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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.

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• How to Use a Reverse...

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.

Recommended reading:

How to Check if My Resume is ATS-Friendly

What is a Resume? It's Much More Than You Think

Resume Builders Versus Resume Writing Services: Which Should You Choose?

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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.

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Chronological resume: How and why to write one

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4 types of resumes

What is a chronological resume, pros and cons of chronological resumes, elements of a chronological resume, how to write a chronological resume: 6 tips, chronological resume example, show your true value.

In a sea of competitive candidates, a compelling resume can be one of many tools that sets you apart. 

A great resume matches the needs of the position while explaining who you are, and that balance can be hard to find. A job requiring specialized skills needs a resume that highlights them, and one with extensive education or certification prerequisites should put those at the forefront. And while you meet those needs, you have to explain your recent experience and what makes you unique.

Most recruiters and hiring managers want to see your most recent and relevant experience at the top of your application. If you want to learn how to make a job resume that puts recent experience first, the chronological resume is your best bet. It outlines your accomplishments and work history in a clear, logical order, placing your most recent achievements front and center.

While there are hundreds of chronological resume templates out there, it’s important to create one that matches your unique experience and career path . Here’s how to write a well-structured resume that gives potential employers a snapshot of your growth and tells them why you’re right for the job.

An eye-tracking study showed that recruiters spend an average of just seven seconds looking at a resume . In such a short span, your resume has to not only stand out but quickly communicate your suitability for the job. And the type of resume you choose can make all the difference. 

Depending on your work experience, career path, and the job you're applying for, one of these different resume formats can best showcase your qualifications:

• Chronological resume: This type lists work history at the top, from most recent to earliest. It’s best for those with steady employment and who work in a consistent industry or field. It can also explain how you’ve grown over the years, showing title changes and promotions.
• Functional resume: This one centers your skills, making it ideal for career changers and those with career gaps . It’s also a good choice if you aren’t sure how far back your resume should go and would rather highlight your skills instead.
• Combination resume: A mix of chronological and functional formats, this resume type is great for professionals with transferable skills and experience. It might start with a summary, then skills, then a reverse chronological work history.
• Targeted resume: If you’re applying for a specific job, this tailored approach ensures you include all the keywords and action verbs you need to match yourself to the description. It customizes every section to align with the job's demands and get through applicant tracking systems.

A chronological resume presents your work experience and history in sequential order, usually from most to least recent. It's the go-to for many job seekers because it clearly displays career progression. Employers can quickly spot your job title, years of experience, and the path you’ve taken. 

The reverse chronological resume is the most common iteration, but you could also work in chronological order, with older experiences at the top and newer ones at the bottom. Although this is an option, it’s not a good idea, especially if you’ve been working for a long time. It could prevent hiring managers and recruiters from seeing your latest achievements — the ones that best reflect your current abilities — first. If you really don’t want to do a reverse chronological resume, sorting positions by relevance is the next best thing.

Understanding the dos and don’ts of the chronological resume will help you write one that accurately showcases what you have to offer. But like every resume type, it has its highs and lows . 

Here are the pros of this format that might help you decide whether it’s the right structure for you:

• Clear and concise: One of the most significant advantages of the chronological resume format is its organized structure. By listing your work history in a clear order, hiring managers get a straightforward view of your career path.
• Easy to navigate: Many recruiters prefer this style because it's easy to trace an applicant's job history, years of experience, and career progression. They’re likely reading many resumes at a time, so you want to make yours as easy to navigate as possible.
• Demonstrates career stability: If you’ve steadily climbed the ladder in a particular field, this resume can spotlight your dedication. It highlights your stable work history and the upward trajectory of your career, painting you as a reliable and committed professional.

While the chronological resume format has its strong points, it’s not a one-size-fits-all. Here are some of the reasons why another type might be best for you:

• Spotlight on the gaps: If you’ve taken extended breaks between jobs, this format might draw unwanted attention to those employment gaps. While there are ways to navigate this — like mentioning any relevant activities during the hiatus — it’s something to consider.
• Not for recent graduates: If you’re just out of school and have little to no work experience, this format might make your resume look a tad barren. Other formats, like the functional resume , might serve you better, focusing on skills instead.
• Doesn’t suit career changers: When pivoting to a new industry or role, your previous experiences might not be relevant to the jobs you’re applying for. Instead, consider the combination resume, which melds the best of chronological and functional formats to emphasize your transferable skills.

Presenting your qualifications in a coherent and easily digestible format captures recruiters’ attention and tells them what they need to know quickly. Here are the basic elements of this resume type:

Your resume's header isn’t just a placeholder — it's your introduction. Include your name, contact information, and if relevant, a summary of your key experience and skills. Ensure this section is up-to-date and error-free so potential employers don’t end up dialing the wrong number.

Work experience section

If you’re writing a chronological resume, it’s likely because your work experience is the most important part of your background, so pay extra attention to this section. Do some self-reflection and think about which of your roles are most relevant to the role. Then, think about the skills you used in each one that also connect to the role you’re applying for. This ensures every word you write has value for the reader.

When detailing your work history, action verbs can add dynamism to your descriptions, painting a vivid picture of your professional journey. It’s also a good idea to include any metrics or key projects that exemplify your performance. 

Skills section

Below your work experience, dive deeper into some of your skills. Choose ones that relate directly to the job you’re applying for as well as some general options that demonstrate your office skills . In the digital age, proficiency in tools like Excel, Google Workspace, or other in-demand competencies is a must — especially if you’re applying for a remote position . List them and provide some context if necessary. 

Remember that no job is exclusively about your technical prowess. Soft skills , like communication and teamwork , are equally vital. These showcase your ability to collaborate and adapt in a professional setting, so list a few of your best as well.

Education section

On a chronological resume, education should go at the bottom. If you recently completed a degree that relates to your prospective job, you can put it at the top, but your work experience is usually more important. 

Your education section should be short and to the point so you have more page space for your experience section above. If relevant, mention key coursework, and if you're a recent graduate, including your GPA can be a plus.

Certifications

If you've taken the initiative to earn additional certifications, include them in their own section. Whether it's a certification in project management or coding AI, these can provide an edge in your job search and show recruiters you’re committed to professional development .

