Resume II: Chronological Resume

A chronological resume (where items are listed in reverse chronological order and emphasizes your steadily progressing work history and skill attainment) is by far the most popular type of resume. We'll now take a look at what information should be included in a chronological resume.

The essential pieces of a simple, chronological resume are: contact information, objective/summary, education, work experience, and references.
Contact Information: In this section you will need to include your full, legal name, permanent address, telephone number, and email address. If you decide to list your cell phone number, make sure your voicemail message is professional. While having a song play at the beginning or in the background of your voicemail greeting is fun, it is not appropriate when employers will be listening. Similarly, if you include an email address make sure it is a professional one. FYI boomboomgirl@gmail.com is not acceptable; janedoe08@gmail.com is acceptable.

Objective/Summary: This section includes a simple statement about the job you’re trying to obtain, or the type of work you’re hoping to do. A sample objective statement might be, “To obtain an entry-level position utilizing my strong customer service and organizational skills.” If you are sending resumes to multiple employers, make sure you change the objective so it is tailored to each employer.

Education: If you are a recent graduate, or if you do not have a lot of work experience this section should be listed before work experience. Otherwise, list work experience first. Include the degree obtained, the institution attended, and major. You may also use this section to include any academic honors.
Work Experience: Include the dates of employment, name of organization, your job title, and describe your work responsibilities. Be sure to emphasize specific skills and achievements and use action words when describing job duties. For example, saying “I worked in the sales department” is not nearly as strong as saying “I increased sales by 25%.”Because this is a chronological resume, be sure to start with your most recent job and work backwards.

References: If you are trying to get your first job or two you may want to include your references on the resume. Otherwise, stating “References available upon request” is acceptable. Always ask permission before including someone as a reference.

What are your thoughts? Do you have resume tips or advice? Feel free to share them by leaving a comment.

Hope Harris-Gayles, M.Ed