What types of resumes are there? What criteria does the information follow?

26 of March, 2025

The resume is the worker’s cover letter. However, sometimes we lose focus on what its format should be. Specifically, we refer to the presentation of the information. In this article, we will detail the types of resumes that exist.

How do you know if a candidate is ideal for a position in your hiring process? A very common mistake is to focus only on his or her education and experience.

Often, very relevant issues are left behind, such as adequacy to their corresponding typology. The HR department, for this reason, needs to implement talent search systems.

The types of resumes, in three key aspects

Broadly speaking, we can find three types of resumes. The criterion used to differentiate them is the order and presentation of the data.

A report by the employment consultancy Zety is stark about its importance. According to its conclusions, only 10% of job applications reach the final phase.

Surprised by the data? We will give you more useful information for your hiring process.

1. Chronological

This is the most used format from a traditional standpoint and also the most versatile. It receives other designations, such as “basic”.

The information is exposed according to the date on which it became evident. This method is applied separately according to the model.

The most common thing is that it starts with a display of personal and contact data. Afterwards, academic achievements and personal experience are related independently.

It is usual for both sections to appear at the same level, with a separation in the middle. However, what matters is that they are not mixed.

In recent times, businesses have prioritized the most recent work history. For this reason, the type of reverse chronological resume.

The difference from the previous one is that professional and academic achievements are shown in reverse. That is, it starts with the last acquired and ends with the first.

A proposal of structure for these types of resumes is:

1. Personal and contact information.
2. Brief personal and professional review.
3. Work experience.
4. Academic training.
5. Languages.
6. Skills.
7. Other valuable information (merits, volunteering, etc.).

2. Functional

Remember that the previous one was governed by the date? In this case, the primordial thing is the weight that each achievement has on the professional profile.

That is, you start by showing what has the most merit, such as a master’s degree or a degree. And continue with courses and other complementary training.

In the case of professional career, the order is often a subject of debate. There are those who prefer to follow the same criterion.

In this sense, they display the positions with greater responsibility or the longest ones in their resume. Finally, the other ones they have been performing are exposed, but they are not as relevant.

Other people, on the other hand, prefer to maintain the reverse chronological order for this section. Does this sound like a third type to you?

Do not get ahead of yourself, we will talk about the last one shortly. The choice always depends on the worker, but the HR department usually favors this format.

This is its structure:

• Contact and personal information.
• Brief review of professional objectives.
• Complementary aptitudes and skills.
• Languages.
• Work experience.
• Academic training and achievements.
• Other data (merits, volunteering, etc.).

3. Combined

In a combined resume, the presentation of information is combined in two ways:

• According to the chronological order (preferably, inverse).
• According to the weight of each achievement on the professional profile.

Regarding the last point, it is essential to clarify one aspect. It is not only based on the importance of each achievement, but also on its relationship with the business.

What does this mean? That the focus is on showing the candidate’s connection with the company.

The focus, in this case, is on abilities and merits. Therefore, it is essential to highlight what differentiates this type of resume from other candidates.

The tricky thing is to do it while relegating professional experience to a second tier. There is no doubt that this is the most interesting aspect for executives.

Mixed models often entail confusion. Many people lack training on how to set out their format.

As a result, they end up elaborating a mix with no sense whatsoever. In this sense, those responsible must see the order and integrate them into a People Analytics system.

Interesting, isn’t it? Keep reading and you will discover the most recent type of resume.

The creative, among the types of resumes under debate

The type of creative resume is the one that focuses on the visual aspect to capture attention. In fact, there are a multitude of designs and models that emerge from it and end up being the most original.

Over time, this format has given rise to other subtypes. Among them, the video resume stands out.

A study by the consultancy firm Yoensegundos published in ABC makes clear its utility. According to its results, the chances of finding a job increase by as much as 80%.

If you are looking to get to know the candidate’s personality and disposition better, we recommend this option.

However, this model (in printed format) usually presents several disadvantages:

• Professional achievements get diluted or appear in the background.
• The presentation can look unprofessional in sectors for which they are not suitable.
• The objective often gets relegated to a second place, making it difficult to seem like a good candidate.
• The information can seem somewhat difficult to understand or follow.

The last point, without a doubt, you will have been able to verify with your own eyes. A characteristic of this format is the absence of a criterion that governs the order of the data.

Often, it is the candidate who invents one, but it does not always turn out well. The important thing, above all, is to analyze it correctly.

In summary, there are different types of resumes in the current labor market. Our advice is that you make sure that the candidate fits in with the company.

At Sesame HR, we have an innovative HR software. Want to know more? Stay in our resource section or subscribe to the newsletter.

Cristina Martin

People and Talent Director | LinkedIn | | Web | +post

Professional with over 20 years of extensive experience in various areas of Human Resources (Recruitment, Training, Occupational Risk Prevention, and Personnel Management). Experience in the Management Department: Broad understanding of the company and HR.

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