Need a new job! So, You might often come across the thought of what kind of resume you should send so that the chances of getting shortlisted get enhanced. You might have also thought of what you should do so that the interviewer calls you for an interview.
You must have heard about resumes that the company asks for whenever you apply on their company’s website or any other job website/portal. In simple words, you may say that your resume is a selling tool, which generally outlines the experiences and the skills you have so that the employer can get an idea about what they can expect from you and how you can contribute to the workplace.
But do you know this simple resume plays a vital role in getting you that job? It is the first impression an employer has on you, so you need to structure it properly.
In this article, we are going to tell you detailed information about the reverse chronological resume. A reverse-chronological resume can be defined as a type of resume that mainly emphasizes the relevant work experience. It is termed as reverse because it lists your most recent/latest job first and then moves back to the first job/experience you ever had.
The primary purpose is to get selected for an interview. And obviously, your resume is the only overview that an employer sees before calling you for an interview. So your resume needs to be perfect.
3 Types of Reverse Chronological Resumes
Now, as you know what a resume is, do you know that there are different types of outlines or formats that you can use. Before directly starting the format of a reverse-chronological resume, let’s look at how many types of resumes are there.
#1. The Chronological Resume
It is also known as a reverse chronological resume. This is the most common and most widely used resume. In this type of resume, you simply need to list the jobs and the experience, from the most recent (currently working job) to the last (educational background). We will discuss more about this resume in the article.
#2. The Functional Resume
The functional resume mainly focuses on the accomplishment and skills you have to complete the job effectively. It does not consist of any year like how and when you learned them, but it consists of your highlighted skills.
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#3. The Combination Resume
It can be said as a combination of both the functional resume and chronological resume. It works best for a job hunter who is currently advancing in their career and has established a very good track record.
Reverse Chronological Order
As mentioned earlier, we will discuss this type of resume more.
Today, it is the most widely used resume by job seekers. It is considered a modern format of resume, that is being used by the majority of job seekers while making an application. This type of resume consists of a list of information or data by their date. The most recent one is listed at the top, then the information moves backward.
The information is generally categorized by its origin date, chronological ordering, or by simply saying, the information with the date nearest to the current date is mentioned at the top of a list. This is accompanied by more information blocks, culminating in an information block with one of the most recent items closest to the current date. You should also list the most recent employment position & credentials you’ve worked or attained on a resume. After that, go backward.
This ordering system is considered one of the best resumes because it highlights more recent employment, giving the employer a basic idea about the seeker’s work profile. This also shows high contextuality and relevance. This makes it much more engaging and has a much more lasting impact on the reader.
It also provides a constant chronology of your career, so there are no gaps in the job history. Employers are more likely to monitor your corporate advancement and career development effortlessly. Thus, making your application extra effective for recruiters, as it is highly contextual and reliable.
If you want to know more about this formatting style, keep reading! We will talk about its detailed formatting style in the next section.
Making of Chronological Resume
Every job seekers always aim to make a one-page reverse chronological resume, which tells all the information about their professional background record—the chances of getting a call for an interview increase when you provide clarity and make relevance. The quality of this resume should be the top priority instead of listing every certificate that doesn’t have any relation to the job profile. To make a powerful impression, you must mention the things that are relevant to the job, and you think it is an essential skill for getting a job opportunity.
- It is a traditional type of resume, where you should include the month and the year in addition to your job profile in an organization.
- When you have made a note of every detail (the date you started working and the day you resigned), you can begin making the resume by organizing them in reverse order using the same ordering system while listing the necessary certificates relevant to the field.
| Experience | Job profile/Company |
| 2022-2021 | Head of a content strategy, xyz company |
| 2021-2018 | Content writer and coordinator, xyz company |
| 2018-2014 | Content writer, xyz company |
Please note: Do not include a certificate of getting the first prize in an art competition if you apply for an academic executive or any other unrelated field.
This type of resume improves readability and is considered the most organized and ordered way of listing job experiences. Your resume should directly give an idea to the employer about your professional background.
Things to Mention in the Resume
If you are making a resume for the very first time, you will often hear to list everything you have in your mind. But what’s the need to list the skills or the certificate that are entirely irrelevant to the job profile you are applying for. It’s not going to help in getting a callback for an interview because these types of resumes only waste the time of an employer or HR.
If you add so many irrelevant things to your resume, they will simply discard it and never consider or shortlist your resume. So it’s better to add only relevant items. A few examples are listed down below:
#1. Work Experience
Always keep it consistent, and clearly mention the date, year, and the number of months you work for a company. If you don’t have any work experience or you are a fresher; then you should list down the internships you have done or the relevant certificates you have in the same field. Make sure they should be in reverse order, from the most recent one to the last one. If you are already working and have work experience, then you should mention the job you are currently working in and then move back in reverse order. Make sure to mention the date of joining and the date of resigning from a particular job profile in an organization.
