The most suitable LENGTH of your resume is also a factor and we even OUTGROW certain formats.

The crucial question is how and where will you  record your skills, strengths and experience in the most effective manner? How and where will you SELL yourself in the Recession of 2011? Here are a few of your options and the advantages and disadvantages of using a few of the best resume formats:

Combination Resume

A modern Combination resume is a very good answer because this will combine the best features of the traditional Chronological (dates in reverse order) and Functional (skills) resumes. This format is ideal  for senior executives with 20 years' experience or managers with 10 years who need a stronger and better resume.

It has a crucial 15-line section at the top for writing an audience-oriented Job Objective and a Summary or Profile or Qualifications Statement.

The Combination resume enables you to present your "CAN DO's" as well as a summary of your "HAVE DONE's" in the top half of Page One. Managers and executives will also be able to include two to three columns listing their areas of experience or expertise. This always impresses a reader in 2012.

Nowadays, a TARGETED resume that addresses an employer's SPECIFIC needs is the best resume format. It focuses your resume towards a specific career objective or job advertisement in a specific company, environment or industry. The targeting takes place mainly in the FIRST 15 lines. A TAILORED ("Just-for-You") resume shows the reader what a good "fit" you are for the position advertised.
Such resumes will be effective in any job market. They are always the BEST resume formats in 2012.

Chronological Resume Versus Functional Resume  
 

The traditional Chronological resume (dates in reverse order) is popular but very "basic".  It does NOT allow someone with 5-20 years' experience to do justice to his or her skills, strengths, and accomplishments because this format is limited to the facts of your Work Experience and Education. (It's like a C.V.) Where will you write about your ABILITIES? (Some folks are adding abilities to their job descriptions where they WON'T be noticed!) Where will you offer your value? How will you sell yourself? Much of what a recruiter needs to know - your "sell" -- will be MISSING!

It may therefore surprise you to learn that the widely used Chronological resume is actually INCOMPLETE! It is definitely WEAK as a sales/marketing tool. Unfortunately, this type of resume relies too heavily on selling yourself in a separate COVER LETTER which may or may NOT be read. If it does NOT get read nowadays,your resume will have no 'SELL".

Should you therefore go "FUNCTIONAL"? In my view, too many people rush to use the Functional format. The awful reality is that many or even most employers DON'T care for it.

Here you develop a resume which has a big skills section at the top (under different headings such as "Management Skills" or "Production Skills"). The skills statements are followed by one-line items setting out brief details of dates and names of employers in the bottom third of the page. The resume is therefore "top heavy".

Unfortunately, many if not most employers DON'T care to read a lot about your skills, abilities and achievements unless they are also given a chance to MATCH UP these claims with the job titles and dates to which they refer. Most employers prefer a "normal" Chronological resume with dates and job descriptions. Many also distrust a Functional resume because they know it is often used by those with something to hide or disguise. It makes them very wary and suspicious.

In short, choosing the best format to create an effective resume in your case is NOT an easy matter and you may need to seek professional resume help in 2012.