Modern Combination Resume Format That Actually Gets Read

You know what hiring managers hate? Homework. And a sloppy combination resume is exactly that: unpaid detective work.

But a sharp, modern combination resume format? That can save their brain cells and rescue your weird, zigzag career story.

Let’s pull this thing apart.

Why I Trust The Combination Resume (When It’s Done Right)

I’ve reviewed thousands of resumes. I’ve watched strong candidates bury themselves with the wrong resume format and average candidates look incredible with the right one.

Here’s the blunt truth. A combination resume is perfect for you if:

• Your path looks like a subway map, not a straight line
• You’re changing careers and your best evidence is skills, not job titles
• You’re a freelancer or contractor with 47 short gigs that would look ridiculous in a pure chronological resume

The combination resume format mixes functional vs chronological thinking. You lead with skills and achievements, then back it up with a clean work history.

You’re basically saying: “Here’s what I can do. Here’s proof I’ve actually done it.”

But if you misuse it, you look like you’re hiding something.

When You SHOULD Use A Combination Resume

I’d argue the combination resume is the best resume format for three specific people:

1. Career changers who already have transferable skills but irrelevant job titles.
2. Freelancers/consultants drowning in short contracts.
3. People with a mixed background, like retail + admin + a certificate in UX, who actually can do the job but don’t have the tidy story.

Example: I once worked with a former teacher moving into customer success. Chronological resume? Looked like a random educator applying for a SaaS role. Combination resume with a strong skills section, quantified wins, and then a short, clean work history? She looked like a communication, training, and relationship-building machine who just happened to do it in schools.

That’s the point. You reframe the story.

When You SHOULD NOT Touch It

If your experience is already clean and directly relevant, don’t get cute.

Skip the combination resume format if:

• You’re a recent grad with almost no experience beyond internships and part-time jobs
• You’ve got a very linear career path, clear promotions, and strong brand-name companies
• You have big unexplained employment gaps that a skills-heavy approach will only make more suspicious

Let your timeline do the heavy lifting if it already tells a strong story. For those people, a standard chronological resume is less work for the recruiter’s brain.

The Skeleton: Section Order, Word Counts, And What Actually Matters

Let’s talk structure. Because the modern resume template everyone says they want is just this: something clean, scannable, and not trying to be cute.

Here’s the order I recommend for a modern combination resume:

1. Header & Contact Info
2. Headline + Summary
3. Key Skills (Grouped & Targeted)
4. Selected Achievements or Highlighted Experience
5. Professional Experience (Chronological, concise)
6. Education & Certifications
7. Extras (Tools, Languages, Portfolio, Volunteer) if relevant

Now let’s go piece by piece, with realistic word counts.

1. Header & Contact Info (15–35 words)

Short, boring, correct. That’s all I care about.

• Name
• Target role or job title
• Location (City, State or "Remote")
• Phone
• Professional email
• LinkedIn and/or portfolio link

Anything else is noise.

2. Headline + Summary (45–80 words)

This is where combination resumes live or die. If your summary reads like a LinkedIn horoscope, you’ve already lost.

Target length: 2–4 short sentences, around 45–80 words.

What to include:

• Your target identity: “Marketing Analyst transitioning from education” or “Senior Frontend Developer and Freelance Consultant”
• 2–3 core strengths that match the job posting
• A concise results hint: revenue, efficiency, satisfaction, growth, whatever you can quantify

Cut the fluff. Words like “hardworking,” “self-starter,” “results-driven” are resume wallpaper.

3. Key Skills (40–90 words total)

This is where the functional vs chronological balance kicks in.

You’re not dumping a grocery list of buzzwords. You’re curating.

Ideal format: 2–3 grouped skill clusters, each with 3–6 skills.

Example clusters:

• Client Management, Stakeholder Communication, Conflict Resolution
• SQL, Excel, Dashboarding, Data Visualization
• Figma, UX Research, Wireframing, Prototyping

Total text will be roughly 40–90 words, depending on how you format it. Keep each skill to one or two words. No sentence fragments here.

4. Selected Achievements / Highlighted Experience (90–180 words)

This is the heartbeat of your combination resume.

Think of it as a “greatest hits” section. Not a job-by-job breakdown yet, but a set of 4–8 bullet points grouped under 1–2 headings like “Selected Achievements” or “Relevant Experience Highlights.”

Target: 4–8 bullets, each 15–25 words.

Every bullet should:

• Start with a strong verb
• Show a real result or measurable outcome
• Match the skills you just listed

Example pattern:

"Reduced onboarding time by 35% by designing a 3-step training workflow and reusable template library for new team members."

