How to write a chronological résumé
Your résumé (also known as a CV) is essentially a sales tool – it’s the part of your job application that opens the door to an interview. The right résumé type for you depends on you and your job search.
The most common résumé that is used is a chronological résumé.
Task: Read this article to learn how to write a chronological résumé.
A chronological résumé lists your work experience in reverse order, starting with your most recent job. This is a good option if you have worked in the same industry or type of role for several years and perhaps progressed to more senior roles during this time.
A chronological résumé typically includes the following:
1. Contact information
Your name, location (optional), phone number, and email. If you have a LinkedIn profile, then you can include the link.
2. Profile
This can either be a statement about your employment goals or an overview of yourself and what you bring to a job and employer. You can highlight your skills and strengths, any relevant qualifications or certificates, or any notable achievements. You might like to title this “Personal Statement", “Career Goal”, “Professional Profile”, “Summary”, or “Personal Profile". You can even leave a title out for this section.
It should be three to four sentences at the top of the first page of your résumé.
3. Skills summary (optional)
Here you include a quick overview of your skills. Include about six to eight dot points of any technical or transferable skills that you will demonstrate in your employment history. This is optional in a chronological résumé.
4. Employment history
In most cases, this is the largest section of your résumé. You might like to title this “Work experience", “Experience”, “Employment history”, or “Career history".
Starting with the most recent job, list each job you’ve had including job title, employer, dates, and a list of responsibilities and achievements.
Each role in your work experience could look something like this:
Retail Customer Service Officer, XYZ Supermarket. February 2014 - October 2016
- Provided great customer service to over 50 customers throughout 6-hour shifts.
- Accurately completed all cash and electronic transactions.
- Promptly addressed customer questions and escalated any issues as required.
- Awarded team member of the month for June 2015.
5. Education and qualifications
This is where you list details of your education, qualifications, and training courses you have completed. You should include the name of the course or qualification, the organisation where you studied, and the date you completed the course. If you are still studying, you can include an “expected completion date”.
The order in which your education, skills, and employment history appear in your résumé can change depending on the job you’re applying for and what you want to highlight. If your qualifications or education are more relevant to the role you are applying for, then place this section after your personal profile or skills summary.
6. Licences and certifications
List any licences, checks, and certifications you have that are work-related. For example, Police Checks, Forklift Licenses, Working with Vulnerable People/Children Checks, Certifications for Working on a Construction Site, and First Aid Certificates.
7. Additional information (optional)
This is where you list any extra information you’d like to share with the potential employer. This could be interests, hobbies, volunteering, community work, or anything else that is relevant to your job application that isn’t included elsewhere in your résumé. What you include here is up to you but make sure it highlights who you are as a person.
8. Referees
Include referee details if requested in the job advertisement, or if it is standard practice or recommended for the role you are applying for. Otherwise, you can state “Referees are available upon request”.