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Traditional Resume

Different resume styles value different elements. A traditional resume tends to have the most in common with a minimalist resume. A traditional resume focuses on simplicity and elegance, but will typically allow for more aesthetic choices in design than a minimalist resume might. That makes minimalist resumes great for both applicant tracking systems (ATS) and a scan from an actual hiring manager. Here’s what you need to know about using a traditional resume template.

Traditional Resume Example

How Do I Know If I Should Use A Traditional Resume?

Different resume styles will benefit different job searches. There’s no such thing as one singular best resume style. The question then becomes, “How do I know which style is right for me?” If you’re thinking about using a traditional resume for your job application, here are a few elements to consider first.

  • Check the company’s presentation

A traditional resume will typically look the best when you submit it to a company that has similar design and presentation preferences as the simplistic resume. If your dream job is a loud, exciting startup that loves colors and has several different small designs all across its website, your traditional resume will probably not present an image of an individual who will effectively fit in with the company. On the other hand, if you’re searching for a job at a law firm, chances are a traditional type of resume will be ideal for that job posting. Your best bet is to look at the company’s website and social media profiles to see how they might view themselves in this context.

  • Look at your resume

Next, take a look at your resume. Remember, traditional resume examples are usually chronological resumes, which focus largely on professional experience. Traditional resumes are also usually one page long, like many other resume styles. If you have a functional resume or a two-page resume, for example, a non-traditional resume style may be the right choice for your job search.

  • Decide how you want to present yourself

Lastly, you must think about how your resume style will reflect who you are as a person. A recruiter is going to make a snap judgment about you based on how your resume and cover letter.  If you want to present yourself as a simple, elegant and no-frills worker who is mostly about results, traditional is absolutely a great simple resume style to use. If you’d rather present yourself as a highly creative and spunky person who achieves results and enjoys life along the way, traditional might not be the best option.

Traditional Resume Example

Traditional Resume
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What Elements Does A Traditional Resume Usually Contain?

A traditional resume is a fairly simple but still professional resume. If you’ve never put much thought into what makes a traditional or nontraditional resume, however, it can be confusing to determine where you should start in the resume writing process. Here are the three elements that typically make up a traditional resume format.

1. Reverse-Chronological Resume

A traditional resume format is almost always the chronological resume format. This format focuses mostly on work history, with less focus on skills and education. The functional resume format and the combination resume format are more commonly used with modern resume formats. Most resumes, both now and in the past, have been chronological resumes, and the same can certainly be said of the traditional resume.

2. Classic Layout And Design Choices

This can be a bit more difficult to quantify. However, the traditional resume will look the most like a resume that you would see presented as an outline for other job seekers to follow. It will usually include the most common headings: contact information, work experience, skills section, education section and a resume summary or resume objective. Additionally, you won’t typically see traditional resumes use colors outside of a fairly muted or neutral palette.

3. No Graphic Design Additions

A traditional resume is usually the polar opposite of an infographic resume or another type of creative resume. A classic resume template will steer away from flashy styles and unique resume flairs, and will instead embrace white space and simplicity.

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FAQ: Traditional Resume

No one is forced to use any specific resume style. The best career advice is to look through different resume styles and find one that works well for you and the industry that you are working in. If that’s the traditional resume, great! If you’re looking for a more modern and creative resume, consider the other great options. Just use an ATS-friendly resume style for the best results. Applicant tracking systems will scan resumes for the most qualified applicants.

There are no specific downsides to using a traditional resume. It’s more about what type of resume you prefer, one that meets the demands of your career choice. For example, a traditional resume style focuses more on work history. If that’s not something you’re interested in highlighting, you’ll probably want to move to a different resume style, one that focuses on skills and education.

If you’re interested in discovering different resume options, your best bet is to use a resume builder that has many different options, like the ResumeNerd resume builder. With this builder, you can discover many different resume options and see which one looks the best with your information inside. This tool will guide you step by step so you will create a professional resume in minutes.

Build a professional resume and land the job with ResumeNerd.

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