MSU Tex CG Digital DM Accessible - Flipbook - Page 19
COMMON
RESUMES
FORMATS
Chronological
The most common resume format.
Your education and experience is
written in reverse chronological
order (most recent to oldest). We
recommend that everyone use this
format as their main resume,
especially when applying for jobs
online (ATS).
APPLICANT TRACKING SYSTEMS (ATS)
SOURCE: JOBSCAN (JOBSCAN.COM)
Hybrid
Also known as a combo or chronofunctional resume. The focus is
placed equally on important job
skills and professional experience.
This format is also ideal for those
looking to change careers,
seasoned professionals, and those
with gaps in their work experience.
Curriculum Vitae
Latin for “the course of (one’s)
life”. CVs are most commonly used
for positions in academia or
medicine, as well as graduate
school applications. It is meant to
highlight your full academic
credentials (such as coursework,
projects, research, and
work/internship experience).
An ATS is a computer software program that manages the hiring
process. It does this by collecting and sorting thousands of resumes.
Hiring managers can then screen candidates using the ATS, as well as
track their progress through the hiring process.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR YOU?
Consider creating an optimized resume for an ATS.
• Tailor your resume to the job description every single time you apply.
• Optimize for ATS search and ranking algorithms by matching your
resume keywords to the job description.
• Use both the long-form and acronym version of keywords (e.g.
“Master of Business Administration (MBA)” or “Search Engine
Optimization (SEO)”) for maximum searchability.
• Use a chronological or hybrid resume format (avoid the functional
resume format).
• Use a traditional resume font like Helvetica, Garamond, or Georgia.
• Do not use headers or footers as the information might get lost or
cause a parsing error.
• Use standard resume section headings like “Work Experience” rather
than being cute or clever (“Where I’ve Been”).
• Use an ATS-friendly resume builder to create your resume.
You can automate a lot of this process by using Jobscan’s resume
scanner, which quickly tells you how to optimize your resume to get
the best results.
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