Resume Formats - Chronological or Combination? Pick the Best One.

There are two common resume formats: Chronological and Combination. Here’s the skinny on both:

Chronological : The most common and standard resume format. Truth be told, most employers prefer this type. A chronological resume focuses on your progressive work history.

A chronological resume order should be as follows:

  1. Contact information (name, city/province, email, phone number, link to LinkedIn profile)

  2. Professional Summary (introduction and career objective)

  3. Highlight of Qualifications (bullet points of strengths/significant work accomplishments)

  4. Work History (reverse chronological order with most recent job first)

  5. Education (degree, diploma, certification, designation attained)

  6. Additional Sections (volunteer or community involvement for instance)

Combination : Works best for senior professionals with a depth of experience in different industries. This format also works well if you have large gaps in your work history that are difficult to explain. The emphasis is more on skills but also provides some detail on past work experience.

A combination resume order should be as follows:

  1. Contact information

  2. Professional Summary

  3. Highlight of Qualifications (can be abbreviated)

  4. *Skills Summary (concise points which focus on your relevant transferrable skills)

  5. Work History (can be abbreviated)

  6. Education

  7. Additional Sections

Keep your resume to two pages (three including your cover letter) and focus on the last 7-10 years.

I encourage you to visit the Calgary Career Hub Virtual Resource Centre for the most updated and relevant information for any job search. Check out the category on Resumes for lots of helpful advice.

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