The Ultimate Guide to Resume Format Selection

Posted by Kempsey Resume on 30 Apr 2026

What is the best resume format? There are many options to choose from depending on your specific job and your background when deciding on the best option. The most common to choose from are: Reverse-Chronological, Functional, Combination.

Your resume is an essential tool for job seeking and you must ensure that it’s well-formatted and easy to read. At Kempsey Resume, we specialize in writing resumes to help you stand out from the competition. In this article, we will go over the different types of resumes and provide strategies to pick the right one for you.

  1. Reverse-Chronological: This format is the most common and is the best for those with a solid work history. It lists your work experience in reverse-chronological order, with your most recent job at the top.
  2. Functional: This format is best for those with diverse or non-linear work experience. It concentrates on your strengths and achievements, not your work history.
  3. Combination: This format combines elements of the reverse-chronological and functional formats. It highlights your skills and accomplishments, while also listing your work history in reverse-chronological order.
  4. Tailor it to the job: Tailor your resume format to match the job you’re applying to. Select a format that emphasizes your skills and experiences that are relevant to the position.
  5. Get help from a professional: If you’re struggling to choose the right format, or require assistance making it work for your job seek out professional assistance by contacting Kempsey Resume.

Each of these formats has its own advantages and drawbacks. The reverse-chronological format is best for those with a solid work history, the functional format is best for those with diverse or non-linear work experience, and the combination format is a good balance of both. Make sure your resume is tailored to the position you’re applying for and consult a professional for help. Kempsey Resume can also assist you in creating a professional resume format that showcases your abilities and experiences.

Highly recommended. Very thankful to Tanja as she has done excellent job with my CV and Cover letter..I had been applying to many office related jobs but my resume never been selected to any job. Having IT background was working hard jobs..with Tanjs s excellent resume writing made my cv selecting to all jobs I have applied...I have got professional job within a month..very Thankful to Tanja..worth for the price..
Indhu sree
Thank you for the lovely review Sharada, it really means a lot to our team at Kempsey Resume. Wishing you absolutely every success with your new documents and a big thank you again.
Sharada Ragothaman
Very friendly staff with prompt service - They will leave you smiling with the results!
Marjaex
Highly recommended. Tanja have done a fantastic job with my CV, Cover letter and selection criteria. They’re looking fantastic and well detailed. Thank you
Abbi Abbi
I found the service very professional and my new resume and cover letter are great. The team was very helpful and responsive to all of the questions i had.
Jodie Morris
Fantastic I highly recommend this company they compiled an amazing resume and cover letter in PDF format and word, don't worry if you find computers frustrating as I do they will book an interview with you over the phone. The consultant took about a hour (less if you have everything organised which I did not). Also they will sort out your LinkedIn profile if you have one. Again amazing. Thanks again for your help. Rob
Rob Warner
Professional, timely and concise.
S L
Tanja was a pleasure to deal with from the first initial enquiry via the website to delivering a professional service. Highly recommend.
Shayne Wicks
Positive: Professionalism, Quality, Responsiveness, Value I only moved to Australia a bit over a year ago, with Covid it wasn’t easy to find a job so i took the first opportunity to keep our household going. But i want more, i want educate myself and find a better job. With Kempsey Resume i finally get this chance, since cv’s and cover letters work a bit different here and i need help to stand out in this harsh times. Tanja is an awesome professional, very responsive and her writing is incredible! Fingers crossed i’ll land my dream job now!
Elle Street
Positive: Professionalism, Quality, Responsiveness, Value Tanja thank you so much for the fast turnaround and also how well you updated my CV. I had a particular job advert I needed responses for and to update my CV at the same time. Tanja provided excellent customer service and contacted me within a day and worked to the tight timeframe I had. I would definitely use SR again and highly recommend Tanja herself. Thank you again.
Ruby
From Chronological to Functional: Exploring Resume Format Options

Resume

We provide professional resume writing services.

From Chronological to Functional: Exploring Resume Format Options

Cover Letter

We provide professional cover letter writing services.

From Chronological to Functional: Exploring Resume Format Options

LinkedIn Profile

We provide professional linkedin profile writing services.

From Chronological to Functional: Exploring Resume Format Options

Contact Us

Click the button below to get in touch.

About Us &

What We Do

We provide professional resume writing services and our very experienced resume writers will make sure that your new resume stands out among the crowd.

We are a team of highly certified and experienced HR professionals, recruiters, and consultants that are dedicated to providing you with an excellent, well-written resume or cover letter.

We pride ourselves on our vast understanding of best-practice hiring methodologies and Australian recruitment standards. Plus, our expertise in a wide range of professions, industries, and areas means that we can deliver a high-quality, impactful resume that meets your personal requirements.

Our goal is to deliver you with an impressive, striking resume that is perfectly maximised for success in Kempsey‘s competitive job market.

We offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee on all of our writing services, so you can be confident that you will be happy with your brand new cover letter or resume.

100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
Make an Enquiry

Request a Quote

Fill out the form below to get in touch or call us today on
1300 202 475