Volunteer experience

Listing volunteer experience on your resume isn’t necessary, but if you have the space, it can showcase your commitment to causes and highlight transferable skills. Whether you've managed events or spearheaded fundraising drives, it’s another facet of who you are as a potential employee. Include it if you’re reentering the workforce or passionate about your extracurriculars.

A standout chronological resume is your ticket to catching a recruiter's attention. But it’s about more than just listing your work experience. You have to organize it in an eye-catching yet professional way, make sure it’s free of errors, and emphasize the skills and experiences that make you a qualified candidate — not just for the general role, but for the specific position and company culture .

Here are some tips to help you write the best chronological resume possible:

• Think about whether it’s right for you: A chronological resume is great if you have lots of experience in the same field that you want to highlight. But if you have career gaps or a varied list of past jobs, it might not be the best format for you. This is the time to reflect on your history and decide what recruiters and hiring managers will want to see.
• Decide which jobs to include: Unless you’re still in the early stages of your career, including every single previous position will clutter your resume. Choose only the ones that relate best to the job you’re applying for. 
• Tailor each entry to the job description: When applying to many jobs at once, it’s easy to use the same resume for each. But you might be missing out on opportunities to tailor your experience to the position. Read through job descriptions carefully and look for important keywords that come up often. Then, adjust your resume to fit them. If the posting says they’re looking for a team player , try including words like “ collaboration ,” “teamwork,” and “ active listening .”
• Pay attention to detail: Consistency in your resume’s presentation is a testament to your professionalism . Using a template is a good option if you don’t want to fuss with formatting your own sections. And proofread many times before you submit, getting a friend or close colleague to pay attention to detail for you to make sure it’s error-free.
• Quantify your results: Clear action verbs are useful when it comes to explaining exactly what your roles and responsibilities were for previous positions. And metrics can drive those points home. If you have data on how your performance at work impacted your team or even the company as a whole, include it here. “Boosted sales by 25%” is much more impactful than “Helped with sales.”
• Attach other documents: A survey from Glassdoor found that over half of professionals think a cover letter is redundant . But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t write one, especially for positions where you want to show off your written communication skills . Your job application is about much more than just your resume, and a cover letter is the perfect opportunity to further explain your fit for the role. And don’t forget to include a portfolio or letter of recommendation if the job posting asks for it.

If you’re unsure what this type of resume might look like in practice, looking at examples can help. You could also use a resume builder to streamline the process.

Remember to add other relevant information, like important career accomplishments, office skills you’d need for the job you’re applying for, or past projects. Here’s what a chronological resume format might look like for a project manager:

Project Manager

New York City

Work Experience 

Project Manager — XYZ Tech Solutions, New York City

March 2023–current

• Led multiple projects, confirming they were completed on time and within budget
• Managed a team of 20+, ensuring effective collaboration and meeting project goals
• Monitored project risks, ensuring timely mitigation and response

Assistant Project Manager — ABC Corp., New York City

September 2021–March 2023

• Assisted in the coordination of project tasks, ensuring timely delivery
• Collaborated with cross-functional teams for optimal results
• Handled budget allocations for specific project phases

Project Intern — ABC Corp., New York City

May 2021–September 2021

• Shadowed an experienced senior project manager 
• Organized files, took meeting notes, and tracked schedules across the team 
• Communicated with staff to ensure timely task completion

Bachelor of Science in Computer Science — 123 University

• September 2017–May 2021
• Graduated summa cum laude

Notable Skills

• Team leadership
• Budget management
• Risk mitigation
• Cross-functional collaboration
• Stakeholder communication

The chronological resume format, when done right, is a powerful tool to showcase your experience and make a lasting impression. Whether you're a recent graduate or a seasoned professional, invest the time to craft your story and make your resume stand out . 

Remember, every detail counts. Your resume guides potential employers to recognize your unique value, so let it be the beacon that shines brightest.

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Elizabeth Perry is a Coach Community Manager at BetterUp. She uses strategic engagement strategies to cultivate a learning community across a global network of Coaches through in-person and virtual experiences, technology-enabled platforms, and strategic coaching industry partnerships. With over 3 years of coaching experience and a certification in transformative leadership and life coaching from Sofia University, Elizabeth leverages transpersonal psychology expertise to help coaches and clients gain awareness of their behavioral and thought patterns, discover their purpose and passions, and elevate their potential. She is a lifelong student of psychology, personal growth, and human potential as well as an ICF-certified ACC transpersonal life and leadership Coach.

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Writing a Chronological Resume: Tips and Samples for 2024

A chronological resume, also known as a reverse-chronological resume, is one of the most commonly used formats in the job market. In this format, your work experiences are listed in a chronological order, starting from the most recent job to the oldest. It highlights the progression of your career and accomplishments over time.

Benefits of using a chronological resume

The chronological resume format is popular with employers as it provides them with a clear and concise overview of the candidate’s work history. It allows them to quickly see the candidate’s career trajectory, including job titles, responsibilities, and achievements. As a result, it is easy for recruiters to spot experience that’s relevant to the job requirements.

Moreover, the chronological resume format helps the candidate to showcase their professional growth and development over time. It is particularly useful for those who have a consistent employment history, as it demonstrates their loyalty and stability to a potential employer.

When to use a chronological resume

A chronological resume format is suitable for those who have a stable work history, straightforward career progression, and relevant experience. This format is best suited for candidates who are looking to apply for positions that are similar to their previous roles or are in the same industry.

However, if you have gaps in your employment history, switched careers frequently, or have limited professional experience, then a chronological resume format might not be the best option for you. In this case, other formats such as functional or combination resumes may be more appropriate.

A chronological resume is an excellent format to showcase your career progression and stability. It is best suited for those with a stable work history and relevant experience. By following the tips and utilizing the sample resumes, you can create an impressive chronological resume that highlights your career achievements and gets you noticed by potential employers.

Writing the Header and Objective Statement

When it comes to writing a chronological resume, the header and objective statement are essential parts that should not be overlooked. These sections can make or break your first impression on potential employers, so it’s important to get them right. In this section, we’ll go over guidelines for writing a professional header, tips for creating an effective objective statement, and dos and don’ts to keep in mind when crafting these sections.

