What is a Chronological Resume?

The chronological resume is one of the most used. But do you know how to make your own?

There are many CV models, but the truth is that the most common is the chronological resume. As its name suggests, this resume model is the one that allows you to present the information you want to share with the company chronologically, always starting with the current or most recent one and ending with the latest one.

Thus, the chronological resume is very easy to create because you only have to follow an order of dates , which allows you to tell from start to finish what your training and work experience is.

But, is this CV model the most appropriate in all cases? As you may have guessed, the answer is ‘No’. Next, we will tell you what parts a chronological resume should have. How it should be structured and in which cases it is or is not appropriate.

What is a chronological resume?

As we told you at the beginning, the chronological resume is the most common CV model that exists. In this, the work and academic information is presented grouped by dates, so that the recruiter can quickly and clearly see what your most recent work experiences and studies have been. This helps him assess your suitability for the position . The chronological curriculum can be structured in different sections. Surely they sound familiar to you, because they are the classics. Let’s see:

• Contact information
• Work experience
• Academic training
• Skills
• Languages
• Additional Information

These changes can be rearranged however you see fit, but contact details, work experience and education should always be at the top . As it is the most relevant information in the resume, it will be very useful to show it in the first instance and the recruiter will be able to assess it at a single glance. In fact, you should keep in mind that this will be the central part of the curriculum and that the other sections will work as complementary sections.

Also read : How to explain lack of experience in a resume?

When is the chronological resume model appropriate?

The chronological resume is not suitable for all applications. So, before proposing to choose one model or another , the ideal thing will be to take into account the following:

• What is our professional profile?
• What type of company are we addressing?
• What is the candidacy we are running for?
• What route does our professional career have?

To begin with, we must indicate that the chronological curriculum is a very suitable model for all those people who have a long and uninterrupted professional career over time. What does this mean? Well, simply, we would not recommend the chronological model to people who have significant gaps in their professional career. That is, one or several periods without work.

Nor would it be recommended in those cases in which jobs have been changed many times and have very short work experiences. Not because this is bad, but because it can force us to have to give explanations that are not convenient for us or that we are not interested in giving.

Nor would we recommend it to people who do not yet have professional experience (or very little). In these cases, it will always be best to opt for a functional resume , in which only the most important aspects and experiences are highlighted . If you’ve been doing the same job in the same area for a long time, a chronological resume may also be suitable. Because your resume won’t require too much formal juggling. In summary, if your professional progression is homogeneous and ascending. You can continue opting for the chronological curriculum as a model.

How to make a chronological resume?

If you plan to create a chronological resume, there is something to keep in mind: dates. This implies having that information updated and black on white . A resource that can be of great help to you is the employment history report that you can obtain free of charge and immediately at the Social Security electronic headquarters. You will see that obtaining the document is very simple (you can even do it via SMS). From here you will obtain, with the exact dates, all your work experiences with the corresponding companies.

For the chronological curriculum, it is also essential that you obtain the dates of your academic degrees, especially the latest ones: bachelor’s degrees, diplomas, degrees, postgraduate degrees, master’s degrees, etc. Indicate them correctly and chronologically in the corresponding section. You will see that little by little everything is fitting. You can use the sections that we have mentioned above to complete the information, without ever forgetting to specify the dates at the beginning.

Also read : How to create a perfect a resume?

What is the reverse chronological CV?

You may have heard about the reverse chronological CV and you think that it is a particular CV model. Actually, the chronological CV that we propose is reversed by definition. What does this mean? Well, the professional experiences and academic achievements that are shown are the most recent, instead of the oldest. Thus, the chronology is reversed. This makes sense because the recruiter will be interested in knowing what your highest studies are and what your latest work experiences have been like, because they are precisely the closest ones.