Combination Resume Format: Examples and Tips

A combination resume — also known as a hybrid resume — details your top work accomplishments while prominently displaying your relevant skills. The combination resume is a great option for mid-level candidates or people changing careers. If that’s you, read on to learn more about this format, view our combination resume examples and see our tools to create the perfect hybrid resume using our Resume Builder.

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What is a combination resume?

As its name suggests, the combination resume is a resume format that combines aspects of the chronological resume and the functional resume. Like the chronological format, the combination resume details your work experience, highlighting major responsibilities and achievements. Like a functional resume, it also prominently displays valuable skills.

The hybrid resume format is ideal for candidates with a couple of years of experience looking to grow in their career, people with relevant background in their desired field and transferable skills that want to change careers, and job seekers with an employment gap.

 

When to use a combination resume

 

1

You have some experience and are ready to move up.

Suppose you’re a junior to mid-level job seeker with notable skills or accomplishments. In that case, the combination format can detail how you’ve already acquired important abilities and used them effectively in your career thus far.

 

2

You’re switching over from a different career field.

If you don’t have a lot of experience in your new job field, the combination format can feature transferable skills and work experiences from other jobs that show you can handle the demands of your new career.

 

3

You’re reentering the job market.

If you’re returning to employment after time off or have employment gaps in your career, a combination resume will emphasize skills and training you already have, as well as previous job experiences that match up with the new job you’re looking for.

 

How to write a combination resume

Leasing Agent Resume Sample

  • Draft a compelling professional summary

    A summary statement is your first chance to sum up your most important qualifications and previous accomplishments. View it as the elevator pitch of your combination resume, and present your most relevant experience and skills to show employers why you’re the best fit for the job.

  • Brief employers with a summary of qualifications

    If you can point to abilities and achievements that tie in with the job you want, use this section of your hybrid resume to give a concise rundown (usually three bullet points) of how you’ve used your top skills to achieve positive results.

  • List a curated selection of skills

    Like the combination resume sample above, list your skills under major categories that fit what the job is looking for. For example, if you’re looking at a communication skills and a patient-focused attitude are key to the job.

  • Outline your work history

    List your previous jobs in reverse-chronological order (current or most recent job first), including the company’s name, the dates you’ve worked there and the titles of the jobs you’ve held. Aim for three to five bullet points for each job in this section of your combination resume format that showcase your most impressive achievements and responsibilities.

  • Showcase your education

    Feature your highest academic credential (e.g., college degree or high school diploma) in the education section of your hybrid resume, including the institution’s name and location. Add any related certifications or advanced training related to the job you want (e.g., CompTIA Network+ certification for a network engineer job).

Combination resume examples

Pharmacist Technician Resume Template
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Use these combination resume examples as a foundation for your resume or visit our resume examples page for more job and industry-specific hybrid resume examples.

You can also check out our professionally designed resume templates. We have plenty of templates, including free hybrid resume templates for Word you can download and edit. Our experts have designed templates in various categories, from professional resume templates to creative, modern and more.

 

Executive Assistant Resume Template
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Combination resume example for an executive assistant

Stress your organizational and administrative skills, as this hybrid resume example does. Add previous experiences where you’ve collaborated effectively with others. Mention crucial soft skills such as attention to detail and time management.

 

Nursing Aide Resume Template
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Sample combination resume for a nursing aide

This hybrid resume template features key “soft” (or intangible) skills that show that the candidate understands the job’s interpersonal aspects and technical knowledge. The mention of a Certified Nursing Aide (CNA) credential in the education section also demonstrates that the applicant has gone the extra mile to train in the field.

 

Personal Trainer Resume Template
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Combination resume sample for a personal trainer

Provide details on any work you’ve undertaken involving physical fitness in your hybrid resume, and feature any work where you’ve positively impacted others through mentorship and collaboration. Don’t forget to include diet and nutrition knowledge in your combination resume’s skills or work history sections.

 

Phlebotomist Resume Template
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Combination resume format for a phlebotomist

Follow the lead of this combination resume sample and feature any work you’ve had which has involved interacting with others, using health and safety protocols, and note your familiarity with medical terminology and equipment.

