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The Complete Resume Format

Guide For 2019 How To Answer “Tell Me About Yourself” –
[Powerful Example Answer]

By Mike Simpson
110 How To Write A Killer Resume Objective
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(Examples Included)

a By now, as a seasoned job hunter

and student of the Interview Guys,
Top 10 Interview Questions For 2019 (…
110 you should know there are a few

d
And How To Answer Them)
essentials you should have in your
arsenal: business cards, a solid
h
Send This Thank You Email After Interview
cover letter, your elevator pitch, and your well-formatted resume. (Templates Included)

0
Hang on, haven’t we already gone over all this in that other article, How to Make a
k Resume 101?
15 Things You Never (Ever) Want to Hear
During Your Job Interview

Yes…and no.
How To Ace A Second Interview (Questions
& Example Answers Included)
In that article we did go over how to write a resume, but in this article,
we’re going to take you to the next step and focus speci cally on one
Job Interview Questions and Answers 101
seemingly small but massively huge part of resume building: resume format
and how to select which one is right for you.
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perfect resume.

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 Why Is Resume Format So
Important?
As any good “Interview Guys student” will tell you, a resume is a document
used by job seekers (you) to quickly and easily let a hiring manager know what
skills they have, what their work history is, and any accomplishments they
might have.

Seems simple, right?

110
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a Well, it is, but only if you know what you’re doing. The tricky part of writing
your own resume is it’s a deceptive document.
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d No, not deceptive as in you use it to lie to an employer about what you can do
(don’t EVER do that!), but deceptive in that it seems like it should be really

h easy to write.

0 Trust me, it’s much easier to write a bad resume than a good one…and there

k are a LOT of bad ones out there, which, believe it or not, is a good thing.

Wait. It’s good that there are bad resumes out there? That doesn’t make any sense!

Yes, and the reason is, when a recruiter or hiring manager has to slog through
a mountain of bad resumes, seeing a good resume is like a breath of fresh air.
It stands out!

And if you follow our guide, that breath of fresh air resume is going to be
yours!

But rst, we need to gure out what type of resume format you need.

Types of Resume Formats

Once upon a time, many moons ago, there was just one way to write a
resume, reverse-chronologically.

Chronological Resume Format

 The reverse-chronological resume (simply called
the “chronological”) was just that, a chronological
listing of everything you’d done up to that point,
starting with your most recent and working
backwards.

During the heyday of the chronological resume,

everyone used it. It wasn’t just industry standard, it
was global standard.

110 Brain surgeons and tax accountants used the same chronological format
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a
as plumbers and babysitters – and for the time, it was ne.

Then someone said, “Hmm. These jobs aren’t all exactly the same..so why
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d are the resumes being used exactly the same? Shouldn’t they be speci c
to the job you’re seeking? Shouldn’t it be more…functional?”

h And in that moment, the functional resume was born.

k Functional Resume Format

Rather than just simply listing what you’ve done (chronological), a
functional resume speci cally targets the job you’re going after and
makes sure that it highlight the skills and abilities you have that relate to
that position.

Rather than listing a ton of stu that might not relate

to what you’ve done, it highlights what is most
relevant for the position you’re going after.

Whereas a chronological resume can seem cold and

impersonal, almost a ‘shopping list’ of skills,
promotions and upward mobility, a functional resume allows you to
interject a little of “who” you are into the conversation, not just “what you
do.”

And then someone said “I can’t decide…what works better for me?
Chronological or functional? Ugh, why do I have to decide? Why can’t I use
 both?!”

And thus the combination resume was born.

Combination Resume Format

The combination resume takes all the best parts of a functional resume
(relevant skills, quali cations and speci cally targeted information) and
combines it with the chronological resume (everything you’ve done in the
past that’s gotten you to where you are right now.)
110
SHARES But which of the three resume formats is right for me?

a
110 How To Choose the Best Format
d The rst thing you have to do when settling on what type of resume you plan

h
to write (chronological, functional or combination), is gure out which
resume format or resume layout matches your needs and who you are.
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k
CHRONOLOGICAL RESUMES are great for people who have had a steady
career path in the same eld for a long period of time or are applying for
jobs in similar elds and has few, if any, gaps in their employment history.

