![]() |
Image: Source |
The HR recruiter looks through hundreds of resumes. But few holders of the perfect CV will land an interview. Find out how to create the most informative chronological resume. Templates can be helpful to choose a personal format for meeting the requirements of a vacancy you dream about.
The Basic Features of a Chronological Resume
A chronological resume is a kind of CV, which contains all professional meaningful events laid out in sequence. The main advantage of it is displaying for how long and which positions, responsibilities you have held.
It may hold detailed information about job seeker:
- personal data;
- profession;
- places of employment;
- changes in career;
- education level;
- gained skills;
- competence in languages.
The chronological order aims to streamline the essence of your qualification for a recruiter. It draws the attention to selected blocks with the progress and essential points of professional life.
Chronological Resume Template Structure
Any chronological resume template assumes a definite straightforward format. Display the essential elements in the following order, which is important:
- A header.
- Profile/Professional experience.
- Employment history section.
- Education section.
Header Content
The header is a central part. Put upwards your private details with the full name, address, phone number, e-mail, and position you are applying for.
It will be better to point out your mobile as a phone number for easy contacts. Check to be sure you an official email address, that includes your real name. Avoid using nicknames or funny titles in it.
If you have a relevant business website, feel free to add a link to it. The LinkedIn profile will be applicable as well.
A job title included in this section enlarges the chances to reinforce a message that you are the one the head-hunter is looking for. It works when your current title corresponds to the desired position.
Professional Experience
This block is the next important section of the chronological resume. A template allows you to start with several kinds of introductions:
- resume objective;
- resume profile;
- qualifications summary.
This part represents your unique advantages and should be filled in with the skills and qualifications. Four or six lines of sentence fragments should sell an idea why your experience, skills, or/and education will be proper for a hirer.
Employment History
According to experts, the majority of HR managers will focus on this section. Point out your position, name of the employer, the dates of starting the work for each job. Break up the positions with double spacing between each entry. A detailed expert opinion on this subject can be found here https://resumesbot.com/executive-resume-writing-service/.
Your current or recent position should be listed first. Continue with previous places of employment in reverse-chronological order through the rest of the history outline.
It is important to specify your accomplishments under each line containing the place you worked in. Make five or more bullet points that begin with an active verb and describe your experience in the best way.
The past tense of the phrases indicates the work was done in the past: "Managed 10+ staff members”, “Created budgets", "Developed software for sales". To describe the current job, write in the present tense: "Provide services", "Conduct research".
Education Section
The level of your basic competence matters a lot. You can enumerate the names of projects, relevant courses, education institutions, a period of study, and place. Any academic credentials and honors add much to resume attractiveness.
Additional Sections
You may not stick to format strictness. Additional information after the Education block would be an asset. If you have no job history yet, share your relevant Volunteer Experience. You may include extra section if you have any of:
- Computer Skills;
- Achievements;
- References;
- Professional Affiliations;
- Languages;
- Social Media.
The Best Size Format
Make sure extra blocks don’t extend your CV to more than one A4 page. You can break the rule in some cases. To integrate all work experience, you may create two or more pages, for instance, if:
- the professional experience is in abundance;
- you are applying for a management level;
- you are from academic staff and boast multiple research publications.
A chronological resume is the most common and familiar format for HR managers. You will receive your lucky chance if it demonstrates clear vertical career progression in a similar field. All you have to do is to take your chance by picking an industry-specific chronological resume template and filling it out.
About the Author
Elise (JobDiva)
Master of Arts in Journalism.
15 years of serving as a writing correspondent handled a large influx of resume and cover letter orders for clients in different industries of employment.
Elise is a multitalented writer and editor with a strong educational background and experience in resume, cover letter writing, Linkedin profile development. Adept at researching and fact-checking a range of specialized topics, especially Applicant Tracking System algorithms. She is a great expert in finding and showing your unique value to potential employers with your resume and LinkedIn profile.