What Is a Hybrid Resume, and Do You Need One?

You’ve probably poured hours of your time into creating the perfect resume, but do you know there are different types of resumes? Depending on your experience and interests, you can choose different types of resumes to highlight appropriate skills and catch the eye of the recruiter.

What Are the Different Types of Resumes?

Preparing a good resume is the first step in your job search. Your resume is imperative to make an impression on your recruiter, and it can make or break your job prospects. A well-made resume is the key to opening new doors in your job search and advancing your career.

So, how to create a perfect resume? First, choose a type of resume. We’ll show you the three main types of resumes here.

Chronological Resume

Most of us are familiar with the traditional resume, where we list our work experience from the latest to the earliest. This type of resume is a chronological resume.

Functional Resume

The other type of resume is a functional resume, where you don’t have to list your work experience chronologically but list them based on your skills. Also called a skills-based resume, this resume can be handy for people with vast experience in different fields and for those who have career breaks.

Hybrid or Combination Resume

A hybrid resume brings the best of both worlds, where you list both your work experience and call attention to your skills at the same time.

Advantages of a Hybrid Resume

Your trusted traditional resume has been landing you jobs just fine. So, why do you need a new type of resume? A hybrid resume can be a powerful tool for your job search. Here’s how:

Young Professionals

If you choose a hybrid resume when you start your career, you have an edge. You may not have broad experience to list in a chronological resume. You can portray your skill set like a functional resume and add your intern or volunteer experience in chronological order.

To Switch Career

When you’re switching to a new career, a hybrid resume is your ticket to success. Instead of listing your work experience sequentially, which may be irrelevant to your new job, you can depict the relevant skill set gained from your experience.

Downplay Career Gaps

So you have career gaps, and you’re reluctant to put them in your resume? A hybrid resume is here to your rescue. While it is not a good idea to completely hide your career gaps, you can surely tone them down by accentuating your skills in a hybrid resume.

You can also present the relevant skills you’ve gained during your break, which may not be possible with a traditional resume.

Experience Across Industries

Are you a seasoned pro with extensive experience in different fields? A hybrid resume is all you need to do justice to your unique skill set and vast experience.

Positive Impression

A functional resume is like a hybrid resume, and you can use it for all the above situations. But recruiters often shun functional resumes because jobseekers usually choose functional resumes to hide breaks in their careers.

If you opt for a hybrid resume, it can be a hit with recruiters from traditional companies that like to keep track of all your work experience and breaks.

How to Design a Killer Hybrid Resume

Now, let’s get into the exciting part of making a resume that will lead you to your new job. You don’t have to spend hours designing your resume with the many available resume templates. But, remember the following guidelines.

Take a Shorter Route

Having too many pages in your resume is a bad idea. Your hiring manager is probably too busy to shuffle through pages to get information. Ideally, limit your resume to one or two pages.

Write a Strong Summary

A resume summary is a placeholder for your marketing skills. You should be able to convince the recruiter that you’re a fit for the job in just a couple of lines. Your summary should be at the top of your resume and written in the third person. Aim to keep your summary in one paragraph with three or four lines.

Experience Matters

Hiring managers are keen to see your work experience, so list your experience chronologically, starting from your latest job. Life happens, and career breaks are inevitable. If you have any career breaks, don’t shy off from adding them to your resume. Follow a similar format as your other work experience and give a one-line explanation.

Showoff Skills

Make sure your marketable skills stand out in your resume and not hide in a corner. Add relevant skills in the main section and include any other soft skills or language skills in a different section. Avoid generalizations like excellent communication skills, great team player, etc. Remember to be specific and truthful about your skills.

Switch On Your Dictionary

Spelling mistakes and missing punctuation have no place in your resume. A resume filled with grammar mistakes will hint to your recruiter that you have poor attention to detail. Double-check if the spellchecker is on in your preferred resume-creating software, and proofread your resume thoroughly.

Numbers Are Good

Hiring managers love to see your accomplishments instead of trying to fish for information in a lengthy resume. So, cut the words short and include numbers and percentages–you can instantly strike a chord with your recruiter.

Let the Recruiters Reach You

Include your contact details on the first page of your resume. Add your email address, phone number, and website address in the proper formats.

Keep It Simple

Though it is tempting to use fancy fonts, stick to traditional fonts like Arial, Times, Helvetica, etc., for a professional-looking resume. Also, don’t use complicated charts, tables, or templates that need specialized software to view correctly. Pay attention to the colors and design you choose–bold patterns and bright colors can be distracting.

How to Create a Hybrid Resume With Canva Templates

Canva can be helpful in many ways to advance your professional life. Here are the instructions to create a quick hybrid resume in Canva.

Step 1: Log into your Canva account. Create a free account if you don’t have one. Click on the Resume section.

Step 2: Search for resumes in the Templates section.

Step 3: Choose the Modern Resume category, and browse for your preferred resume template. Look for resumes with work history and skills or expertise sections.

Step 4: Start editing your templates with relevant details. You can also add accomplishments below each skill.

Step 5: Click on the Share button and go to the Download tab.

Step 6: Save your resume in a PDF Standard format.

Step 7: Open your resume with a PDF viewer and check for an overall look and any other formatting issues. You’re now ready to ace your job hunt. Start posting your resume on job boards.

Find Your Dream Job

In a hybrid resume, you can flaunt your skills and your experience without hiding any gaps in your employment history. A well-designed hybrid resume can help you stand out from the crowd and appeal to hiring managers. Create one today and apply for that dream job.