# Combination Resume Example: Columns, Dates, Headings, and Page Length

Combination resume example with ATS-safe columns, dates, headings, page length rules, and Word alignment steps for online applications. Apply with confidence.

> A strong combination resume uses a short skills summary followed by detailed Work Experience in reverse chronological order, with standard headings, MM/YYYY dates, simple formatting, and one or two pages.

Author: Jordan Hale
Published: 2026-09-13T08:00:42.304Z
Updated: 2026-09-13T08:00:42.307Z
Canonical: https://yourunique.cv/articles/combination-resume-example

A combination resume example works best when you need to show both relevant skills and a clear employment history. Put a focused skills section near the top, then list Work Experience in reverse chronological order with employer names, job titles, and dates.

For applications through company sites and LinkedIn Easy Apply, keep the layout simple. Use standard headings, consistent MM/YYYY dates, readable text, and no decorative elements that can interrupt parsing. A combination format gives you more room to target the job than a purely chronological resume, without hiding the timeline the reader needs.

## What a combination resume includes

A combination resume blends two formats:

- A skills-led opening that groups your strongest qualifications.
- A chronological Work Experience section that proves where and when you used those qualifications.

The skills section should not replace employment history. It should direct attention to the experience that matters most for the vacancy.

Use this section order:

1. Name and contact information
2. Professional Summary
3. Core Skills or Technical Skills
4. Work Experience
5. Education
6. Certifications, projects, or other relevant sections

Place the skills section above Work Experience when you are changing careers, returning after a gap, or applying to a role where transferable skills matter. Keep the complete timeline below it.

A chronological resume starts with Work Experience and gives the timeline the most attention. A functional resume groups capabilities but often gives too little context about employers and dates. The combination format sits between them.

## Chronological vs combination vs functional

| Format | Main structure | ATS strengths | Common problem | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chronological | Summary, then Work Experience by date | Clear titles, employers, and dates | Related skills may appear too far down the page | A steady career path in the target field |
| Combination | Summary, skills, then Work Experience by date | Matches keywords while retaining timeline details | Can become repetitive if every skill repeats in every job | Career changes, broad experience, or targeted applications |
| Functional | Skills groups, with limited job history | Some keywords may appear near the top | Parser and reader may struggle to connect skills to jobs and dates | Rare cases where a career history needs careful explanation |

For most online applications, choose chronological or combination. Functional resumes usually lose because they make it harder to verify the source of each skill. An employer wants to see whether you used a tool, led a process, or delivered a result in a specific role.

For a longer comparison, see [Combination Resume: Chronological vs Combination vs Functional](https://yourunique.cv/articles/combination-resume).

## A practical combination resume example

Here is a plain-text structure you can adapt:

```text
Jordan Lee
Chicago, IL | jordan.lee@email.com | 555-555-5555 | linkedin.com/in/jordanlee

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
Operations analyst with 6 years of experience improving reporting, inventory control,
and process documentation for distribution teams.

CORE SKILLS
Inventory analysis | SQL reporting | Excel dashboards | Process improvement |
SOP development | Cross-functional training

WORK EXPERIENCE
Senior Operations Analyst | Northstar Distribution | Chicago, IL | 06/2021 to 09/2024
• Reduced weekly reporting time by 30% by automating recurring Excel and SQL reports.
• Built inventory dashboards used by five distribution teams to monitor stock levels.
• Documented 12 standard operating procedures for order and returns workflows.

Operations Coordinator | Harbor Supply | Chicago, IL | 08/2018 to 05/2021
• Reconciled inventory records across three warehouses and corrected recurring data errors.
• Trained 15 coordinators on new order tracking and escalation procedures.

EDUCATION
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, State University, 2018
```

This example is a combination resume because the Core Skills section targets the job early, while the Work Experience section connects those skills to specific employers and dates.

Do not copy the metrics unless they are true for you. The structure is reusable. The facts must come from your own work.

## Use standard headings the parser expects

Use headings that a reader and an automated parser can recognize quickly:

- Professional Summary
- Core Skills
- Technical Skills
- Work Experience
- Professional Experience
- Education
- Certifications
- Projects

Avoid creative replacements such as “Where I’ve Been,” “My Toolkit,” or “The Story So Far.” They may look distinctive, but they provide less information to a parser. Use the normal heading, then add personality in the content below it.

Match the heading to the content. Use Technical Skills for software, platforms, programming languages, and technical methods. Use Core Skills for broader capabilities such as account management, forecasting, or stakeholder communication.

Do not create a separate keyword block filled with terms you cannot support. Read the job description, identify its required tools and responsibilities, then place accurate terms in your summary, skills section, and achievement bullets.

The [job description keyword extractor](https://yourunique.cv/free-tools/job-description-keyword-extractor) can list must-have phrases, tools, and nice-to-haves from a posting. Its optional resume PDF check shows which extracted terms already appear in your file. It does not tell you to add skills you do not have.

Run the same posting through the [YourUnique.cv](https://yourunique.cv) [ATS resume checker](https://yourunique.cv/free-tools/ats-resume-checker) if you want a file review, then compare the result with a plain-text copy of your resume. The checker scans the uploaded PDF for its result and does not save it to an account. Its result is not the employer's Workday or Greenhouse number.

## Write dates as MM/YYYY

Use month and year for every job. Write dates consistently:

```text
Senior Operations Analyst | Northstar Distribution | 06/2021 to 09/2024
Operations Coordinator | Harbor Supply | 08/2018 to 05/2021
```

Use “Present” for a current role:

```text
Marketing Manager | Bright Path Media | 02/2022 to Present
```

Do not mix formats such as “June 2021,” “2021 to 2024,” and “06/21.” A consistent MM/YYYY format is faster to scan and easier to interpret.

