chronological resume order

Chronological Resume - Writing Guide With 5 Free Templates

The chronological resume - also known as the “reverse chronological resume” - is the most popular resume format out there.

Particularly advisable for those with rich work history, the chronological resume prioritizes and lists your work experience and achievements from most to least recent.

This article is here to teach you all there is to know about creating a chronological resume.

What is a Chronological Resume?

Chronological Resume Structure

When to Use a Chronological Resume Format?
4 Free Chronological Resume Templates
How to Create a Chronological Resume - Step by Step
9+ Chronological Resume Examples for All Industries

What is a Chronological Resume?

A chronological resume lists your work experiences and achievements starting from the current or most recent one, and following up with previous jobs below.

For this exact reason, the chronological resume is the perfect choice for job-seekers who have plenty of experience and achievements to list on their resume .

What’s most important, studies point to the chronological resume being a favorite among recruiters, too.

Why? Well, because you are applying for a job, so work experience in your resume will be the first thing a recruiter looks out for.

But worry not, you can structure your resume in a chronological format even as a recent graduate too. Or, you can opt for other popular formats fitter to your profile.

But first, let’s go through the basics.

The chronological resume follows a straightforward structure. The only thing to keep in mind is that your current or most recent experience - be it professional or educational - comes first.

The second most recent will follow, and so on.

Here are the main and most popular sections for the chronological resume structure:

Contact information
Professional title and resume summary/objective
Work experience and achievements
Education section
Your top soft/hard skills
Include optional sections (languages, certificates, volunteer experience, etc)

If you’re a recent college graduate and want to build your resume in the chronological structure format, you still can.

All you have to do is rearrange the order of your resume sections so that the education resume section comes first.

Here, too, make sure that your education entries are listed from the most to least recent, and you’re good to go!

If reading this is already looking too complicated and time-consuming, try out the Novorésumé online resume builder . Novorésumé provides 8+ free resume templates that follow the chronological resume structure.

When to Use a Chronological Resume Format

The three main types of resume formats are the chronological, functional/skills-based one, and a combination resume format of the two. What you choose to use will depend on the type of job you are applying for and your experience level.

In the majority of cases, the obvious choice is the chronological resume. It is common, it highlights just the right sections, and job recruiters prefer it over the other formats.

Nonetheless, this doesn’t mean you should just cross the other options off your list, especially if your work experience doesn’t amount to much.

Consider these other two formats, taking into account their advantages and disadvantages as well:

Functional Resume

Perfect for students or recent graduates, as it highlights your skills.
Offers creative space for a varied portfolio
Difficult to pass through the ATS (Applicant Tracking System) that most companies use to scan through countless resumes they receive daily.
It conceals your experiences, however minor they might be.

Combination Resume

A great choice for job-seekers with a diverse skill-set, because it highlights both skills and experiences.
It can mask gaps in your employment history since you can also list your skills, so it’s the second-best option for those who lack work experience.
It is a really good fit only for highly specialized professionals who have a very diverse skill-set. Say, for example, that you’re applying for a role that requires expertise in 3-4 different fields, and you want to show all that in your resume - then, the combination resume really is the one for you.
It is hard to organize. As a professional with a diverse skill-set, it might be a challenge to decide which part of your expertise to prioritize in the combination resume format.

4 Chronological Resume Templates

Below, you will find 5 chronological resume templates out of many free resume templates. Dig right in to find the best match for you.

#1. Creative Chronological Resume Template

#2: Modern Chronological Resume Template

#3: Professional Chronological Resume Template

#4: Functional Chronological Resume Template

How to Create a Chronological Resume

Now that we mentioned the traditional structure, let’s go through each section one by one to create the perfect chronological resume.

#1: Start With a Contact Information Section

Depending on the template you have chosen for your chronological resume, there is a possibility that your name will be directly followed by your professional title right at the top.

How do you fill up your professional title in chronological resume format? Easy. If you’re not looking to change career paths your professional title should be your current title. However, if you’re changing career paths, then choosing the combination resume mentioned above might be a better option for you.

Regarding the rest of the contact information section on your chronological resume, it should be current and lacking any typos. The mandatory elements of the information section include:

First and last name
Phone number
Email address
LinkedIn URL (optional)

#2: Add a Resume Summary or Resume Objective

Second in the chronological resume comes your ‘profile’ as a candidate, which is expressed through a resume summary or a resume objective .

Wondering what the difference is?

Well, the summary is a short (2-3 sentences) overview of your career so far and it is used in 90% of resumes - especially by those with two or more years of work experience. A summary is a perfect fit for the chronological resume.

On the contrary, a resume objective represents your aspirational career goal and highlights your skills, making it perfect for entry-level professionals with little work experience, or job-seekers looking to completely switch career paths.

#3: Fill in Your Work Experience

This is, without a doubt, the section that weighs the most when it comes to the chronological resume, so it’s vital that you get it right.

Your work experience section is there to show the recruiter what you can bring to the table through your past accomplishments and responsibilities and what the company would be gaining were they to hire you.

Feeling pressured? Don’t. There are many practices to help your work experience section stand out in the eyes of the recruiter.

If you are looking for more tips and tricks to help you take your resume to the next level, head over to our beginner’s guide on how to write a resume .

Here are the key points you should keep in mind when it comes to the work section:

This is the most important so we’ll be repeating it as many times as it takes: your current or latest job position should be placed on top. Then come the previous ones, all the way to your earliest job position.
For each entry, list your job title and position, the company and its location, as well as the dates when you were employed.
List your achievements and responsibilities, with a higher focus on quantifiable achievements, whenever you can.
Use bullet points instead of just text to express what you have achieved and what you were responsible for in every job entry.
Tailor the resume to the position you are applying for. For example, if you’ve had too many jobs in the past and some of them don’t relate to the field you are now applying for, then they are just taking space. Feel free to omit them.

Here’s a close-up of a work experience section in the chronological resume:

#4: Add an Education Section

Generally, the education section comes right after work experience.

If, however, you have just graduated college and want to create a chronological resume to start applying for jobs, the education section can replace the experience section that you’d be lacking.

Either way, the education section should be brief but jam-packed with information that can communicate your values and skills to the recruiter.

Here’s what the education section consists of:

Program Name: E.g. “MA in Conflict Resolution and Peace Studies”
University Name: E.g. “University of Greenwich”
Period Attended: E.g. “08/1214 - 05/2018”
(Optional) GPA: E.g. “3.9 GPA”
(Optional) Honors: E.g. “ Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude, Summa Cum Laude”
(Optional) Academic Achievements: E.g. Papers you might have published, or awards received.
(Optional) Minor: E.g. “Minor in Political Science”

#5: Spice Up Your Chronological Resume With Your Skills

Needless to say, the reverse-chronological order doesn’t really apply in the skills section.

What you can do, however, is begin by listing your hard skills and then your soft skills.

Unsure of what this means?

Hard skills are measurable abilities. These can range from programming in Python language to knowing how to use Photoshop and InDesign.
Soft skills are personal skills. They vary from attitude to flexibility, motivation and teamwork.

Listing your skills has its own peculiarities, so don’t pay this section less attention than the ones above it, especially if you’re a recent college student. Pay attention to skills specifically required at the job ad and if you have them, make sure to include them.

Here’s an example of how your skills section can look like:

#6: Include Any of These Optional Sections

Last but not least, come these optional sections.

Having them in your resume can earn you extra points and even separate you from the competitors, but only if they don’t make your resume longer than it should be (1-2 pages maximum) and if they are relevant to the job position.

Some of those sections include (but are not limited to):

Languages : If you speak two or more languages, don’t fail to put that in your resume. To list them, simply categorize your proficiency level into native, fluent, proficient, intermediate, or basic .
Hobbies & Interests : They can help humanize you and show a part of your personality that work and education can’t. If
Volunteering Experience : Studies show that volunteering experience actually raises your chances of getting hired .
Certification & Awards : If you have awards that make you stand out in your field or certifications from experts that are relevant to the position you are applying for, don’t hesitate to show them off!

Not sure how adding volunteering experience works? Check our article on how to list volunteer experience on your resume .

10 Chronological Resume Examples for All Industries

Now let us walk you through a few practical examples of what the chronological resume looks like depending on the industry.

#1. Business Chronological Resume

In the world of business, accomplishments matter. This is why in this business chronological resume , the work experience section is jam-packed with measurable information on what the employee achieved in his previous professional experiences.

#2. Computer Science Chronological Resume

Computer science jobs are heavily based on hard skills - in addition to your previous work experiences, that is. So, make sure to include your hard skills on your computer science resume to impress recruiters.

#3. Architect Chronological Resume

As you can see from the example above, the sections that follow your work experience and education can be placed according to your profile. If, for example, you’ve worked on some side projects that you feel do your resume more justice than your skills, feel free to prioritize those projects.

In this article, you can find what’s expected from an architect’s resume in more detail.

#4. Nurse Chronological Resume

Action verbs can really make an active professional like that of a nurse shine. So when you list your achievements under your experience, use strong verbs that can paint a picture of who you are and what you can do.

#5. Pharmacist Chronological Resume

With plenty of attributes up their sleeve, the chronological format is the perfect choice for a pharmacist’s resume .

#6. Project Manager Chronological Resume

Project manager resumes have good chances to show industry expertise - given they hold the manager title - and highlight successful projects. Feel free to do both in your chronological resume, as shown above.

#7. Web Developer Chronological Resume

As you can see in the example, the candidate has chosen to place his courses and training above his education. When you have followed courses or have been trained in the exact field of work where you’re applying, it makes sense to rank the field-specific courses and training higher than your university education.

This article has more information on how to perfect your Web Developer Resume .

#8. Teacher Chronological Resume

This is another “special” example of a chronological resume. Right after the experience section, the candidate has listed their volunteering experience. Not normally the case, it makes sense here because the volunteering experience has been as a tutor - which is pretty much the same thing as a teacher in the teacher resume .

In cases when your volunteering experience is directly connected to the job you are applying for, feel free to list it under professional experience as well.

#9. Bar Manager Chronological Resume

For more info on how to update your own bar manager chronological resume for 2024, this is the article for you.

#10. Human Resources Chronological Resume

The example says it all: the chronological resume does wonders showing the peak of your work experience first, and then going back to your professional history and skills. This article on the HR chronological resume has more tips on how to perfect it.

Discover More Resume Templates

Combination Resume Templates
Creative Resume Templates
Functional Resume Templates
Minimalistic Resume Templates
High School Resume Templates
One Page Resume Templates
2 Page Resume Templates
Google Docs Resume Templates
Word Resume Templates

Key Takeaways

And that’s a wrap!

Let’s do a quick recap of the main points covered in this article:

The chronological resume - or reverse chronological - is a top choice among candidates with years of professional experience and a favorite among recruiters.
The chronological resume focuses on your work experience, starting your current or most recent one, and following up with the rest - from most to least recent.
Recent college graduates that want to use this format can - simply replace the work section with the education section, following the same reverse-chronological order.
Save time and energy building the reverse chronological resume from scratch by using online resume builders , such as the one Novorésumé offers.

To provide a safer experience, the best content and great communication, we use cookies. Learn how we use them for non-authenticated users.

If you’re wondering whether you should use a chronological resume format (also referred to as reverse-chronological resume format) or trying to get help with how to write it, then this article is for you.

And if you’ve been told to use a functional resume because you’re changing careers or have a work gap , then this article will help you, too! (And my advice on this topic might surprise you).

Here’s what you’re going to learn:

What is a chronological resume? And what is a functional resume?
Why it’s NOT beneficial to use a functional resume in most cases, and why the chronological resume format will get you the most interviews
How to write your chronological resume

Definition: What is a Chronological Resume?

Chronological resumes are resumes written in a format that lists your work experience based on the dates it occurred. Working downward from the beginning of your Work Experience section, you should start listing your most recent positions first. So the top of the section will contain your current or most recent job. Below that on your resume will be your next most recent job.

This is how to write a chronological resume, which is also commonly called the reverse chronological resume. (They’re the same, just different terms. Always start with your most recent job at the top of your Work Experience. Here are some examples ).

What is Reverse Chronological Order?

As mentioned above, reverse chronological order means that your previous jobs are listed in order of date, beginning with your most recent position at the top. Your final entry in the list should be your oldest or least recent position. This is why the term reverse chronological resume is sometimes used.

Note that you’re NOT obligated to list every job on your resume! You can choose where to begin telling your career story, or whether to omit a certain job for strategic reasons (for example, if it was only a three-month position, and isn’t related to your current career path).

So I’m not suggesting that you must start with the first job you ever held. However, once you’ve chosen a starting point for your resume work history, you should list those positions in reverse chronological order as described above.

Chronological Resume Example:

If you’re still not 100% clear on what chronological order on a resume looks like, here is an example work history section from a chronological resume:

Work Experience

IBM (2019-Present) Senior Product Manager

Brief paragraph describing the role. Don’t write too much here, because you should mostly show your accomplishments and work via bullet points .

Launched a Groundbreaking Product: Led the launch of XYZ product, resulting in a 25% increase in market share within the first quarter.
Implemented Strategic Partnerships: Fostered key partnerships that boosted revenue by 30% and expanded the product’s reach to new markets.
Streamlined Processes: Initiated a process overhaul, reducing project delivery time by 20%, improving efficiency, and ensuring timely product launches.

Microsoft (2016-2019) Product Manager

Brief paragraph describing the role. Two or three sentences is ideal, and you should try to put numbers and metrics whenever possible.

Product Revamp: Spearheaded a product revamp that led to a 40% increase in user engagement and a 15% growth in customer satisfaction.
Cross-functional Collaboration: Fostered collaboration between development and marketing teams, resulting in a 25% reduction in time-to-market for new features.
Revenue Growth: Implemented pricing optimization strategies that contributed to a 20% growth in product revenue over the course of two years.

Notice that the most recent or current job is listed at the top of the work history, and then you move downward for each previous job. The resume date format can vary slightly, depending on what you think is best for your work experience, just make sure that you keep it consistent.

