Free Combination Resume Template 2017

Crafting a standout resume can feel like navigating a maze, especially when you're unsure where to begin. You want to showcase your skills and experience in a way that's both professional and engaging, but traditional templates can feel rigid and uninspired. That's where our "Free Combination Resume Template 2017" comes in. Designed with a balance of classic structure and modern appeal, this template helps you present a comprehensive overview of your career journey in a visually appealing and easily digestible format.

This free template utilizes a "combination" format, blending the strengths of chronological and functional resume styles. It allows you to highlight your relevant skills and accomplishments upfront, while still providing a clear timeline of your work history. Whether you're an experienced professional looking to highlight specific expertise or a recent graduate aiming to showcase your potential, this template offers the flexibility to adapt to your unique circumstances. Download it today and take the first step towards landing your dream job!

Understanding the combination resume format (2017 relevance)

The combination resume format, popular in 2017 and still valuable today, blends the strengths of the chronological and functional resume styles. This approach emphasizes both your skills and your work history, making it ideal for candidates with diverse experiences or those looking to highlight specific abilities relevant to the desired role. The combination format allows you to showcase your qualifications prominently while still providing a clear timeline of your professional journey. In 2017, as applicant tracking systems (ATS) continued to evolve, the combination resume helped balance keyword optimization with a human-readable structure.

In 2017, a key advantage of the combination resume was its ability to effectively address career changes or gaps in employment. By prioritizing skills and abilities in the initial sections, candidates could draw attention to their transferable skills and downplay any perceived weaknesses in their work history. This format allowed for a more strategic presentation of information, tailoring the resume to the specific requirements of the job description. The goal was to grab the reader's attention with your abilities first and then provide chronological context to support your claims.

A well-structured combination resume in 2017 typically began with a strong professional summary or objective statement, followed by a detailed skills section highlighting key competencies and technical expertise. This skills section was often organized into categories to improve readability and emphasize the most relevant qualifications. Subsequent sections would then detail your work history in reverse chronological order, providing specific examples of how you have applied your skills and achieved results in previous roles. This balance between skills and experience made it a highly versatile and effective resume format for various industries and career levels in 2017 and beyond.

Key sections and their placement

The "free combination resume template 2017" typically leverages a combination of chronological and functional formats. This means strategically highlighting skills alongside work history. Key sections must be placed to maximize readability and draw attention to the applicant's most relevant qualifications. The placement influences how an applicant tracking system (ATS) parses the resume and how a human recruiter scans it.

A prominent placement should be given to the "Skills" section, often located near the top, possibly below the summary or objective statement. This section should contain a mix of hard and soft skills, presented in a bulleted list or a table for easy scanning. The "Experience" section follows, typically arranged in reverse chronological order, with each job description focusing on accomplishments and quantifiable results rather than just listing responsibilities. Consider leading with quantifiable achievements to immediately capture the reader’s attention.

Other sections, such as "Education," "Projects," "Volunteer Experience," and "Awards," can be placed lower on the page, depending on their relevance to the target job. For recent graduates or career changers, the "Education" or "Projects" section may be placed higher to compensate for limited work experience. Tailoring the placement of each section to highlight the most relevant skills and experience is crucial for maximizing the effectiveness of a free combination resume template.

Designing for readability and ATS compliance

Creating a resume that is both visually appealing to a human reader and easily parsed by Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) is crucial for landing interviews. For "free combination resume template 2017", focus on a clear, logical structure that highlights your key skills and experiences. Avoid overly complex formatting, graphics, or unusual fonts, as these can confuse the ATS and prevent your resume from being properly indexed.

Prioritize simple fonts like Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman, and maintain a consistent font size throughout the document (typically 10-12 points). Use clear headings and subheadings to organize your information, making it easy for both humans and machines to quickly identify key sections like "Summary," "Skills," "Experience," and "Education." Use bullet points to present achievements and responsibilities in a concise and readable manner.

To optimize for ATS compliance, use relevant keywords from the job description throughout your resume, particularly in the skills and experience sections. Avoid using tables, text boxes, or images to convey important information, as these may not be properly read by the ATS. Save your resume as a PDF (ensure it is a text-based PDF and not an image) or DOCX file, as these formats are generally well-supported by ATS software. Run your resume through an online ATS scanner to identify any potential issues before submitting it to employers.

