Chronological Resume

A chronological resume is the most basic format that represents the traditional and conservative style of resume writing. In this type of resume, the candidate's work history is listed in reverse order along with the company name, the job title and the duration of work. If chosen correctly, the chronological resume always succeeds in making an impression as it projects the candidate as a capable and employment worthy individual. A well designed resume in this format would almost certainly fetch you your dream job.

The chronological resume would be the first choice for those with a steady career history and without any major breaks in employment. It serves as an ideal platform to flaunt a vast experience and good career growth. Despite this advantage, a point worth remembering is that the resume must not look like a mundane listing of past employment which would reduce the candidate to another name among several applicants. It should instead serve as a means to get a glimpse of your unique personality and potential which would amply contribute to the success of the organization.

How to make your chronological resume stand apart

After mentioning your personal details and contact information, begin your resume by a clear and crisp objective that brings out the link between your qualifications, expertise and your job title. A smart and relevant objective never fails to send the right signals and automatically forces the readers to take a longer look at the rest of the resume.
The employment history should be written neatly but including all the essential details which clearly depict the scope of the candidate's knowledge, expertise and responsibilities.
Another way to make the resume distinctive would be to add another section after the employment history with the heading "Achievements". This can be used to add your merits, successes and accomplishments which would reinforce your skill sets and positive traits. It would be a fitting end to the resume by giving it an emphatic touch.

The plus points of a chronological resume

A well drafted chronological resume, replete with the details about employment history, carries a lot of weight as it projects the candidate's integrity and reliability. It stands as strong proof of his/her credibility and employment worthy capabilities. These are the very qualities that all employers seek in their new recruits and therefore such a resume is hard to resist.

The flip side

The chronological resume has a format that cannot camouflage gaps or lapses in work experience and therefore would not be suitable for those who do not have a consistent work history. It will also not work for people who have changed their career paths and have experience that is not relevant to the post they are seeking. Another major setback is that the chronological resume format makes it easy to guess that applicant's age and would therefore not be preferred by candidates who are either very young or for those who do not have the age factor on their side.

You should opt for a chronological resume if your career has been steady and unbroken and has not diverted from one line. The articles that follow will be able to guide you about how to frame a chronological resume and when exactly to use them. Choosing the right resume format that matches with your requirements will get you the attention that you deserve and surely be a feather in your cap!