Reverse-Chronological: The Default for a Reason
Lists your work experience from most recent to oldest, with bullet points under each role. Used by 80%+ of candidates. Recruiters expect this format. ATS systems parse it cleanly. Use this if you have a relatively continuous work history in roles related to your target. The format makes career progression obvious and rewards strong recent experience.
Functional: Almost Always the Wrong Choice
Organizes content by skill category (Leadership, Project Management, Technical Skills) rather than by job. Used to mask gaps, frequent job changes, or career changes. The problem: recruiters and ATS know exactly what functional resumes are designed to hide. Most recruiters report viewing functional resumes with skepticism. Most ATS struggle to parse them. Avoid functional format unless you have a specific reason and you're confident the reader will engage with it (typically through a referral or direct submission, not ATS).
Hybrid (Combination): The Career Changer's Tool
Combines a strong skills section at the top with traditional reverse-chronological experience below. Captures the keyword density and skills emphasis of a functional resume while preserving the parseable structure of a chronological one. Best for: career changers, candidates with non-linear paths, candidates with strong skills that aren't obvious from job titles, and senior leaders whose summary alone isn't enough to convey scope.
Decision Framework
If you have steady experience in your target field: reverse-chronological. If you're changing careers: hybrid. If your job titles don't reflect what you actually do: hybrid. If you have employment gaps or frequent transitions: reverse-chronological with strong cover letter (not functional, despite the temptation). If you're a senior leader with complex scope: reverse-chronological with strong summary, or hybrid if your specialty isn't obvious from titles.
Format Choices Within the Format
Within any of these formats, you have additional choices: one column or two columns (one column for ATS safety), bullet points or short paragraphs (bullets), traditional sections or modern variants (traditional for ATS), and visual elements like icons or colors (skip them for ATS-targeted resumes; safe for recruiter-direct submissions).
What to Cut Across All Formats
References (just leave them off — outdated convention). Objective statements (replaced by professional summary). Photos in U.S. resumes (compliance issues). Personal information beyond contact (no age, marital status, religion). Hobbies unless directly relevant. Outdated technologies you no longer use. Excessive job descriptions in older roles.