Guidelines for Writing a Professional Header

First and foremost, your header should be professional and easy to read. Avoid using overly decorative or flashy fonts that can be difficult to read. Stick to a clean and simple font that is easy on the eyes. Also, make sure that the information in your header is accurate and up-to-date. Include your full name, phone number, email address, and your location. Depending on your industry and the position you’re applying for, you may also want to include a link to your professional website or LinkedIn profile.

Tips for Creating an Effective Objective Statement

Your objective statement should be brief, concise, and tailored to the specific job you’re applying for. Avoid using generic statements that could apply to any job. Instead, focus on highlighting your relevant skills and experience that make you an ideal fit for the position. Use action verbs to describe your goals and the value you can bring to the company. For example, “Seeking a role as a marketing specialist where I can leverage my experience in content creation and analytics to increase ROI and drive brand awareness.”

Dos and Don’ts in Writing the Header and Objective Statement

• Keep it professional and easy to read.
• Be accurate and up-to-date with your contact information.
• Tailor your objective statement to the specific job you’re applying for.
• Use action verbs to describe your goals and value.

DON’T:

• Use flashy or hard-to-read fonts.
• Include irrelevant or outdated contact information.
• Use generic or vague language in your objective statement.
• Sound too self-centered or boastful in your language.

By following these guidelines and tips, you can create a professional and effective header and objective statement that will grab the attention of potential employers and help you land your dream job.

Listing Work Experience

When it comes to writing a chronological resume, your work experience section is the heart and soul of your document. This is where you showcase your professional history and demonstrate your potential value to future employers. To maximize the impact of your work experience section, be sure to:

Organize work experience in chronological order

List your work experience starting with your most recent or current job and working backwards. This ensures that your career trajectory is easy to follow and highlights your most recent achievements.

Include relevant information in each job entry

For each job, be sure to include the job title, company name, location, employment dates, and the primary duties and responsibilities of the position. Use bullet points to make the information easy to scan and read.

You can also include your achievements and specific contributions to the company, such as sales quotas reached, projects completed, or any other notable accomplishments. This can help set you apart from other candidates and demonstrate your value as a potential employee.

Highlight achievements and accomplishments in each job

When highlighting your achievements and accomplishments, it’s important to be specific and give measurable examples wherever possible. Showcasing how you helped the company grow, save money or time, or solve a problem can be very persuasive to a potential employer.

For example, instead of simply stating that you “managed a team,” you could say “managed a team of 10 sales representatives and successfully exceeded monthly sales targets by 25% through effective coaching and training strategies.”

Remember that your work experience section is your chance to market yourself to potential employers. By organizing your experience in chronological order, including relevant information, and highlighting your achievements and accomplishments, you can create a compelling and attention-grabbing representation of your past professional successes.

Showcasing Skills and Accomplishments

When it comes to writing your chronological resume, showcasing your skills and accomplishments is a crucial step in convincing potential employers that you are the right fit for the job. Here are three key elements to consider:

How to write a convincing skills section

Your skills section should highlight your unique strengths that align with the job you are applying for. Start by analyzing the job posting or job description to identify the key skills and qualifications required for the role. Then, tailor your skills section to include those specific skills and highlight any relevant experiences or achievements that demonstrate your proficiency in those areas.

To make your skills section stand out, use bullet points and short phrases to succinctly highlight your skills. Avoid using generic phrases like “good communication skills” or “team player.” Instead, use more specific descriptions that emphasize your expertise, such as “excellent written and verbal communication skills” or “experienced in leading cross-functional teams.”

Key achievements and contributions to employers

Employers are not only interested in your skills and qualifications, but also in what you have achieved in your previous roles. In this section of your resume, provide specific examples of how you made a positive impact in your previous jobs.

To do this effectively, use the STAR method: Situation, Task, Action, Result. Start by describing the situation or problem you faced, then explain the task or objective you had to achieve. Next, describe the action you took to accomplish the task, and finally, explain the measurable result or outcome.

By using the STAR method, you will provide specific, quantifiable examples of your accomplishments, which will be more impressive to potential employers than general statements.

A list of action verbs to use in describing accomplishments

To make your accomplishments stand out, use action verbs to describe your achievements. Here are some powerful action verbs to get you started:

• Implemented

Using these action verbs will help your accomplishments stand out and demonstrate your proactive attitude and ability to make a positive impact in your previous roles.

By showcasing your skills and accomplishments effectively, you can make a strong impression on potential employers and increase your chances of landing an interview. Remember to tailor your resume to the job you are applying for and use specific, measurable examples of your achievements to demonstrate your expertise.

Including Education and Certifications

When writing a chronological resume, including a section for education and certifications is crucial to showcase your qualifications and academic background to potential employers. Here are some tips on how to format your education and certifications in a chronological resume:

Formatting Education and Certifications

The education and certifications section should follow your work experience section and be listed in reverse chronological order (i.e., most recent first). Include the following information:

• Name of the educational institution or certification program
• Degree or certification earned
• Date of graduation or certification
• Any relevant coursework, honors, or awards

If you have multiple degrees or certifications, list them in order of relevance to the job for which you are applying. Additionally, if you are still in the process of pursuing a degree or certification, indicate the expected graduation or completion date.

Providing Necessary Details

When listing your education and certifications, it is essential to include all relevant information that showcases your qualifications. This includes:

• The name of the educational institution or certification program: Employers want to know where you received your education or certification, so provide the full name of the institution or program.
• Degree or certification earned: Indicate the degree or certification earned, such as Bachelor of Arts or Certified Public Accountant.
• Date of graduation or certification: Include the month and year of your graduation or certification to show your timeline of accomplishments.
• Coursework, honors, or awards: If you have relevant coursework, honors, or awards, include them to demonstrate your academic achievements and areas of expertise.

Emphasizing How Education and Certifications Relate to the Job

One of the essential elements of listing education and certifications is to emphasize how they relate to the job for which you are applying. You must highlight how your education and certifications have prepared you for the position you are seeking. This can include:

• Relevant coursework: If you completed coursework that relates to the job requirements, emphasize how it has prepared you for the role.
• Relevant certifications: Highlight any relevant certifications or licenses that demonstrate your expertise in the field.
• Relevant degrees or majors: Emphasize how your degree or major has prepared you for the job, and showcase specific skills or knowledge related to the position.