Employers like chronological resumes because it’s easy to see, at a glance,

what an employee has done in the past. For people who have stayed
within the same industry their whole career and haven’t moved around
much, it’s a great option as it shows a potential employer quickly and
easily your progression.

For example, executives who have had a steady progression to the top
would bene t from a chronological resume.

Chronological resumes are also great for people who are just starting out
or nd themselves in the mid-level of their careers.

When organizing your chronological resume, you want to make sure you
keep the following categories in this order (see, I told you we’d come back
to categories in resume formats!)
 Objective Statement or Summary Statement

Experience/Quali cations

Education

FUNCTIONAL RESUMES are great for people who have started and
stopped their careers and are facing gaps in their work history or are
making a signi cant career change. Functional resumes are also great for
people who are targeting a particular position and need a resume that
110 highlight speci c skills and abilities that directly relate.
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a People just entering the job market can also bene t from a functional
resume as it focuses more on skills than past work history.
110

d When organizing your functional resume, you want to make sure you keep
the following categories in this order:

h Objective Statement or Summary Statement

0

k Achievements/Accomplishments

Experience/Quali cations

Education

COMBINATION RESUMES are great for people who are looking to make a
career change and move from one industry to another. It’s also a great
format for highlighting well-developed skills and talents that are relevant
to a speci c position. This is the best resume format for someone
considered a master within their eld.

When organizing your combination resume, you want to make sure you
keep the following categories in this order:

Objective Statement or Summary Statement

Achievements/Accomplishments

Experience/Quali cations
 Education

Best Practices For Formatting Your

Resume
Now that we’ve gone over di erent resume formats, it’s time to go over
formatting the resume format (?) you have selected. Tongue twisters and
confusing sentences aside, let’s start with the basics!

110
SHARES How Long Should
a A Resume Be?
110

d
No matter which of the three formats you decide to
go with, it should t neatly onto one single sided

h
page without crowding.

Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule,

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k
and in some (rare) cases (career changes, highly
advanced technical elds, or individuals at the
senior/executive level), a slightly longer resume
is acceptable.

Anything longer than that and you’ve moved out of the world of resumes and
into the world of CV’s (hey, we have an article for those! Check out our CV
article here!) which are acceptable, but ONLY in VERY SPECIFIC
CIRCUMSTANCES. (If you’ve been asked for your resume, make sure that’s
what you give them or you run the risk of it being tossed.)

Keep in mind this isn’t your autobiography!

This is meant to give a hiring manager just enough information about you that
they feel compelled to call you in and meet you face to face!

To put it bluntly, the average hiring manager spends initially between 10-20
seconds on each resume which means you have 10-20 seconds to catch their
 eye. The last thing you want to do is give them something that’s messy,
confusing, or unorganized.

Rather than spend an additional 10 seconds trying to gure out your resume,
most hiring manager will just throw it away…and we don’t want that!

Ok, so what about fonts, margins, paper, etc?

Let’s start with fonts.

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Best Fonts To Use
a Choosing the right font can seem like an
impossible task, especially as there are hundreds
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d of choices available. Making sure your resume is

readable is step number one.

h You want to make sure that a potential employer

0
can easily read it regardless of if it’s printed out or

k on a computer screen. Speaking of computer

screens, not everyone is on the same operating
system which means a unique or quirky font on your screen might show up as
code or nonsense on someone else’s.

And nobody’s hiring nonsense.

Your resume is a professional representation of who you are, and as such,

should look professional.

Many companies these days use an automated applicant tracking software to

rst pre-qualify candidates and the last thing you want to do is get sorted to
the bottom of the pile, or worse, rejected, because the computer program
didn’t recognize your font or had di culty reading it.

Sans Serifs fonts are fonts which are clean, crisp, sleek, and most
importantly, scanner-friendly! They’re also “eyeball-friendly” which means a
hiring manager reading it won’t have any issues trying to gure out what
they’re looking at or run into eye-strain.
 Stick to fonts like Arial, Verdana, Trebuchet MS, Century Gothic, Gill Sans
MT (but NEVER Comic Sans), Lucida Sans and Tahoma.

Of course, over here at the Interview Guys, we’ll confess that we’re partial to
Helvetica. It’s a awless blend of style and clarity.

