A combination resume could be your ticket to landing your next job.

In a competitive job market, having a resume that showcases your talent and skills better than the competition is a necessity. Your resume is the tool that helps you get your foot in the door. Conversely, if your resume blends in with other submissions, can't pass an applicant tracking system or ATS, and doesn't grab the attention of a recruiter or hiring manager, the door won't open at all. 

That said, you need to develop a resume with the right content and format. In this post, we cover resume formats, with an emphasis on the combination resume template and when you should use it. 

What is a combination resume?

The combination resume template is one of three options you have to choose from. Your other two are the:

  1. Chronological resume, also referred to as a reverse chronological resume

  2. Functional resume, also referred to as a skills-based resume

A chronological resume emphasizes your work experience, which is listed in reverse chronological order. A functional resume emphasizes your skills over your work experience. 

A combination resume, also known as a hybrid resume, combines elements of both the chronological and functional resume. The goal of a combination resume is to emphasize your skills and your work experience equally.

How does using a combination resume template compare to other formats?

The chronological resume has been the most used format in many countries throughout the world for some time. The functional resume, on the other hand, has been the least used format. So where does the combination resume fit in? It's a close second, and for some, the better option over a chronological resume. 

The combination resume gives you the benefit of emphasizing skills and keywords that are important to hiring managers, in addition to your work experience. This gives you an advantage over using a chronological format when you have a diverse skill set that you want to stand out, along with your work experience. 

When compared to a functional resume, a combination resume gives you the opportunity to still highlight your work experience relevant to the job, in addition to your skills. Also, when written and formatted correctly, a combination resume has a better chance of getting past an employer's applicant tracking system or ATS compared to a functional format. 

Who might benefit from a combination resume template?

A combination resume template can be an ideal option for the following categories:

  • Those in the middle of or planning on changing careers. As a career changer, a combination resume allows you to focus on your transferable skills, while also emphasizing work experience relevant to the new career. 

  • Professionals with a diverse skill set. If you're an experienced professional with a diverse skill set, a combination resume gives you the opportunity to highlight those skills and strengths.

  • People who have changed jobs frequently.For those who have changed jobs frequently, the goal is to focus on skills and diverse work experiences. A combination resume can appeal to employers seeking those with diverse experience and the necessary skills to get the job done. 

  • Gig or freelance workers.Given the nature of their work, it's expected that gig and freelance workers will have a lot of jobs on their resumes. Prospective employers want to know the skill set of freelance workers and the type of work experience they have, including the level of jobs and types of employers for whom they've provided their services. A hybrid resume allows you to emphasize your strengths and skills to engage employers as soon as they see your resume, followed by your impressive employment. 

  • Those who have been out of the workforce for a while. Suppose you're ready to reenter the workforce after being out of it for a while. In that case, you'll want to emphasize your skills first, which a combination resume allows you to do, followed by your prior work experience relevant to the job. This approach lets employers see your essential qualifications up front, making you an appealing candidate to transition back into the workforce successfully. 

When should you not use a combination resume?

Though a combination resume template works well for many, there are some situations where you might want to forgo using it. A chronological or functional resume template might be your better option if:

  • You have a traditional career path. In this case, a chronological resume is typically best. 

  • Your work experience is irrelevant to the job. If this defines you, a functional resume that emphasizes your skills and strengths might work best. 

  • You have little to no experience, like a student or recent college graduate. In this case, a chronological resume that takes into account extracurricular activities as relevant experience and emphasizes your education over your work experience might be your best option. 

How do you format a combination resume?

