How To Write a Combination Resume
Unless you’re changing careers or have long work gaps, use the combination (or hybrid) format for your resume. True to its name, this format combines two important features of other resume formats: the functional format’s profile section and the chronological format’s experience section. Below you’ll find tips on using this structure effectively so your resume gets you interviews for your next job.
1. Write a focused profile summarizing your qualifications
In a brief paragraph or bulleted list at the top of your resume, catch hiring managers’ attention by giving the three to five main reasons you can excel in your target job. These may come from your work experience, but they could just as well come from another part of your background, such as your education or language skills.
The point of this section is to focus employers’ attention on details about you that matter most to their hiring needs, regardless of when or where they occurred. (Note, most job seekers find it easier to write their profile last.)
Profile Example
Teacher Assistant with an extensive background helping engage children of all ages. Focused on working with students to explore new topics and achieve personal learning goals. Skilled in Blackboard online learning, SMART technology, and use of mobile devices and apps for lower-elementary learners, particularly in reading comprehension. Adapt readily to new work challenges and conditions.
2. Add a detailed professional experience section
Below your profile section, outline your recent work experience. For each job, brainstorm your various duties and achievements on a separate document or sheet of paper. Then, identify and copy the most relevant details into your resume. Following this method, the amount of information on each job will roughly correspond with how relevant the job is to your current goals.
The point of this section is to give examples of your success in the type of work you’re now after. But on a combination resume, it also serves to put your profile section in context and make your overall resume easy to follow. When you give basic details on your work history, you let hiring managers quickly see you have the minimum years of experience they’re looking for.
Professional Experience Example
NKN Corporation, San Francisco, CA | September 2015 to Present
Diversity Manager (November 2017 to Present)
- Coordinate diversity and inclusion initiatives for a large, complex organization with presence in 7 countries
- Drive cultural awareness campaigns to promote understanding and cooperation among a geographically dispersed workforce
- Introduced a more flexible enterprise-wide policy governing staff holidays and WFH preferences. Measure boosted staff morale, enhanced manager-employee relations, and helped company place in the city’s “Best 50 Places to Work” in 2019
- Grew department by recruiting and onboarding five new team members
- Member of leadership team that repositioned HR as a strategic partner to the wider enterprise
3. List key skills and proficiencies
Consider adding a key skills section right below the profile on your combination resume. This section lets you expand on your profile points and further focus your resume on the ways you’d contribute to your target job. Like the profile, it helps you answer the hiring manager’s question: “What do you have for the role I’m trying to fill?”
Naturally, the terms you include will depend on your circumstances, but below is a list of common ones to help you brainstorm:
| Key Skills and Proficiencies | |
|---|---|
| Business needs assessment | Client satisfaction and retention |
| Cost reduction and elimination | Cross-team collaboration |
| Efficiency improvement | Inventory management |
| Lean manufacturing | Market strategy development |
| Microsoft Office Suite | Process streamlining |
| Project and program management | Quality assurance |
| Reporting and documentation | Revenue and profit growth |
| Risk management and mitigation | Staff training and development |
| Stakeholder relations | Strategic business development |
| Talent hiring and retention | Task prioritization |
| Team leadership and motivation | Time management |
| Vendor contract negotiations | |
How To Pick the Best Combination Resume Template
For most job seekers, a clear and straightforward resume template is best. Opt for a layout that lets the hiring manager quickly review your best career details. Select a traditional resume font, and avoid any template with a colorful or elaborate design. Also, ensure the template complies with applicant tracking systems (ATS) used by employers to screen resumes.
Combination Text-Only Resume Templates and Examples
Years of Experience
- Entry-level
- Mid-career
- Senior-level
Jonathan Mundus
(123) 456-7890
[email protected]
123 Main Street, Fort Drum, NY 13602
Profile
Highly organized Paralegal with recent experience in personal injury law. Committed to helping firms build and maintain positive attorney-client relations.
Key Skills
- Client Service & Communications
- Legal File Digitization
- Legal Research Best Practices
- LexisNexis
- Microsoft Office Suite
- Team Collaboration
- Time Management
- Trial Document Preparation
- Westlaw
- Writing, Editing & Proofreading
Professional Experience
Paralegal, Jenkins Law Firm, Watertown, NY | June 2022 to Present
- Draft pleadings, witness lists, and trial motions
- Assist with research for personal injury lawsuits
- Manage case files and documents
- Digitize physical documents in the electronic filing system
Highlight:
- Earned top marks on formal review for efficiency coordinating communication between attorneys and clients
Legal Intern, Clearwater Law Firm, Liverpool, NY | January 2022 to May 2022
- Drafted motions, subpoenas, and complaints
- Transcribed interviews between attorneys and clients
- Praised for thorough, accurate legal research
Education
Associate of Paralegal Studies, Onondaga Community College, Syracuse, NY | 2022
- Won a writing competition for essay detailing how criminal records laws affect offenders and society
Amar Singh
123 Santa Maria, San Francisco, CA 12345 | (123) 456-7890 | [email protected]
Profile
Strategic Diversity Manager with 7+ years of advancement and experience at large corporations. Equally effective in a leadership or hands-on role. Adapt readily to new work challenges and industry conditions.
