Chronological Resume Example (With Writing Tips)

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.

When to Use a Chronological Resume

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.

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.

When to Use a Different Resume Format

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. 

What to Include in a Chronological Resume

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.  

Tips for Writing a Chronological Resume

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. 

How to Format a Chronological Resume

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. 
  

Chronological Resume Example

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.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)