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Choosing the right resume template is one of the most important steps in your job search. Your resume should be clean, easy to scan, and aligned with the standards of the industry you’re applying to, while still looking polished and professional.
In this article, we’ll walk you through how to pick the best resume template based on your experience level and what employers are looking for today. We’ll also cover the most common resume template mistakes to avoid, so your application doesn’t get overlooked by recruiters or ATS (Applicant Tracking System).
There are three main resume formats you can customize based on your background and career goals.
Chronological resume
This is the most common format in the US and the go to option for most job seekers. It lists your work experience in reverse chronological order, starting with your most recent role. It works best for professionals with a consistent career path in one industry and is especially common in more traditional fields like finance, law, and education.
Functional resume
This format focuses on skills and strengths rather than a detailed work history. It can be a good choice if you have employment gaps, are changing careers, or want to downplay the timeline of your experience. Instead of emphasizing job titles and dates, a functional resume highlights key competencies and relevant abilities.
Combination resume (hybrid)
As the name suggests, this format combines the best of both. It highlights your strongest skills while still including a clear work history section. It is a strong option for experienced professionals, senior level candidates, and people with diverse backgrounds who want to show both expertise and career growth.
Different industries have different expectations when it comes to resume design and structure. Before choosing a template, consider what is considered “standard” in your field and what recruiters expect to see at first glance.
Creative industries
If you’re applying for roles in design, marketing, content, or multimedia, a more visually engaging resume template can work in your favor. A clean layout with subtle creative elements can help you stand out. Just avoid going too heavy on graphics or decoration, since readability should still come first.
Technical and IT roles
In tech, clarity and structure matter more than design flair. A simple, well organized resume template is usually the best choice, especially one that makes it easy to spot key technical skills, programming languages, certifications, and major projects. In most cases, hiring teams care far more about results and technical depth than visuals.
Traditional industries
For more conservative fields like law, accounting, finance, or administrative roles, a classic and professional resume template is the safest option. Keep the layout straightforward and focus on what matters most: experience, education, measurable achievements, and relevant skills. Skip unnecessary design elements that could distract from the content.
Once you’ve chosen the right format and template for your industry, the next step is making sure your resume includes the sections employers expect to see. A clean layout helps, but structure is what makes your resume easy to scan, easy to understand, and ATS friendly.
To make your resume stand out, include these essential sections:
Header
Your name and contact details should be placed at the top and easy to find. Include a professional email address, phone number, and your city and state. A LinkedIn profile link is strongly recommended, especially for corporate and mid to senior level roles.
Professional summary
This is your short “positioning statement” at the top of the page. In 2 to 4 sentences, summarize your role, years of experience, and strongest strengths. It should clearly communicate what you do and what value you bring, without sounding generic.
Top Experience
Right below your summary, include up to three high impact statements that reflect your most relevant experience for the role. Think of this as your “best match” snapshot. Each line should align with the job posting and highlight what makes you a strong fit, such as industry focus, scope of work, seniority level, or measurable outcomes.
Work experience
List your roles in reverse chronological order, starting with your most recent position. For each job, include your title, company, location, and dates. Use bullet points to highlight achievements and outcomes, not just responsibilities. Whenever possible, quantify results (revenue impact, cost reduction, growth metrics, project scope).
Education
Include your most recent and most relevant education. In the US market, it’s common to list degree, school name, and graduation year (or omit the year if it’s very old or could create age bias). If you have limited work experience, education can be placed higher and expanded with coursework, projects, or academic achievements.
Now that you know what sections to include and how to structure your resume, there is one more thing you should consider before you finalize your layout: ATS.
Many employers use an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) to scan and filter resumes before they ever reach a recruiter. Even a strong resume can get missed if the formatting makes it difficult for the system to read.
To improve your chances of passing the ATS screening stage:
Avoid tables, text boxes, columns, and heavy design elements, as they can break parsing and cause key information to be skipped.
Stick to simple, standard fonts such as Arial, Calibri, or Roboto to ensure readability.
Use relevant keywords from the job description naturally throughout your resume, especially in your professional summary, Top Experience, work experience bullets, and skills section.
Even when you know what a strong resume should look like, putting it all together can still be challenging. Formatting issues, inconsistent spacing, or a template that looks good but breaks ATS parsing are some of the most common reasons resumes get overlooked.
If you want to save time and feel confident that your resume meets modern hiring standards, using a resume builder can help. Platforms like Skillogies Resume Creator offer polished, ATS friendly templates tailored to different industries, making it easier to create a professional resume that is clean, readable, and recruiter ready.
Choosing the right resume template is a strategic decision, not just a design choice. The best template supports your story by making your strengths easy to spot within seconds. It helps recruiters scan your experience faster, highlights what matters most for the role, and ensures your resume is structured in a way that works for both people and ATS systems.
Focus on three things: a format that fits your career path, a layout that matches your industry, and content that directly reflects what the job posting is asking for. When these elements come together, your resume becomes more than a document. It becomes a clear and compelling summary of your value.
A strong resume does not guarantee the offer, but it gives you what you need most in a competitive market: a real chance to be seen.
