Which resume format should you use to land your dream job?

Your resume is the key that unlocks the doors to job opportunities. The questions is, which resume format is going to unlock the doors for jobs you want most?

Over a year ago I started searching for a job that better aligned with my career goals. I always knew what kind of job I wanted but my professional experience didn’t quite match up to the roles I was applying for. My mentor served as my career coach through the process, and one of the biggest changes we made was to my resume format. A chronological resume wasn’t doing me justice in my search for creative/marketing roles, so changing to a skills-based resume was necessary to land more interviews. Keep reading to learn more about resume formats and which one may be best for your job search.

What is a chronological resume?

Also called a reverse-chronological resume, this is the most common format and lays out your job history and skills in reverse-chronological order, starting with the most recent.

When should you use this format?

You should use a chronological resume when you’re searching for roles within your current industry. You can easily showcase the years of experience you have and show upward mobility. This is also an ideal format if you have a good amount of long-term work experience.

What to highlight?

For a chronological resume, you should highlight the years of work experience you have, quantifiable impacts you’ve made on the business, and promotions you’ve earned over the years.

What is a skills-based resume?

This resume format highlights your skills first, instead of your job history. With a skills-based resume, you put skills and experience relevant to the jobs you’re looking for first, and your job history goes toward the bottom.

When should you use this format?

A skills-based resume is useful in a few scenarios. If you’re looking to make a career pivot or change industries, have more short-term work experience, or have large gaps in your work history, this format will work well for you. A skills-based resume is also perfect for students or recent grads who may not have a ton of work experience under their belt.

What to highlight?

For a skills-based resume, you should highlight internships, freelance work, or any special projects you’ve done at work that relate to the type of job you’re searching for.

I hope you all find this post helpful as you navigate your job search! Changing up my resume format was a game-changer and I started getting more interviews almost instantly. Also, check out my career coach to make the most of your job search experience.