Resume Formats: Chronological, Functional or Combination?
Updated November 12, 2026 3 min readBy the M2Toolkit team
"Format" means the order your resume tells your story in — not the design. There are three standard formats. For most people the choice is easy, but changing careers, returning to work or applying for a first job can change the answer.
You'll learn how to
- Know the three standard formats and what each emphasises
- Choose the right one for your situation
- Set it up in any template by reordering sections
The three formats at a glance
| Format | Leads with | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reverse-chronological | Work experience, most recent first | Almost everyone with a steady work history | Gaps are visible — explain long ones briefly |
| Functional (skills-based) | Skills grouped by theme, with little detail on jobs | Rarely the best choice; occasionally career changers | Many recruiters distrust it because it hides dates |
| Combination (hybrid) | A strong skills or achievements section, then a full work history | Career changers, returners, people with varied roles | Can run long — keep the skills section tight |
Reverse-chronological: the default for good reason
Recruiters read hundreds of resumes in this format, so they know exactly where to look. Applicant tracking systems are built around it too: job title, employer, dates, then bullets.
- Contact details and a short professional summary
- Work experience, most recent first, with achievements
- Education and certifications
- Skills, then optional sections (projects, languages, volunteering)
Functional: why it's usually a mistake
A functional resume groups your skills under headings like "Leadership" or "Analysis" and lists jobs with little or no detail. It was meant to help people with gaps or unrelated jobs, but recruiters now associate it with hiding something, and an ATS can't connect your skills to dates and employers.
If you're tempted by it, use a combination format instead: you get the skills-first opening without losing the work history.
Combination: the career changer's format
A combination resume opens with a short summary and a skills or key-achievements section that shows you can do the new job, then gives a normal reverse-chronological history.
Weak combination opening
Skills: communication, teamwork, problem solving, Excel.
Stronger combination opening
Data analysis: built SQL and Power BI reports used weekly by 40 managers; cleaned and merged data from three systems into one source of truth.
In the M2Toolkit editor, the "Career change" level sets this up for you: it moves skills above experience and adds projects and courses.
Setting a format up in any template
Format is about section order, so it works with any design. In the editor, drag sections into the order you want — even between columns. Choosing a career level (student, career change, executive and so on) applies a sensible order automatically, without touching what you've written.
Frequently asked questions
Which resume format do recruiters prefer?
Reverse-chronological, by a wide margin. Use a combination format only when your most relevant evidence isn't in your most recent job.
Is a functional resume bad for ATS?
It can be. Applicant tracking systems expect each job to have a title, employer and dates. A functional layout separates skills from jobs, so the system can't tell when or where you used them.
What format should a student use?
Reverse-chronological with education first, followed by projects, internships, part-time work and volunteering.
How do I explain a career gap?
Use a reverse-chronological or combination format and add a one-line entry for the gap if it's longer than about six months — for example "Career break: caring responsibilities" or "Full-time study". Recruiters respond better to a short explanation than to dates that don't add up.