By emphasizing how your education and certifications relate to the job, you can demonstrate to potential employers that you are a qualified and knowledgeable candidate for the role.

The education and certifications section of your chronological resume should showcase your academic qualifications and relate to the job for which you are applying. Format your education and certifications in reverse chronological order, provide necessary details, and emphasize how they relate to the job to create a strong resume.

Adding Professional Development

As a job seeker, it’s crucial to showcase your commitment to continuous learning and professional development. Adding a section dedicated to your professional development on your chronological resume is an excellent way to do this.

How to create a section for professional development

To create a section for professional development, simply label it “Professional Development” or “Training” and include it after your education section. It’s best to list your most recent training first, and then work backward chronologically.

Including relevant training, workshops, and conferences

Include any training, workshops, or conferences that are related to your profession and demonstrate your efforts to stay up-to-date in your field. For example, if you’re a web developer, listing that you attended a conference on the latest trends in web design shows that you’re actively investing in your career and keeping your skills sharp.

Showing how professional development has improved job performance

Simply listing professional development courses and workshops isn’t enough. It’s critical to demonstrate how your efforts to continuously learn have improved your job performance. Be specific when describing how what you learned in these courses or workshops have positively impacted your work. Employers want to know that when investing in their employees, it’s creating a return on that investment.

For example, let’s say you listed a workshop on project management. To show how this training helped you, you could mention that by implementing new project management techniques you learned, you were able to meet project deadlines more efficiently and ultimately led to increased client satisfaction.

By including a section on your resume that showcases your professional development, you’re demonstrating your commitment to your career and your profession. By also mentioning specific skills you’ve gained from professional development and how it’s contributed to your success, you’re providing employers with valuable information about yourself and your potential contributions to their organization.

Incorporating Volunteer and Extracurricular Activities

When it comes to writing a chronological resume, it’s not just about showcasing your work history, but also about highlighting additional experiences that can elevate your candidacy. Volunteer and extracurricular activities can provide a unique perspective into your character, interests, and skills that can make you stand out from other applicants. Here are some tips on how to incorporate these experiences into your resume.

Listing unique experiences not related to work

Start by brainstorming all of the volunteer and extracurricular activities you have participated in, regardless of whether or not they align with your professional interests. These can include anything from serving at a soup kitchen or fundraising for a charity, to participating in a sports team, club, or hobby group. These experiences can indicate that you are a well-rounded individual with diverse interests, community spirit, and character traits that can contribute to a positive work culture.

Demonstrating transferable skills through volunteer work

Beyond highlighting your interests, volunteer work can also demonstrate transferable skills that can apply to the workplace. For example, volunteering at a non-profit organization can showcase your fundraising, marketing, event planning, and client relations skills. Similarly, mentoring or tutoring can exhibit your teaching, interpersonal, and coaching abilities, while being a member of a sports team or theatre group can demonstrate your teamwork, creativity, and discipline. By emphasizing these skills, you can show potential employers that you not only have relevant work experience but also valuable soft skills that can make you a well-rounded candidate.

Describing experiences that showcase teamwork, leadership, and communication skills

One of the most valuable aspects of volunteer and extracurricular activities is that they can provide concrete examples of how you have demonstrated teamwork, leadership, and communication skills outside of the workplace. For instance, if you have volunteered for a leadership role in an organization or have been elected as a team captain or president, these experiences can demonstrate your ability to lead and manage others effectively. If you have been involved in a group project or planning committee, you can highlight your collaboration, conflict resolution, and decision-making skills. Similarly, if you have given presentations, written articles, or engaged in public speaking, you can emphasize your communication, research, and persuasion abilities. By quantifying these experiences and outcomes, you can effectively showcase your transferable skills and demonstrate how they apply to a professional setting.

Incorporating volunteer and extracurricular activities into your resume can broaden your career story and demonstrate your unique value proposition. By following these tips and using specific examples to showcase your skills, you can make a compelling case for why you’re the best candidate for the job.

Highlighting Awards and Honors

One of the key ways to make your chronological resume stand out is by highlighting any awards and honors you have received throughout your career. This signals to employers that you are dedicated and skilled in your field, and can help set you apart from other candidates.

Creating a Section for Recognitions and Awards

First, it’s important to create a specific section in your resume for any awards and honors you have received. This can be titled “Awards and Honors” or something similar, and should come after your education and work experience sections. Make sure to include the date or year of the award, the name of the organization or institution giving the award, and the specific recognition you received.

Including Details About the Award and Its Significance

It’s not enough to simply list awards you’ve received – hiring managers want to know more about what those awards mean. Be sure to include details about the award and its significance, especially if it’s a lesser known award or recognition. This can include any accomplishments or projects you worked on in order to earn the award, as well as any specific criteria or qualifications that were required.

This will give employers a better sense of your skills and abilities, and can help them see how you might fit into their organization’s goals and mission.

Showing How the Award Relates to the Job

Finally, it’s important to connect your awards and honors with your current job or the job you are applying for. Look closely at the job description and requirements, and think about how the skills or qualities that helped you earn your award align with those needed for the job. Be specific and highlight examples of how your previous work or projects are similar or related to the job you’re applying for.

Highlighting your awards and honors is a great way to make your chronological resume stand out from the crowd. By creating a specific section for these achievements, including details about their significance, and showing how they relate to the job, you can demonstrate your value as a candidate and increase your chances of landing an interview.

Formatting and Design Tips

When it comes to writing a chronological resume, it is important to consider the formatting and design aspects of your document. Your resume should be easy to read, visually appealing, and professional. Here are some tips to achieve the perfect format and design for your resume:

Designing an Easy-to-Read and Professional Resume

Your resume should be easy to read at first glance, meaning that the reader should be able to quickly identify the relevant information about you. The design of your resume should be optimized for clarity and readability. Use simple and clean fonts that are easy to read, and avoid using fancy or complicated fonts that can be difficult to read or distracting.

Choosing the Right Font, Size, and Color for the Resume

The font, size, and color you choose for your resume not only has an impact on its readability but also its professional look. Choose a font that is easy to read, such as Arial, Times New Roman, or Calibri. Use a font size between 10-12 points, depending on which font you choose.

