Chronological Resume Example & Writing Guide

You can use several resume formats to write your resume, but the chronological resume format is by far the most popular one. 

It’s not surprising, given that it’s easy to make and skim. And this is just one of the reasons why it’s a favorite among job seekers and recruiters alike!

This guide includes everything you need to know to write a job-landing chronological resume.

Let’s jump right in!

What is a Chronological Resume? 

A chronological resume, otherwise known as a reverse-chronological resume, is a resume format that brings your work experience to the forefront. 

Using this resume format means listing your work experience at the top of your resume in reverse-chronological order, starting with your most recent position and professional achievements.

This gives the chronological resume format a great advantage over other resume formats. It naturally draws the recruiter’s attention to the most important part of your resume—the work experience section. Not only that—it also puts the most recent (and likely the most relevant) jobs you’ve held into the spotlight.

Besides that, the chronological resume has more benefits over other resume formats. It’s:

When is a Chronological Resume Format the Right Choice?

Essentially, there are three most common resume formats:

But how do you know which one is right for you?

In short, the chronological resume format is the right choice in most situations. That said, it works especially well if you have many years of experience in the same industry.

As we mentioned before, this resume format has many advantages over other resume formats, with ATS compatibility being perhaps the most important one. 

ATS rejects around 75% of job applications simply for unsuitable formatting. As such, you can automatically increase your chances of passing the ATS scan just by choosing the chronological resume format over others. 

That said, there are rare cases in which this resume format might not be the right choice for you, such as when:

It’s also important to note that you don’t need to have tons of work experience to write a chronological resume. While some recent graduates go for a functional resume, you can, in fact, write an effective chronological resume even if you have zero work experience!

6-Step Guide to Writing a Chronological Resume in 2023 

Now that you know more about what a chronological resume is, let’s go step-by-step over the process of writing one!

#1. List Your Contact Information

The first step of writing any resume, including a chronological one, is to add your contact information. It’s easy—just make sure you list it correctly because otherwise, the hiring manager might not be able to get in touch with you.

So, here’s what you need to mention:

You can also include other relevant information, such as your LinkedIn URL, social media handles, portfolio, personal website, or blog. Just make sure they’re all up-to-date and relevant to the job you’re applying for.

Your contact information section should look something like this:

#2. Write a Compelling Resume Objective or Resume Summary

The next step in writing a chronological resume is to include a brief but impactful resume statement to catch the recruiter’s attention.

Here, you have two options:

Now that we’ve cleared that up, let’s start with a resume objective. To write a compelling resume objective statement, follow these 3 simple steps:

And here’s an example of an effective resume objective:

As for the resume summary statement, here’s what you want to do:

Here’s what a powerful resume summary looks like on a chronological resume:

#3. Feature Your Work Experience in a Reverse-Chronological Order  

Done crafting a resume statement that’ll surely entice the recruiter to read your entire resume? Great, then it’s time to focus on the star of the show—the work experience section!

To make sure your chronological resume is well-structured, you want to list your work experience details in reverse-chronological order. Here’s what each entry should include:

By now, you should have a good work experience section, but this might not be enough to stand out from other candidates with similar work experience. So, here’s what you want to do to perfect and make the most of this section:

Here’s an example of a top-notch work experience section:

#4. List Your Past Education 

Besides your work experience, you also want to include your education details on your chronological resume. Naturally, to maintain consistency, you should list your education in reverse-chronological order, starting with your latest degree.

As a rule of thumb, your education section in a chronological resume should be short and sweet. For this reason, there’s no need to include your high school education if you have a college diploma.

Here’s what each entry in your education section needs to include:

Here’s a good example of an education section on a chronological resume:

#5. Showcase Your Relevant Skills 

After writing an impactful work experience section, you should list your skills in your chronological resume.

Here’s how to do it right:

And here’s an example of what the skills section on a chronological resume should look like:

#6. Enrich Your Resume with Additional Sections 

Filled in all the above-mentioned sections and still have some space left on your chronological resume? Perfect—use it to add some optional sections and make your resume stand out!

Here are some additional sections you should consider including on your chronological resume:

Additional sections on your chronological resume should look something like this:

Chronological Resume Example

Use this example

Closing Thoughts 

And that’s all you need to know to write a job-winning chronological resume!

The main takeaway of this guide is that the chronological resume format is the most suitable option for 99% of candidates. To make an effective resume, all you need to do is list relevant details of your professional background in reverse-chronological order.