### Right-align dates in Word without a table

Tables can create reading-order problems in some parsing systems. Use a right-aligned tab stop instead.

1. Select the job heading lines.
2. Open the Paragraph dialog by selecting the small arrow in the Paragraph section.
3. Select Tabs.
4. Set a right-aligned tab stop near the right margin, such as 6.5 inches on a standard US Letter page with one-inch margins.
5. Select Set, then OK.
6. Type the employer and title, press Tab once, then type the date.

Example:

```text
Senior Operations Analyst | Northstar Distribution                    06/2021 to 09/2024
```

The large space above represents one tab, not a row of spaces. If your date wraps to a second line, move the tab stop slightly left or shorten the job heading. Check the PDF after exporting. The date should remain on the same line and should still copy in the correct order as plain text.

## Layout gallery: do this, not this

Think of your resume as a document that must work in two views: the visual page and the extracted text.

### Do this: one main text flow

Use one column, familiar headings, left-aligned body text, and a single right tab stop for dates. Put your name at the top. Use bold for job titles or employer names, but keep decoration limited. This layout gives the parser a predictable reading order.

### Not this: side-by-side skill and experience columns

Avoid placing Skills in a left column and Work Experience in a right column. A parser may read the entire skills column before the work history, mix lines from both columns, or omit content. The page may look balanced, but the extracted text may not.

### Do this: a short skills section with evidence below

Write “SQL reporting” in Core Skills, then prove it in a Work Experience bullet. Repeat a term only when the wording is natural and accurate.

### Not this: a keyword wall

Do not add a dense paragraph that lists every tool from the job description. It can look like keyword stuffing and gives the reader no evidence. Remove terms you have not used.

### Do this: clear dates and normal spacing

Use MM/YYYY dates, readable margins, and enough space between sections. Keep each bullet to one or two lines when possible.

### Not this: graphics, icons, or text in headers and footers

Avoid putting phone numbers, email addresses, or important skills in headers, footers, icons, text boxes, charts, or images. Some systems may not extract them in the expected order.

## Page length rules

Use one page when you have limited experience, are a student, or can present your relevant history without crowding the page. Use two pages when you have enough relevant experience, projects, certifications, or leadership results to justify the space.

Do not force six years of relevant experience into one page by shrinking the font. Do not add a second page for a few lines. Edit first. Remove old or unrelated bullets, combine repeated points, and keep the strongest evidence for the target role.

A combination resume can become too long because it includes both a skills section and detailed history. Keep the skills section compact. Six to twelve targeted skills is usually easier to scan than several lines of loosely related terms. Your bullets should explain results, scope, tools, or ownership.

Use the [resume 1 page guide](https://yourunique.cv/articles/resume-1-page) if you are deciding whether to cut content or use a second page. Page length is a content decision, not a reason to use tiny text.

## Check the PDF before you apply

Export the final file as a text-based PDF unless the application gives a different instruction. Open the PDF and select text. Copy the entire document into a plain-text editor.

Check for these problems:

- The name and contact details appear first.
- Headings remain readable.
- Job titles, employers, and dates stay together.
- Bullets do not turn into random symbols.
- Columns, text boxes, icons, and graphics have not changed the reading order.
- The date is present for every job.

A visual review alone is not enough. A resume can look correct while copying in the wrong order. You can also read [How to Check My Resume Is ATS Format or Not: Columns, Dates, Headings, and Page Length](https://yourunique.cv/articles/how-to-check-my-resume-is-ats-format-or-not) for a separate file-checking process.

If you want a draft built from your existing profile facts, [sign up for YourUnique.cv](https://yourunique.cv/sign-up). You can upload a resume, optionally add a LinkedIn URL, keep the layout or choose a built-in template, and paste a job description or job link. Review the generated content for accuracy before exporting the PDF.

## Apply-today checklist

- [ ] Save the final resume as a text-based PDF with the requested filename.
- [ ] Use standard headings, including Professional Summary, Core Skills, Work Experience, and Education.
- [ ] Write every employment date as MM/YYYY, with Present for a current role.
- [ ] Include accurate skills from the job description that you actually have.
- [ ] Write at least five targeted achievement bullets across your recent roles.
- [ ] Use one main text flow and right-align dates with a Word tab stop, not a table.
- [ ] Copy the PDF into a plain-text editor and confirm the reading order.
- [ ] Run the file through the [ATS resume checker](https://yourunique.cv/free-tools/ats-resume-checker), then fix clear gaps before you apply.

## Questions

### What is the best section order for a combination resume?

Use your name and contact details, a targeted summary, a Core Skills or Technical Skills section, Work Experience in reverse chronological order, Education, and optional sections such as certifications or projects.

### Should resume dates use months and years?

Yes. Use a consistent MM/YYYY format, such as 06/2021 to 09/2024. This gives the reader and resume parser a clear employment timeline.

### Are functional resumes ATS friendly?

Functional resumes often perform poorly because they separate skills from employers and dates. A combination resume keeps a skills section while preserving job titles, employers, and dates in Work Experience.

### How can I test a combination resume before applying?

Upload the PDF and paste the job description into the [ATS resume checker](https://yourunique.cv/free-tools/ats-resume-checker). It reports a match score, missing keywords, and gaps, but it is not a Workday or Greenhouse score.

### Can YourUnique.cv help create a combination resume?

Yes. [YourUnique.cv](https://yourunique.cv) can use your resume or LinkedIn URL, keep your layout or use a built-in template, and create a draft from your profile facts and a job description. Review every claim before applying.

— YourUnique.cv