#2. Qualification
After mentioning your work experience, you should mention your education (postgraduation, graduation, and schooling). After this, you can also note the certificates relevant to the job description. make sure to include them in the same way you mention your experience and qualification, i.e., reverse order and years. This will provide a good list of understandable and apparent achievements. This will also help in bringing attention to the employer’s knowledge about the specifics they may require from their employee.
#3. Additional Selection
You can also list your strengths, habits, and motto. Make sure that everything you write should be according to the job description only. You should always give a glance at your resume whenever you are applying for multiple companies.
Pro Tips:
- Sometimes, you may have different job roles to perform while working in a similar organization. For example, you can be working as a coordinator and a graphic artist, so it’s better to mention both the job profiles. It always creates a positive impact because they will think of you as a “multitasker.”
- In a few cases, the company may have promoted you from one department to another because of your excellent work. So it’s important to list both the job titles under the same employer; it will make your profile much likable. This will show that you can understand your work and always work in a challenging environment.
- Always keep in mind that you can mention or describe your accomplishment in bullet points. Avoid using a paragraph or long sentences, as this will make your resume look dull, and no employer or recruiter has time to read an entire passage.
- If you want to define your job role in a particular organization, you can use one to 2-3 sentences, but keep it concise.
- You should always include the necessary routine information, like your contact information, email IDs, etc. This will not change when you apply for multiple jobs, but this is very important because they need certain information to contact you.
- Testimonials from the previous organization or clients will also help you to get shortlisted for the interview. You can also include the honors and awards that you may have received in your previous organization for your contribution.
Risks of Using a Chronological Resume
According to several experts, the chronological resume does not provide any advantage to the job seeker, especially when there are gaps in the work history. If you had gaps and you are listing your resume in reverse order, the probability of noticing becomes easier; it gets highlighted on the resume. This resume doesn’t give many advantages when a person is following an unusual or non-traditional career path. But it does not create much problem if the seeker has written the summary very well and has added some extra information due to which they get an idea of what you wanted to do in that particular year or period. Furthermore, if they think that you didn’t waste and used your time to follow something else: they will shortlist you and call for an interview. But one needs to keep in mind that a recruiter will spend hardly a few seconds reading a resume and discard it.
Benefits of Using a Reverse Chronological Resume
This type of resume is the recruiters’ most popular and shortlisted resume.
As you mention your career path year-wise and in reverse order, it gives a fair idea to the recruiter about your current positions and the experiences you had in the past. The recruiter doesn’t take extra time to understand what you did in this particular period. This plays a crucial role for an easy understanding and gives them a clear dynamic about your career path.
HR does not rely on automatic tracking systems when you apply for a large organization. They give time to shortlist the candidates, and if your resume does not waste their time, they consider it one of the best resumes, plus they will automatically shortlist you. Expectation starts to increase, as they can quickly identify the similarities between the suitable candidate for a particular job profile, because of the experiences that you had in the past.
If you have worked for a more extensive organization within the industry, it creates a great impression on the HRs. This step will automatically make you unique from the other candidates.
When Should You Not Use Reverse Chronological Resume?
Writing a reverse chronological resume is not mandatory, and this rule doesn’t apply to every person looking for a job. Every job seeker is at different stages/phases in their career, so it becomes essential to determine the factors before writing or sending a chronological resume. A few of the elements are listed down below:
- If a person doesn’t have any professional experience or has gaps in employment, then definitely you shouldn’t choose this resume format, as this can have a clear negative impact on the HRs.
- When you are still in your college or haven’t completed your graduation, it’s better to avoid such resumes because HR will never consider your education qualification and experience.
- If someone had a temporary job for a very long period.
- If someone is not suitable for the job profile, for example, if you are applying for a job and don’t have any skills regarding that job, it will get rejected in the first step.
Conclusion
Job seekers often use a chronological resume, but it does not guarantee your selection or shortlisting. If you have carefully read the information mentioned earlier, you’ve got an idea of when and why you should use the chronological resume as a format. The point to consider is that many HR or employers prefer this type of resume as it makes their job much easier to find any gaps or unrelated history.
You should always keep in mind that whenever you are applying for multiple jobs, always give a revision or slightly change the resume. Always make it according to the job profile you are applying for.
We recommend avoiding this format if you have employment gaps in your resume. This will help you only when you had consistent work, and you have the skills for a perfect candidate. If you do not mention your qualifications and experience, your resume will be discarded. This will impact the recruiter’s mind if you have worked for a high-profile company in the industry.
With only the resume in hand, they cannot determine if you are a great candidate and have the potential to perform a job or not. But they may have an idea about what you have done in the past and what they can expect from you by just reading your resume. So always be careful while writing it and sending it to the employers.