So now you know what chronological resumes should look like, including a real example/template you can use to figure out your own! Next, I’ll explain why recruiters and hiring managers prefer this format, and why it will get you more interviews.

Should Your Resume Be Chronological?

After recruiting for 5 years, I can say without a doubt: Yes, your resume should be in chronological format.

The first reason that you should use a chronological resume date format is: this is what hiring managers and recruiters are accustomed to seeing and prefer.

Why do Recruiters Prefer Chronological Resumes?

Functional resumes are confusing and difficult to gather info from.

When I worked as a recruiter , I had multiple hiring managers send a functional resume back to me, and tell me to have the candidate rewrite it in chronological format. They simply don’t want to read a functional resume because they cannot gather enough info from it.

(If you don’t know, a functional resume lists your skills and past work without any dates. It groups them by skill type or functional area and not by chronological order. So that’s the definition of a functional resume).

This deprives hiring managers and recruiters of important info and context. They’re not as able to understand your career story or see how recently, or for how long, you used certain skills. Therefore, they are less likely to feel confident in inviting you to interview.

(Hiring managers want to interview people who are likely to be able to step into the job and succeed. They want the necessary info to make that decision before occupying their time with an interview).

So, with each online job getting hundreds of applicants, there’s no reason for a hiring manager to struggle to understand the one or two functional resumes they receive. They’ll just move on to a resume that’s written in the format they prefer – which is chronological, with an easy-to-follow resume date format.

The Best Resume Format for Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)

Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) have been the superheroes of the hiring game in recent years. It’s like a super-smart software wizard designed to make recruiters’ lives easier.

What does it do, you ask? Well, it’s the maestro that scans, parses, and ranks resumes based on keywords, qualifications, and experience. Many companies use these systems for initial resume screenings, so if your resume does not align with the system you might be filtered out of the hiring process even if you are the best candidate for the job.

So should you be using chronological resumes to optimize for applicant tracking systems? Yes, definitely!

Chronological resumes present a clear and organized account of your career path. This straightforward format works well with ATS algorithms, ensuring a smooth and easily comprehensible read for the system to grasp your professional history clearly.

When is a Chronological Resume Not Advantageous?

Many experts will tell you that a chronological resume, or a reverse chronological resume, is not advantageous when you’ve had gaps in your work history, when you’ve had a non-traditional or unusual career path, or when you’re attempting to change careers.

However, even in these cases, most hiring managers will prefer reverse-chronological resumes if they are well-written and the resume date format is easy to follow.

You can explain work gaps right in your employment history section.

You can tailor your work experience to show the pieces of work you’ve done that are most relevant for the job you’ve applied for now… even during a career change.

For more help with this, we have a full article on how to write a resume for a career change. If you click that link, I explain more about why a functional resume isn’t ideal, and one of the career coaches who I featured in the article confirms it. To quote her:

As a former corporate recruiter, I am not a fan of functional resumes. Recruiters are taught to scan resumes chronologically. When you take the experience out of context or “order,” it often gives the recruiter the impression you are trying to hide or fudge the experience.

The bottom line is: Trying to hide the dates and order of work will only frustrate and confuse hiring managers and cost you job interviews.

So my answer to, “Should resumes be chronological?” is a resounding “Yes.”

Now that we’ve covered what differentiates a chronological and functional resume, and which you should be using if you want to get more interviews, let’s talk about how to start writing it!

How Do You Write a Chronological Resume?

To start writing your resume, make sure you understand the format and have reviewed the reverse chronological resume example from earlier in this article.

Then, here are the steps to write your chronological resume:

1. Enter company names, dates of employment, and job titles .

You can list dates in terms of years, or months and years. Whatever you decide, keep it consistent.

You can also list the city/state of each job if you choose. This is also optional and is a personal decision when setting up your chronological resumes.

2. If you held multiple roles within a company, show each job title separately on your resume .

This is important so that employers can see that you advanced/progressed in the company. Recruiters typically love this!

Here’s another example of a chronological resume, where you can see two distinct job titles listed under one single employer. This person was promoted from Sales Rep to Branch Manager.

3. Write bullet points describing each role you’ve held .

Each role should have multiple bullet points describing what you accomplished and did for the employer. (Not just saying, “responsible for ___”.)

It’s much better to start with a verb like, “led six team members…,” or “grew our department revenue by…”)

This article has resume bullet examples to help you.

4. Write a brief paragraph to describe each role (above the bullet points) .

This is optional. As you can see in the resume example above, it’s possible to go directly from job titles to bullets, without any paragraph content.

However, if you’d like, you can write a brief paragraph about what you did in the role overall. This can provide more context to the reader.

However, this paragraph should be concise, and you should never put it instead of bullets. I recommend 2-3 sentences at most. The bullets are more important and will be read more closely.

5. Add metrics and data when possible .

You’ll get more interviews by being specific and talking about results on your resume, rather than responsibilities. So try to pack your bullets with metrics… like dollar amounts, percent increases, number of people you led or trained, etc.

You don’t need to be in sales to have metrics! (I hear this common objection a lot).

For example, if you’re an editor for a company’s news blog, you could write:

“Edited and published 30 articles per month for the company blog, which was read by 40,000 people each month and generated an average of 10 qualified leads for the business .”

The more specific you can be on your resume, the better. So if you see an opportunity to add facts, data, and metrics in any of the paragraphs OR bullets you’ve written, do it.

Here’s another example of how to write about results rather than responsibilities:

Which sounds more impressive…

“Responsible for leading the customer service team and handling all inbound requests for the company”

“Led the 22-person customer service team which handled 250+ inbound requests per day via phone and email”

That second option is going to grab attention and get you more interviews from top employers.

6. Add other necessary resume sections .

After you’ve written your professional experience in chronological order, you then need to fill your chronological resume out with the other key sections, including:

Your header/contact info.
A resume summary paragraph.
Your skills section.
Your education section.

If you need more help understanding what order to put these in, and how everything fits together in the “big picture” of your resume, this article has more info on the important sections of a resume.

7. Consider adding optional sections .

You can also include one or more of the optional resume sections on your chronological resume:

Volunteer work/community involvement.
Honors & awards.
Testimonials from past coworkers/managers.
A secondary skills section (sometimes it makes sense to separate your skills into two sections. See the image below for an example).

If you read everything above, you now know why the chronological resume (also called reverse chronological resume) is the format that employers prefer.

It shows the important information that they want to see in your work history, including information that functional resume formats don’t include – like how recently you did each type of work, and for how long.

Without this information, many employers will not be interested in interviewing you.

They just can’t possibly know enough to determine whether you’re a good potential fit for their job. So at best, they’ll ask you to send a chronological resume instead, and at worst, they’ll invite other candidates to interview and you’ll never hear from them.

So that’s a scenario that we want to avoid, and you can do that by writing your professional experience in reverse chronological order.

By combining this with sections detailing your skills, your education, and other key qualifications, you will get more callbacks when you apply for jobs so you can find a new job faster.

If you want to see more resume examples and advice, this article has 3 more work experience examples that follow the advice above.

About the Author

Read our Resume Essentials Guides

10 best free resume builders, resume keywords: 80+ verbs and power words to use, previous work experience examples for a resume, 24 resume summary examples that get interviews, what to put on a resume: 9 things to include, sample list of accomplishments for resume (35+ examples), top 14 resume skills to add on your resume + examples, does a resume need an objective, resume summary with no experience: examples for students and fresh graduates.

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How to Write a Chronological Resume: A Guide

Your resume will be one of the first impressions you make on an employer, and so it is important that you make it count. If a recruiter finds it difficult to read your resume, your chances of being called in for an interview will be impacted.

One of the most popular methods of formatting a resume is to use the chronological approach. The chronological resume is a resume where you list your professional experience from most to least recent.

Find your bootcamp match

In this guide, we’re going to discuss the basics of chronological resumes, who should use this type of resume, and what you should include in a chronological resume.

What is a Chronological Resume?

A resume, or CV, is a short document that outlines your work experience, skills, projects, and skills to an employer—this is likely one of the first things you learned about when you started looking for career advice.

Chronological resumes are a type of resume that presents your skills by listing your work and professional experiences in reverse chronological order. This means that your most recent jobs appear at the top of your resume, and your least recent jobs will appear toward the end of the resume.

(Technically speaking, the chronological resume should be called a “reverse chronological” resume. In fact, this term is sometimes used to discuss the resume, as it more accurately reflects the order in which items appear on the resume.)

The chronological resume structure only affects the employment section of a resume—everything else will come in the order that it otherwise would on a resume.

Who Should Use a Chronological Resume?

The chronological resume is a good structure to use if you have strong experience in a particular field. This is because by featuring your most recent work experience at the top of your resume, you’ll be able to immediately show an employer that you have recent experience that is relevant to the job.

There are a few situations where you should avoid using the chronological resume format.

If you are just beginning your career, the chronological resume format may not make sense for you. This is because you’ll likely have limited experience to list in the first place. So, the experience that you’ll want to feature at the top of your resume is that which best demonstrates the skills you have acquired related to a job. In this case, a functional resume may be a better fit.

In addition, if you are changing careers, you may also want to use a different resume approach.

This is because the work experience at the top of your resume will be one of the key points an employer uses to judge you. If they see that you don’t have work experience directly related to the job, they may not consider your resume further. In this case, a combination resume may be a better fit, which prioritizes your transferable skills.

How to Write a Chronological Resume

There are a few components that make up a chronological resume. These are:

Your name and contact details
Your summary or resume objective
Your work experience, listed in reverse chronological order
Your education
Your skills and abilities

The contents of your resume will depend on what attributes and experiences you think best showcase your skills. For instance, if you have extensive volunteer experience that you think an employer should know about, you may also want to mention it on your resume.

The main difference between a chronological resume and other resume types is in how you order the experience section. Your most recent experience—the job you most recently held—should come at the top of your resume. Any experience that follows should appear in reverse order based on when you worked in that position.

If you’re looking to write a chronological resume, the best way to start is to make a list of all the jobs you’ve had. This will help you see all the positions you’ve held, and then you can sort them based on when you held those positions.

Once you know your experience, you can decide which jobs you are going to include and list them in reverse chronological order. Each list item should be accompanied by your job title, the company name, as well as a few bullet points explaining what you accomplished in a particular role.

To learn more about how to write a resume, read our guide to technical resumes .

Chronological Resume Example

To help you write an effective chronological resume, we have prepared an example that uses the chronological structure. You can use this example as inspiration for your resume.

Anne Graham

San Francisco, California

[email protected]

An organized and committed administrative assistant with three years of experience meeting the needs of executives.

Professional History

D.H Paper Company

May 2019 – Present

"Career Karma entered my life when I needed it most and quickly helped me match with a bootcamp. Two months after graduating, I found my dream job that aligned with my values and goals in life!"

Venus, Software Engineer at Rockbot

Answered and directed phone calls on behalf of Director of Sales
Developed and maintained administrative documentation filing system
Maintained executive contact lists of over 500 people

Hallson Paper & Co

April 2017 – May 2019

Took charge of ordering office supplies for administrative assistants
Responsible for taking minutes of executive meetings
Organized and scheduled appointments on behalf of the Office Manager

Mission High School

August 2012 – June 2017

Administrative assistant skills include organizational skills, experience using the Microsoft Office suite, strong oral and written communication skills, time management, strategic planning, comfortable using technology, ability to anticipate needs, detail-focused.

As we discussed earlier, the main difference between a chronological resume and a traditional resume is the order of skills. As you can see in the above example, the candidate has ordered their experience in reverse chronological order. The rest of the resume appears as it would in a traditional resume.

The content that appears at the top of your resume is what a recruiter will read first. If you have a lot of experience in a field, then using the chronological resume format is a great way to catch the attention of an employer.

Of course, the structure of your resume is only one of many things you should consider. In addition to choosing a good structure, you should make sure that the content of your resume is in good order. For instance, when listing your professional experience, you should use bullet points to showcase your accomplishments and core responsibilities.

By using the tips in this article, you should be able to write a resume using the chronological structure that impresses an employer and lands you an interview.

About us: Career Karma is a platform designed to help job seekers find, research, and connect with job training programs to advance their careers. Learn about the CK publication .

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How to Use a Reverse Chronological Resume Format

10 min read · Updated on February 07, 2024

Everything you need to know about writing the most common resume format

For most professionals, a chronological resume is the best format to capture skills, experience, and achievements. That's because this resume format focuses on the employment history section, which gives plenty of space to explain the candidate's career trajectory.

The reverse-chronological resume format is also what hiring managers prefer to see , meaning that an alternate structure could even decrease your chances of landing the job.

To keep that from happening to you, let's explore how to use a reverse-chronological resume format. You'll also find a few guiding examples that can help you to produce a perfect example of the most popular resume out there.

What is a chronological resume?

The chronological resume is a format that focuses on the employment history section where work experience is listed. The main idea is that you start with your most recent or current position and work backward through all your relevant experience of the past 10 years.

NOTE: This structure is sometimes called the “reverse-chronological resume format.”

It's been said that past behavior is the most reliable predictor of future outcomes. Therefore, prospective employers rely on your career accomplishments to get an idea of what you can do for them. That's part of what makes the reverse-chronological resume format so popular.

When hiring managers can quickly digest what you've done in the past, they are able to get a feel for whether you'll be the right candidate for their team. By focusing your career history on the most recent experiences and working backward for about 10 years, you provide the most up-to-date and accurate representation of what you bring to the table.

It's critical to note that the structure of your reverse-chronological resume is important, too. How the information is laid out on the page will aid the hiring manager – who's spending mere seconds glancing at it – to easily find the information about your career history they want.

How to structure a chronological resume

Your chronological resume will contain at least six sections with relevant headers. Here's an outline of what you should include in your chronological resume:

Contact information

You want the hiring manager to contact you for an interview, right? Well, here's the place to make sure they have the details they need to do just that. Include your name (it doesn't have to be your full legal name – just use whatever you go by), location, phone number, and email address. You can also add links to your LinkedIn profile (if it's been properly optimized) and any online portfolios you may have

The headline grabs the reader's attention. Write a one-line blurb that contains the title of the job found in the job description, along with a couple of relevant keywords that will help you to stand out from the crowd.