Key Skills
- Business Change Leadership
- Cultural Awareness Campaigns
- Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI)
- Employee Engagement
- Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO)
- Executive Consulting
- Human Resource Management Systems (HRMS)
- Human Resources (HR) Administration
- Policy Development & Interpretation
- Project & Program Management
- Regulatory Compliance
- Staff Recruiting
- Stakeholder Relations Management
- Talent Retention
- Targeted Resource Allocation
- Team Leadership & Motivation
- Work Culture Improvement
- Workforce Planning & Scheduling
Professional Experience
NKN Corporation, San Francisco, CA | September 2015 to Present
Diversity Manager (November 2017 to Present)
- Coordinate diversity and inclusion initiatives for a large, complex organization with presence in 7 countries
- Drive cultural awareness campaigns to promote understanding and cooperation among a geographically dispersed workforce
- Introduced a more flexible enterprise-wide policy governing staff holidays and WFH preferences. Measure boosted staff morale, enhanced manager-employee relations, and helped company place in the city’s “Best 50 Places to Work” in 2019
- Grew department by recruiting and onboarding five new team members
- Member of leadership team that repositioned HR as a strategic partner to the wider enterprise
Human Resources Associate (September 2015 to November 2017)
- Gained strong foundation in recruiting and employee relations principles
Education & Credential
Bachelor’s Degree – Business Administration, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
Professional in Human Resources (PHR), HRCI
Affiliation
Member, Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)
Mary Hornblower
(555) 987-6543 | [email protected] | Scranton, PA 18504 | www.linkedin.com/example
Profile
Teacher Assistant with an extensive background helping engage children of all ages. Focused on working with students to explore new topics and achieve personal learning goals. Skilled in Blackboard online learning, SMART technology, and use of mobile devices and apps for lower-elementary learners, particularly in reading comprehension. Adapt readily to new work challenges and conditions.
Key Skills
- Blackboard Learn
- Individualized Education Plans (IEPs)
- Large Classroom Management
- Online Learning Tools
- Special Education
- Student Assessment
- Teacher Support & Collaboration
Professional Experience
Special Education Teacher’s Assistant, State Elementary School, Scranton, PA | September 2019 to Present
[Well-regarded local elementary school with 300 students]
- Independently supervise groups of students during dismissal times and recreation
- Work with reading groups to help students build literacy skills and confidence
Highlights:
- Developed and delivered monthly social skills lessons helping students learn to share, make friends, and collaborate
- Engaged one-on-one with students with learning difficulties, resulting in 10% higher overall test scores and a better pass rate
Preschool Teacher’s Assistant, ABC Child Care, Scranton, PA | January 2016 to August 2019
- Supported a classroom of up to 15 preschoolers
- Helped primary teacher develop lessons and materials to support kindergarten readiness
Childcare Provider, 123 Daycare, Scranton, PA | August 2013 to December 2015
- Provided after-school care to ensure children’s safety and wellbeing
- Oversaw healthy snacks and exercise activities for children aged 5-10
- Assisted students with homework as needed
Education
Associate Degree Early Childhood Education, Lackawanna College, Scranton, PA | 2013
Certifications
Credential of Competency for Special Education Paraeducators in Pennsylvania
CPR and First Aid
Frequently Asked Questions: Combination Resume Examples and Advice
What are common action verbs for combination resumes? +
The following list can help you find a good mix of action verbs for your resume’s profile and experience sections:
| Action Verbs | |
|---|---|
| Automated | Averted |
| Coordinated | Created |
| Decreased | Developed |
| Eliminated | Enhanced |
| Expedited | Garnered |
| Generated | Improved |
| Increased | Introduced |
| Launched | Lowered |
| Organized | Prevented |
| Produced | Raised |
| Ranked | Shortened |
| Streamlined | Strengthened |
| Updated | Won |
How do you align your combination resume with a job posting?+
First, look closely at the job post text and highlight words that are repeated, emphasized, or otherwise seem important. Compare these highlighted phrases to the language you’re using in your resume, particularly the profile and key skills sections. Then seek ways to align your resume language with the job post while not copying phrases or misstating your background.
For example, say the company seeks someone collaborative. Emphasize that part of your experience in your profile with a line like “Thrive in collaborative work settings” or in your key skills section with a term like “cross-team collaboration.” Or say the company has many non-English speaking customers. Highlight your foreign language skills both in your profile and as a separate section farther down the document.
Also, consider adding brief descriptions of the places you’ve worked in [brackets] right next to or below the company name. Company descriptions let you show any similarities between your past employers and the one who posted the job. For example, maybe you’ve worked for companies of a similar size or industry. Or you might have worked at organizations with a similar mission or leadership philosophy. By adding these details to your descriptions, you can make your resume more relevant to the job opening at hand.
Why is the combination format effective? +
By fusing key sections of the functional and chronological formats, a combination resume lets you present yourself more clearly and strategically. With the experience section, you can outline your recent work history – essential information for most employers. In the profile section, you can display your career highlights at the top, whether they’re from that work history or another part of your background. This format lets you give hiring managers the best view of your experience and relevant strengths, so they can make an informed decision to call you for an interview.
Expert advice: include a cover letter with your resume
To increase your chances of an interview, write and submit a strong cover letter. The key to a good cover letter is tailoring it to each job opening. Read our cover letter guide to learn how.
