Trying to write an outstanding resume and don’t know where to start? We get it. Your resume is a key document for a hiring manager to understand who you are and how interesting you can be for a company. Our main goal is to make your resume interesting for hiring managers. Let’s write it the right way to attract as much HR’s attention as possible.
Choosing the right professional resume format in 2023 is not an easy task. Each resume differs and has its own benefits and cons. But today we’re going to share with you a special resume format, widely used by millions of candidates. Job seekers widely use a combination resume (also known as a hybrid resume) because of its elementary simplicity and its capabilities to mix different resume templates into one resume document.
Hybrid CV examples 2023
Combination Resume in details
Before you’re going to deep into detail about what a good combination resume format looks like and who should use it, we recommend you to read our post about other resume templates to understand the key differences. If you have already viewed it and understand the key features of chronological and functional resumes, it ain’t hard to understand that a hybrid resume is a mix of them.
To refresh the key characteristics of the two CV formats above, we’re going to tell a few words about them. So, let’s start with a chronological resume. As you probably remember it’s one of the most used resume formats. It is also well known and loved by hiring managers because of its transparency. All the data in your resume is structured strictly in reverse chronological order. It helps recruiters to scan a resume the way they like to do it, without bringing extra effort to understand some logical connections.
Let’s remember another well-known resume template – the functional resume. Using this type of resume is the best way to show hiring managers your skills. Choosing this type of resume, you need to understand that all the resume content revolves around your hard and soft skills. Also, you need to remember that hiring managers don’t like this type of resume, because it’s not transparent. A lot of interesting things could be hidden, when a candidate is using this type of CV format.
As you have already understood, this type of resume format is a mix of the two resume templates above. You need to use the good stuff from the combination and functional resume formats and combine it into a combination resume. This is the main purpose of the right hybrid CV format.
Who benefits from using a Combination Resume?
Answering this question we would like to tell a bit more about who will get extra value from using this type of resume format. In many cases, candidates who are using or going to use this type of resume format follow the main goal to show an impressive career path and enhance it with a solid skills-set. Below, we’re going deep into the candidate’s portraits. Maybe you could find yourself there.
Candidates, who decided to change their job completely. Whatever you’re going to do in the next position, hiring managers to become suspect. It shouldn’t be a surprise for you. They are trying to get the most relevant candidate, who will 100% fit their vacant position. BUT a combination resume has a unique structure, which shows a mix of your skills and recent experience. This is the most winning format for those who think about a career change.
Candidates with huge employment gaps. There are some circumstances when you don’t want to explain huge employment gaps in your resume. They are there, but they wouldn’t be recognized by a hiring manager in a positive light. This type of resume format helps candidates to hide such things.
Fresh graduates. When you are a fresh graduate, you don’t have enough experience to use a chronological resume and don’t have enough skills to show in a functional resume. A hybrid resume template could be the best option for this portrait of users. You can include skills and mix them up with your experience. A combination of resumes could manage your problems, even if you don’t have enough content for your resume.
Jobbers. When you used to have tons of different jobs in a short period of time, and you don’t want to show it in your resume. Simply because the hiring manager would start asking weird questions about it. This type of resume is an outstanding way to conceal everything and even though – to show your candidacy in the most positive light. Mixing skills with responsibilities is the best way to show them what they are looking for.
Are there any Cons to using a Hybrid Resume?
Each time you’re using a specific or not common resume template, you are risking. Risk getting banned because hiring managers are not ready to deep into details to find the most important information for them. You are at risk of finding your resume in a trash pile because of ATS machines. You are at risk because they are thinking that you are trying to hide something.
Any time you are trying to use the latest resume formats – you are at risk. Should you use them? YES, you should. Because of competition. The more you try, the more chances you have to impress the hiring manager. The more HRs could see your resume because it’s not like others.
YES, it could be hard to read, because it has no specific structure. But at the same time, it’s not like other resumes. That’s the CORE of this hybrid resume format. A good mix of skills and experience section.
Lindsay is a certified resume writer and interview coach. She obtained her certification in resume writing (CPRW) which will allow her resume expertise to help readers outshine the competition within the first 5 seconds of reviewing what they have on paper.
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