You’re stacking proof before you show the timeline.

5. Professional Experience (120–250 words)

Now we go chronological, but we keep it tight.

Goal: 3–6 roles, depending on your history, with fewer bullets than a pure chronological resume. The heavy storytelling already happened above.

For each role:

• Job title, Company, Location, Dates
• 2–4 bullets, max, focusing on scope and context

Total for the whole section: 120–250 words.

This part is less about dazzling and more about verifying. Recruiters are checking:

• That your titles make sense for your narrative
• That there are no huge unexplained gaps
• That your responsibilities support the achievements you bragged about up top

6. Education & Certifications (30–80 words)

Don’t overthink it.

Include:

• Degree, major, institution, graduation year (or "In progress")
• Relevant certifications, especially those aligned with your new direction

If you’re a career changer, that new bootcamp or certificate becomes important narrative ammo. Put it near the top of this section.

7. Extras: Tools, Languages, Portfolio, Volunteer (Optional, 20–70 words)

This is your seasoning, not the main dish.

Use it if:

• You’re in a field where tools actually matter (design, dev, analytics, marketing)
• You speak multiple languages
• You have relevant volunteer experience that shows the skills you’re selling

Keep it skimmable.

The Text-Only Combination Resume Template (ATS-Safe)

Let me say this clearly. A modern resume template doesn’t need fancy design to get you hired. Especially not if an Applicant Tracking System is chewing on it first.

Use this structure as plain text. No tables, no text boxes, no graphics. Your future self will thank you.

TEXT-ONLY COMBINATION RESUME TEMPLATE

[Your Name] [Target Role or Professional Title] [City, State] | [Phone] | [Email] | [LinkedIn] | [Portfolio URL]

SUMMARY [2–4 sentences, 45–80 words. State your target role, core strengths, and 2–3 measurable outcomes relevant to the roles you want.]

KEY SKILLS [Skill Group 1]: [Skill], [Skill], [Skill], [Skill] [Skill Group 2]: [Skill], [Skill], [Skill] [Skill Group 3]: [Skill], [Skill], [Skill], [Skill]

SELECTED ACHIEVEMENTS

• [Achievement bullet with measurable result, 15–25 words]
• [Achievement bullet with tool/skill + impact]
• [Achievement bullet showing leadership, ownership, or scope]
• [Optional additional bullets]

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE [Job Title] [Company], [Location] | [Month Year] – [Month Year or Present]

• [2–4 bullets focused on responsibilities and outcomes]
• [Align with skills and achievements above]

[Job Title] [Company], [Location] | [Month Year] – [Month Year]

• [2–3 bullets]

[Additional roles as needed]

EDUCATION [Degree], [Major] [Institution], [Location] | [Year]

[Certification Name], [Issuing Organization] | [Year]

ADDITIONAL Tools: [Tool], [Tool], [Tool] Languages: [Language] (Level), [Language] (Level) Volunteer: [Role], [Organization] | [1 short impact phrase]

Real Example #1: Career Changer (Teacher → Customer Success)

Here’s how this looks when a real human with a messy story uses the combination resume format to stop looking “off-path” and start looking intentional.

CAREER CHANGER COMBINATION RESUME EXAMPLE

Emma Rodriguez Customer Success Specialist Austin, TX | 555-123-4567 | emma.rodriguez@email.com | linkedin.com/in/emmarodriguez

SUMMARY Customer Success Specialist transitioning from 7+ years as a high school teacher, experienced in managing stakeholder expectations, guiding complex learning journeys, and driving engagement. Proven track record improving satisfaction scores, reducing churn risk through proactive communication, and creating clear resources that help users succeed without hand-holding.

KEY SKILLS Customer Engagement: Onboarding, Relationship Management, Active Listening, Upsell Identification Communication: Training, Presentation, Conflict Resolution, Written Documentation Operations: CRM Usage, Workflow Design, Data-Driven Improvement, Feedback Analysis

SELECTED ACHIEVEMENTS

• Increased parent satisfaction survey scores by 22% in one year by implementing proactive communication check-ins and clear expectation-setting.
• Designed a digital resource hub that reduced repetitive student questions by 40%, freeing 5+ hours per week for higher-impact support.
• Led school-wide rollout of a new LMS for 800+ students, training 35 teachers and troubleshooting adoption issues within the first 60 days.
• Created a simple progress-tracking system that helped 90% of at-risk students improve grades by at least one letter within a semester.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE High School English Teacher Austin Unified School District, Austin, TX | Aug 2017 – Jun 2024

• Managed instructional experience for 150+ students per year, tailoring communication to different learning styles and support needs.
• Collaborated with counselors, administrators, and families to create intervention plans, often juggling 20–30 active cases simultaneously.
• Collected and analyzed performance data to adjust curriculum, resulting in a 15% improvement in standardized test scores.

