A chronological resume emphasizes your career growth by using most of the document to provide a detailed work history. This shows a hiring manager that you have the required years of experience and training to be successful in the new position.
The chronological resume is popular among employers because it’s what the hiring managers and recruiters are used to seeing. This format also uses clear section headers, which makes it especially compatible with applicant tracking systems (ATS) as well.
What Is a Reverse Chronological Resume Format?
So, what is a chronological resume? This resume format is a traditional style that focuses on your work experience and lists that experience in reverse chronological order. It starts with your most recent position at the top of the resume and goes backward in time as the hiring manager keeps reading. Other major sections in a resume include your education, key skills, and a profile summary.
Who Should Use a Reverse Chronological Resume Format?
Because the reverse chronological resume format focuses so much on your work history, it’s best for professionals with a strong career track record or those seeking new roles that require previous experience in a similar position. In both of these cases, the candidate’s professional experience is a strength that makes sense to showcase with this resume format.
The reverse chronological resume format may not be a good fit for candidates trying to change careers, have employment gaps, or seeking entry-level positions. If you don’t have a lot of professional experience, this format can make your resume look sparse. It also may not highlight your transferable skills and education as well as a functional or hybrid format.
Key Features of a Reverse Chronological Resume
Clear focus on work experience
The professional history section on a reverse chronological resume takes up at least half of the document and sometimes as much as two-thirds or more. Each role includes the job title, the company you worked for, and the dates of employment. It also includes bullet points that detail your responsibilities, skills, and achievements.
Emphasis on dates and career progression
Because the reverse chronological resume is structured based on when you held the position, there’s a distinct focus on your career timeline. If you have a steady work history, without short tenures or gaps, this can work in your favor by showing a clear career progression and professional growth.
Traditional structure that’s applicant tracking system-friendly
The reverse chronological resume is the most traditional format, which means it’s usually the easiest for applicant tracking systems to read. This can help your resume reach human hands and increase your chances of getting an interview.
How To Format a Reverse Chronological Resume
1. Create a header
This should include your name, email, and phone number. It’s also a good idea to link to your LinkedIn profile and professional social media pages or a portfolio, if applicable.
2. Start with a profile summary
This is a brief snapshot of your qualifications and should include things like how many years of experience you have in your field and a few of your best skills or accomplishments.
3. List your work experience
Detail each role you’ve held, and include three to seven bullet points per position. Begin each bullet point with a strong action verb, and include metrics when possible.
4. Add your education
This is a short section that lists any relevant degrees, licenses, and certifications. A reverse chronological resume doesn’t usually include extras like coursework.
5. Write a skills list
Include both professional skills and technical skills in this section. Use keywords from the job description when possible for added relevance.
Examples of Chronological Resume Formats
Entry-level chronological resume example
Allison Rosenberg
(123) 456-7890
[email protected]
New York, NY 12345
LinkedIn | Portfolio
Profile
A junior web designer with entry-level experience specializing in user interface (UI) design, WordPress, user experience (UX) writing, and graphic design. Adept at collaborating with diverse teams to create innovative website designs and ensure consistency across desktop and mobile platforms.
Key Skills
- Adobe Creative Suite
- Graphic design
- User-centered design principles
- Web development
- WordPress
Professional Experience
Junior Web Designer Internship, Cadence Web Design Consultants, New York, NY | May 2023 – November 2023
- Provided support to senior web designers during a six-month internship and collaborated with front-end developers to design quality websites for client businesses
- Created compelling visual assets, conducted wireframing, and defined UX design in accordance with user-centered principles
- Performed graphic design activities to support a major overhaul of an underperforming website and collaborated effectively with back-end developers
Academic Projects
Web Design Projects, Columbia University, New York, NY | January 2022 – May 2023
- Completed an academic project to build a film review website, which included developing the UI, creating visual assets, and ensuring mobile compatibility
- Designed an innovative website to enable users to locate and filter restaurants with vegan and kosher menu items using JavaScript and HTML
Certifications
- User Experience Design Certification, General Assembly | October 2023
- Certified Digital Designer (CDD), ADA | July 2023
Education
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Graphic Design
Columbia University | May 2023
Mid-career professional example
John Bergsen
(123) 456-7890
[email protected]
Boston, MA 12345
LinkedIn | Portfolio
Profile
A dynamic digital marketing specialist with five years of experience specializing in paid search, search engine optimization (SEO), lead generation, and product marketing. A proven track record of developing innovative strategies to grow web presence and organic traffic for client websites. Expertise in leveraging analytics to refine data-driven decision-making for digital initiatives.
