Which résumé format should you use?
Reverse-chronological is the default and the safest choice for senior roles, because committees read for progression. A functional format helps career changers but invites suspicion about dates. A hybrid — a short capability summary above a chronological history — is the strongest option for most senior candidates.
For candidates
Reverse-chronological
Most recent role first. It shows progression clearly and is what every hiring committee expects. Use it unless you have a specific reason not to.
Functional
Organised by capability rather than by employer. Useful when changing industries or explaining a non-linear path, but it hides dates — and experienced readers notice, then look for what is being hidden.
Hybrid
A tight capability summary at the top, then a chronological history underneath. It lets you frame the story while still giving the committee the timeline it wants. For senior candidates this is usually the right answer.
Format decisions that affect screening
- Single column beats multi-column for machine parsing.
- Standard section headings — Experience, Education — parse more reliably than clever ones.
- Avoid text inside images, headers, footers and text boxes.
- Submit as the format the posting asks for; when unspecified, PDF.