Another thing to keep in mind with fonts is the size you’re using. Shrinking
everything down to the size of an ant just so you can t it all onto a single
page won’t win you any points. Again, you want to ensure that your resume is
readable.
110
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Try to stay between 10.5 and 12 points. Any smaller and it’s hard to read.
a
110 Formatting Your Margins and
d Spacing
h When you format your resume you want to make sure that your leave
enough margin space to allow for printing. If you try to adjust your margins
0

k
and make them too narrow in order to t more into your page, you run the
risk of critical information being cut o if an employer prints it out.

Inversely, making your margins too large will leave your resume looking
boxed in and squished. The general rule is to set your margins at one inch
on all sides.

Think of your resume as a piece of ne artwork. Your margins should create a

beautiful frame around it. If you’re truly desperate for space, you can slightly
adjust your top and bottom margins but try to avoid adjusting your side
margins.

In terms of the spacing, keep your resume to single-spaced with a blank

line between each section of your content.

Paper
When you turn a resume into a potential employer, you want to make sure
you’re using paper that helps convey the message that you’re a professional.
 Of course, if you’re using an online submission
system, you don’t get to choose what sort of
paper an employer might potentially print your
resume out on, but in the instances when you’re
physically turning something in, it’s a good idea to
put some extra time and thought into the paper
you’re using.

Try to always print your resumes out using a laser printer or inkjet printer that
produces crisp, high-quality results. You want to print on paper heavier than
110 what you traditionally nd in photocopiers.
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a Generally copier paper is considered 20 lb. weight. This is a lighter, imsier

110 paper which is perfect for running through a Xerox in high quantity at high

d speeds, but for a resume comes across as unprofessional and sloppy.

h Aim for paper that’s slightly heavier. Most resume paper is rated at 24 lb. If
you’re using paper with a watermark, make sure it’s facing the correct way
0 relative to your resume.

k When selecting the color of paper you’re using, it’s always a safe bet to stick to
white or neutrals. O -white, cream, ivory and light gray are acceptable for
most professional jobs.

Finally, make sure you’re always using 8 ½ x 11 paper.

Which Resume Categories Do I

Include?
Organizing your resume is just as important as formatting it. Many resumes
are put together by job seekers who aren’t sure of how to organize their
information, resulting in a resume that lacks focus.

You always want to make sure that your categories are well de ned and
organized appropriately for not only who you are, but the type of resume that
you’re using (don’t worry, we’ll go into that further in just a bit!).

Here are the categories that you need to include on your resume:
 Header
The rst thing you need to do is make sure that a potential employer knows
whose resume they’re looking at!

Make sure you include your personal information at the TOP of your resume.
Include your full name, phone number, email and personal branding website
(if you have one, which as an Interview Guys student you should!) You can
also include your mailing address, but this is purely optional.

110 Objective Statement

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a An objective statement is a quick outline of your employment goals with the

company you’re applying to and should take up no more than a sentence or
110

d
two.

For our in-depth article on how to write a resume objective statement, click
h here.

k Resume Summary Statement

A resume summary is a quick recap of your skills and experiences and, like an
objective statement, should be no more than a sentence or two.

For our in-depth article on how to write a resume summary statement, click
here.

Experience/Qualifications
This section is where you talk about your work history and highlight not only
who you worked for but what you did as well as how long you did it. Be sure
to include your job title as well as a bulleted list of your duties and/or
responsibilities.

***This is listed in reverse chronological order with your most recent job rst.

Skills & Abilities

 This is where you want to highlight your relevant skills that relate directly to
the position or job you’re applying to. Make sure you list things here that set
you apart and help show a potential employer that you’re the perfect
candidate for the job!

These can include things like technical skills, language skills, computer skills,
anything and everything that sets you apart and ts exactly what the
employer is looking for.

Check out our skills to put on a resume article for more information.
110
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a Education
For recent graduates and people just entering the job market, this would
110
mean where you went to school. For people in technical elds or elds where
d outside training is either required or encouraged, you would include this

h
information here.

0 MIKE'S TIP: A quick note on GPA. While having a high GPA might look great on a report

k card and make your parents proud, it’s not as relevant in the business world. For recent
graduates who are less than three years out of school and have a GPA of 3.8 or above, it’s
okay to include it on your resume (but not necessarily encouraged.) If you’ve been out of
school for longer than 3 years or your GPA was less than a 3.8, just skip it all together.***

References
Once upon a time references were always included. These days, however,
references are no longer a must have on resumes. That doesn’t mean you
don’t need them… instead, have them as a separate list, and if requested, you
can provide it.