A summary or professional profile

Your professional summary is a three to five-sentence paragraph that outlines the major events of your career. Start with something that mirrors the title on the job description and match it up with the hard and soft skills you have. Throw in at least one achievement.

This is the place for a bulleted list of skills. Include 9-12 skills that you have that will show the hiring manager you have what it takes to get the job done. Use the same language and keywords you find in the job description to ensure that your resume makes it past the ATS .

Work experience or employment history

Now you've come to the nitty-gritty part of your resume – what you've done, when, and where. Keep in mind that hiring managers will look to your past accomplishments to see what you have to bring to their team. It may be tempting to dump everything you've ever done , but relevancy is critical.

Let's take a closer look at how to write this section.

Always list the name of the company you work for first. This is important because if you have a company where you held multiple roles, you can stack the roles to show progression. You need the following information as a sub-heading:

Employer name

Dates worked

Then, add 4-5 bullet points to discuss various aspects of your time in the position. You can focus on topics like:

Projects or tasks you completed

Skills you used

Awards and achievements

Numbers and statistics that quantify your successes

Make sure to list these entries starting with your most recent or current job and working backward, as this is a fundamental component of the reverse-chronological resume format.

For your education, you can (and should) include degrees and the colleges you've attended. However, don't forget about things like professional development classes, certifications, and licenses. Spell out acronyms and omit your graduation dates. Again, this section should be presented in reverse-chronological format.

Additional sections like awards, hobbies, or languages

Sometimes, there are things you've done outside of the regular work day that are also important to securing a new job. You can create additional sections on your resume for things like public speaking, special projects, and awards. Just remember, if you're adding it to your reverse-chronological resume, it needs to be relevant to the hiring manager who will receive it.

Tips on when to use a reverse-chronological resume format

The chronological resume is considered the standard resume format because it suits the widest range of professionals, including people in healthcare, IT, law, HR, business, and education. It's especially useful if you've enjoyed a progressive career with advancements through promotions and new jobs.

The chronological resume is less suitable for creative or independent professions, where gig work and short-term contracts are part of the career path. In those cases, alternative resume formats like functional or hybrid models may be more suitable.

Expert Tip: You should try to use the hybrid format instead of the functional format. There' a bit of a stigma associated with using the functional resume format .

How to use reverse-chronological resume format

Now that you know what a chronological resume is, what the outline looks like, and who should use it, let's dig into the actual writing part.

The format of your chronological resume is almost as important as the writing, because a clean and organized layout is one of the best ways to show that you're a professional and motivated candidate.

Make sure to use bold or italics to highlight the key information within your resume, including the employment history section.

Examples of chronological resumes

To get a sense of what goes into a great chronological resume, let's look at the employment history section for a customer service representative:

Customer Service Representative, Fort Worth, TX

August 2020 - present

Handled customer calls and responded to queries about services, product malfunctions, promotions, and billing

Worked to address all customer concerns in a timely and effective manner

Calmly handled 200+ calls each day

Developed successful tactics to upsell products and services to customers

Piloted a feedback program that resulted in a 15% increase in branch sales

Here's an option for a Server:

Rooster Bar & Grill, Boston

Lead Server

June 2018 - August 2022

Managed a staff of 15 as the Lead Server at a high-end downtown restaurant

Achieved promotion to Lead Server six months after joining the team

Upsold wine pairing suggestions to customers, based on preferences

Memorized ingredients and allergens on a menu of 30+ dishes

Performed bartending responsibilities during holiday weekends and special events

Check out this example for a Sales Associate:

ABC Pet Shop, Durham, NC

Sales Associate

September 2021 - present

Maintained a clean shop environment and neat product displays

Gained recognition for reliability and zero absence work record

Fed animals and made sure they had access to fresh water

Answered customer questions and referred to other departments

Helped customers find products that best fit the needs of their pet

Maintained accurate work logs and reported inconsistencies

Chronological resume template

If you're looking for a little more help creating a flawless chronological resume, here's a template that can allow you to quickly plug in your information and be assured of the right format. These are the essential sections, but you may find hobbies, memberships, or other additional sections to be necessary on your resume.

Header information

Your name & job title

Phone number

Email address

LinkedIn profile

Professional summary

Add a paragraph explaining who you are, what you do, your industry and your area of expertise. Show off your soft and hard skills and give an example of a past accomplishment to show how you can add value to a new employer.

Employment history

Employer name and job title

Dates worked and location

Main duties and responsibilities

A key skill demonstrated

Measurable achievement #1

Measurable achievement #2

Degree name, school

Dates attended, location

Optional bullet point for GPA

Optional bullet point for leadership positions

How to adapt the reverse-chronological resume format for students

Whenever possible, first-time job seekers should aim to create a reverse-chronological resume. However, they may have to resort to an alternative if they lack experience.

Trying to land your first job as a student or recent graduate can feel daunting, especially when you don't have much experience to show. While it may be tempting to try out another style of resume, the reverse-chronological resume format can actually be adapted to the needs of students with little effort.

If you don't have any traditional employment to show, simply rename the section “Experience.” This allows you to include any volunteer positions, hobbies, side jobs, internships, or school activities that can serve as your work history for the time being. You may also wish to move the Education section above the Experience section, as it's likely to be more relevant to your current aspirations.

The rest of the rules of the chronological resume apply, including listing your positions from most recent to oldest and making bold section headings. Here's an example:

Eagle Scout, Boy Scouts of America

May 2022- present, Richmond

Awarded the highest honor for scouts after passing a lengthy review process

Planned and completed the final project involving new traffic patterns at deadly intersections

Reviewed accident records and worked with city officials to develop a crosswalk plan

Worked to educate the local community on safe pedestrian practices

Treasurer, National Math Honor Society, Arcs High School

September 2021 - May 2022, Richmond

Managed bookkeeping and revenue for the high school chapter of a national organization

Tracked payments and expenses and created reports for the Club Supervisor

Worked to eliminate unnecessary spending, resulting in 20% additional profit for the club

Organized four fundraisers that brought in $10,000 over the course of a year

Petsitter, Private client

June 2020 - present, Richmond area

Supervised and took care of three dogs for a neighbor during a two-week vacation

Took dogs on walks twice a day and fed them according to owner's instructions

Reported issues and behavior changes to the owner and adapted accordingly

Land your dream job

With these tips, templates, and adaptable examples, you're on your way to creating a great chronological resume, wowing the socks off a hiring manager, and landing your dream job.

Find more resume writing advice in our related articles below, or upload your resume for a free resume review from our experts!

This article was originally written by Anna Muckerman and has been updated by Marsha Hebert.

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Career Planning
Finding a Job

Chronological Resume Example (With Writing Tips)

When to Use a Chronological Resume

When to use a different resume format, what to include in a chronological resume, tips for writing a chronological resume, how to format a chronological resume, chronological resume example, frequently asked questions (faqs).

What is a chronological resume, and when should you use one? A chronological resume lists your work history in reverse chronological order. That is, the top of your resume lists your most recent job first. Your previous role is directly below that, and so on.

This type of resume affords you the opportunity to give pride of place to your most recent and outstanding talents, skills, and expertise, ensuring that a hiring manager will be interested enough to read through your entire resume.

Review information on when to use a chronological resume, when to choose a different format, what to include, writing and formatting tips, and examples.

Key Takeaways

Chronological resumes are a good fit for most job seekers. If you have a limited job history, employment gaps, or did some job hopping, consider using a different format.
Include the standard sections—contact information, education, and experience—in your resume and consider adding optional sections like a profile.
Pay attention to your word choices and formatting. Your resume should be easy to scan through, as well as be full of details that match the job description and play up your most relevant qualifications.

Chronological resumes are the most commonly used format, and for good reason. Most employers prefer candidates who have current or very recent experience in their career fields. Plus, it's the easiest option to create.

The more experienced a potential new employee is, the less likely it will be that the employer will have to spend time and money to train them after they’re hired.

If you have a straightforward work history—one where you have work experience in the job area you are targeting, with few significant unemployment gaps—then a chronological resume is the way to go.

While it’s fine to include several job descriptions in your “Professional Experience” section, you don't need to present more than 10 years of employment in the work history section of a resume. Doing so may result in your application being screened out by employers guilty of ageism.

While most candidates will opt for the chronological resume format, it's not always the best choice. Consider a non-chronological functional resume or a combination resume format if you:

Have done a lot of job-hopping
Have employment gaps
Do not have a work history
You're working in a different field than the one you're currently targeting

These alternate resume formats allow you to place your most relevant experience at the top of the document, even if the role isn't the most recent one.

Take a look at the sections you'll include in a chronological resume:

Contact information: This is where you'll inform potential employers how to reach you. This should go on the very top of the page—along with your phone number, email, and address. This section also includes your name in a bigger font size.
Experience: This is generally the heart of your resume, where you share your previous work experience. In a chronological resume, this is listed in order from most to least recent.
Education: In this section, you'll list your education background, along with any certifications, professional development, and academic accomplishments.
Skills: Here, you'll highlight your hard skills, such as computer skills and language skills.

You can also choose to include an objective statement, resume profile, or career summary on your resume. These optional sections generally summarize your skills and experience. In the case of an objective statement, you also call out your employment goals.

As you're writing your resume, keep these tips in mind:

Create top-notch job descriptions: As you describe your previous jobs, look for ways to make them sound impressive . Try adding numbers and incorporating action verbs . Don't limit yourself by simply listing out day-to-day responsibilities. Instead, look for ways to highlight your achievements.
Avoid "I" and "me": It's customary to write resumes in the third person. So, in a job description, instead of saying "I managed a team of five people," you'd simply say, "Managed a team of five people."
Match your qualifications to the job : Employers are most interested in your relevant qualifications. That is, it's lovely if you're skilled at accounting best practices, but if you're being hired for marketing, that may not be very meaningful to your hiring manager. Look for ways to showcase skills that are mentioned in the job ad and are needed in the role at hand.
Carefully eliminate all typos and errors: Having a typo makes your resume appear unprofessional. It also reflects poorly on you, as well as potentially makes you appear sloppy and poor at handling details. Read through your resume carefully to catch—and remove—errors and typos.
Include relevant keywords: Both hiring managers and automated tracking systems (ATS) look for keywords in resumes . Including them in the document can help you increase your chances of landing a job interview.

A resume is a formal document, with fairly set guidelines for how it should look. If your resume looks different from the usual format, you should have a very good reason. For instance, a design-focused role might offer more freedom to deviate from the norm. Here are some formatting strategies to keep in mind:

Consider using a template: Resume templates , which are available through word processing software such as Google Docs and Microsoft Word, can help you cut down on the labor to create the document. A template can be a very helpful starting point as you create or update your resume.
Choose a readable font: Make sure to choose a standard font (think: Times New Roman or Arial) that's easy to read. Don't make the size too small because you're looking to include lots of information on a single page.
Make sure it's easy to read on the screen and when printed out: Few people want to read a document with cramped margins and a tiny font. Try to make your resume easy to scan by using bullet points, strategically bolded text, and incorporating plenty of white space.

This is an example of a chronological resume. Download the chronological resume template (compatible with Google Docs and Word Online) or see below for a text version of the resume.

The Balance

Chronological Resume Example (Text Version)

James Applicant Edmond, OR 555-555-1212 james.applicant@email.com

Energetic and motivating leader with a proven ability to effectively manage both staff and long and short-term projects. A self-starter and strong independent worker who excels at analyzing products and procedures in order to generate new ideas that improve efficiency and production quality.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

COMFORT, INC., Edmond, OR MANAGER (2018-Present) Manage daily operations of a $1 million foam insulation company.

Train and supervise work crews in more efficient product installation techniques resulting in reduced material waste by 20% and labor hours by 43%.
Instrumental in developing sales team’s knowledge in the areas of building science and energy conservation in order to provide customers with the information to successfully plan for, and utilize, spray foam insulation.

MILITARY BASE. Edmond, OR DATA NETWORK MANAGER (2016-2018) Managed command and control data network used to generate video representation of geographic area surrounding the ship. The team consisted of 38 individuals from four departments.

Production Control Officer - Coordinated the efforts of 135 personnel utilizing 37,000 man hours. Completed 520 jobs totaling over $4 million during a 13-month refurbishment period.
Assistant Command Duty Officer - Directed daily routine utilizing a duty section of 600 personnel from 12 different departments.

MILITARY BASE. Edmond, OR INSTRUCTOR PILOT (2012–2016) Administered, coordinated, and supervised flight and academic training for the United States flight training program that encompassed over 200 instructors and 600 students in five units.

Coordinated and supervised four Flight Commanders to ensure that pilot completion rates met quarterly and annual goals.
Managed and scheduled 11 instructor pilots and 38 flight students to complete primary and intermediate level flight training.

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

AUBURN UNIVERSITY, MBA in Finance, 2021
UNIVERSITY OF COSTA RICA , Bachelor of Arts in Business Economics, 2012
Aviator - Advanced Flight Training, United States Flight Patrol

In what order should work history be listed on a resume?

In a chronological resume, which is the most common format, work history is listed in reverse chronological order. Your current or most recent job is listed first, followed by your other jobs in descending order. Your oldest job is listed last.

What is the difference between a chronological and a functional resume?

A chronological resume focuses on your employment history, while a functional resume highlights your skills and qualifications for a job. A combination resume includes your top qualifications plus your chronological work history.

CareerOneStop. “ Resume Styles ."

CareerOneStop. “ Select the Best Resume Format .”

“CareerOneStop. " Applicant Tracking Systems ."

Resume Tips

How To Write A Chronological Resume (Guide + Example)

11 min read

Job applicants use many different resume formats, but none are more popular than the reverse-chronological resume format. Also referred to as a chronological resume, it starts with the most recent job experience and works backward. Chances are you've seen a few of these in your time and even used one yourself.

In fact, it’s so popular that most people instinctively picture the reverse-chronological resume format when they hear the word “resume.” So, you’ve seen them and maybe used them - but do you know how to write a reverse-chronological resume?

These tips can help you gain more insight into the important process of writing a resume and help you build a chronological resume that facilitates your job search.

