological, Functional, and Combined. However, the infographic resume is also gaining immense popularity these days. This format tends to reflect the experience and skills of applicants using design, colors, and layout.

All these resume formats have something unique to offer.

Resume Formats Employers Prefer!

 We will discuss all these resume formats in detail which will help you understand which resume format is preferable. Scroll down if you want to learn more.

Chronological Resume Format

As the name suggests, this resume format is structured in chronological order. However, it lists your work history and academic records in reverse chronological order. Simply put, a chronological resume lists your most recent work experience at the top and moves down to your very first work experience. The same is the case with your academic record with your most recent qualification at the top, and the very first one will be down the order. 

The structure of a chronological resume includes contact information, summary or objective, work history with relevant responsibilities, academic records, and skills and abilities in exact order. You can also discuss your volunteer work and interests in the chronological resume at the very end, but that is optional.

Basically, a resume with a chronological format focuses on the work history of an applicant. It tends to highlight various work experiences, job titles, and levels of responsibility. There is a downside of using this format as well; it will highlight the gaps in the work history of the applicant.

Functional Resume Format

The functional resume format is quite the opposite of the chronological resume format. It emphasizes the transferable skills a potential employee can bring to his new organization. Instead of keeping the work history above the order, it enlists various skills and achievements of the employee first. This format is suitable for applicants who are freshers but have all the required skills up their sleeves.

The structure of the functional resume format includes the contact information and summary or objective at the top. After the aforementioned sections, the skills or accomplishments of the applicant are written under the section of skills to emphasize skills and abilities instead of work history. The structure of this resume format keeps the accomplishments and skills above the fold. After skills, the section of the academic record includes all the academic qualifications of the applicant.

This format may or may not include the work history of the applicant at all, which is a downside. Sometimes employers want to see the work experience of applicants first, but in the case of a functional resume, it comes down the page, or in some cases, the work experience is not available at all.

Combine Resume Format

As the name suggests, this format combines the features of both aforementioned formats. However, it doesn’t tend to emphasize skills or work experiences. The structure of a combination resume keeps skills above the fold but right below the skills is the work experience of the applicant. It is useful for people who have significant gaps in work history.

A combination resume begins with contact information followed by the objective or summary. After the objective or summary, the section on skills and accomplishments is made to reflect the kind of skills and abilities an applicant can bring to the organization. After the skills section, work history is listed in reverse chronological order, and after that, the academic records are written.

In addition to the parts or sections mentioned above, applicants can include sections like achievements or awards, additional interests, and volunteer work history. The good thing about this format is it keeps work history out of the spotlight. However, its downside is employers often read sections above the fold, and work history in a combination resume comes down the fold.

Predefined Resume Templates

Some people may find the task of creating a resume tricky, and rightly so because of a number of formats and the pressure of creating an impressive resume. The solution to this problem is using predefined resume templates available on resume builder online.

You simply need to choose the template according to your desired format like chronological, functional or combine resume format, and you will get a variety of templates to choose from. Simply edit any of those pre-made resume templates to add the information about yourself and save it to your device.

These resume formats offered by a resume maker online will help you make your resume without spending too much time and effort. Moreover, the chances of mistakes and wrong formatting will be quite limited in such a scenario.

Which is the Preferable Resume Format for Employers?

After learning about all the common resume formats, you must have understood that the preferable resume format depends on the work experience of the applicant, job requirements, and the way an employer analyzes various resumes.

If the recruiter wants a highly experienced person for the position, then the chronological resume format would work better. However, if the recruiter is looking for a person with all the necessary skills up his/her sleeves, then a combination resume or sometimes the functional resume will click. When it comes to freshers, going with a functional resume format will be a sane choice.

Simply put, it highly depends upon the circumstances and job requirements. If you are finding the task of making an impressive resume a challenge, then a resume builder online can come in handy for you. We hope these details will be helpful for you in building a great resume and landing your dream job easily.