The Hybrid or Combination Resume

Examples of resumes can be of many types; they can be functional, chronological, targeted or they could be hybrid where you use more than one kind of resume and include them into one, making it a combination resume. What is generally understood by a combination resume (of which there are many free samples available online), is one that includes some elements of a chronological resume as well as a functional resume.

So what is a chronological resume?

A chronological resume is one that sets out chronologically, or date wise, the progression of your career. Usually it would list first the last place that you have worked with. Free sample resumes of the chronological variety are also easy to find on the internet. A chronological resume will set out in orderly fashion where you worked and the capacity in which you held the job as well as duration. You can include as many details as you think are pertinent. Generally, free resume guidelines state that employers tend to prefer these kind of resumes since they are a sort of potted history of one’s professional experience.  Chronological resumes are particularly useful for those who have a solid and strong work history; one which speaks for itself.

What is a functional resume?

A functional resume is one that gives more importance to one’s skills, qualifications and actual experiences rather than just the work history. If you were unemployed for a time, and wish not to reveal this information at the very outset, then a chronological resume would not be the thing for you. Also for someone looking to change careers, a functional resume may be a better idea.

A combination resume is best of both worlds.

A combination resume (which is also sometimes referred to as a hybrid resume) is one that borrows from both kinds of resumes, from the functional resume as well as the chronological resume. Here you can take the highlights of your skills, qualifications, and experiences and combine them with the highlights of your work chronology.  This way you are able to highlight anything that is of note and include that into your resume. These combination examples of resumes are able to highlight both points; your particular achievements as well as your step by step progression in your chosen career. 

A combination resume could well catch a prospective employer’s eye since it is different and can set your resume apart from all of the others. When making out a combination type resume, it is important to restrict yourself in terms of how long you make your resume. You can find that you are ending up making mention of all possible details, thereby making the resume long winded and possessed of unnecessary details. Also it is important that you make the resume dovetail to the requirements of the particular job that you are applying for so that there is no extraneous information there.  Remember to stick to the highlights; those which show you in a positive light and which help you put forward your best foot so to say.