Color can also add visual appeal to your resume, but it should be used sparingly. Choose a color palette that matches the tone and style of your resume. For example, if you are applying for a creative job, you can experiment with bolder colors. However, if you are applying for a conservative job, stick with black and white.

Tips on Spacing, Margins, and Use of Graphics

Spacing and margins can also impact the look and feel of your resume. Ensure that your resume has enough white space around the text, making it easier to read. Use margins of at least 1 inch on all sides of the document.

Graphics can add visual appeal and help highlight your skills and achievements. When using graphics, be sure they complement the text and don’t detract from it. Use graphics sparingly and only where necessary.

Creating a well-formatted and designed resume is just as important as the content within it. Following these tips can help you create a visually appealing and easy-to-read document that will showcase your skills and achievements in the best way possible.

Reviewing and Editing the Chronological Resume

Congratulations, you’ve finished writing your chronological resume! However, your work isn’t quite done yet. It’s important to review and edit your resume to ensure that it is polished, professional, and error-free. Here are some techniques for proofreading and editing your resume:

• Read it out loud:  When you read something out loud, you are more likely to catch errors or awkward phrasing that you might have missed when reading silently.
• Use spell-check:  This feature is your best friend! It can catch spelling and grammar errors that you may not have noticed.
• Get another set of eyes to review it:  Ask a trusted friend or family member to take a look at your resume. They may be able to spot errors or suggest improvements that you hadn’t thought of.

When editing your resume, keep an eye out for these common errors and pitfalls that you’ll want to avoid:

• Spelling and grammatical errors:  These mistakes can harm your chances of landing an interview, as they demonstrate a lack of attention to detail.
• Inconsistent formatting:  Make sure your font and formatting choices are consistent throughout your resume.
• Generic language:  Avoid using cliché statements, and instead use specific, action-oriented language that highlights your achievements and skills.

After you’ve reviewed your resume and made any necessary edits, it’s time to get feedback from others. Here’s how to do it effectively:

• Choose the right people:  Consider reaching out to mentors, former supervisors, or colleagues who have experience in your field.
• Provide context:  Explain to your reviewers the goals of the resume and the types of positions you are applying for.
• Be open to feedback:  Remember, the goal is to make your resume as strong as possible. Listen to the feedback you receive and be willing to make changes if necessary.
• Make revisions:  Once you’ve received feedback, incorporate any suggested changes that you agree with.

By following these techniques and avoiding common errors, you’ll be well on your way to creating a strong chronological resume. Reviewing and editing your resume multiple times is key to ensuring that it stands out to potential employers and ultimately lands you the job that you want!

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More from ResumeHead

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

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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:

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

Correct placement of Certifications

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

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

A Chronological Resume is perhaps the most common structure for a resume. It focuses on work experience listed in reverse chronological order (most recent first). Education is also listed in reverse chronological order and may come before or after the work experience section, depending on the type of job being applied for and which section will be valued more by the employer. Skills and accomplishments are listed in the experience section under each job or position . A Functional Resume places the skills and accomplishments in a separate section above the employment history (not necessarily in chronological order).

Advantages of a Chronological Resume

A chronological resume is the most traditional type and may be preferred by some employers and industries, especially conservative fields that place a high value on work experience and prestigious places of employment. A chronological resume tends to highlight jobs and positions held.

A chronological resume may work well for someone with a strong employment history , someone seeking a job in a conservative or scientific field, or someone applying for the same type of job or position. A person making a career change should consider using a functional resume .

There is no rigidly defined structure for a chronological resume beyond listing experience, jobs, and activities in reverse chronological order. A resume that combines features of both a functional and chronological resume is called a Combination Resume .

Disadvantages

A hiring manager looking for specific skills may have a hard time finding them scattered through your work experience.

Due to its emphasis on the employment history, a chronological resume will make gaps in employment very obvious.

A chronological resume is often too general or not targeted enough to a specific job posting. A good Objective and Summary of Qualification section at the beginning may help alleviate this problem.

Sample Chronological Resume

Below are two sample chronological resumes created using our main resume template . The dates are aligned on the right-hand side of the resume using right-aligned tabs.

• Chronological Resume Example 1 (PDF) - Outline Format
• Chronological Resume Example 2 (PDF) - Table Format

Remember that a resume is an advertisement - you want your employer to see your skills, accomplishments, and positions. Dates are secondary information.

Chronological Resume Sample (PDF) at writing.colostate.edu - This resume uses a combination of an outline and table format with the left-hand column containing dates of employment or experience. This isn't necessarily a bad resume, but it does tend to over-emphasize the dates rather than the experience.

• [1] Chronological Resume at writing.colostate.edu
• [2] How to Write a Masterpiece of a Resume at RockportInstitute.com

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Chronological Résumé Sample

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Media File: Chronological Résumé Sample

This style of organization is very conservative, and it is most useful for people who have work experience in positions which are closely related to their desired employment. This style is also most suited to people who have not had long periods of unemployment time between jobs. This format starts with the present, or most recent, job and progresses back in time.

Click on the "Media File" link above to see the chronological résumé sample.

Resume Examples for 2024 & Guides for Any Job [90+ Examples]

In today’s competitive job market, having an impactful resume is more essential than ever. 

However, many job seekers struggle to craft a resume that effectively highlights their skills and experience and, in turn, misses out on potential job opportunities. 

This is where our extensive library of resume examples comes in. 

By looking at examples of resumes for different industries and professions, you can gain great insight into what works and what doesn’t, get inspired to present your own qualifications, and stand out from the competition.

Let’s dive in!

15+ Resume Examples

#1. architect resume example.

Here’s what this architect resume example does right:

• Lists related experience. This resume highlights the relevant professional experience the candidate gained in the field during their internship.
• Mentions achievements and responsibilities. The candidate backs up their claims by going into detail about their achievements and responsibilities. 
• Focus on personal projects. By dedicating a section to their personal projects, this candidate makes up for their lack of work experience and shows off their dedication to the industry. 