Professional Experience
Digital Marketing Specialist, New England Marketing Consultants, Boston, MA | October 2020 – Present
- Lead paid search initiatives and digital marketing campaigns, analyze customer trends and behavior, and define marketing strategies for client accounts generating $100,000 to $400,000 in annual revenue
- Improve lead generation and traffic for customer websites and social media accounts by 40% to 70% by aligning marketing initiatives and brand voice across all channels
- Leverage Google Analytics to evaluate web performance metrics and create reports for the marketing team and senior leadership to refine paid search strategies
Digital Marketing Coordinator, Amherst Realtors, Amherst, MA | June 2018 – October 2020
- Executed email marketing campaigns and digital initiatives to enhance lead generation and improve website traffic by 120% for a leading real estate company
- Analyzed SEO performance, conducted marketing research on competitor sites, and identified refinements to web copy and design
- Led an initiative to implement online lead-generation ads on LinkedIn, performed testing, and secured executive buy-in, resulting in a 50% increase in conversion rates
Key Skills
- Digital marketing
- Google Analytics
- Paid search
- Search engine marketing (SEM)
- SEO
Certifications
- Professional Certification in Digital Marketing, AMA | September 2019
- Digital Marketing Program, CareerFoundry | October 2018
Education
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Marketing
Boston University, Boston, MA | June 2018
Executive chronological resume example
Aliya Jackson
(123) 456-7890
[email protected]
Pennsylvania, PA 12345
LinkedIn | Portfolio
Profile
A nurse manager with over 10 years of experience in health care, specializing in patient advocacy, telemetry, patient-centered care, and infection prevention. A strong history of leading high-performance nursing teams to deliver empathetic and compassionate care to patients. Adept at driving continuous improvements for clinical operations.
Professional Experience
Nurse Manager, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA | July 2016 – present
- Oversee clinical operations for a 245-bed hospital, build and manage a team of over 25 registered nurses (RNs), and coordinate 24-hour operations for seven patient care units
- Drive change management initiatives, improve nursing metrics, utilization, patient flow, and operations room (OR) staffing, and reduced average length of stay from four days to three
- Improve patient room turnover rate by 10% during periods of over 90% occupancy and ensure compliance with infection prevention and COVID-19 safety protocols
Nurse Manager, Pennsylvania Hospital, Philadelphia, PA | June 2013 – July 2016
- Managed a team of over 30 nurses in a high-volume medical facility with 260 beds and oversaw all aspects of patient care delivery, including intake, assessment, treatment planning, telemetry, and safe discharge
- Delivered mentorship to team members and built a collaborative work culture centered on diversity and inclusion, resulting in a 15% increase in employee retention
- Evaluated nursing performance, drove continuous improvement, and monitored key performance indicators (KPIs) to ensure compliance with departmental goals and objectives
Key Skills
- Acute care
- Clinical operations
- Nurse education
- Patient advocacy
- Patient-centered care
Certifications
- Certified Nurse Manager and Leader (CNML), American Organization for Nursing Leadership | September 2016
- RN, State of Pennsylvania, License #12345678 | May 2013
Education
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Nursing
Temple University, Philadelphia, PA | May 2013
FAQs About Chronological Resumes
What is the difference between a chronological resume and a reverse chronological resume?-
Chronological means to list things from oldest to newest, while reverse chronological means to list things from newest to oldest. However, resumes should always list work experience from most recent to oldest, so these terms are generally used interchangeably when referring to resumes.
When should you use a different resume format, such as functional or combination?-
A functional or combination format resume may be a better option if you lack professional experience or have gaps on your resume that you don’t want to highlight, such as a layoff. These options emphasize transferable skills, education, and other qualifications.
How do you handle employment gaps on a reverse chronological resume?-
If you want to use a reverse chronological resume and have employment gaps, there are a few options. Should you have a the gap from many years ago, you could start your professional history after returning to the workforce. This can also help cut down extra length. If it’s more recent, consider including a short explanation in parentheses, such as caring for a family member or taking a sabbatical.
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