Crafting a Hybrid Resume: Step-by-Step Instructions

While you’ve probably heard of chronological and functional resumes, what is a hybrid resume, and how do you go about creating one? It’s good to be able to pick and choose a resume format that suits your needs, so let’s dive in and dissect what a hybrid resume is all about and how it could be just the resume format you’re looking for.

What are the 3 types of resume formats?

First up, we need to outline the three main types of resume formats in use in 2024.

1. The chronological resume

Probably the most popular type of resume within the recruiting sector, the chronological resume lists all sections in chronological order. Well, technically, it’s in reverse chronological order because you want your most recent skills and experience to catch the eye of the recruiter first.

For example, in the career section, your most recent role sits in a prime position, and in the education area, your most recent qualification should be first on the list.

2. The functional resume

The functional resume, AKA a skills-based resume, emphasizes your strengths and skills rather than your career progression. This will change the look of the resume, so your professional work experience will be reduced, but the core competencies section will be lengthened, with more detail focused on your skills rather than the usual list of key phrases.

3. The hybrid resume

So, what is the hybrid resume format? Sometimes known as a combination resume — and you’ll see why very shortly — a hybrid resume template mixes the best of a chronological resume with the best of a functional resume, taking the pick of the crop from both worlds. A hybrid resume template combines a detailed skills section with a lengthy career summary.

Step-by-step instructions on how to craft a hybrid resume template

Follow this easy, 6-step guide to help you when drafting a hybrid resume template.

Step 1 - Contact details

If your cell and email address, at the very least, aren’t somewhere on your hybrid resume, then you’re not going to be contacted! Place these, alongside the name you’re known as and your location, including city and state, at the top of the resume as clearly and as cleanly as possible. It’s probably the first bit of information that a recruiter will see, so make it look professional from the outset.

If you’re the creative type, you can add hyperlinks to your portfolio or website — if relevant.

Step 2 - Craft a headline and professional summary

Your resume needs a title or headline and a summary paragraph that tells employers what you want to do and how your career achievements prove that you can do what they need.

The summary paragraph, consisting of four or five sentences, gives the recruiter an overview of your capabilities, showcasing your experience and why you’d be the ideal candidate to interview.

Step 3 - Hone in on your skills

Optimize the skills part of your hybrid resume template by summarizing your top skills with concrete evidence of when you’ve applied these skills and the achievements gained.

For more emphasis, you can put the one or two-word skills as a heading, with bullet points underneath, describing tangible evidence that validate each skill.

Step 4 - Craft a detailed career summary

Start with your most recent position in the work experience section, including the company you worked at, the dates you were there, and the job title you held. Write a few lines on what you did every day in a paragraph format, and then head up three or four bullet points with Key Achievements as the heading. Spell out how your efforts and contributions led to great things for the company, stakeholders, and customers.

Step 5 - List education

This section should be towards the end of your hybrid resume template, in reverse chronological order, with your highest degree at the top. It should include the type of degree, the name and location of the educational establishment, and the year completed, if this is within the last four years.

Step 6 - Format it

Once you have all the content and the right sections, you’ll need to format it correctly. Opt for a sans serif font, such as Arial, Helvetica, or Calibri, as these are much easier to read and don’t detract from the content. As for size, 10, 11, or 12 point are preferred by recruiters.

The benefits of using a hybrid resume template

• Focuses on your professional achievements and skills above everything else.

• Immediately reveals relevant information to recruiters.

• Means you’ll stand out from other candidates who have used a more obvious format.

• Illustrates your strong experience in chosen sectors or positions, even when you don’t have a normal career journey.

• Lessens the impact of having employment gaps or career breaks, by reducing the obvious nature of these.

• Appeals to both traditional and non-traditional recruiters by utilizing a more neutral format.

A hybrid resume template example

Below is a simple hybrid resume template example you can use as a starter for 10 when drafting a hybrid resume.

Take the next step on your career path

Hopefully, this step-by-step guide to crafting a hybrid resume will set you on the road to success now that you understand how to do it. So, it’s over to you. 

Best of luck!

Get valuable help with ZipJob’s free resume review tool, which can steer you in the right direction of nailing your hybrid resume to secure interviews.

Recommended reading:

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• 9 Crucial Elements for Your Resume