The challenge of making a resume stand out in a stacked pile has become much harder with global business and seamlessly sourced labor. With companies going through resumes from all over the world, the difference may not lie in the achievements listed but on the resume format. 

The reason why resume format is important is that it highlights the skills a company is looking for and it helps Human Resource departments match a person exactly to the position they are looking to fill. Good resume format also maximizes the visual impact a resume can have, creating greater propensity for employers to feel inclined to set aside that one resume and read it well. An effective resume format is one that prioritizes details appropriately and puts these together into a cohesive document. 

 

What resume format should be followed? In truth, there are types of resume format that may be used depending on what particular aspect is being highlighted in the body of the resume.  

It is important to remember to include your contact information. This will ensure that a job interviewer would be able to reach you should he decides to call you back. This information—the applicant’s full name, address, email address, and contact numbers—is usually placed on the first page of the resume before any other details. This is constant regardless of the resume format being used. 

Letting time tell: Chronological Format 

One possible resume format that may be used is the chronological format. The chronological resume format lists resume content according to the year it was endowed or attended. Academic credits achieved, endowments endowed, works published, seminars joined, and awards received are collated under the years they occurred and are arranged accordingly.  

Usually, the chronological resume format lists achievements in descending order, with recent achievements listed first and later achievements listed respectively. Under this resume format, the extent of involvement each year, the variety of activities, or concentration on specialization a person may have indulged in a given year are clearly seen.  

This chronological resume format is especially important for applicants in fields where recent work matters. Included among these fields are the sciences, where years matter in assigning credit for research and invention. This is also true for research positions in the social sciences, where an employer may be interested where a person’s work was recently published, and to see what research concentration that person is focusing on at the time of application. 

Category-based Format 

This resume format, on the other hand, is one where categories of resume content are used as headings and details under these categories are listed, either alphabetically or chronologically. The category-based resume format may include the following sections: personal information, academic achievements, seminars attended, awards received, works published, organizational affiliations, and other extra-curricular activities. Other skills may be elaborated on in short sentences after these categories before names and addresses of references are written.  

The category-based resume format may utilize an element of the chronological format should category details be listed chronologically instead of alphabetically. The difference of this resume format is in clearly grouping resume content into categories, making it easier for employers to find and concentrate on details most relevant according to their standards.