Best Resume Format for 2025  (Examples + Templates)

The chronological resume is always a popular choice.

That’s why the formatting of a chronological format aligns closely with the “typical” resume outline. 

Here’s how to structure a chronological resume:

1. Contact information
2. Professional summary
3. Work history
4. Skills
5. Education
6. Additional sections, like projects, certifications and so on

After the header, the chronological resume format kicks off with a professional summary—a one-paragraph overview of your career high points. Then, you have a substantial work history section, featuring detailed bullet points that highlight your most relevant qualifications.

Skills and education are also included, although less prominently than work history.

Writing tips for a reverse-chronological resume

1. Focus on career growth. Start with your current or most recent role, then list your previous roles as you work backward to list your work history, demonstrating your career progression. Put each job title in bold so the reader’s eyes are drawn to them.
2. Quantify your achievements. It’s one thing to describe your job duties—it’s even better to show exactly how you made an impact. This gives unique context to your value as an employee.
3. Use bullet points.  Make your resume easier to read with a bulleted list of qualifications. Each bullet should start off with an action word like “managed,” “developed,” and “led” to make your achievements feel even more dynamic.

Finally, let’s consider the good and bad of choosing this format.

With this format, your skills take center stage.

Also known as the skills-based resume, the functional format focuses on your abilities and achievements, not your job history.

This format allows you to put your best foot forward, even if you lack specific experience in the industry.

Here’s how to structure a skills-based resume

1. Contact information
2. Resume objective
3. Summary of qualifications
4. Skills
5. Education
6. Work experience (if any)
7. Additional sections, like languages, hobbies and so on

In a functional resume format, a resume objective usually follows the contact info. Objectives are more goal-oriented than a professional summary. The centerpiece is your skill set, which you can further highlight in a summary of qualifications or multiple skills sections. Work history is included, but takes a back seat.

Finally, you might want to build out your education section with relevant coursework and even your GPA if it’s impressive.

Writing tips for a skills-based resume

1. Provide examples. In a functional format, skills are everything, so it’s important to show how you applied the skill in or outside the workplace. Be as specific as possible to underscore your abilities.
2. Add a brief work history. Just because the resume is skills-focused doesn’t mean you should leave out your time in the workplace. Whether you’ve held a job or simply a short-term volunteering gig, add it to your resume in reverse-chronological order. Provide the job title, name of employer, location, and dates employed.
3. Customize your resume. This goes for all three formats, but it’s even more important for a skills-based resume. Read the job description closely for important skills and abilities. Add those skills to your resume. They’ll be different in each application.

Next, we’ll consider the pros and cons of a skills-based format.

Also known as the hybrid resume, this format merges the best of chronological and functional resumes. Unlike a chronological resume, it provides extra space for transferable skills and optional resume sections. But, in contrast with a functional resume, it also features experience prominently.

Here’s how to structure a combination resume:

1. Contact information
2. Professional summary or resume objective
3. Work history and skills (given equal weight)
4. Education
5. Additional sections, like awards, volunteer experience, and more

In a combination resume format, a resume objective or a professional summary usually follows the contact info, depending on whether you want to lean more into your experience or your career goals.

You can highlight your skills in their own section, in a summary of qualifications, and in your work achievements. List your work experience in reverse-chronological order and display your responsibilities, impact, and achievements in bullet points under each role.

Finally, if you’ve recently graduated, you might want to build out your education section with relevant coursework and your GPA if it’s 3.5 or higher.

Writing tips for a hybrid resume

1. Emphasize transferable skills. Link your previous experiences to your target role by citing skills you found in the job listing.
2. Give equal weight to skills and experience. The combination format brings the best of both worlds, which means your work history and skills section should get a similar amount of space.
3. Show off your adaptability in different roles and environments. You can do this by placing your skills section and summary of qualifications near the top of the page.

To wrap up, we’ll look at the positive and negative aspects of using a combination format.