#2. Business Resume Example

Here’s what this business-related resume example does right:

• Prioritizes work experience. The work experience section is arguably the most important section in every resume, which is why this candidate has given it a priority by giving it enough resume space and going into detail about their previous positions. 
• Highlights accomplishments. To make their professional experience even more impactful, this candidate has supported all their claims with quantifiable achievements. 
• Lists the right optional sections . The candidate adds more value to their resume by including the organizations, honors, and conferences as optional sections.

#3. Computer Science Resume Example

Here’s what this computer science resume does right: 

• Prioritizes technical skills. Technical skills are essential when it comes to IT-related roles, which is why this candidate has prioritized them over soft skills.
• Keeps the education section concise. With such extensive professional experience in the field, the candidate has opted to keep their education section short.
• Lists relevant social media profiles. Listing websites like GitHub and LinkedIn is a great way to provide recruiters with additional information about your skills.

#4. Data Analyst Resume Example

Here’s what this data analyst resume does right: 

• Includes a strong resume summary . This candidate showcases their key skills and qualifications from the get-go, which is much more likely to get recruiters to read their resumes from start to finish.
• Highlights technical skills. Data analysts work with “big data,” so this candidate prioritizes their quantitative and technical skills over other resume sections.
• Lists relevant professional certifications . The resume lists the candidate’s most noteworthy professional certificates.

#5. College Resume Example

Here’s what this college resume example does right: 

• Lists relevant social media profiles. By including their Medium and LinkedIn accounts, this candidate gives the hiring manager a chance to know them more professionally. 
• Highlights achievements . Although they lack work experience, the candidate has listed everything they’ve achieved during their academic career, thus showing they’re a promising candidate. 
• Mentions the right optional sections. Adding hobbies and interests and foreign languages to a resume is a huge plus for a candidate with no work experience.

#6. Customer Service Resume Example

Here’s what this customer service resume does right: 

• Includes both soft and hard skills . Customer service roles require a mix of soft and hard skills, so this candidate has listed both. 
• Mentions quantifiable achievements. To make their achievements more impressive, the candidate has backed up their work achievements with data and numbers. 
• Lists foreign language skills. Foreign languages are a huge plus when you’re working in customer service and this resume does a good job highlighting the candidate’s foreign language skills. 

#7. Digital Marketing Resume Example

Here’s what this digital marketing resume does right: 

• Follows the reverse chronological format . This format is the most popular one worldwide and is easily the safest choice.
• Grabs attention with a resume summary. In a single glance, the recruiter can tell that the candidate is a digital marketing professional with the right amount of experience.
• Lists relevant skills. The digital marketing specialist resume above lists in-demand marketing skills like Google Ads, SEO, and others.

#8. Graduate Resume Example

Here’s what this graduate resume example does right:

• Starts off with a well-written resume objective . The resume objective does a great job of showing off the candidate’s promise and industry-related experience. 
• Includes work experience. The candidate has gained professional experience while they were a student and they’ve made sure to include that in their resume. 
• Takes advantage of optional sections. Sections like volunteer experience, and personal projects and achievements can help make up for the lack of extensive experience in the industry. 

#9. HR Resume Example

Here’s what this human resources resume example does right: 

• Follows the right format. The reverse chronological format lists the candidate’s latest experience and achievements first, which is exactly what recruiters want to see. 
• Highlights professional experience. With so many years in the industry, this candidate has dedicated the biggest part of their resume to their work history. 
• Includes courses and certificates. To make their achievements even more impressive, the candidate has included all their courses and certifications. 

#10. Medical Assistant Resume Example

Here’s what this medical assistant resume example does right: 

• Starts off with a memorable resume summary. The candidate lists their years of experience, skills, and passion for the industry, making it more likely for the hiring manager to read the rest of their resume. 
• Lists the candidate’s certificates. There are many certifications one can obtain in the medical field, and this candidate proves how professional they are by listing theirs. 
• Highlights the candidate’s extensive work experience. Experience speaks louder than a thousand words, which is why this resume example provides the work experience section its due space. 

#11. Project Manager Resume Example

Here’s what this project manager resume example does right: 

• Uses bullet points. The candidate uses bullet points to organize and present the information which makes this project manager resume example look neat and structured.
• Keeps their education section relevant. The candidate only includes their key education details, such as their Bachelor’s degree and a field-related minor.
• Takes advantage of additional sections. The candidate takes advantage of the extra space on their project manager resume by including relevant additional sections, such as their industry-related certifications and academic achievements

#12. Bar Manager Resume Example

Here’s what this bar manager resume example does right:

• Includes relevant social media profiles. Details such as your LinkedIn profile or Instagram handle make you look more professional (as long as they’re work-related). 
• Mentions industry-related skills. Instead of listing a bunch of unrelated skills, the bar manager resume example above only lists industry-relevant skills.
• Quantifiable achievements. This applicant quantifies their achievements as much as possible, showing the bar owner how they stand out amongst other candidates.

#13. Supervisor Resume Example

Here’s what this supervisor resume example does right: 

• Lists relevant contact details . The supervisor resume example above leaves out redundancies like marital status or age and includes relevant information, like a LinkedIn URL. 
• Features as many accomplishments as possible. To really highlight their candidate’s professional experience, the supervisor example lists achievements over responsibilities. 
• Lists the right kind of skills. This supervisor's resume example doesn’t list every skill under the sun. Instead, they keep the section relevant by only listing skills required from a supervisor. 

#14. Teacher Resume Example

Here’s what this teacher resume example does right:

• Mentions industry-relevant skills. The candidate lists all the soft and hard skills a teacher should have. 
• Includes hobbies and interests . By including hobbies and interests, the hiring manager will see the candidate as more than just a resume. 
• Lists volunteer experience. The candidate reinforces their teaching experience by including their teaching volunteer gigs and experience. 

#15. Writer Resume Example

Here’s just what this writer resume example does right: 

• Impressive resume summary. The resume includes a brief but effective resume summary that highlights the candidate’s skills and top achievements.
• Relevant contact details. This writer resume example contains relevant contact information, including the candidate’s name and surname, email address, phone number, location, professional website URL, and LinkedIn URL. 
• Short education section. A writer’s skills and experience matter more than their education. For this reason, this candidate kept their writer resume’s education section short and sweet. 

