FREE 9+ Sample Chronological Resume Templates in MS Word | PDF

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What Is a Chronological Resume?

A chronological resume is a type of resume that places emphasis on a person’s professional background. It lists an applicant’s job experiences with the latest at the top down to the very first employment. It is an ideal resume format to use when you’ve worked for several years or have various experiences in a specific field.

According to The Balance Careers, chronological resumes are highly preferred because they’re direct and easy to assess. The benefits of using this resume format include its clear depiction of an applicant’s career timeline. Recruiters are interested in your experiences because they often determine your level of expertise and skill in the area. Because it’s a common resume layout, it’s also easier to review.

Tips When Writing a Chronological Resume

Here are some tips to keep in mind when writing a chronological resume:

Step 1: Include Relevant Job Titles Only

When you have more than ten years of job experience under your belt and have been working with different companies during that period, it’s a pride to present all of them on your professional resume. However, unless you’ve been consistently in the same industry on the same line of profession and are planning to remain there, there are job titles that you need to exclude. Choose only those that are relevant to the opportunity you’re trying to get into. If you’re applying for a marketing position with a mixed professional background, opt to include experiences that would support your endeavor. 

Step 2: Prioritize Related Skills

The same with your job experiences, prospective employers would not care for skills that are not proportionate to the position you’re aiming for. Your skills can pile up high with your years in different companies and add weight to your resume’s appeal. Again, select only those that match your desired position. Including unnecessary details on your basic resume won’t bump up your application. Your resume should work towards your goal, and that is to win the slot. Doing this also makes the recruitment team assess your application better and raise your chances of getting hired because your proficiency fits their job description well.

Step 3: Apply a Fitting Visual Layout

Aside from creating coherent content, your resume’s visual layout is important as well. It shows your personal brand and will add a certain appeal to your application to catch the recruitment team’s attention. Consider the type of industry you’re applying for. If you’re hoping for a position in the creative industry, you can opt to submit a creative resume. Otherwise, a business resume should fit other professions. Whatever resume look you’re going for, make the entire document pleasing to the eye by using colors that won’t distract the reader from your resume’s content.

Step 4: Aim for Everything to Fit on a Single Page

This is why you should only include details that directly relate to your desired position. Prioritize content brevity and aim to have a single-page resume. Employers highly prefer one-page resumes because they’re focused and easier to evaluate than lengthy ones. According to a study conducted by The Ladders, recruiters only take 7.4 seconds when looking at applications. After a few blinks, your fate is sealed. The shorter your resume is, the more you’ll be able to sift out the most necessary details. Longer resumes don’t spice your background and earn you the position. As long as the recruiters see that you ticked off all the qualification items on their list, you’re well on your way.