Why is the reverse-chronological resume format so popular?

First, it’s important to understand why the reverse-chronological resume format is so popular. Its name comes from the way that it lists your current and previous work history in chronological order.

The reverse chronological listing method showcases your career progression, so it provides the most relevant information to hiring teams at the top. Because it’s the most widely-used resume format, it also provides hiring personnel with an easy-to-read summary of your various jobs and is compatible with the widest possible array of industries and job types while accommodating different experience levels, too.

Another critical factor as to why the reverse-chronological resume format is typically the best choice is that it is easily read by an employer’s applicant tracking system, or ATS. Applicant tracking systems filter resumes for employers by scanning them for key information and relevancy related to the job posting. If you use a format that the ATS can’t easily read, it will likely mean your resume won’t land in the hands of a human reader, even if you’re qualified.

Who should use the reverse-chronological resume format?

In most instances, you should list your work experience reverse-chronologically: start with your most recent experience and order the remaining experience from newest to oldest.

One exception to this is if you have a nonlinear professional history. In that case, it might be best to use a hybrid or functional resume format instead. A functional resume focuses on your job functions and key skills and minimizes your work history to titles and dates. A hybrid resume combines aspects of a functional and reverse-chronological resume. These should be a last resort but are sometimes a good option for those with significant employment gaps or little relevant experience.

How to write a reverse-chronological resume

There are five areas of focus to consider for the reverse-chronological resume format: contact information, summary, work experience, education, and supporting details. This post organizes them by the questions each section needs to answer.

1. How should hiring managers contact you?

Your chronological resume needs to start with the right information about you: your contact details. It’s vital that employers know how to reach you. Be sure to include all these details right at the top of your resume:

Your phone number

Your LinkedIn URL (optional)

If a hiring manager needs to hunt for your contact information, there’s a good chance you won't be contacted. Always include your full name, phone, and professional email address at the very top of your resume.

It’s also a good idea to include your LinkedIn URL. Most employers will look you up online before contacting you, so this is anticipating that step. It's unlikely employers will contact you by LinkedIn, however, since most correspondence about job applications happens by email.

Example of a contact section on a resume:

chronological resume contact information

Here are some additional tips to consider:

Don’t include your full mailing address - this is an outdated idea from when people applied for jobs by submitting paper resumes. You can provide your city, state, and zip code, or just the country if you're outside of the USA.

You don't need to label each section "Email" or "Telephone." It's obvious to the reader.

2. How would you summarize your experience and key accomplishments?

Next up, include a brief resume summary of your skills, work history, and career highlights. Think of this section as your resume's elevator pitch - a short and simple pitch to capture employers' attention and make them want to read on.

The elevator pitch is a concept from the sales industry. Sales professionals should be able to sum up their product in 30 seconds or less: roughly the amount of time you might share an elevator ride with someone.

Similarly, your resume should quickly convey why you're a great fit for your job target. Your work experience section will support your claims.

Example of a summary on a chronological resume:

Consider the following tips for your summary section:

Start your resume summary with a headline . This can be as simple as the job title you're targeting or your top certifications, skills, or accolades.

This section should generally stay between 4 and 6 lines. Be selective about what you showcase here.

It’s a good idea to include a list of core competencies just below the summary to highlight key skills you have related to the job.

Keep this section employer-focused. Try to check all the boxes the employer is looking for by using keywords from the job description and examples of how you add value.

3. What have you accomplished in your work experience?

As we've already mentioned, your work experience should be listed in reverse chronological order, starting with your most recent job. Beyond the job title and basic info, though, what should you include in this section?

The bulk of your resume will be in the work experience section. To make the most of your experience, you need to include both the essential information and the compelling information that will land you the interview.

Here are the essential parts of your work experience section:

Basic company information like company name, the location of the job, the dates you were employed

Your job title (or multiple job titles if you earned a promotion or changed jobs internally)

Details about your experience

Some people incorrectly assume that the details about your experience are merely a list of obligations or daily duties. The reality is that you need to highlight your accomplishments and achievements in a way that shows employers how you add value and can succeed on the job. Let's look at an example before we talk about how to level up how you describe your work experience.

Example of work experience on a chronological resume:

chronological resume work experience section 1

This example does several things to represent this candidate as compelling and valuable. The bullet points are specific, informative, and impressive. None of these bullet points could be guessed from the job title. This resume would really stand out from other Creative Manager resumes that only list bullet points like "Helped with creative ideas for [company project]."

Here is some advice on what to include to make your work experience more compelling to employers.

Include standout accomplishments from each position, such as projects you contributed to that had a positive outcome or specific ways you improved business.

Add numbers that translate your effort into value. Monetary gains are great, but here are some other metrics ideas: time saved, people managed, increase in output, decrease in errors.

Use plenty of keywords from your industry and the job you're applying to. If all the jobs you want to apply to want marketing strategy, be sure to include your experience with marketing strategy in this section. You'll appear especially compelling if you can provide the results of your marketing strategy.

4. Do you have the proper credentials?

After your work experience section, there should be a section that details your education: degrees, certifications, continuing education, and training. You should provide the name of the school or institution and the name of your degree or certification. You don't need to include the year you completed the education unless it was very recent or is a certification that will expire at some point—like a real estate license.

Essentially, you want to prove you're qualified on a basic level to do the job you're applying for. If the job description requires a degree, license, or certification, this is where you should include it if you have it.

Just like your work experience, you want to list your most recent education first. This tends to be your highest degree. An exception to this is if you’re changing careers. In that case, you’ll list your most relevant degree first and the rest in reverse chronological order.

5. What else makes a good chronological resume?

Suppose you have additional relevant information that doesn't fit into the sections above. In that case, you can add more sections to a reverse-chronological resume format. However, most resumes should be no more than one to two pages long , so be sure to stick to this guideline and only add what's necessary.

Here are some additional sections you might include:

Additional applicable skills: This section is optional and would go near the end of your resume following your education section. Adding a skills section can be helpful if you want to highlight specific required skills, like technical skills, or if you have additional skills that would help an employer make a decision. However, if you feel you covered all your skills in the core competencies section below your summary, then forgo adding an additional skills section at the end.

Volunteer work: Volunteer work can be very relevant when applying for jobs. You can have a dedicated volunteer work section or include it as "Additional Experience" with other part-time, freelance, or work experience. Volunteer work serves a number of purposes, such as displaying skills you don't use in your professional work, like event organization, fundraising, or even leadership skills, and nods to the causes you care about enough to donate your time to.

Volunteer work can also help fill gaps in your resume and your interview. If you've been job searching for three months, it sounds way better to say you've been volunteering and learning new skills versus sitting at home refreshing your email inbox.

Interests and hobbies: You can also opt to include an interests and hobbies section that allows you an opportunity to showcase any interests that might showcase your depth as an employee and person. You should be careful to avoid controversy, however. For example, don’t list political groups that you might belong to or interests that might draw any sort of controversy. If you belong to professional groups or organizations related to your field of expertise, they’re well worth mentioning. If you do add this section, it should be one of the last sections on your resume.

Time to put it all together!

Now, let's look at a full example of all five parts of the reverse-chronological resume format.

Example of a reverse-chronological resume:

Final tip: Be flexible

Remember also that the chronological resume does have some built-in flexibility. It’s not a stale formula that you plug details into.

For example, if you’re a student with little professional expertise, you can place the educational section before the work experience section to better highlight your educational achievements. In short, don’t be afraid to make some strategic changes to the order of the sections, as long as you stick to basic reverse-chronological resume format standards. The goal is always to showcase the best parts of your resume to enhance your chance of success.

A reverse-chronological resume format is generally best

Now you know why it’s typically best to use the reverse-chronological resume format and how to create it. As long as you answer the questions for each section, you should be well on your way to landing more interviews.

Of course, resume writing is as much art as science. Like any type of endeavor, it takes practice and experience to create a perfect resume. These tips will help you to get a handle on the process, but no formulaic tips can ever replace a well-crafted professional resume written by experienced resume writers.

If you want to ensure that your resume earns you twice as many interviews, hire your own personal resume writer . Zipjob has over 100+ professional resume writers to help you display your work experience in the best way.

Ronda Suder, Professional Writer

With a drive to foster safety and expand possibilities through writing, performing, and working with others, Ronda brings 25 years of combined experience in HR, recruiting, career advice, communications, mental and behavioral health, and storytelling to her work. She’s a certified career coach and holds a Master’s in Human Resources, a Master’s in Film and Media Production, and a Master’s in Counseling and Development. As a writer, she’s covered topics ranging from finance and rock mining to leadership and internet technology, with a passion for career advice and mental-health-related topics. When she’s not at her computer, Ronda enjoys connecting with others, personal growth and development, spending time with her beloved pooch, and entertainment through movies, television, acting, and other artistic endeavors. You can connect with Ronda on LinkedIn and through her website .

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How to write a chronological resume?

[ Click here to directly go to the complete chronological resume sample ]

That means recording them in the order of their occurrence.

Reverse chronology, on the other hand, narrates a story with the recent plot first and flows in the reverse order of occurrence.

A reverse chronological resume format holds a lot of significance as it is often adjudged to be the standard norm for all industries.

So what is a chronological resume format? When is a chronological resume not advantageous and when should you use it? How to write a chronological resume?

Well, this guide is going to answer all these questions and more about the famed reverse chronological resume format.

In case you want the summary, here it is:

List the most recent job frist and then date back to the previous ones.
Write dates (in mm/yy - mm/yy) format thoughout your resume.
Helps in highlighting the professional experience section.
Do not use this format if you have career gaps as it will highlight that.
This format is ATS compliant which helps you get through the ATS scanner.

By the end of this guide you will learn:

What are the different resume formats?
Why should we use a reverse chronological resume? )
How to write a reverse chronological resume?
How to mention training & certifications in a chronological resume?

To start with, and to explain to you the importance of dates generally, read the section below.

According to Silvia Rosenthal & Janet Hale in their book 'A Guide to Documenting Learning', bloggers are often advised to put recent dates to otherwise old articles.

This is done to give the readers the feeling that the post is recently written which generates enough interest in the reader's mind.

You can find this universally across multiple domains and industries. Newspapers and media platforms thrive on giving you the most recent updates and the same is followed in the blogging industry. Google posts recently-updated websites and articles first.

The same logic applies to a resume.

Recruiters are more interested in seeing your latest achievements & credentials first, instead of mapping your professional journey from the start.

They are specifically looking for what you are doing right now; the question of what you did 5 years ago comes later.

In our Guide on Reverse Chronological resumes, we'll majorly talk about the following:

Reverse Chronological Resume Sample

Formulating and reviewing pitches for new clients & supervising a digital marketing project for Sanley Dark & Deck
Servicing high profile accounts like VHRE, and Stanford University for brand-building via digital films
Chaired a team of 3 to create a referral network by developing affiliate partnerships in the startup ecosystem
Amplified lead generation by liaising with ~5 prospective clients/day via multiple channels (online and offline)
Formulated and executed social media strategy for Honest Communications, Assume Tourism and Pinochle Buildtech
Curated social media posts using tools like Photoshop , Microsoft Photo Manager, Hemingway , Feedly, Google Alerts, etc.
Drove lead generation and PPC campaigns using promotion tools on Twitter, Facebook, Google Adwords and Analytics
Generated 5-7 (FB) and 9-10 (Google Ads) leads/day by effectively managing website & directing campaigns for Pinochle

Formats of a Resume

[ Back to Table of Content ]

There are globally 3 formats used for a resume:-

Reverse Chronological Resume Format

This format specifically highlights your professional work experience by putting this section in the middle.

This is the most used format for all working professionals.

You will see that the work experience section shows a chronological order example of placing present job first and the previous job after that and so on.

Chronological resume puts maximum emphasis on highlighting the points in the work experience, Achievements and Certifications sections in a reverse chronology.

Dates are mentioned with confidence knowing that it would showcase solid career path without many gaps in the same.

To see more reverse chronological resume templates, skip to the end of the article.

Functional Resume Format

Name here itself tells us that this resume is more based on functions, i.e. skills and abilities of a candidate.

Functional format is all about highlighting your particular skills that match the skill set required by the recruiter.

What we mean to say is that there might be a candidate with a very clear-cut career graph and solid career graph as compared to you.

But if your skill set and abilities are more relevant than this candidate then you can compete with this candidate on an equal footing.

In fact, you might just increase your chance of selection.

Think like this.

You have not been working from last 6 months but you have a good retail sales ability and particular skills which are relevant to a particular retail job vacancy.

And the other candidate though is working in retail sales presently and that also in a better brand but has not worked for this aspect of the profile.

Then who would be the better choice for the recruiter looking to hire for this profile?

Of course, the recruiter wants someone who can perform once he joins. And a showcase of those skills by you would guarantee the same.

So, when is a functional resume advantageous?

The answer is when you have many career gaps and not a concrete continuous work history.

Functional resume format still shows the work experience section but does not mention the dates.

So the absence of dates makes it safe for the candidate to avoid highlighting the gaps.

A drawback of a functional resume format is that since it is not widely used, it definitely puts the recruiter off looking at an unusual flow of information.

In many cases, the recruiter might even feel that there is something wrong with the career path of the candidate.

For this reason, we move to a next and more safer choice.

Combination Resume Format

As the name suggests, this format is an amalgamation of chronological resume format and functional resume format.

This should be used when you want to highlight specific skill set and would also like to show work experiences stating dates of the same.

For more details, please visit our Guide on Resume Format

Reverse Chronological Resume - Why Should You Use It?

The reverse chronological resume is ats compliant.

ATS is an automatic tracking system which is a machine recruiter specifically assigned to shortlist resumes before they actually reach human hands.

Now the fact is, it is not only the factual content which gets tracked on ATS.

It is also the format and dates and many other things.

ATS is specifically designed to shortlist a chronological resume.

So get ready to receive many interviews calls with this template.

The Reverse Chronological Resume is Easy to Draft

A chronological resume template is easy to draft as you are just talking about the tasks performed in each job with dates mentioned.