#16. Web Developer Resume Example

Here’s what this web developer resume example does right: 

• Focuses on technical skills. Technical skills are essential for web development, which is why this candidate has prioritized theirs.
• Grabs attention with their work experience. Their rich work experience, listed in reverse chronological order, shows the candidate is a promising professional.
• Keeps their education section minimal. With such extensive work experience and training, the candidate has kept their education section concise.

65+ More Resume Examples and Guides 

Couldn’t find a resume example for your field? Worry not!

Below you can find a number of other resume examples for different fields and industries:

• Accountant Resume
• Administrative Assistant Resume
• AI Engineer Resume
• Animator Resume
• Babysitter Resume
• Banking Resume
• Bank Teller Resume
• Barbie's Resume
• Barista Resume
• Bartender Resume
• Bookkeeper Resume
• Business Analyst Resume
• Career Change Resume
• Caregiver Resume
• Cashier Resume
• College Application Resume
• College Freshman Resume
• Consultant Resume
• Construction Project Manager
• Creative Resume Examples
• Data Entry Specialist Resume
• Data Scientist Resume
• Dentist Resume
• DevOps Engineer Resume
• Digital Marketing Manager Resume
• Editor Resume
• Electrical Engineer Resume
• Elon Musk's One-Page Resume
• Engineering Resume
• Esthetician Resume
• Europass CV
• Event Planner Resume
• Executive Assistant Resume
• Federal Resume
• Financial Analyst Resume
• Flight Attendant Resume
• Game Designer Resume 
• Graphic Designer Resume
• High School Resume
• Illustrator Resume 
• Interior Designer Resume
• Internship Resume
• Java Developer Resume
• Military to Civilian Resume
• Marketing Executive Resume
• Minimalistic Resume Examples
• Nanny Resume Example
• Nurse Resume
• Office Assistant Resume
• Office Manager Resume
• Operations Manager Resume
• Paralegal Resume
• Pharmacist Resume
• Photographer Resume
• Program Manager Resume
• Real Estate Agent Resume
• Receptionist Resume
• Recruiter Resume
• Research Assistant Resume
• Restaurant Manager Resume
• Retail Manager Resume
• Richard Branson's One-Page Resume
• Sales Resume
• Sales Associate Resume
• Satya Nadella's One-Page Resume
• Server Resume
• Social Worker Resume
• Software Engineer Resume
• Stay-at-home Mom Resume
• Student Resume
• Student Resume Templates
• Taylor Swift Resume
• Video Editor Resume
• Volunteer Resume
• Waiter/Waitress Resume
• Warehouse Worker Resume
• Web Developer Resume
• Welder Resume

5+ Examples of Resume Templates

Your resume template can play an important role in helping you make a great first impression on the hiring manager. 

Specifically, your industry, work experience, or skills all impact how your resume should look, so make sure to choose the right template when making your resume: 

#1. Traditional Resume

A straightforward format that gives equal importance to all resume sections , emphasizing skills and work experience.

#2. Creative Resume

Land your dream job in the creative industry by using this creative resume template. 

#3. Minimalist Resume

A simple and easy-to-follow resume template. Perfect for more conservative industries which prefer less flashy templates.

#4. Basic Resume

This easy-to-personalize basic resume layout can be ready in under ten minutes through our resume builder .

#5. IT Resume

One of the best resume layouts to choose when you wish to showcase your IT expertise.

#6. Modern Resume 

It can be hard to stand out from the crowd, but this modern resume sample will take care of this.

#7. General Resume

5+ Resume Examples by Career Level

#1. no experience resume .

Are you a student with no experience ? Learn how to write a compelling resume with our guide! 

#2. College Freshman Resume

Learn how to ace your college freshman resume with our comprehensive guide! 

#3. Graduate Resume

Fresh out of college? Write an impactful graduate resume to land your first gig after college. 

#4. Career Change Resume

Going through a career change? Perfect your career change resume to make the transition as smooth as possible. 

#5. Manager Resume

#6. Executive Resume

The Perfect Resume Structure 

Not sure how to structure your resume?

Here’s our tried-and-tested resume layout :

• Choose the right resume format or pick a template. If you’re formatting your resume yourself, follow the reverse-chronological format and make sure to follow the right layout rules. Alternatively, you can use one of our premade resume templates and not have to worry about formatting your resume one bit. 
• Add relevant contact details and make sure they’re mistake-free. You shouldn’t be missing information such as your full name and job title, e-mail address, and where you’re based. Optionally, you can also include some relevant social media profiles, such as your LinkedIn.
• Include a resume summary or a resume objective. Done right, a resume summary will show the hiring manager you’re a relevant candidate from the get-go and have them read the rest of your resume.
• List your work experience, placing special focus on your achievements. Your work experience becomes more meaningful if you include your achievements in your past roles and manage to make them quantifiable.
• Mention your top soft and hard skills. List any skills you have that are relevant to the job you’re applying for in a seperate section. 
• Keep your education section short and concise. Unless you’re an entry-level candidate with little-to-no work experience, keep your education section short and to the point. 
• Leverage optional sections like “Languages,” “Certifications,” or “Hobbies and Interests.” Fill up the rest of your resume space with optional sections that can highlight your strengths and qualifications as a candidate (e.g. foreign languages you speak, certifications you’ve obtained over the years, or your hobbies and interests).

3 Examples of Resume Formats 

#1. reverse chronological resume format.

This resume format highlights your experience and key professional achievements by listing your latest position and acquired skills first. It’s the most popular resume format among recruiters and the one we advise job seekers to use in 99% of cases. 

#2. Functional Resume Format

A functional resume , also known as the skill-based resume, is a resume format that focuses on your professional skill test as opposed to work experience. You’re better off using a functional resume if you’re a recent graduate with no work experience, if you’re switching careers, or if you have a long employment gap . 

#3. Hybrid Resume Format

A combination resume combines the two traditional resume formats: the reverse-chronological resume and the functional resume.

As such, this format places emphasis on a candidate’s skills and work experience. 

Frequently Asked Questions About Resume Examples

1. Are resume examples helpful?

Resume examples are helpful for several reasons. For starters, they can inspire you to write an A+ resume that meets the industry’s requirements. 

Also, resume examples can show you the best practices for listing your work experience and achievements, can guide you through your resume formatting and can help you understand exactly what the end result should look like.