 

Billing Collections Team Leader Resume Template
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Combination resume example for a billing and collections team leader

In addition to highlighting important skills such as Microsoft Excel and data analysis, this hybrid resume example showcases responsibilities from previous roles that function well with a billing and collections job, including team management, heading quality assurance programs and processing insurance payments.

 

Paralegal Resume Template
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Sample Combination resume for a paralegal

Show off your organization and administrative skills, and emphasize job experiences in your hybrid resume format. This shows the employer you’ve handled legal documents such as briefs, wills, contracts, pleadings or appeals.

 

Marketing Project Manager Resume Template
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Combination resume sample for a marketing project manager

Outline any successes you’ve had in positioning and developing products and running campaigns that improve sales, like in this combination resume template. Don’t forget key skills like strong communication, teamwork and copywriting skills in your hybrid resume to complement your work history.

 

Caregiver Resume Template
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Combination resume format for a caregiver

Use your hybrid resume to provide details on past work experiences where you’ve proven yourself capable of caring and attending to others, and list any specialized medical knowledge you have in your skills section.

 

Pharmacist Resume Template
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Combination resume example for a pharmacist

Similar to this combination resume sample, highlight both your client-facing skills, such as good communication abilities and commitment to excellent patient service, and your knowledge of pharmacy processes and related software.

 

Maximize the impact of your combination resume

 

1

Target your summary to fit the job.

Make sure the skills and expertise you feature in your summary fit what the job is looking for. Before writing a hybrid resume, read through the job description, pick out keywords that spell out what the job needs, and then match those keywords with your abilities. For example, if you’re applying for a retail business analyst job that lists “managing an operating budget” as a major task, you could write in your combination resume: “Accomplished analyst with experience managing budget for five retail chain stores.”

 

2

Feature the right skills in your hybrid resume.

The primary advantage of a combination resume is that it features skills and qualifications that are most relevant to the job you want. This means that even if you’ve worked at a job that doesn’t seem like a natural fit with the new position, you can highlight elements of the job that do.

For example, if you’re applying for an office manager job but don’t have previous office experience, emphasize any related skills you’ve gained in previous jobs, such as invoicing or schedule organization. Every qualification you present in your hybrid resume should answer the most critical question: why you’re the right person for the job.

 

3

Show how you put your skills into practice.

On a hybrid resume, the work history section isn’t just a place to feature accomplishments — it’s also your opportunity to show how you’ve used your best skills successfully. If you mention analytical ability as a skill in your combination resume, give an example of how you’ve used your analytical abilities to improve a company’s bottom line. Employers don’t just want to know your abilities; they want to see proof of how you’ve put your knowledge into action.

 

4

Don’t skimp on credentials and training.

Featuring additional coursework or certifications in important areas of expertise in your hybrid resume can go a long way to showing your dedication and focus on being the best in your field. For example, training as a certified supply chain professional (CSCP) will help your case in applying for a logistics job. Include these achievements in your education section, or create a separate “Training and Certifications” section under your education section.

Check out our How to Write a Resume article for more resume-writing advice.

 

How to create a combination resume in minutes with our Resume Builder

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1

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5

Copy and paste a job description from any listing and get a job-specific resume match score. We’ll guide you through tailoring your resume for the job!

6

With Smart Apply, we’ll help you find an opportunity, customize your resume, create a matching cover letter, and download your documents. We’ll even send you to the web page where you can apply!

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Combination resume format FAQ

Who should use a combination resume format?

Anyone who has worked in an industry for at least one year and wants to move to a higher position, change careers, or reenter the job market after a pause should use a combination resume.

How is a combination resume different from a chronological and functional resume?

Combination resumes are also called hybrid resumes because they combi ne aspects of the chronological and functional resume formats. They highlight skills over work experience like functional resumes, but like chronological resumes, they display job history prominently. Review the combination resume example on this page for an idea of how a combination resume should look and browse our library of sample resumes for more great combination resume examples.

Should I use a combination resume template?

We recommend using a resume template for combination resumes because they make it easy and quick to build. We have dozens of ATS-friendly combination resume templates to get you started.