Chronological resumes are one of the most popular and commonly used resume structures. A chronological resume is designed to quickly show your relevant skills and work experience. Employers across many job sectors like this form of resume because it is very easy to see the experience you have at a glance. This type of resume works best for those with an extensive job history and is looking to progress their career. Unlike other types of CV which put an emphasis on skills and attributes, the chronological resume only requires a brief mention of your skills and personality.
A chronological resume example focuses on employment history, with the most recent employment at the top (reverse chronological order). Any relevant skills/achievements need to be included with each job role, not in a separate section like a functional resume. Underneath employment will be education, which will again be in reverse chronological order. Further activities that are relevant, such as job experience and charitable work go in another reverse chronological section with a relevant heading. For people starting out on a career, emphasis should be placed on education, which means putting education before work history. A chronological resume is not ideal for students coming out of education, or for those who have been out of employment for some time, because the gaps in employment are obvious, and it is harder to see what your skills are. Aside from this, there are no rigid rules that you must follow, as long as you put the most important section for you at the top, with other sections descending in decreasing importance.
A chronological resume example should begin with your name and contact details. The first section should be a brief description of the role you are going for, with specific personal skills that relate to the role in question. This should not be lengthy, and a few sentences is around the appropriate length. You can provide a summary of qualifications after this, bullet pointing your key skills, abilities and expertise. Under work experience, you list the company name and your position, including in bullet points your roles, skills and achievements. After this is education, and then after this you can provide brief sections on relevant skills, interests and so on. After you have created a first draft, revise it and reduce the length by modifying the grammar. The more snappy and brief the resume is, the better.