Also, since there are plenty of examples of a chronological resume template available on the net, it would never be difficult for you to really authenticate the final resume.

The Reverse Chronological Resume is Universally Accepted

The best bet about a chronological resume template is that it is a globally accepted format.

You would never have to keep changing the format while applying for different countries.

Once you have made your chronological resume, you are done till you grab a great job.

The Reverse Chronological Resume is Recruiter Friendly

Needless to say, a chronological resume template is favourite for recruiters for the ease of information flow.

Such smooth flow of information proves easy to process during resume shortlisting and during the interview.

Provide an Additional Advantage

A chronological resume template shows a clear trajectory of your professional journey which showcases you as a genuine and sincere candidate with no gaps.

This gives you an added advantage over the candidate who has many gaps in the work history.

Reverse Chronological Resume - Who should use it?

Chronological resume as we saw has many advantages but that does not mean that it is suitable for all.

Particularly the candidates who do not have a fixed career path and have taken many breaks in their career journey should avoid using it.

Chronological resume format is good for the candidates who have a concrete and continuous career path.

Chronological resume format is not good for candidates who are unemployed as of now.

It is because the first thing which comes to the recruiter's mind is that the candidate is sitting at home and is out of touch with work.

Then again, you might just get lucky if the recruiter is in hurry of hiring and an unemployed candidate could join on immediate basis. But this happens rarely.

How To Write A Chronological Resume

Personal information in a reverse chronological resume.

This section holds the top position in the resume.

Needless to say, it should not consume too much space in the resume if the resume is content heavy.

Refer to the image below:

Personal Information Section in a Resume

Job Title and Professional Summary in a Reverse Chronological Resume

Rather than stating your career objective in a paragraph, it is more professional and universally acceptable to state your targeted designation and present designation as the Job Title.

At the same time, just below Job title, you must give a synopsis of the entire resume to make it easier for the recruiter to understand your work in just a few lines.

Refer to the reverse chronological resume example showcasing an example of Operations Manager targeting the position of Operations Head:-

Key Skills in a Reverse Chronological Resume

Key Skills summarize the skills gained by a professional in small phrases presented in bullets.

This makes it very easy for the recruiter to scan them through.

The best thing about key skills section is that it is the best tool to clear ATS for necessary keywords.

Refer to the reverse chronological resume example:-

Professional Work Experience in a Reverse Chronological Resume

This section plays the most important role as chronology is first defined in this section.

Here, you have to put your current or recent work experience first, followed by previous work experiences placing the last experience in the end.

As a general rule, keep all the information as one-liner to save space and give ample white spacing.

To make it easy for the recruiter to understand your work, bucketing and bolding of the work experience would come handy.

Education in a Reverse Chronological Resume Template

This section comes immediately after the Professional Experience.

Education in a reverse chronological resume places the most recent degree/course first and followed by previous courses.

Training & Certifications in a Reverse Chronological Resume Template

Certifications form an important part of your career journey as they increase your skills, knowledge and bargaining power.

Literally speaking, a resume looks incomplete without a list of certifications due to the high increase in competition for each job.

An operations manager resume is incomplete without a six-sigma certification, a digital marketing expert's resume is incomplete without a social media marketing certificate, and so on.

How to add certifications in a resume, please visit our Guide on Certifications in a Resume

Honestly, recruiters don't care what certification you pursued 10 years ago.

We tend to forget what we learnt a few years ago.

Heck, we tend to misplace the certificates too.

Also, too old certifications tend to become invalid with changing times.

Don't eliminate them from the resume but simple placement in the reverse chronological order will take you to your dream interview!

Incorrect placement of Certifications

Incorrect Placement of Certifications Section in a Resume

Correct placement of Certifications

Correct Placement of Certifications Section in a Resume

Awards & Recognitions in a Reverse Chronological Resume Template

As seen in the image above, recent awards and accomplishments are stated first followed by the later ones.

For more sample chronological resume templates, visit our resume builder .

Reverse Chronological Resume Samples - By Profile

Reverse Chronological order example for Public Relations Associate

Reverse Chronological order example for HR Manager

How to Show Work Experience Section in a Resume

Reverse Chronological order example for Operations Manager

Reverse Chronological order example for Accounting Manager

Reverse Chronological order example for Finance Associate

Reverse Chronological order example for Accounting Associate

Reverse Chronological order example for Marketing Head

Reverse Chronological order example for HR Associate

Reverse Chronological order example for Operations Head

Key Takeaways

Look at more reverse chronological resume samples on our resume builder .

Go to Hiration resume builder and create a professional resume for yourself. Additionally, reach out to us at [email protected] and you can get 24/7 professional assistance with all your job & career-related queries.

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Chronological Resume Templates

Classic chronological templates are popular for a reason - they do their job. Use one of the tried-and-tested resume formats below to secure your interview.

Double Column

Chronological resume template. Education position is reversed to focus more on the experience.

Single Column

Reverse chronological resume template. Classic one-column style for chronological resumes.

Chronological timeline template. Additional line between job titles makes up for a clean and presentable resume.

Professional resume template. A sleek and straightforward design that conveys a sense of professionalism and competence.

Modern resume template. A stylish two-column design with a pop of color to stand out from the crowd.

Creative resume template. Showcase your unique personality with a custom design that speaks to your creativity.

In This Guide:

What is a chronological resume template, who should use a chronological resume, tips for building the best chronological resume template, chronological resume templates pros and cons.

Chronological resume template is the most commonly used format in resumes, and recruiters prefer them to others. A reverse chronological order resume template lists your jobs, starting with the current or most recent one at the top. It provides comprehension opportunities for hiring managers to see your experience.

Have it in mind that chronological and reverse chronological resume templates are essentially the same thing. Because they list your experience chronologically, but in a reverse way, starting with your most recent job. You can use Enhancv builder to build your chronological resume in the best way possible.

People who can get all the advantages that chronological resume templates offer are jobseekers at any professional level with a consistent work history without gaps between roles.

However, reverse chronological order can work for just about anyone looking for a job. This resume formatting is simple and professional, and you can effortlessly apply it to any resume design.

Resumes in chronological order are very convenient for students because this formatting is the easiest way to organize their limited experience.

Choosing this format is easily understood by recruiters because chronological resume templates are the most popular layout hiring managers see.

A chronological resume is arranged in a way to emphasize your professional experience - your education and certifications, skills, other relevant activities, or volunteer experiences. A summary statement is optional in chronological resume formatting. Excluding the cases in which you are higher-level management or changing your current professional field.

If you think a chronological resume template is not a good fit for your case, you can try a functional or combination resume template. A functional resume is focused on your skills and abilities and lists your roles and education at the bottom.

A combination resume blends a functional resume and a chronological resume and emphasizes both your skills and experience in equal measure.

Let’s create your perfect chronological resume by following the best practices.

The reverse-chronological format resume template can be applied to any design – modern or traditional. It only depends on your professional field and the type of company you are applying to. Modern design is appropriate when you are in more creative and innovative industries and want to make your resume pop up from the rest of the applicants. Use the traditional design without icons, graphics, and flashy colors for applying for positions in more traditional companies.

The best font to use for resumes is a classic, easy-to-read font, like Times New Roman or Calibri. You can use modern fonts, which are also appropriate, like Helvetica, Verdana, Ariel, or Lato. Keep in mind that ATS systems don't mind the font as long as it's readible serif or sans-serif. The regular font size for resumes is 12 points. Larger fonts are acceptable for headings, your name, or titles of sections. If you're having trouble fitting your content on one page, you might try making your font 10.5 points, but don't go lower.

Your resume should be easy for the hiring manager to digest all your best work. Using the right font in combination with colors can help that. Use white as the background, black for the text, and the remaining color as an accent. It is advisable to use for the third color some shades of blue, green, or dark red. Avoid too flashy colors.

Select the best layout

Your resume should always begin with your full, searchable name. Your name should be the biggest thing on the page. Recruiters are spending a few seconds on your resume, they should know whose it is. Show your location, there is no need to put your full home address, but recruiters expect to see your city and state. Add your contact information like your phone number and professional and easy-to-read e-mail address.

As we mentioned before, for the Chronological resume template, you can skip the summary statement section . It can be a plus to add one or two sentences about who you are as a professional and what is your experience.

Your work experience section on the Chronological resume template is the most important one. You should include responsibilities and accomplishments for each job you’ve held. If you want your resume to stand out more, you can organize your experience in two separate sections. The first one, under the header “Relevant work experience” to a specific job you are applying for, and the second section is Work Experience.

Right after your work experience section, you should list your education in reverse chronological order first on the list you should add your academic degrees, following your training and certifications . Do not list your high school diploma once you have attended college unless relevant to your professional field.

You can list your achievements on a chronological resume template in your work experience section. If you can additionally emphasize your achievements, you can lay them out in a separate section. People who don’t have much work experience can use achievements in education, volunteering, or project sections. When you list achievements, make sure they include the time frame, scale, and results.

You can design your Chronological resume template in two columns to fit all information on one page. Recurred prefer one-page resumes because they are easy to scan for the key points they are looking for in a candidate.

The chronological format is the most commonly used, and most recruiters prefer them. This resume format draws attention to your work experience and career advancements.
A chronological resume template is the easiest format to read for ATSs because emphasizes your work experience by putting it on top of the page.
This resume layout works for anyone looking for any kind of job, and it is student-friendly.
Chronological format is not recommended for people with gaps in their work history.
This format is not a good choice if you are applying for a position in a field in which you don’t have previews experience.
If you are just starting your career, chronological resume formatting will emphasize your lack of experience.

Frequently asked questions about chronological resume templates

Is the chronological resume best, what is the difference between a chronological and functional resume, why do most employers prefer chronological resumes to functional resumes, how far back should a resume go.

Resume Examples

What to Do When I Forget to Attach My Resume

Portfolio on resume, should a cover letter be one page, how to write an initial message to a hiring manager (with examples), why we love (and hate) personal resumes, should you use a template for a cover letter.

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Resume 101: The Correct Order for Resume Sections

Everything you need to know about how to organize your resume, including the right order for jobs and sections of your resume.

9 months ago • 6 min read

When writing a resume, it can be difficult to know where to begin. Should you put your education or work experience first? What about skills? And why does it even matter, as long as all the necessary information is on there somewhere?

We’ll give you simple answers to all those questions below — but let’s start with that last one.

Why resume order matters in 2024

Putting things in the right order on your resume isn’t just a matter of convention — it serves a few practical purposes, too. The order of sections on your resume impacts:

Readability. Putting things where recruiters expect to find them means they’ll be able to get more information from your resume quickly — which means you’re more likely to stay in the running past an initial resume screen.
Applicant Tracking Systems. Most companies now use some form of ATS, which has affected best practices for resume writing. Ordering your sections in a simple, straightforward manner is the best way to keep it ATS-compatible.
First impressions. Like it or not, some resume conventions do matter, and this is one of them. Using a standard resume section order shows that you understand professional norms.

The easiest way to make sure everything on your resume is in the right order is to run it through a free resume checker. Score My Resume can provide instant feedback on resume section order as well as overall style and brevity.

The best order for work experience on your resume

Speaking of resume conventions, you may have heard about different chronological vs hybrid vs functional vs skills-based resumes. While a lot of different resume gimmicks have come and gone over the years, the truth is still that reverse chronological order is the best resume format.

This means you should list your most recent job at the top of your work experience section , followed by any previous jobs from newest to oldest. There are a lot of reasons for this (like the ones listed above - readability, ATS, and first impressions), but the most important one is that the recency of your experience directly affects how relevant it is, and the most relevant information should always go at the top of your resume.

How to organize your resume sections

Now that that’s covered — what order should your resume sections be in? This depends a bit on where you are in your career, but in general, you should expect to list your work experience first, followed by your education, skills, and other information.

Here’s an example of a well-organized resume that works for just about any job seeker:

Chronological resume template with all sections in the correct order

You can download this template — or browse 350+ others — at our ATS resume templates page.

For most job seekers

In most cases, the correct order of resume section is:

Contact information . Always start with your name, phone number, and email address so hiring managers know who the resume belongs to and how to get in touch with you if they want to move you forward.
Resume summary . A summary statement provides a quick snapshot of your professional identity, key accomplishments, and career objectives.
Work experience . This is the core of your resume and should be prominently located. A clearly formatted work experience section (see above) allows hiring managers to quickly review your past experience and relevant accomplishments.
Education . This should still be on your resume even if you’re not a recent graduate, but below your work experience —you can even remove the dates if you graduated 8+ years ago.
Skills and certifications . This should be a short section at the bottom of your resume. It can include specific hard skills, professional certifications , and other information like personal projects and volunteer work .

This is the most standard resume section order, which means it’s just as appropriate for recent grads as for 20-year industry veterans. That said, if you want a little more customization in your resume, here’s how to optimize it for different stages of your career.

For recent graduates

The best order for recent grads is only slightly different — in this case, you should put your education at the top. Your resume should look something like:

Contact information.
Education . If you’re still in school or only graduated recently, your education is probably your strongest asset, so make sure to showcase it upfront.
Work Experience . This can also include part-time jobs, internships, volunteer work, or work study.
Activities . If you have a lot of awards or extracurriculars , consider creating a separate section where you can highlight soft skills like teamwork and leadership .
Skills . If you’re not sure what skills you should be highlighting, try searching for your desired role or industry in our skills and keywords database .

Want more options? Here are 50+ entry-level resume templates to get you started.

For career changers

Career change resumes can differ in a few ways, but the main one is that you might want to split your work experience into two sections. Here’s how that might look:

Contact information .
Resume summary . This is your chance to provide some context for why you’re changing careers and why your background is a good fit — even if it doesn’t appear that way at first glance.
Skills . Usually, these should go at the end of your resume, but by moving them up you can show hiring managers that you have the necessary background for the role.
Relevant experience . It’s always better to put more relevant experience first, even if it’s a little older.
Additional experience . Here’s where you can list any other recent jobs that aren’t directly relevant to your new career path.
Education . You should still list your qualifications even if they’re not in the same field.

For even more advice on how to make a successful career change, check out the career change tag on our blog .

For senior-level candidates

If you’re applying for higher-level roles, including management or C-suite positions, it stands to reason that your resume should go into a little more detail. Here’s how to structure that:

Resume summary . If you’ve had to cut down your work experience, this is also a good place to put career highlights, even if they’re a little older.
Work experience. This can go back a little further than the usual 10-15 years if you’re applying for more senior roles and should showcase professional advancement.
Professional organizations and community involvement. For higher-level roles, it’s a good idea to include anything that establishes you as a leader in your field, like board membership or involvement with professional organizations in your industry.
Education . No matter how long ago it was, your educational qualifications should stay on your resume (but it’s okay to remove the dates).
Skills and certifications. Another key difference is that your resume can be a little longer if you’re applying for senior or executive positions — think two pages instead of one. For more insights, head over to our definitive guide on how to write an executive resume .

If I switch the order on my resume, will it look like I'm hiding something?

Indeed, it can. If your resume is not organized in a straightforward way, it could give employers the impression that you're attempting to obscure certain aspects of your career history.

Can a poorly ordered resume hurt my chances of getting a job?

Unfortunately, yes. A resume that's confusing or disorganized can make recruiters' jobs more difficult, increasing the likelihood that yours might be put aside. Keep it clear, concise, and well-ordered to show you're the organized professional they need.

Does the order of a resume differ depending on the type of job I'm applying for?

Absolutely! Your resume should be a living document that changes based on the role you're aiming for. Applying for a tech job? Highlight your related skills and projects up top. Going for a management position? Make sure your leadership experiences take center stage. Keep the job description handy when you're deciding on your resume's order.

Are there cultural or regional differences in preferred resume order that I should be aware of?

Good catch! Yes, different countries have different conventions. For example, some countries prefer personal details like age and marital status at the top of a resume (though that's typically not the case in the U.S.). Always research resume norms for the country where you're applying.

Does the order of a resume differ for entry-level versus senior-level roles?

It does. For entry-level roles, your educational achievements might take prime real estate on your resume. For senior-level roles, a detailed account of your professional trajectory becomes more important. The golden rule? Highlight what's most relevant and impressive based on where you're at in your career.

Where should I place my personal projects, volunteer work, or other non-traditional experiences on my resume?

These can be a valuable part of your resume, especially if they showcase relevant skills or experiences. Typically, they can go in a section towards the bottom of your resume, after your formal work experience and education. However, if these activities are particularly relevant to the job you're applying for, you might decide to position them more prominently.

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How To Write A Resume In 7 Steps (With Examples)

How To Write A Resume
Resume Skills Section
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Resumes are still the most important document in your job search . Generating a professional and interesting resume isn’t easy, but there is a standard set of guidelines that you can follow. As hiring managers usually only spend a short time looking over each resume, you want to make sure that yours has a reason for them to keep reading.

If you’re looking to write a resume, rewrite a resume you already have, or are just curious about resume format, then you’ve come to the right place. This article will go through the steps to writing an excellent resume, as well as offering examples for what sections of the resume should look like.

Key Takeaways:

A resume is a short document that details your professional history in a way that tailors your experience and skill set for the particular job you’re applying for.

Resumes follow a few standard formatting practices, which hiring managers and recruiters expect to see.

Highlighting your work experience, skills, and educational background with relevant keywords can help you get past applicant tracking systems and into more interviews.

How to write a resume

Writing a resume involves using the proper formatting, writing an introduction, and adding your work experience and education. Stuffing your entire professional life into a single page resume can feel overwhelming, but remember that you’re distilling the relevant parts of your professional experience in order to catch the eye of the recruiter .

Formatting your resume. To start, use a word processor such as Microsoft Word or Google docs. Standard resume formatting calls for:

1 inch margins

10-12 point font

A professional, commonly-used font

Additionally, there are three resume formats that are commonly used. Most people should stick with a chronological resume format , but the combination resume format and functional resume format can be effective for more advanced workers or those who have significant gaps in their resume.

Write a resume header . It doesn’t matter if you have the best resume in the world if the hiring manager can’t contact you. Every single resume should include the following contact information:

Your full name. First and last.

Your phone number. Use a personal phone number, and make sure your voicemail is set up properly.

Your email address. Nothing inappropriate — [email protected] is a safe choice.

Location. City, State, Zip Code is fine, but you can include your full mailing address if you think it’s appropriate.

Your social media (optional). LinkedIn is the obvious one you’d want to include, but make sure your profile looks good. If you have an online portfolio , either on a personal blog/website or on a site like Journo Portfolio , feel free to include that here as well.

Your job title. Also optional, but can be useful for applicant tracking systems.

Resume introduction. You have four options for your resume introduction: a resume objective, summary statement, resume profile, or qualifications summary. For most job-seekers, a resume summary statement is the best choice. Regardless of which resume introduction you choose, avoid first-person pronouns (I/me/my).

Resume objective. A resume objective is the goal of your resume. Since the objective of every resume is to land a job, this is not the most original or impressive opener you can have.

On the other hand, it’s a good choice for an entry-level applicant or someone who is changing career paths . This should be a 1-3 sentence summary of why you’re motivated to get the position you’re applying for.

Who should use a resume objective: Entry-level applicants, career-changers, and recent college graduates.

Resume summary. This is the best opener for most job-seekers. As the name suggests, a resume summary highlights the most salient aspects of your resume.

It should include your current position, how many years of experience you have, some of your biggest achievements, and possibly your career goals. This should be a 1-3 sentence spiel and should include some quantifiable experiences.

Who should use a resume summary: Most job seekers; anyone with quantifiable accomplishments to emphasize and a broad range of skills.

Qualifications summary. A bullet point list (4-6 points is the sweet spot) of your qualifications for the position. It’s best used by applicants going for jobs that require a fixed skill set. It’s not a great choice for entry-level applicants who lack quantifiable achievements.

You’ll notice that a qualifications summary takes up more space than a resume objective or summary, but it can actually save the hiring manager time if you provide a bunch of valuable information right off the top.

Who should use a qualifications summary: Those applying to a job with requirements for certain skills and job-seekers who have a lot of experience in their industry and/or field.

Resume profile. A resume profile is similar to a resume summary, but goes into more detail about your accomplishments at your current or former job, while also telling the reader about your career goals. Think of a resume profile as a section that pulls all the best parts of your work experience section into one place.

Who should use a resume profile: Anyone with significant accomplishments under their belt, expertise in a niche field, or applying to a job in the same industry that they have lots of experience in.

Resume headline. Resume headlines aren’t necessary, but you can include one alongside any of the four types of resume introduction listed above. A resume headline comes between your contact information and the resume introduction of your choice.

Headlines can be used by entry-level applicants and experienced job-seekers alike. The important point is that your headline should be short and to the point. Additionally, you should use title case when writing your resume headline (capitalize words as you would for a book title).

Who should use a resume headline: Any job-seeker who wants to showcase their experience or unique value right off the bat.

Work experience. Your work experience section is the place to let hiring managers know that you have relevant experience that would allow you to handle the job you’re applying for.

If you’re using the chronological resume format, your work experience section would come after your resume summary/objective. In a funcitonal reumse, it would follow your skills section. Either way, work experience should be listed in reverse-chronological order (most recent experience at the top).

When listing your work experience, you should include all of the following information:

Job title. Start by stating the position you held at the company. These are easy cue for the hiring manager to look at and determine whether your past positions would help you succeed at their company.

Company Info. Include the name of the employer, the location where you worked, and perhaps a brief description of the company, if it isn’t a well-known name.

Dates Employed: Use the mm/yyyy format if you want to be sure that most applicant tracking systems (ATS) will pick it up. Whatever format you use for dates, be consistent, or your resume will look sloppy.

Job Description. Don’t just list your job’s responsibilities; hiring managers and recruiters already have an idea of your duties based on the job title. Instead, list your most important and impressive responsibilities/achievements at the job with bullet points. Determine which of these are most relevant for your new role based on the job description.

Ideally, each bullet should be no longer than a single line. However, two lines is acceptable, if used sparingly.

Always start with a strong action verb, followed by a quantifiable achievement and a specific duty. For example: “Developed ad campaigns for clients, increasing sales by an average of 27%.” Each job title should include 3-5 bullet points.

The order that you include this information can be changed around, as long as you are consistent throughout your resume. However, the bullet points detailing your job’s achievements should always be the last item for each entry.

It’s important that you tailor your resume’s work experience section to the job you’re applying for. We recommend reading the job description carefully and highlighting the action verbs in one color and the skills, adjectives, and job-specific nouns in a different color.

Educational background. In almost all cases, your education section should come after your professional history. If you’re a recent college graduate with limited work experience, you may choose to put your educational achievements first.

Like the section on your professional history, educational experiences should come in reverse-chronological order, with your highest level of education at the top. If you have a college degree, you don’t need to add any information about your high school experience. If you didn’t finish college, it’s okay to give a list of what credits you did complete.

Each educational experience can be listed in the following format:

Degree/Program Name College/University Name Dates attended

You don’t need to add anything else, especially if your resume is already impressive enough. But if you’re struggling to fill up the page, or you feel that aspects of your educational experience will help make you a standout, you may consider also including:

Minor. If you think it rounds out your not-exactly-relevant-to-the-job major nicely.

GPA. Only if it was 3.5 or higher. Otherwise, it’s not going to do you any favors to include this.

Honors. Dean’s List, Cum Laude, etc.

Achievements. If you wrote a killer thesis/dissertation that showcases intimate knowledge relevant to the job to which you’re applying, you can include its title and a very brief description.

Extracurricular activities. Only include if they’re relevant. For example, if you’re applying for a management position and you were president of your student government.

Certifications/Licenses. If the job you’re applying for requires/likes to see certain certifications or licenses that you have, you may include them in this section as well.

Skills section. Your impressive skills should be scattered logistically throughout your professional history section, but you should also include a section solely dedicated to highlighting your skill set . Skills can be broken down into two categories:

Hard skills are skills you learn through training and indicate expertise with a technical ability or job-specific responsibility.

Soft skills are your personality traits, interpersonal abilities, and intangible qualities that make you more effective at your job.

Your resume should have a healthy mix of hard and soft skills, as both are essential to job performance. However, since soft skills are harder to prove in the context of a resume, we recommend leaning more toward hard skills. Additionally, whenever you list a soft skill, make sure that it has a correlating item in your work experience section.

For example, if you say you are skilled in collaboration, you should mention a time when a team project was a major success somewhere in your work experience section.

Optional sections. If you still have space left or there’s more you want to show off that doesn’t quite fit in any of the above sections, you may consider adding an additional section covering one or more of the below categories:

Language . Being bilingual is always impressive, and can be included on a resume for any company. Highlight this more if your position involves liaising with international distributors and/or clients. Don’t lie about your proficiency level.

It may be best to not mention it if you’re not particularly proficient speaker . Such as if you took courses in school, or haven’t really managed to gain fluency. It can end up looking like an attempt to inflate your credentials, which you want to avoid.

Volunteer experience . Always a good thing to include. It shows you’re a team player who behaves in a way that promotes the greater good, without thought of personal gain. Especially good for entry-level candidates and those applying for jobs at a non-profit. If you have gaps in your work history, you can also consider including volunteer experiences in your work history section instead.

Personal projects. A personal blog, published works, or a portfolio of your past projects are all good things to include. They show you take initiative, enjoy and take pride in your work, and that you can handle the responsibilities of the job, if relevant.

Certifications/licenses. If you didn’t include these in your education section, this is another good place to list relevant certifications or licenses that you have.

Interests . This is largely just a space filler if your resume is light in other areas. However, if your hobbies are directly related to the job that you’re applying for, it’s not a bad idea to include them. And it might draw a recruiter’s attention if you end up sharing some of the same interests as they do.

If you have several seemingly random items that are valuable, but don’t warrant creating a whole separate section for, you can also make a section called “Additional Experience.” Here you can include all of the above categories in one place. Just make sure that each item is clear and easy for readers to understand.

Resume samples

Now that we have a good idea of how to write a resume, let’s take a look at some example resumes:

Jack Pilgrim Washington , DC 14015 – (555) 444-3333 – [email protected] – www.linkedin.com/jpilgrim Resume Summary Graphic designer with 3+ years of experience creating and implementing promotional materials and social media graphics. Worked with sales and marketing teams to increase inbound calls by 23% YoY through compelling digital media. Adept at planning, managing, and prioritizing multiple deadlines at once, and thrives in fast-paced work environment. Work Experience Creative Designs | Washington, DC Lead Graphic Designer | June 2018-Present Worked with sales and marketing teams to create landing pages, sales proposals, and supporting media elements to drive sales by over $250,000 per quarter Trained, managed, and mentored team of 4 junior designers to fulfill 40+ project orders on a weekly basis Conducted UX research through surveys, usability testing, and data analysis to plan content marketing strategy, driving organic search traffic by 12% Presented proposals, results, and status updates to set of 4-7 clients, ensuring customer satisfaction at or above 95% for 3 years straight Happy Place | Alexandria, VA Junior Graphic Designer | July 2016-May 2018 Translated client needs and branding strategies into design and content strategy, increasing client retention by 22% Reduced project turnaround time by 8% by Utilizing web-based ticket system for completing and archiving finalized pieces Posted digital artwork to network IPTV using web interface to produce high-end info-graphics and other materials Happy Place | Alexandria, VA Marketing Intern | September 2015-July 2016 Assisted marketing team with data collection, analysis, and presentation using Google Analytics Drew up storyboards for new marketing campaigns alongside sales team, increasing brand awareness through social media Wrote 500-1000 word articles to pair with graphical elements on page, leading to a 40% boost in engagement on company website Education Savannah College of Art and Design | Savannah, Georgia May 2016 Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design Skills Adobe Creative Suite Typography HTML/CSS WordPress Collaboration Organization

Allison Neederly Chicago, Illinois , 60007 | (333) 222-1111 | [email protected] | www.linkedin.com/allison.neederly Resume Summary Dedicated customer service representative with 4+ years experience resolving customers’ needs in-person, online, and over the phone. Top achiever at XYZ Inc. with a 100% customer satisfaction rate for Q1 of 2020. Friendly personable, and knowledgable about company’s products and services. Relevant Skills Customer Service Responded to upwards of 200 customer queries daily with XYZ Inc., reducing the average wait time by 56% and increasing customer satisfaction rates by 13% Ability to resolve conflict and create a positive atmosphere for shopping for both new and existing customers through technical proficiency Expert product knowledge and communication skills, and experience training and mentoring new customer service staff Web Chat and Phone Skilled in 3 web chat platforms for helping online customers resolve their queries quickly and accurately Achieved fastest call resolution rate at XYZ Inc., with an average resolution time of under 5 minutes per customer Performed outbound calls for customer satisfaction surveys, as well as writing web-based surveys for 10,000+ customers Troubleshooting Detailed product knowledge allowed for customer technical issues to be resolved at rate within top 5% of all customer service associates at XYZ Inc. Created manual for step-by-step directions for troubleshooting that was implemented for team of 100+ customer service reps Positive attitude took average tech-related negative response from 1/5 stars to 4/5 stars, increasing trust in brands and services Work Experience XYZ Inc. | Philadelphia, PA Customer Service Associate New Look Global | Burlington, VT Junior Customer Service Representative L.L. Bean | Burlington, VT Sales Associate Education University of Vermont | Burlington, VT May 2012 Bachelor of Arts in Humanities

Priya Laghari New York, NY | (222) 111-0000 | [email protected] | www.priyabizdev.com Resume Profile Strategy Development: Grew John Deere’s international sales by 13% by tapping into undeserved countries in Southeast Asia Management: Oversaw a team of managers representing marketing, sales, and product teams. Streamlined collaborative, cross-functional communications through agile and scrum management system CRM: Developed, customized, and implemented new customer relationship management database for accounts totaling over $10M in value Work Experience Business Development Manager 01/2015-Present Microsoft | Redmond, WA Developed product strategies and roadmap for Google AdWords, increasing inbound traffic by 26% YoY Reduced time training on new software by 50% for new and existing employees by implement e-learning programs Spearheaded digital marketing campaign worth $1M that saw a return of 200% in first year by qualifying leads earlier in the sales funnel Regional Sales Manager 11/2012-01/2015 Big Things Inc. | St. Louis, MO Managed territory encompassing 29 regional locations with an annual revenue of approx. $55M Worked with C-level executives to plan business strategies, resulting in 20% reduction in overhead costs Increased client retention by 12% in first year by implementing a CRM approach based on account profiling and elevating levels of relationship selling Account Manager 02/2009-11/2012 Solutions Corp. | Chicago, IL Implemented and developed CRM strategic plans, increasing retention of long-term clients by 22% Maintained 50+ accounts totaling over $35M in value Generated leads through one-on-one consultation via phone inquiries, online check-ins, and meeting office walk-ins Relevant Skills CRM: Proficient with Salesforce, Zoho, and HubSpot; some experience with Keap. Used various CRM software over a decade to successfully manage customer relations and quick to adapt to new software and tools that aid in quality of customer experience. Salesmanship: Negotiated and closed over several deals worth $1M+ and skilled in upselling and cross-selling. Adept at working closely with marketing and product teams to maximize the efficiency of the sales funnel for both inbound and outbound traffic. Presentation: Represented Microsoft Northwest Region at quarterly board meetings, ensuring all stakeholders were kept abreast of new developments and opportunities. Also deliver monthly presentations to big clients and vendors to maintain positive relationship. Data analytics. Expert at integrating data from various analytics platforms, including Google, Microsoft Power BI, and SAP BusinessObjects Education Colgate University | May 2008 MBA Fordham University | May 2006 Bachelor’s Degree in Business

For more resume examples and templates:

Resume examples by job

Google docs resume template

Resume templates

Resume builder

Resume Headers Samples:

Tip : Never put your contact info in the header of your document; some applicant tracking systems might miss it.

For more on how to write a resume header:

Resume Header

Resume Titles

Resume introduction examples

Entry-Level Resume Objective.

Recent graduate with a bachelor’s in Marketing from the University of Virginia seeking an entry-level role in content marketing. Excellent copywriter with 2+ years experience editing content as a member of the UVa Writing Center.

Career Change Resume Objective.

Eager to apply 7+ years of experience with customer success management to make successful outbound B2B calls, deliver customized business solutions to new and existing customers, and provide expert product knowledge in the role of Account Manager for XYZ Inc.

Example Resume Summary Statement.

Accountant with over 8 years of experience in the medical industry. Adept at advising on management of cash deficits, reconciling departmental accounts, and creating new accounts and codes. Coordinated invoice preparation system for ABC that reduced contractor overhead by 19% YoY.

English teacher with a love of language and 6 years of experience teaching high school students. Developed new curriculum that boosted freshman reading comprehension scores by 12% and created after school book club for AP Lit class, resulting in 100% of participating students achieving a 5 on the AP Lit test.

Example Qualifications Summary.

Executive assistant with 5+ years experience helping maintain efficiency in an office of 25 employees Communicated directly with internal and external stakeholders, helping Senior Vice President manage projects worth $5M+ Proactively managed office schedules, identifying and prioritizing changes to ensure client satisfaction Recognized in a company of 500 for “Outstanding Achiever” in May 2019

Example Resume Profile.

Detail-oriented IT Specialist with 4 years of experience overseeing and improving the infrastructure of IT systems. Adept at building and running troubleshooting systems and testing services. Decreased security risk by 47% through continual optimization, while also improving the speed of client portal by 22%. Excellent communicator both internally and for client-facing discussions. Achieved 98%+ customer satisfaction ratings through weekly and monthly check-ins with accounts valued cumulatively at $500,000.

Entry-Level Resume Headline.

Bilingual College Graduate with 80 WPM Typing Speed and Tutoring Experience

Experienced Resume Headline.

Business Development Specialist with 6+ Years Experience Scaling Start-Up Tech Teams

For more on resume introductions:

Resume objective statement

Resume summary statement

Resume summary statement examples

Qualifications summary

Sample resume work experience sections

Work Experience XYZ Industries | Seattle, WA Marketing Associate | May 2019-Present Delivered weekly presentations to client-base to communicate brand messaging, increasing client retention by 11% Served as liaison between marketing and product teams, resulting in projects finishing 2 weeks early, on average Leveraged Excel skills to create and maintain spreadsheet to track consumer insights, emergent trends, and inform decisions of marketing team through competitive analysis Managed team of 5 contractors to juggle multiple priority projects simultaneously, never missing a deadline Initiated an affiliate referral program that PR team went on to turn into a revenue-generating stream valued at $30,000 annually ABC Corp | Seattle, WA Marketing Intern | September 2018-May 2019 Developed, maintained, and processed 20+ digital consent forms and distributor forms Worked collaboratively with a team of 10 marketing professionals, closely aligning our goals with the PR team Provided data analysis using Google Analytics and performed keyword research to increase blog traffic by 56% over six months Answered up to 50 customer queries by phone and email each week

For more on building the perfect resume work experience section:

Resume work experience section

First resume (no experience)

Examples Of Education Resume Sections

Graduated recently from a 4-year program.

Western Illinois University | Macomb, Illinois May 2020 Bachelor of Arts in Sociology | Minor in Psychology 3.95 GPA magna cum laude Dean’s List all semesters

Two degrees.

Fordham University | Bronx, New York April 2016 Master of Chemical Engineering Stony Brook University | Stony Brook, New York April 2014 Bachelor of Science in Chemistry

Anticipated graduation date (not yet graduated).

DePaul Univeristy | Chicago, Illinois Bachelor of Arts in History – Degree anticipated May 2021 Current GPA: 3.8

Older job seeker (graduated 10+ years ago).

University of Chicago | Chicago, Illinois Bachelor of Business Administration

High school graduate (no college degree).

Johnston High School 2016-2020 Head of Computer Club

More on crafting the perfect resume education section:

Education resume section

GPA on resume

Dean’s list

Magna cum laude

Examples Of Skills For Resume

Examples of hard skills include:

Examples of soft skills include:

Here’s more information on how to incorporate skills into your resume:

Resume skills section

Hard skills

Soft skills

Top skills for professionals

Skills-based resume

Resume writing FAQ

What is a resume?

A resume is a one to two-page document that focuses on professional experience, past achievements, education and certifications, and specific skills tailored to the job you’re applying for.

Almost every job application requires a resume, and hiring managers use them as a first impression in determining which applicants get a shot at an interview.

Whether you’re fresh out of college or have 30 years of professional experience, this guide should help craft a resume that stands out from the crowd and get you one step closer to landing your dream job.

What is the format for writing a good resume?

Most people will want to use a chronological or reverse-chronological resume format. This format is compatible with most applicant tracking systems (ATS) and is easy for employers to read. Additionally it helps highlight your experience, which helps prove your qualifications.

How far back should a resume go?

A resume should go back no further than 10 to 15 years. However, it is important that all your information is relevant. Therefore, do not include job experience that is irrelevant to your application, even if it’s fewer than 10 years old. Save that information for later discussions.

Should you personalize your resume for each job?

Yes, you should personalize your resume for each job you apply to. Many recruiters use ATS now, which will search for keywords in a resume and reject those that don’t have them. That means that the skills you choose to highlight as well as your opening, such as your resume summary, should be altered to suit each job you apply to.

You don’t need to rewrite the entire resume for each job, but it does show attention to detail and initiative to make sure that your resume is customized. It also makes it more likely that you’ll get past the first step of the process.

State of New York Department of Labor – Resumes, Cover Letters and Job Applications

Harvard University – Create a Resume/CV or Cover Letter

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Matthew Zane is the lead editor of Zippia's How To Get A Job Guides. He is a teacher, writer, and world-traveler that wants to help people at every stage of the career life cycle. He completed his masters in American Literature from Trinity College Dublin and BA in English from the University of Connecticut.

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Exploring the 6 Different Types of Resumes

N avigating through the job market requires an impressive resume, one that highlights your skills, experience and achievements effectively. It's the initial step towards getting noticed by recruiters, and it often determines whether you'll move to the next stage of the hiring process.

The right resume format doesn't just present your qualifications but does so in a manner that aligns with your career goals and the specific job you're targeting.

This guide explores the different types of resumes and their unique features, helping you choose the format that best suits your professional profile.

Do I need a resume?

In the realm of job hunting, a resume is more than just a document — it's a marketing tool, a bridge that connects job seekers to potential employers. Its role is pivotal as it provides a concise and compelling snapshot of your professional journey. It encapsulates your work history, skills, accomplishments and unique qualities that make you an ideal candidate for the job.

Moreover, the importance of a well-structured resume is heightened due to the use of Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) in the recruitment process. These automated software applications streamline the hiring process for employers by filtering out resumes that don't meet specific criteria.

A poorly formatted resume, or one that doesn't include key terms relevant to the job description, may fail to make it past these systems. Hence, understanding different types of resumes and the strategic use of keywords are vital steps toward crafting an ATS-friendly resume that gets you closer to your dream job.

Related: Everything You Need to Know About Writing the Perfect Resume

What different types of resumes exist?

While every resume shares the common goal of selling your professional abilities, not all resumes are the same. Each type has its unique structure, purpose and benefits.

Here are the different types of resumes:

1. Chronological resume

The chronological resume, or reverse chronological resume, is a time-tested format favored by many hiring managers. This format presents your work history in reverse chronological order, with the most recent job listed first and the rest following in descending order.

In a chronological resume, each job listing typically includes the job title, the company's name, the company's location and the dates of employment. Following this information, a list of job responsibilities and accomplishments is given in bullet points. This allows hiring managers to see at a glance not only where you've worked but also what you've achieved in those roles.

This format works particularly well for job seekers with a clear career progression in a single field without significant gaps in employment. It allows recruiters to quickly see the career trajectory and understand how the applicant's experience fits with the new role.

2. Functional resume

A functional resume, also known as a skills-based resume, places the focus on skills and competencies rather than work history. This type of resume usually begins with a summary of qualifications, followed by a list of skills and examples of their use in work or other settings.

The employment history is typically listed towards the end of the resume, often providing only a basic list of positions without detailed descriptions of each role.

This format can be particularly useful for job seekers with gaps in their employment history, those who are changing careers and have skills transferable to a new industry or recent graduates with limited work experience but possess relevant skills acquired through coursework, internships or extracurricular activities.

Related: How to Build a Better Resume in 4 Easy Steps

3. Combination resume

The combination resume, or hybrid resume, merges elements from both chronological and functional resumes. It typically begins with a section highlighting your skills and achievements. This is followed by a detailed chronological work history.

This format allows you to showcase your relevant skills and accomplishments at the top of the document, helping to catch the hiring manager's eye. Following this with a chronological listing of your employment history allows the recruiter to see your work trajectory and understand the context in which you've applied your skills.

The combination resume can be effective for job seekers with a solid employment history who want to change fields or those with a robust set of transferable skills and experiences across multiple sectors.

4. Targeted resume

A targeted resume is tailored specifically to a particular job posting. Instead of a generic resume sent to multiple employers, a targeted resume aligns your skills, experience and qualifications precisely with the job description. Each section of your resume, from the objective statement to the employment history, is customized to highlight why you are the perfect fit for the specific role.

This format can be more time-consuming to create as it requires tweaking your resume for every job application. However, it can pay off, especially when applying for jobs in highly competitive industries. A well-tailored resume can stand out among a sea of generic resumes and increase your chances of securing an interview.

5. Infographic resume

An infographic resume visually presents your career history and skills using charts, graphs, images and other graphic design elements. This format can make your resume stand out and show your creativity and innovative thinking.

Infographic resumes can be particularly effective in fields such as graphic design, marketing and other creative industries. However, it's essential to remember that some applicant tracking systems (ATS) may struggle to read and process these types of resumes, so if you're applying through an ATS, it's better to stick with a more traditional format.

6. Non-traditional resumes

Non-traditional resumes break away from the standard formats and allow for more creativity. These may include video resumes, LinkedIn resumes, digital portfolios, personal websites or social resumes.