Adjunct Instructor (Part-Time) Austin Community Learning Center, Austin, TX | Jan 2022 – May 2024

• Delivered evening writing workshops for adult learners, maintaining 95% course completion rate through clear expectations and timely feedback.
• Adapted materials to support learners using online platforms for the first time, fielding setup and access questions with patience and clarity.

EDUCATION Bachelor of Arts, English Education University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX | 2017

CERTIFICATIONS Customer Success Foundations Certificate, Success Academy | 2024

ADDITIONAL Tools: Google Workspace, Zoom, Canvas, HubSpot CRM (self-taught), Notion Languages: English (Native), Spanish (Professional) Volunteer: Volunteer Support Lead, Austin Literacy Partners, 2020–Present

Why this works: the job titles scream “teacher,” but the resume format screams “customer success.” The combination of skills, achievements, and then a stripped-down work history makes the pivot look logical, not desperate.

Real Example #2: Freelancer With Way Too Many Short Contracts

Freelancers, listen closely. If you list 18 short gigs in a chronological resume, you look unstable, even if you’re brilliant.

A combination resume lets you bunch contracts together and pull the best parts to the surface.

FREELANCER COMBINATION RESUME EXAMPLE

Jordan Lee Freelance Web Developer & Frontend Specialist Remote (Chicago, IL) | 555-987-6543 | jordan.lee@email.com | linkedin.com/in/jordanleecode | jordanlee.dev

SUMMARY Frontend-focused Web Developer with 6+ years of freelance experience delivering responsive, performant websites for startups, agencies, and small businesses. Specializes in turning vague requirements into clean interfaces, shipping fast without breaking things, and collaborating asynchronously with designers, marketers, and non-technical clients.

KEY SKILLS Frontend: JavaScript, React, HTML, CSS, Responsive Design Workflow: Git, Jira, Agile Collaboration, Code Reviews Delivery: Client Communication, Scoping, Estimation, Documentation

SELECTED ACHIEVEMENTS

• Completed 40+ client projects with a 90% repeat or referral rate, primarily for SaaS startups and creative agencies.
• Cut average page load time by 45% across multiple sites by optimizing images, refactoring CSS, and implementing lazy loading.
• Built a reusable React component library for a design agency, reducing new page build time by roughly 30%.
• Led frontend implementation for a startup’s marketing site relaunch that increased trial signups by 28% within three months.
• Stabilized a legacy codebase for an e-commerce client, reducing checkout-related support tickets by 35% within one quarter.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE Freelance Web Developer Self-Employed, Remote | Jan 2019 – Present

• Deliver end-to-end frontend solutions for 10–15 active clients per year, from scoping and wireframes to deployment and basic maintenance.
• Collaborate with designers to translate Figma files into accessible, responsive layouts across desktop and mobile.
• Integrate websites with CMS platforms and marketing tools, including headless CMS setups and analytics tracking.

Contract Frontend Developer Various Agencies and Startups, Remote | Jun 2016 – Dec 2018

• Supported project-based builds for marketing campaigns, product landing pages, and MVP launches on tight timelines.
• Worked within existing component systems and coding standards to ensure consistency across large sites.

EDUCATION Bachelor of Science, Computer Science DePaul University, Chicago, IL | 2016

ADDITIONAL Tools: React, Next.js, TypeScript, GitHub, Netlify, Vercel, Figma Testing: Jest, React Testing Library Portfolio: jordanlee.dev (code samples and live projects)

Notice what I did not do here. I did not list every two-month contract separately and force the reader to fight through a wall of dates. The combination resume format lets Jordan show stability through skills and outcomes first, then cluster the short-term work under broader roles.

ATS Compatibility: Stop Letting Myths Ruin Your Resume

Let’s talk about the Applicant Tracking System quickly, because people love to panic about it.

A combination resume can absolutely be ATS-friendly if you follow some simple rules:

• Use standard headings like "SUMMARY," "KEY SKILLS," "PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE," "EDUCATION"
• Avoid tables, columns, graphics, icons, and text boxes in the main content
• Use a simple, readable font when you convert to PDF
• Sprinkle relevant keywords from the job description into your skills, achievements, and experience sections

The machine does not care that you used a combination resume format. It cares whether it can parse your text and match keywords like "SQL," "customer success," "React," or "account management" to its filters.

The human, on the other hand, cares deeply about whether your story makes sense in under 10 seconds.

That’s where this format either saves you