What Is A Hybrid Resume?

Preparing a good resume is probably one of the most challenging things to do. Unlike a curriculum vitae (CV), a resume is short–typically one page.

Thus, it’s vital to make it as concise as possible.

There are many reasons why people create a resume. While some may think that a resume is mainly needed for finding a job, there are also other uses to it. Aside from job hunting, you may also need a resume for the following reasons:

• For business owners: To attract new customers, investors or business partners.
• For employed individuals: To obtain a raise at your current company.
• For students: To share your skills and accomplishments.
• For everyone: To analyze your capabilities and knowledge as well as for self-improvement.

That being said, a resume is not just a document outlining your education, your talents, or work experience. Your resume is a summary of your capabilities, accomplishments, and even your potential.

Hence, it’s a marketing tool that you can use to showcase your goals.

Types Of Resume

Since a resume is a marketing tool or an advertisement of your knowledge and skills, it’s crucial to know the different basic types and corresponding purpose of each kind.

• Chronological: This type of resume is commonly used since it lists down the work history from the most recent down to the earliest occupation; it offers a quick view of your entire work history. This format is best used by those who possess the relevant work experience with very few lapses.
• Functional: As the name suggests, a functional resume focuses on the candidate’s skills, rather than the dates when those skills were acquired through paid work or internship. It also highlights the capabilities instead of the person’s employment history.
• Hybrid: Also known as a combination resume, the hybrid format is considered the most flexible type of resume. This is best for people who have both relevant work experience and essential skills to present.
• Targeted: The targeted resume is the least generic of the types of resumes. It allows the candidate to customize the information based on the requirements of the job or where the resume will be put to use. For example, if you want to impress potential investors and gain the confidence of stakeholders, you’ll highlight your financial analyst experience in the resume even if you have an engineering or fine arts degree.

It may be challenging to decide which type of resume is most beneficial to you. As a tip, keep in mind that choosing the type of resume to use depends on your purpose and situation.

All You Need To Know About The Hybrid Resume

As mentioned, a hybrid resume is a combination of the chronological and functional resumes.

Therefore, it’s also referred to as a combination resume.

In general, the person’s skills and qualifications are on top of the document and followed by the reverse-chronological listing of work history.

To better understand if the hybrid is your best option, you should know the benefits and drawbacks of using this type of resume.

Benefits Of A Hybrid Resume

Depending on your current situation, a hybrid resume is easier to customize compared to other types.

Here’s how a hybrid resume can be of use:

For a college student with little work experience, a hybrid resume allows them to highlight skills acquired through non-formal employment or internship, as well as academic and extracurricular accomplishments.

For an employee who has lapses in work history, or someone who wants to shift careers, they’ll be able to present the relevant skills acquired at work and other training gained outside of work. A radical career change is given less emphasis when a hybrid resume is used. So, if you have a diverse work history and you don’t want to emphasize such a fact, a combination resume is your best option.

For people who have stayed with the same organization for a long time, a hybrid resume allows them to emphasize the skills and accomplishments gained within the same company or the same position.

Hybrid or combination resumes work best for people with limited employment history and prefers to highlight internship or volunteer experience instead.

It’s also beneficial for individuals who want to shift careers but don’t want to highlight such radical change in their resume.

Disadvantages Of A Hybrid Resume

Like other types of resume, a hybrid has some drawbacks, such as the following:

A hybrid resume may present repetitive skills, especially if the various positions held are somehow similar in nature.

Unlike the functional or chronological resume format, a combination resume tends to be longer.

To reiterate, the best type of resume is one that suits your current situation and purpose. If you want to utilize the hybrid resume format, you should know the parts included in these documents.

Resume mistakes can be avoided when you know how to properly write a hybrid resume.

The Essential Parts Of A Hybrid Resume

Following your name and contact details (you can add a summary and objective if you prefer), these parts hold crucial pieces of professional information about you.

• Skills: The top part is for highlighting your skills and accomplishments.
• Experience: Displays the work history without putting too much emphasis on the dates of employment.
• Education, Affiliations, Training, and Other Credentials: This part helps support the qualifications presented in the ‘Skills’ and ‘Experience’ portion.

One of the best benefits of using a hybrid resume is that the format is appealing to different types of hiring managers.

By presenting the most valuable information first – your skills and qualifications – you can catch the attention and interest of mentors, employers, and investors.

Takeaway

Creating a memorable resume requires plenty of time and effort. It’s a great idea to always have a resume ready for whatever purpose.

However, regularly updating your resume is crucial to help you determine the areas you can improve as a student or professional.

If you’re going to use your resume to apply for a new job, it’ll help if you customized your hybrid resume to make it more appealing to the hiring manager.

A resume, regardless of type, is an essential document that helps you present your professional achievements in the best way possible.