A combination resume template should, at a minimum, include the following information and sections:

  • Contact info

  • Resume summary

  • Core competencies list or skills summary

  • Work experience

  • Education

Contact information

As with any resume format, your contact information kicks off a combination resume. Your contact information should include your:

  • First and last name

  • Cell phone number

  • Email address

  • City and state

  • LinkedIn URL, portfolio link, or professional website URL (optional)

If you have a relevant certification or achievement, like a Ph.D, MBA, PHR, or CPA, you can include the acronym with your name. For example:

  • Ronnie Smith, MBA

  • Carl Williams, PhD

  • Jimmy Jones, CPA

Resume summary

The goal of your summary is to start your resume off with a bang to grab the attention of hiring managers. Look at it as a three to five-sentence introduction or elevator pitch for your resume. For a powerful resume summary, keep it concise and incorporate:

  • A few key skills

  • Your top achievements relevant to the job

  • Quantifiable results

  • Action verbs

Core competencies or skills summary

Right below your resume summary, curate a list of your top 9 to 12 core competencies or skills related to the job. Be sure to incorporate the required skills you have that are outlined in the job description. 

Work experience

Your work experience comes after your core competencies list. Here, you'll include your relevant jobs in reverse chronological order. For each position listed, include the following:

  • Title

  • Employer

  • Employer location

  • Dates you were employed

  • Three to five bullet points highlighting significant achievements

Education

After your work experience, include your education and certifications. Here, you'll list your most recent degree first and include the rest in reverse chronological order. An exception is if you have a degree that is more relevant than the rest. In this case, you'll include the most relevant degree first and the rest in reverse order. When listing your degree, include the:

  • Name of the degree

  • Issuing institution

  • Latin honors achieved (optional)

Following your degrees, include any relevant certifications you have. Include the:

  • Name of the certification

  • Issuing organization

  • Expiration or renewal date, if applicable

Tips for writing a combination resume

Use the following tips to write an effective combination resume to land interviews. 

Tailor your resume to the job

To increase your chances of landing an interview, tailor your resume for each job application. Taking this approach helps your resume get past the filters of an employer's application tracking system and grab the attention of the hiring manager when they're reviewing it. To effectively tailor your resume, review the job description carefully and identify keywords - skills, qualification requirements, and company or industry language - you can incorporate into your resume. 

Incorporate the right keywords

Though we just touched on keywords, they're important enough that they deserve their own section for emphasis. As mentioned above, keywords help you to tailor your resume and are important to your resume for two primary reasons:

  • Keywords on your resume increase your resume's relevance when it comes to ATS screening requirements

  • Keywords help to highlight your skills and experience required for the job, which increases your chances of landing an interview

The job description is where you want to look for keywords. Go through and highlight the skills, required qualifications, and needed experience that you possess. Also, highlight specific industry or company language. Using these lists, identify the keywords that are best to include. Use keywords naturally throughout your resume and only list 9 to 12 keywords in a skills or core competencies list for the most impact. 

Expert tip: Though keywords are essential for your resume, don't make the mistake of keyword stuffing. Keyword stuffing is when you add too many keywords to your resume, which makes the ATS think you're trying to trick it. The best strategy to avoid keyword stuffing is to use keywords naturally and limit the number of skills you list.

Quantify your results

Show off your work accomplishments by including the results you achieved, and use quantifiable data to highlight those results. In other words, use as many numbers as possible to help hiring teams visualize your ability to succeed on the job. 

How many employees were on your team? What percentage of cost savings did your project achieve? What was the increase in customer satisfaction based on your new approach? What was the cost of the large project you spearheaded? How many new policies did you create for the company? And so on.

Use strong action verbs

Action verbs, also known as power verbs, describe your work accomplishments and increase the impact of the narrative you're attempting to tell. Using the right action verbs also helps to convey a strong sense of initiative.

Focus on relevance

Any and all content you include in your resume, regardless of the format, should be relevant to the job. If you find your resume is longer than two pages, go through the content and leave the most relevant skills, qualifications, and experience, and remove the rest. 

Select a combination resume template to land the job

A combination resume template isn't the best choice for all. However, if you fall under any of the categories mentioned above, it could be the perfect fit. By showcasing your rockstar skills and exemplary work experience using a combination resume template, you'll have recruiters and hiring managers reaching out to schedule that interview with you. Good luck! 

Are you using the right resume format for your circumstances? Why not submit your resume for a free resume review to find out? You'll receive expert tips to ensure your resume stands out from the crowd. 

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