Skills section optimization (hard/soft)

The skills section in a free combination resume template is crucial for showcasing your qualifications to potential employers. It's not just about listing skills; it's about presenting them strategically to match the requirements of the jobs you're targeting. This involves a careful balance of both hard and soft skills, presented in a way that's easily scannable by both human recruiters and Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS).

Hard skills are technical abilities or knowledge that are specific and measurable. Examples include proficiency in programming languages (like Python, Java), software applications (like Adobe Creative Suite, Salesforce), or industry-specific certifications. These skills are often demonstrated through projects or work experience, so be sure to quantify your accomplishments whenever possible. When listing hard skills, use keywords that are commonly found in job descriptions for similar roles. For example, instead of simply saying "Data Analysis," specify "Data Analysis using SQL, R, and Python." This provides more clarity and helps your resume get past the ATS.

Soft skills, on the other hand, are interpersonal abilities and personality traits that enable you to work well with others and succeed in a professional environment. Examples include communication, teamwork, problem-solving, leadership, and adaptability. While it's important to list these skills, you also need to demonstrate them through your work experience. Instead of just writing "Excellent communication skills," describe a situation where you used your communication skills to successfully resolve a conflict or lead a team project. Focus on demonstrating the *impact* of your soft skills.

Here are some tips for optimizing your skills section:

• Tailor your skills list: Customize your skills section for each job you apply for, highlighting the skills that are most relevant to the specific role.
• Use keywords: Incorporate keywords from the job description into your skills list.
• Quantify your achievements: When possible, quantify your achievements to demonstrate the impact of your skills.
• Balance hard and soft skills: Include a mix of both hard and soft skills.
• Keep it concise: Avoid listing too many skills. Focus on the most relevant and impactful ones.

Resume Example: free combination resume template 2017

Below is a simple and clean resume example tailored to free combination resume template 2017. Replace placeholder details with your own achievements.

Work experience: highlighting achievements

The work experience section is the heart of your resume, especially when using a combination resume format that balances skills and experience. For the "free combination resume template 2017," focusing on quantifiable achievements is crucial to demonstrating your value. Instead of simply listing job duties, frame your experiences in terms of results. Think about how your actions positively impacted your previous employers – did you increase sales, reduce costs, improve efficiency, or enhance customer satisfaction? Use numbers and metrics whenever possible to showcase the magnitude of your contributions. This will make your resume stand out and demonstrate your tangible contributions to potential employers.

When describing your work history, begin with your most recent role and work backward. For each position, provide the company name, your job title, and the dates of employment. Below this basic information, use bullet points to detail your key accomplishments. Each bullet point should start with a strong action verb (e.g., "Managed," "Developed," "Implemented," "Led," "Improved") and then clearly describe the accomplishment and its impact. To ensure your resume is ATS-friendly, use keywords that are relevant to the job you are applying for and align with the terminology used in the job description. You can identify these keywords by carefully analyzing the job posting and researching industry-specific terms.

Beyond quantifying achievements and using action verbs, it's essential to tailor your work experience section to each specific job application. Before submitting your resume, carefully review the job description and identify the key skills and experiences the employer is seeking. Then, prioritize and highlight the accomplishments from your work history that directly align with those requirements. This targeted approach will demonstrate that you have the specific qualifications needed for the role and significantly increase your chances of landing an interview. Consider using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your bullet points and provide a clear and compelling narrative of your accomplishments.

Education and certifications

This section outlines your formal education and any professional certifications you've earned. It's a critical part of your resume, demonstrating your foundational knowledge and commitment to professional development. When crafting this section for a combination resume, remember to highlight qualifications that align with both your skills and the job requirements. List your degrees in reverse chronological order, starting with the most recent. Include the name of the institution, the degree earned, and the graduation year (or expected graduation year). For certifications, list the full name of the certification, the granting organization, and the date earned or expiration date.

