Best Resume Format for 2023 [10+ Professional Examples] (2023)

Making a resume is hard enough without having to worry about organizing it. So let us help you format your resume to give you the best chance of landing the job you want.

5 sample resume formats to use for your job hunt

Looking for a quick way to format your resume? Here are five unique resume formats you can download and use as a template:

1. College student format

Download This Resume Format

This resume format is ideal for college students because it features a detailed education section and a simple, modern design.

If you’re like most students or recent college graduates, you don’t have much formal work experience yet, so your education is the core of your resume. This resume format accommodates that by listing your education section before your experience section.

2. Entry-level format

Download This Resume Format

Similar to the previous example, this entry-level resume format adjusts the layout to showcase your most valuable qualifications as a professional just entering the workforce.

Instead of the dense work experience section most resumes use, this format focuses primarily on relevant experiences, such as extracurriculars, internships, and volunteer work. This format helps you highlight any experience you have that qualifies you for the job, instead of just traditional full-time work.

3. Mid-level professional format

Download This Resume Format

If you’re more than five years into your career, this is the best resume format for you. Think of this as the standard resume – it focuses primarily on your work experience, with smaller sections for your (now less relevant) education history and skills.

Additionally, this format features a resume summary and a core competencies section, giving you plenty of space to highlight your achievements as a professional.

4. Traditional format

Download This Resume Format

When you’re applying for jobs, the style of your resume is just as important as its layout. The traditional resume format is simple, buttoned-up, and highly professional. This style makes it ideal if you’re applying for a job in a more formal industry like law, finance, or politics.

5. Modern format

Download This Resume Format

A modern resume format like this one is perfect if you’re applying for jobs in a more casual industry like marketing or performing arts. More casual industries encourage experimentation, so choosing a resume design with bold colors and stylish design elements will help your application stand out.

The 3 best resume formats in 2023

Now that we’ve gone over some more specific ways to format your resume, here are the three most common resume formats used by job seekers today:

• Chronological resume format (aka the standard resume format)
• Functional resume format (skills-based resume)
• Combination resume format

Here’s a quick look at the structural differences between the three main resume formats:

As you can see, the standard chronological format has more space for your work experience, the functional format has more space for skills, and the combination format balances both sections.

Our resident career expert Eva breaks down the differences between these resume formats in greater detail in this video:

And here’s an in-depth explanation of what makes each of these formats unique, and when you should use each one:

1. Chronological (the standard resume format)

Here’s what a resume looks like using the chronological format:

Download a Chronological Resume

Why you should use a chronological resume: to emphasize your career progression and achievements.

The chronological resume format highlights your work experience, with your most recent position at the top. All other sections of your resume are smaller and usually listed toward the bottom of the page. The chronological resume excels at showing your career progression because it lists each job you’ve had in the order you’ve had it.

Think of the chronological resume as the “default” format. It’s the one most job seekers use because it highlights your professional accomplishments and how you’ve grown in each role.

Concerned that you don’t have enough work experience to fill a chronological resume? Even if you’re a recent graduate applying for your first job, you can use this format. Simply focus on experience you’ve gained from volunteering, internships, or student government positions.

2. Functional format (for highlighting skills)

Here’s an example of a resume that uses the functional format:

Download a Functional Resume

Why you should use a functional resume: to focus on your transferable skills and take attention away from any career gaps or unrelated experience.

The functional resume format focuses heavily on your relevant job skills instead of your work experience. You might see it referred to as a “skills-based” resume on some websites.

Instead of outlining your work history chronologically, functional resumes feature a large skills section. Each skill acts as a heading and provides space for you to include bullet-point examples of you using that skill in a professional setting. No timeframe is necessary, making this appealing for applicants with experience gaps.

Functional resumes aren’t as common or well-accepted as chronological resumes that showcase career progression. Most hiring managers place emphasis on work experience, so only use this format if your experience hurts your resume rather than helps it.

3. Combination format (for equally emphasizing skills and experience)

This is what a combination resume looks like:

Download a Combination Resume

Why you should use a combination resume: to showcase a highly specialized skillset that you’ve developed over a successful career.

A combination resume blends the structure of the chronological and functional resume formats.

Combination resumes:

1. Lead with a big skills section (like a functional resume)
2. End with a detailed work experience section (like a chronological resume)

If this seems like a lot of information to include, that’s the point. Combination resumes, also known as hybrid resumes, are best if you’ve developed many skills over your career, and have plenty of experience using those skills.

What’s the best resume format for me?

For most job seekers, the best resume format is the chronological resume format. This format focuses on your work history and career progression — the details that matter most to the majority of hiring managers.

However, the chronological resume isn’t the best choice for everyone. Picking the format that best highlights your experience and skills on your resume (and also downplays your weaknesses) will help you get a job faster.

Use this flowchart to see which resume format you should use:

Resume formatting tips

Your resume’s content is ultimately what will get you interviews. However, minor details like your resume’s margins, line spacing, and text alignment ensure your resume is easy to read and professional.

These little details might seem insignificant, but a well-formatted resume is a sign of professionalism. If you’re applying for a competitive position and are being compared to candidates with similar qualifications, flawless resume formatting can give you an advantage over other applicants.

Here’s a quick checklist you can use to ensure your resume looks good before you send it off:

Resume format FAQs

Now that you know a bit more about how to format your own resume, here are some frequently asked questions about resume formats:

Other resume format Q&As

Still unclear on best resume format practices? Here are some additional commonly asked questions about resume formatting:

• Can I just put years on my resume?
• Is it OK not to include dates on your resume?
• Should I upload my resume as a PDF or Word Doc?
• What is the best font and size for a resume?
• How do you put your GED on your resume?
• How many years of experience should be on a resume?
• What should you name your resume file?
• What looks bad on a resume?