Non-traditional resumes can demonstrate your skills in a way that traditional resumes may not, such as showcasing your video editing skills through a video resume or your web design skills through a personal website.

Just as with the infographic resume, if you're applying through an ATS, a more traditional resume format would be better. Non-traditional resumes are typically best when sent directly to a hiring manager or when you're working in a creative industry that values innovative presentation.

Each of these resume formats has its strengths and is best suited to specific situations. Carefully consider your career goals, work history and the needs of the job you're applying for when choosing your resume format.

What circumstances should you consider in resume writing?

Crafting a resume can sometimes present unique challenges based on personal circumstances. Here are a few special scenarios and how to handle them:

Writing a resume for a career change

If you're making a career change, your resume should highlight transferable skills and any relevant certifications. Although your work history might not be directly related to the new field, showcasing your adaptable skills can convince hiring managers of your suitability for the role.

Handling employment gaps

Employment gaps can often be a concern for job seekers. However, these can be managed strategically on a resume. Use the space to highlight any productive activities during the gap, such as volunteer work , courses or freelance projects.

What is a mini resume?

A mini resume is a brief summary of your top skills and career highlights. It's often used for networking purposes, perhaps on a business card or LinkedIn summary. It offers an at-a-glance overview of your professional qualifications.

Related: 7 Tips for Networking

What are some additional components of a job application?

Apart from a well-structured resume, a few more elements add to the strength of your job application:

Cover letter

A cover letter serves as an introduction and provides context to your resume. It allows you to elaborate on certain points in your resume and express your enthusiasm for the job.

Just like your resume, your cover letter should be tailored to the specific job you're applying for, focusing on how your skills and experience make you an ideal candidate.

The job title on your resume can significantly influence its appeal to hiring managers. It should accurately reflect your role and responsibilities while aligning with the industry norms. Misrepresenting a job title can be detrimental to your application and professional reputation.

ATS-friendly resumes

Incorporating relevant keywords and phrases from the job description into your resume can enhance its visibility in an applicant tracking system (ATS). ATS-friendly resumes are concise, straightforward and void of complex formatting, ensuring they can be read and understood by the system.

Related: 3 Ways an ATS Can Help Your Business Source the Top Hires

What are resume builders and resume templates?

With a plethora of resources available, creating an attractive and professional resume has never been easier. Resume builders are online tools that provide step-by-step guidance to generate a well-structured resume. They offer various templates, customization options and pre-written phrases to assist you in the process.

On the other hand, resume templates serve as a predesigned framework for your resume. They come in numerous styles and formats, allowing you to choose one that aligns with your personal taste and the industry's standards.

While these tools simplify the resume creation process, remember to personalize your resume and reflect your unique professional journey accurately. A tailored resume stands out more to hiring managers than a generic, cookie-cutter one.

What are some tips for effective resume writing?

No matter which resume format you choose, following certain writing tips can optimize your resume:

Highlight relevant experience

The most effective resume isn't necessarily the one that includes all your experiences but the one that strategically highlights the most relevant ones. Avoid detailing every job you've had and focus on the ones that matter to the job you're applying for.

Include a skills section

A well-crafted skills section can be a game-changer, particularly for functional or combination resumes. Here, include hard (technical) and soft skills relevant to the job. Be specific; instead of saying "good communicator," consider "experienced in public speaking and client presentations."

Use bullet points

Use bullet points for easy readability. They help break down information into digestible pieces, ensuring that key points don't get lost in dense paragraphs. Remember to write bullet points as complete sentences with periods at the end, following our client's style preference.

Include a resume summary or objective

The top of your resume should contain a summary or an objective, a brief snapshot of your qualifications. This section should be concise yet impactful, as it's likely the first thing a hiring manager will read.

Looking forward

Crafting the perfect resume is an evolving process that may require several drafts and iterations. While these different types of resumes and their corresponding tips provide a general guideline, remember that there's no one-size-fits-all solution. The most effective resume will be the one that best showcases your unique skills, experiences and career goals.

Always revisit and revise your resume for each job application, ensuring it aligns with the specific job requirements and expectations. With a well-structured, compelling resume, you're one step closer to securing that dream job.

Explore Entrepreneur.com for more insights and resources to guide your professional journey.

Exploring the 6 Different Types of Resumes

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COMMENTS

Chronological Resume Template, Examples, & Format
A reverse-chronological order resume is a resume format that lists your work experiences in reverse-chronological order, starting with the most recent position at the top and moving backward. The reverse-chronological format highlights your latest and most relevant experiences, making it easier for employers to see your career trajectory and ...
Chronological Resume
The chronological resume format is a top choice among job seekers and a favorite among recruiters, too. Check out our free chronological resume templates. ... All you have to do is rearrange the order of your resume sections so that the education resume section comes first. Here, too, make sure that your education entries are listed from the ...
How to Write a Chronological Resume (Tips and Examples)
A chronological resume is a resume format that lists your professional experience in reverse-chronological order, beginning with your most recent position and continuing in descending order. ... Chronological resumes typically follow a standard structure to help employers review your information quickly. You can include the following sections ...
How to Write a Chronological Resume (Plus Example!)
The best course of action for writing a chronological resume is to start off with a rough outline (or use a template ). In your head or on paper, list out every work-related experience you've had. Based on that information, decide how you want to sort that information and how many "sections" of your resume you want to create.
Complete Guide to Writing a Chronological Resume
Use standard section headings. Use section headings such as "work experience," "education" and "skills" to make it easy for the ATS to identify each section clearly. 4. Add optional sections. Optional sections can enhance your chronological resume in several ways, including: Magnifying certain skills.
Chronological Resume Guide: Template and Tips
What is a reverse chronological order resume? A reverse chronological order resume is another name for a chronological resume. Although they sound like they could be opposites, people use both phrases to refer to the same type of resume in which a person highlights their work history, starting with the most recent position.
Chronological Resume: Format, Templates & Examples
A chronological resume is a resume that focuses on your work history or your education, presented in the order from your most recent achievements to your humble beginnings. It's the most common of the three resume formats , the other two being the functional resume and the combination resume.
Chronological Resume: The Best Format? (And How to Write It)
Then, here are the steps to write your chronological resume: 1. Enter company names, dates of employment, and job titles. You can list dates in terms of years, or months and years. Whatever you decide, keep it consistent. You can also list the city/state of each job if you choose.
How to Write a Chronological Resume: A Guide
These are: Your name and contact details. Your summary or resume objective. Your work experience, listed in reverse chronological order. Your education. Your skills and abilities. The contents of your resume will depend on what attributes and experiences you think best showcase your skills.
How to Write a Chronological Resume · Resume.io
Using a chronological resume to find a job. The term chronological resume is a bit of a misnomer, as this format actually puts employment history and education in reverse chronological order.That means you list your last or current job first, and your first job last. Likewise, when using chronological order in reverse, you list your highest educational achievement first and earlier milestones ...
How to Use a Reverse Chronological Resume Format
The chronological resume is a format that focuses on the employment history section where work experience is listed. The main idea is that you start with your most recent or current position and work backward through all your relevant experience of the past 10 years. NOTE: This structure is sometimes called the "reverse-chronological resume ...
Chronological Resume: Templates, Examples & How-to
List your work experience on your resume in reverse-chronological order, with your most recent position, working backward in time. Generally, you should only include jobs from the past 10 years. Follow the same arrangement for your education section, with your latest, most advanced degree (or coursework, if you haven't completed your studies ...
Reverse Chronological Resume Templates [Ideal Format]
A chronological resume order is very versatile. If you're making a recent college grad resume, for example, you only need to rearrange the order of your resume sections, and put the education resume section first. Just make sure the entries in each section follow the reverse-chronological order.
Chronological Resume Example (With Writing Tips)
In a chronological resume, this is listed in order from most to least recent. Education: In this section, you'll list your education background, along with any certifications, professional development, and academic accomplishments. Skills: Here, you'll highlight your hard skills, such as computer skills and language skills.
How To Write A Chronological Resume (Guide + Example)
First, it's important to understand why the reverse-chronological resume format is so popular. Its name comes from the way that it lists your current and previous work history in chronological order. The reverse chronological listing method showcases your career progression, so it provides the most relevant information to hiring teams at the top.
Chronological Resume: The 2022 Guide With 20+ Examples
You will see that the work experience section shows a chronological order example of placing present job first and the previous job after that and so on. Chronological resume puts maximum emphasis on highlighting the points in the work experience, Achievements and Certifications sections in a reverse chronology.
Chronological Resume Format
This is the primary focus of a chronological resume format. This section should be listed in reverse-chronological order with your most recent job at the top of the list. In a chronological resume, this section should be detailed. Use data and metrics wherever possible to show the impact your work has had on past employers. Skills
Resume in Chronological Order (Plus Template and Example)
A resume in chronological order, also known as a reverse chronological resume, is a document that summarises your experience and qualifications by listing your job history in reverse sequence, starting with your most recent position. Employers may prefer this resume format as it allows them to easily understand a candidate's latest job and ...
Resume Order of Jobs, Experience & Items of Information
3. The Combination Resume Order. The combination resume order is a combination of the reverse-chronological and functional resume orders. It focuses on the summary of your qualifications, so it's best for career changer resumes or for more experienced candidates. This is how the combination resume order breaks down: Contact Information ...
Chronological Resume Templates for 2023
A reverse chronological order resume template lists your jobs, starting with the current or most recent one at the top. It provides comprehension opportunities for hiring managers to see your experience. Have it in mind that chronological and reverse chronological resume templates are essentially the same thing.
Chronological Resume
A chronological resume is one of the three main resume types, and is one of the simplest to create. In this type of resume, your work history is listed with either your current job or the most recent position you've held listed first. Hiring managers typically prefer chronological resumes over functional or combination resumes because it is ...
How to Use a Chronological Order Resume (With Video)
8 Types of Resumes to Consider for Your Job Application; Tips for writing chronological order résumés Here is a list of tips to help you write a chronological résumé: Be concise Your résumé needs to be concise and is typically one page in length. If you have extensive relevant experience in the same field, your résumé can extend to two ...
Resume 101: The Correct Order for Resume Sections
The best order for work experience on your resume. Speaking of resume conventions, you may have heard about different chronological vs hybrid vs functional vs skills-based resumes. While a lot of different resume gimmicks have come and gone over the years, the truth is still that reverse chronological order is the best resume format.
Best Resume Formats for 2024 [8+ Professional Examples]
The chronological resume excels at showing your career progression because it lists each job you've had in the order you've had it, making it the ideal choice for creating a clean, minimalist resume. ... For most job seekers, the best resume format is the chronological resume format. This format focuses on your work history and career ...
How To Write A Resume In 7 Steps (With Examples)
Like the section on your professional history, educational experiences should come in reverse-chronological order, with your highest level of education at the top. If you have a college degree, you don't need to add any information about your high school experience. ... Chronological Resume Example. Jack Pilgrim. Washington, DC 14015 - (555 ...
Exploring the 6 Different Types of Resumes
1. Chronological resume. The chronological resume, or reverse chronological resume, is a time-tested format favored by many hiring managers. This format presents your work history in reverse ...
How to outline work experience in a resume (with examples)
Many employers and tracking systems may prefer looking at your job experience in reverse chronological order. Arrange the jobs you've worked in reverse chronological order. Start with your most recent position and work backwards. This format also helps the hiring manager quickly assess your most relevant and up-to-date experiences. 3.
How to List Certifications on Your Resume: Guide + Examples
Resume certifications: Impact and when to use them. Your certifications can significantly impact your job search. This section will show you the tangible benefits of having a certification on your resume and when to highlight them. ... When listing relevant certifications or licenses, order them in reverse chronological order, with the most ...

Chronological Resume - Writing Guide With 5 Free Templates

Chronological Resume Structure

What is a Chronological Resume?

When to Use a Chronological Resume Format

Functional Resume

Combination Resume

4 Chronological Resume Templates

#1. Creative Chronological Resume Template

#2: Modern Chronological Resume Template

#3: Professional Chronological Resume Template

#4: Functional Chronological Resume Template

How to Create a Chronological Resume

#1: Start With a Contact Information Section

#2: Add a Resume Summary or Resume Objective

#3: Fill in Your Work Experience

#4: Add an Education Section

#5: Spice Up Your Chronological Resume With Your Skills

#6: Include Any of These Optional Sections

10 Chronological Resume Examples for All Industries

#1. Business Chronological Resume

#2. Computer Science Chronological Resume

#3. Architect Chronological Resume

#4. Nurse Chronological Resume

#5. Pharmacist Chronological Resume

#6. Project Manager Chronological Resume

#7. Web Developer Chronological Resume

#8. Teacher Chronological Resume

#9. Bar Manager Chronological Resume

#10. Human Resources Chronological Resume

Discover More Resume Templates

Key Takeaways

Definition: What is a Chronological Resume?

What is Reverse Chronological Order?

Chronological Resume Example:

Work Experience

Should Your Resume Be Chronological?

Why do Recruiters Prefer Chronological Resumes?

The Best Resume Format for Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)

When is a Chronological Resume Not Advantageous?

How Do You Write a Chronological Resume?

1. Enter company names, dates of employment, and job titles .

2. If you held multiple roles within a company, show each job title separately on your resume .

3. Write bullet points describing each role you’ve held .

4. Write a brief paragraph to describe each role (above the bullet points) .

5. Add metrics and data when possible .

6. Add other necessary resume sections .

7. Consider adding optional sections .

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How to Write a Chronological Resume: A Guide

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How to Use a Reverse Chronological Resume Format

What is a chronological resume?

How to structure a chronological resume

Contact information

A summary or professional profile

Work experience or employment history

Additional sections like awards, hobbies, or languages

Tips on when to use a reverse-chronological resume format

How to use reverse-chronological resume format

Examples of chronological resumes

Chronological resume template

How to adapt the reverse-chronological resume format for students

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Career Advice Newsletter

Chronological Resume Example (With Writing Tips)

When to Use a Chronological Resume

Key Takeaways

Chronological Resume Example (Text Version)

In what order should work history be listed on a resume?

What is the difference between a chronological and a functional resume?

How To Write A Chronological Resume (Guide + Example)