2. How were these resume examples created?

All our resume examples and resume templates were created in full collaboration with industry-leading HR professionals.

This means that they meet all job market requirements, are modern and impactful, and meet recruiters’ standards worldwide.

3. What if I can’t find a resume example for my job?

While we’ve tried to list as many resume examples as possible for different jobs across several industries, it might happen that you can’t find the resume example that perfectly matches your needs. 

If that’s the case, you can check out our guide on how to write a resume , and learn to create an effective resume regardless of industry.

4. What is the best resume format in 2024?

The reverse-chronological format is still the best resume format in 2024. It remains the most widely used and preferred format by employers and recruiters alike. In this format, you list your work experience in reverse chronological format, starting with your most recent position and working backward.

This format showcases our most recent and relevant experience, making it easier for employers to see our career progression and accomplishments. 

5. Are these resume examples free? 

Yes, most of these resume examples can be used for free in the Basic account, while there is also a selection of templates included in the Premium account. All of them though can be tested for free in our editor. 

6. Do you also have cover letter examples?

Yes, we have an entire article dedicated to cover letter examples for different fields and jobs. Not just that, but you can also find tips on how to write a great cover letter and an FAQ section to answer any question you may have. 

7. Should my resume and cover letter match?

Yes, having a cover letter that’s consistent with your resume in terms of style, tone, and content can be a plus for your overall job application. In a nutshell, a matching resume and cover letter can increase your chances of getting an interview by demonstrating your professionalism, attention to detail, and suitability for the role. 

Conclusion 

And that’s a wrap!

We hope the examples and guides provided in this article can help you create a powerful and effective resume that highlights your unique qualifications and experiences. 

Whether you're a recent graduate, a mid-career employee, or a seasoned professional, there are tips and templates here to help you create a compelling resume for any job.

For more career advice, make sure to check out our career blog . 

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

• How To Write A Resume
• Resume Skills Section
• Resume Objective Section
• Career Objective Section
• Resume Reference Section
• Resume Summary Section
• Resume Summary Example
• Resume Interests Section
• Address On Resume
• Relevant Work Experience
• Anticipated Graduation Date On Resume
• Education Section On Resume
• Contact Information On Resume
• Statement Of Qualifications
• How To List Publications On Resume
• Accomplishments On Resumes
• Awards On Resume
• Dean's List On Resume
• Study Abroad On Resume

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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• Parts Of A Resume >

• Freelance Tips

How to Craft a Content Writer Resume (With Examples)

• By  Emily Numa
• May 24, 2024
• How To Become A Freelancer
• Skills and Experience

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A well-crafted content writer resume is essential if you want to land new clients and succeed as a freelancer. In this post, we’ll explain how to create a resume that showcases your skills and gets you noticed. We’ll also give you an example of a resume to help you get started on your own.

What to Include in Your Content Writer Resume

When writing your resume , there are some key elements you should always include:

• Your contact information
• A professional summary (a brief statement highlighting your expertise and experience)
• Previous work experience and content writing skills (including unpaid work)
• Relevant education (degrees, online courses , certificates, etc.)
• Professional achievements or awards
• Membership in professional societies

If you’re a beginner and don’t have much professional writing experience, you can include any writing-related aspects of past employment. For example, if you’re a former teacher , you could list comprehensive lesson planning as research and writing experience. Or if you worked in an office, you can describe how you managed projects and prepared presentations or other professional documents.

Writing Your Content Writer Resume

Here’s a breakdown of how to write an effective content writer resume:

1. Choose a Format

There are several different formats to choose from for your resume. You can write a chronological resume , a functional resume , or a combination of both. Both formats have their advantages – a chronological resume highlights your work history and education over time, while a functional resume emphasizes your related skills. If you’re a relatively new writer with little professional writing experience, a functional resume (or a combination of both formats) is probably the best way to showcase your skills.

2. Decide What to Include

It can be challenging to decide what to include on a resume, especially if you have a varied work history. Generally, your content writer resume should be concise; it’s usually best to keep it to around one page.

If possible, try to tailor your resume specifically to the writing job you’re applying for. This means you may need to emphasize different skills or achievements for each potential role or client. For example, if you’re applying for a position writing content for a veterinary office, it would be appropriate to include your time as a volunteer at an animal shelter, even if it didn’t involve writing. However, this experience would not be relevant to a job as a financial writer , so you would leave it off that version of your resume.

Additionally, even if you don’t have an industry-specific degree , you can include past coursework or professional development that relates to the job you’re applying for.

3. Provide Concrete Details

To help your resume stand out from the crowd, provide as many concrete details of your experience and professional achievements as you can. For example, if you took the lead on a project or increased website traffic and conversions for a client, be sure to include the specific data in the work experience section. Here are some more ideas for using numbers in your resume .

4. Tailor Your Language and Tone

Always use clear and concise language for your content writer resume – and be sure to proofread for errors and inconsistent formatting before submitting it. In addition, visit the website of the organization you’re applying to work with and try to match their language and tone as much as possible (as long as it’s professional!). When discussing your previous experience, use bold, engaging verbs (e.g., “crafted,” “supervised,” “implemented”).

5. Optimize With Keywords

Incorporate relevant keywords and phrases from the job description to ensure your resume passes through applicant tracking systems . These systems collect and rank resumes – based on how well they match the job description – to narrow down applications to the most suitable candidates. Make sure your resume is tailored to the vacancy in question!

Content Writer Resume Example

There isn’t one single best tool to use to create your content writer resume. You can write it in Microsoft Word as a PDF, or you can use Google Docs, Canva, or other resume-building sites . No matter what tool or software you use, be sure to include all relevant information, and ensure the content is presented neatly and is easy to follow. A good tip is to email it to yourself and open it on your own computer to get a better visual understanding of the format.

Below is an example of a fictional content writer’s resume to use as inspiration; you can read an additional example on the LiveCareer website.

Example Resume

Becoming a freelance writer.

Do you want to learn more about what it takes to be a successful freelance content writer , including how to find clients? Check out our comprehensive Becoming a Freelance Writer course. It teaches you everything you need to know about launching a rewarding career as a freelance writer. Sign up to receive your free lessons today!

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