Check out our articles on professional reference letters and character

reference letter 101 if you need more info.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Spelling and Grammar Mistakes (and Typos)
 Always proofread your resume before you send
it out! This includes double checking your contact
information. It won’t do you any good if you have
the perfect resume and employers who want to
hire you if they keep calling the wrong number or
emailing the wrong email. Double check! Then…
check again!

Not Targeting Your Resume

110 Blanketing the job market with a one-resume- ts-all approach not only makes
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a you look lazy, but it shows an employer that you’re comfortable doing the
bare minimum rather than going the extra step to make sure your resume is
110 targeted to the job you’re speci cally seeking.
d
Rambling
h Remember, you’re one candidate out of hundreds, if not thousands.
0 Submitting a resume that’s long, rambling, confusing or poorly organized isn’t
k going to get you anything except dumped. This includes padding your resume
with unnecessary information. Keep your resume targeted, clear, concise, and
clean.

Personal Information
Religious a liations, social security numbers, personal social media contact,
birthday (or age), marital status, or anything else that’s personal has no place
on your resume. This also includes photos or headshots. All a potential
employer needs to know is what your name is, how to contact you, and why
you’re the perfect candidate based o of your skills, experience, and
quali cations.

Salary Information
Save that for a personal discussion with the hiring manager a little further
down the road. Putting your salary requirements on your resume is never a
good idea. Check out the article we wrote on “When and How to Negotiate
Your Salary” here.
 Top 5 Resume Formatting Tips
1. Keep your format simple: Remember, you have 10-20 seconds to snag
a hiring managers attention. Presenting them with a resume that’s overly
crowded, hard to read, confusing or just plain messy isn’t going to get you
the job…it’s going to get you thrown out. Watch your spacing, font size and
margins. Keep it legible!

2. Keep it professional: Avoid cute fonts, gimmicks, scented paper, glitter,

odd shapes, or anything that could potentially make an employer look at
110
SHARES your resume and question your sanity. Don’t print on cheap paper. Show

a an employer you’re serious about the job.

110 3. Focus on what you did for past employers, not just the job you
d held. Anyone can push a button. Why were you the best button pusher
there was? What set you apart from every other button pusher who came
h before you and will come after you? Don’t just outline the job description.
What were your accomplishments while doing that job?
0

k 4. Make sure you’re selecting the resume format that best re ects
who you are, your work history, and the job you’re applying for. Keep
in mind employment gaps, career trajectory, where you are in your
industry, and where you plan on going. Make sure you’re selecting the
right format resume (chronological, functional or combination).

5. Be honest: I know we’ve said this again and again in multiple articles on
this site, but it’s a sentiment that bears repeating. Be honest. Don’t pad
your resume with jobs or duties you’ve never held or exaggerate ones you
have just to impress an employer. The last thing you want to do is get a
job you can’t do. Not only will you look bad, but it’ll haunt you down the
line with other future potential employers. Be honest!

Putting It All Together

Whew! Did you get all that?!?
 We promised you a much deeper look into resume formats and I think we’ve
managed to deliver just that!

Making sure you have the right resume for the right job means more than just
lling in your quali cations, it means selecting the right format and ensuring
that you’re organizing it properly…and now, thanks to this article, you
shouldn’t have any problems!

Of course, reading about it is one thing, but seeing how these resumes look is
another. If you’re interested in seeing examples of how these resumes look in
110 person, head on over to our sample resume format page. Just make sure, no
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a
matter which format you choose, that you’re targeting it for the job you’re
applying to.
110

d And as always…good luck!

(One nal thought. How is your cover letter looking? Are you con dent that it

h is formatted properly? Because we have created a companion guide just like

this one called “Best Cover Letter Format Guide for 2018.” Click the link to
0 read it now!)

k Please be kind and rate this post 🙂

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FREE: "Perfect Resume" PDF

Checklist
Ok the next thing you should do is download our handy "Perfect
Resume" Checklist PDF".

In it you'll get a 38 point checklist that will let you overhaul your
resume and make sure you aren't missing any critical components.
 CLICK HERE TO GET THE "PERFECT RESUME"
CHECKLIST

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