--- title: "Best Resume Format in 2026: Which One Should You Use?" description: "Compare chronological, functional, and combination resume formats. Find out which format works best for your experience level and career situation. With examples." canonical: "https://mortit.com/blog/best-resume-format" --- Resume Writing # Best Resume Format in 2026 There are three main formats. Here's how to choose the right one for your situation. 8 min read Updated February 2026 TL;DR **For most people: use reverse chronological.** It's what recruiters expect and what ATS handles best. Use **functional** if you're changing careers or have major gaps. Use **combination** if you need to highlight specific skills while showing progression. Always use a **single-column layout** for ATS compatibility. ## The Three Resume Formats Every resume follows one of three basic structures. Each has tradeoffs. Understanding them helps you make the right choice. | Format | Structure | Best For | | --- | --- | --- | | **Chronological** | Experience listed newest to oldest | Most job seekers, traditional career paths | | **Functional** | Skills-based sections, minimal timeline | Career changers, employment gaps | | **Combination** | Skills section + chronological experience | Senior professionals, skill-heavy roles | ## 1\. Chronological Format (Recommended) The chronological format-technically "reverse chronological"-lists your experience starting with your most recent job and working backward. ### Structure 1 #### Contact Information Name, phone, email, LinkedIn, and location at the top. 2 #### Professional Summary A brief 2-3 sentence overview of your qualifications. 3 #### Work Experience (newest first) Your job history in reverse chronological order. 4 #### Education Degrees, certifications, and relevant training. 5 #### Skills Technical and soft skills relevant to the role. ### Why it's the default choice - **Recruiters prefer it.** It's the format they're used to scanning. - **ATS parses it well.** Standard structure means fewer parsing errors. - **Shows progression.** Career growth is immediately visible. - **Easy to follow.** Your story reads in a logical order. ### When to use it - You have a steady work history - You're staying in the same field - Your recent experience is your strongest selling point - You're not sure which format to use (this is the safe choice) ### When to avoid it - You have significant gaps in employment - You're making a major career change - Your recent experience isn't relevant to the target role **Chronological Format Example Structure:** **Sarah Chen** sarah.chen@email.com | (555) 123-4567 | linkedin.com/in/sarahchen **Professional Summary** Product manager with 5 years of experience launching B2B SaaS products... **Experience** **Senior Product Manager** - Acme Corp (2022 - Present) \- Achievement bullet 1 \- Achievement bullet 2 **Product Manager** - StartupCo (2019 - 2022) \- Achievement bullet 1 \- Achievement bullet 2 **Education** MBA, Business School - 2019 **Skills** Product Strategy, User Research, Agile, SQL, Figma ## 2\. Functional Format The functional format organizes your resume by skill categories rather than by job. Work history is minimized or moved to the bottom. ### Structure 1 #### Contact Information Name, phone, email, and LinkedIn. 2 #### Professional Summary Brief overview of your qualifications and goals. 3 #### Skills Categories Skills grouped by category with examples under each. 4 #### Work History (brief) Job titles and dates at the bottom. 5 #### Education Degrees and certifications. ### When to use it - You're changing careers and your job titles don't reflect your skills - You have significant employment gaps - You're re-entering the workforce after a break - Your skills are more relevant than where you learned them ### The problem with functional resumes #### Recruiter Concerns Here's the truth: many recruiters don't like this format. - **Raises red flags.** Recruiters wonder what you're hiding. - **Hard to assess experience.** They can't tell what you did where. - **ATS struggles.** Non-standard structure can cause parsing issues. Use this format only when chronological would actively hurt you. Even then, consider the combination format as an alternative. ## 3\. Combination Format The combination (or hybrid) format gives you the best of both worlds: a skills section that highlights your strengths, followed by chronological experience. ### Structure 1 #### Contact Information Name, phone, email, and LinkedIn. 2 #### Professional Summary Brief overview of your experience and key strengths. 3 #### Skills / Core Competencies Key skills with brief examples demonstrating each. 4 #### Work Experience (chronological) Full job history in reverse chronological order. 5 #### Education Degrees and relevant certifications. ### When to use it #### Best For - You're a senior professional with diverse skills to highlight - You're applying for skill-intensive roles (technical, creative) - You want to emphasize specific competencies while showing progression - You're changing careers but have relevant transferable skills ### Benefits - Skills get immediate visibility at the top - Still shows career progression - Better ATS compatibility than pure functional - Works for career changers without hiding your history **Combination Format Example Structure:** **Alex Rivera** alex.rivera@email.com | (555) 987-6543 **Professional Summary** Marketing leader with 8 years driving growth for tech companies... **Core Competencies** **Digital Marketing:** Led campaigns generating $2M+ in pipeline... **Team Leadership:** Built and managed team of 6 marketers... **Analytics:** Implemented attribution model that improved ROAS by 40%... **Experience** **Director of Marketing** - TechCorp (2021 - Present) **Marketing Manager** - GrowthCo (2018 - 2021) **Education** BS Marketing - State University ## Format Decision Guide Not sure which format to use? Answer these questions: ### Use Chronological if: - ✓ Your work history shows clear progression - ✓ Your recent experience is relevant to your target role - ✓ You don't have major employment gaps - ✓ You're applying within your current field ### Use Combination if: - ✓ You have 10+ years of experience with diverse skills - ✓ You're applying for senior or technical roles - ✓ You want to highlight specific competencies - ✓ You're changing careers but have transferable skills to showcase ### Use Functional only if: - ✓ You have very significant employment gaps - ✓ Your job titles don't reflect your actual skills - ✓ Chronological would actively hurt your candidacy - ✓ You understand the risks and limitations ## Layout Considerations ### Single Column vs. Two Column You've probably seen sleek two-column resume templates. They look modern. The problem: they often break ATS parsing. **Single column:** Safest for ATS. Content reads in order. **Two column:** Can cause content to be read out of order or missed. #### Our Recommendation Use single column unless you're confident the resume will be reviewed by humans first (referrals, creative industries). ### One Page vs. Two Pages - **One page:** Best for early-career (0-10 years) or when applying to startups - **Two pages:** Acceptable for senior roles (10+ years), executives, or academia The rule isn't about length-it's about relevance. Every line should earn its place. A tight one-pager beats a padded two-pager. ## Format Mistakes to Avoid #### Common Format Mistakes - **Creative templates for corporate jobs.** Stick to clean and professional. - **Tables and text boxes.** ATS can't read them properly. - **Headers and footers.** Often ignored by ATS. - **Inconsistent formatting.** Same style throughout. - **Tiny fonts to fit more content.** If it doesn't fit, cut content. - **Photos.** Not standard in the US and can cause bias issues. This is one reason people use [MORT's Resume Builder](https://mortit.com/features/resume-builder)\-every resume it generates uses ATS-safe formatting automatically. No worrying about whether your template will break the parser. ## Format matters. Tailoring matters more. The right format gets you in the door. Tailored content gets you the interview. MORT's Resume Builder handles both-creating ATS-optimized resumes customized for each job. [Learn About Resume Builder](https://mortit.com/features/resume-builder) [Try Free Resume Builder](https://app.mortit.com/signup) ## Keep Reading ### [Complete Resume Writing Guide](https://mortit.com/blog/resume-writing-guide) Everything you need to write a resume that works ### [ATS-Friendly Resume Guide](https://mortit.com/blog/ats-friendly-resume-guide) Format your resume to pass ATS filters ### [Resume Examples](https://mortit.com/blog/software-engineer-resume-example) See examples for different roles and levels