Consider the relevance of your education and certifications to the target job. If a particular course or specialization is highly relevant, briefly mention it. For certifications, emphasize those that are industry-recognized or specifically required in the job description. Tailoring your education and certification section to each job application can significantly increase your chances of getting an interview. A combination resume allows you to weave your educational background with your skill sets and work experience seamlessly, showing employers how your academic achievements have contributed to your professional growth.

When formatting this section, use a clean and consistent style. You can use bullet points or a simple paragraph format, but ensure the information is easy to scan. For example:

• Master of Science in Computer Science - University of Example, 2020
• Bachelor of Science in Mathematics - Another University, 2018
• Certified Project Management Professional (PMP) - Project Management Institute, 2022

Remember to proofread carefully for any errors or omissions. Accuracy and clarity are essential to make a positive impression.

Resume Example: free combination resume template 2017

Below is a simple and clean resume example tailored to free combination resume template 2017. Replace placeholder details with your own achievements.

Free template sources (use cautiously)

While the internet offers a plethora of free resume templates, particularly those advertised as "free combination resume template 2017," it's crucial to approach these resources with a degree of caution. Many free templates, especially older ones, may not be optimized for Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) or reflect current resume best practices. Using such a template without careful review and modification could inadvertently hinder your chances of landing an interview.

Common pitfalls of free templates include outdated design elements, problematic formatting that ATS systems struggle to parse, and a focus on aesthetics over content and keyword optimization. The "free combination resume template 2017" search might yield templates with excessive graphics, unconventional layouts, or fonts that aren't easily readable by ATS. These elements can lead to misinterpretation of your qualifications or even rejection of your application before a human ever sees it.

If you choose to use a free template, thoroughly vet its ATS compatibility. Copy and paste the template's text into a plain text editor to see how it renders. If the information is jumbled or missing, the template is likely not ATS-friendly. Further, carefully customize the template with your own content, ensuring it highlights your skills and achievements in a clear, concise, and quantifiable manner. Replace any generic placeholder text with accomplishments specific to the types of roles you are targeting. Focus on incorporating relevant keywords from job descriptions to improve your chances of being found by recruiters searching for qualified candidates.

Consider these potential downsides before committing to a free template:

• Lack of customization options: Free templates often have limited options for personalization, which can make it difficult to tailor your resume to specific job requirements.
• Hidden costs or upselling: Some "free" templates are actually lead magnets designed to entice you to purchase premium features or services.
• Potential for malware or viruses: Downloading files from untrusted sources can expose your computer to security risks.

Instead of relying solely on free templates, explore reputable resume builder tools or consider investing in a professionally designed template that offers better ATS compatibility and customization options. These resources can provide a more robust and effective solution for creating a compelling resume.

FAQs

Choosing the right resume template can be daunting. Many users wonder about the "combination" aspect of this template. It blends chronological and functional formats. This means your experience is listed chronologically (most recent first), but key skills are also highlighted prominently, allowing you to showcase your strengths even if your career path isn't perfectly linear. The goal is to offer recruiters both a timeline of your work history and a clear overview of your capabilities related to the target role.

A common question is whether the "free combination resume template 2017" is still relevant. While it originated in 2017, the underlying principles of a combination resume—highlighting both skills and experience—remain effective. However, ensure the template's design is clean, modern, and ATS-friendly. You may need to update the visual layout to meet current aesthetic expectations, and always optimize for Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) by using keyword-rich descriptions and avoiding overly complex formatting. Focus on the content and how effectively it showcases your value.

Finally, many users ask about tailoring the template for specific job applications. Customization is crucial. Don't just fill in the blanks; analyze the job description and identify the key skills and experiences the employer is seeking. Then, prioritize those elements in your resume's skills section, experience descriptions, and even your professional summary. Quantify your achievements whenever possible using numbers and metrics to demonstrate the impact you've made in previous roles. Remember to proofread carefully for any errors before submitting your application.

Perfect Your Path to Success

We hope this free combination resume template has provided a solid foundation for showcasing your skills and experience in 2017. Remember that a template is just a starting point – take the time to tailor your resume to each specific job application, highlighting the qualifications that are most relevant to the employer's needs.

Continue to refine your resume and cover letter, seeking feedback from trusted colleagues and career advisors. We encourage you to revisit our site for more resources, updated templates, and expert advice to help you land your dream job!