Which resume format is right for you

 

What is a chronological resume?

A chronological resume is a resume format that lists your work history in reverse chronological order, starting with your most recent job listed at the top and each previous position in descending order.

The chronological resume is the most popular format in 2022 because it accommodates people with any experience level and presents your qualifications in a logical, time-ordered fashion that is easy for a hiring manager to read.

Chronological resume template & example

Ordering your sections properly is important when writing a chronological resume.

To ensure you order your chronological resume correctly, here’s a template you can copy and paste into either Google Docs or Microsoft Word and fill in with your information:

Chronological resume template

1. Resume Heading

FIRST AND LAST NAME

Email: youremail@gmail.com | Phone: 908 555 555 | Address: 118 Washington Ave., New York, NY 10280 | Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/yourprofile

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2. Resume Introduction

Passionate [industry] professional with [# of years] years of experience. Seeking to use my expertise in [relevant skills] to fill the [position name] position at [Company’s Name]. A dedicated worker aiming to help contribute to [Company’s Name]’s goals and take on more responsibility as quickly as possible.

3. Work or Relevant Experience

Most Recent Job Title
Employer Name / Location / Start Date – End Date

• Include a bulleted list of your accomplishments and responsibilities
• Unless this is your only job, avoid using more than five bullet points
• Add numbers (such as percentages or dollar amounts) to these bullet points to illustrate your specific achievements

Earlier Job Title
Employer Name / Location / Start Date – End Date

• List relevant accomplishments from an earlier job
• Assuming you no longer hold this job, use past tense verbs to describe your achievements

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4. Education

Degree Name / Major
University, Location | Start Date – End Date

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5. Skills and Certifications

• List your relevant skills and certifications
• Include a range of hard skills and soft skills
• Specify the actual names of software or tools you can use

6. Additional Resume Section

• Here’s where you can add any other relevant information
• For example, this section could be for any of the following: publications, languages, volunteer experience, or even hobbies.

Chronological resume example

Want to see this format in action? Here’s an example of a chronological resume you can download and use for a reference: