The Chronological Resume

A New Twist On An Old Friend

By: Heather Eagar

What is a chronological resume? A chronological resume is a resume in which you list your past jobs and educational qualifications in reverse chronological order, beginning from the latest or the present one first. This is the traditional and most well known resume format.

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A chronological resume is especially effective for mid-career professionals and new grads that have limited work experience. It allows the employer to see all of your qualifications including education upfront. Your resume shouldn't read like a Ph.D. Dissertation – it should get straight to the point, and the chronological resume does this and more:

1. It explicitly demonstrates your career progression. It easily illustrates the solidity of your career.

2. The simple, traditional format makes it easier for employers to skim through quickly and to determine your qualifications. The fact is that most employers are expecting a chronological resume.

3. A chronological resume is a straightforward summary of your professional history. It is neat and simple. An employer usually takes only about 10 minutes to review your resume, and executive recruiters take even less time. Do you want them to do more work than they have to? They won't, because they don't have the time!

4. There are no ambiguities about your qualifications whatsoever as everything the interviewer wants to know is open and apparent. This is what you want—because they less questions they have about your resume, the less questions you'll have to answer in the interview!

Downsides To A Chronological Resume

Of course, like everything in life, the chronological resume has a few downsides. Since you are probably reading this to assess the pros and cons of this resume style, you may as well go in knowing these possible pitfalls:

1. The chronological format does not positively accommodate gaps in employment; in fact, when used, it could expose them quite easily. Additionally, a chronological resume does not suit those candidates who have changed careers often. If this describes you, then you may want to consider this resume style carefully before using it.

2. Cross-discipline skills may not be highlighted to their full potential; some employers are looking for continuity, and if you have changed careers in short periods of time, then using a chronological resume will highlight this fact instead of the valuable skills you can bring to the table.

3. If you have a short work history, a chronological resume will only highlight your lack of experience. For most employers, this is an immediate red flag and enough to make them file your resume under “C” for circular file. I hope you know what that means!

When to Use the Chronological Resume

Students and new grads applying for internships invariably have to use this style as they have a limited work history – they don't have much choice. But, sometimes seasoned professionals use this format when applying for jobs that involve routine tasks. Here is another example of when one can use this style: An accountant who is applying for her next job after several years of routine experience will have not much to show in terms of professional gains, but she can show job continuity. For such candidates who need to show continuity when changing jobs, the chronological resume works very well. Continue here!

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Article Source: Article Hangout
Heather Eagar is a former professional resume writer who is now dedicated to providing job seekers with resources and products that promote job search success from beginning to end. If you need resume examples and tools, go to www.NothingbutResumes.com .