CHRONOLOGICAL RESUMES: PROS & CONS

A chronological resume begins by listing your work experience, with the most recent position listed first.

The pros of a Chronological resume are:

• If the last job that you have held aligns with the position that you are applying for then the chronological resume is of great help. It will highlight hte job descriptions and job titles and show you in good light to your employer.
• If you have been working for quite a few years then the person reading it will find it easy to follow the path and progress of your career. They will know what you are doing now, what did you start of with and how did you grow in your career.
• It also lets the employers have a look at the organisations that you have worked for. Brands have their own values.
• The timelines that are built in have their own sequence that one needs to adhere to.
  The Chronological resume has a lot of credibility and carries much weightage when compared to the other kinds of resumes.

The cons of a Chronological resume are:

• As the overall work experience is listed in time bound ways in case you have taken a sabbatical or a career break then the time gap seems to be highlighted.
• It gives the employer an immediate idea if you have been a rolling stone and not stuck to the same job for a long time. Hence they will immediately know whether you are going to be a person who will stick around for a long time or no.
• Age is highlighted here. Therefore if you have been in the work industry too long or just starting out you can’t hide it from the employer.
• If you have been changing tracks quite often it becomes extremely evident in this kind of a resume.

CHRONOLOGICAL RESUMES

The basics of a good Chronological Resume: 
What is the purpose of any resume? It is to persuade the other person in believing that you do have the right to be invited for an interview. A resume has in a nutshell your achievements so far, your educational background, your work experience and internships and your areas of strength. 

A Chronological resume is mostly suited for people who are applying for entry level jobs or those who have just graduated from college or university. therefore people who are looking for a different career break or have a lot of work experience should not us a Chronological resume. 

The main parts in a Chronological resume and of course it follows a chronological order is:

Identification of yourself: The purpose of the resume is to be invited for an interview and what if you have been able to ignite enough interest in the employer but he is unable to reach you. How sad is that going to be. Hence please ensure that all your details such as name, adress, phone numbers divided into home, landline, mobile and office, if you want to be contacted there are clear. Also add on your home address or permanent address if where you reside is not so. In case you are still at college or live in the university campus then give that address but specify till when you will be available there.

What is the job objective: A job objective enables you as well as the employer to have a clear idea about your career goals and what kind of job are you made for. This is not a compulsory bit however, for new college graduates it is preferable if they add it. In case you don’t have a career or job objective then you must ensure that you have added on a cover letter to the resume. The purpose of the job objective is to let the employer know the kind of job that interests you. How long should it be? Definitely not more than two or three lines.

Key Achievements: This part is a summary of the overall achievements that you have had during your school college days. Write it in such a way that it will be eye ball grabbing and force your employer to go ahead and read more. It should be like a novel you can’t put down.

Education: For a college graduate his educational qualifications are one of the most important things. Hence after your key achievements you should put this section. You must mention here the schools that you have been to, the number of years you were there, the marks that you got, the degrees that you procured, which subjects did you major in, which were optional subjects and if you received any awards or scholarships.

Professional experience: In the professional experience paragraph don’t sweat if you have no experience specifically work related. You could mention seminars that you set up, the leadership roles that you took, the summer internships that you were a part of. You could also talk about the projects that you led or worked in as a team. In case you have worked in a company then don’t forget to mention the name and your designation and how long was the assignment for. Also please specifically state why you left. Always think of skills that you picked up which could be used anywhere that is at school, university or in a work environment e.g. leadership skills, innovative ways of thinking and doing things.

Interests and hobbies: This tells your employers a lot about you. In case you are running out of space you could give it a miss. The employer usually begins with this section in order to know your interests and to make you feel comfortable before more serious and crucial questions are posed to you. Hence do not lie because if you have to speak further you will be at a loss for words. Choose what you say carefully. You can’t say I love to sleep, or eating is my hobby.

References: Include references if you want to and have space. but remember do not include the names of the references. Otherwise you can mention that you will provide them when asked for. The reference section is an indicator of the end of the resume therefore always put it right at the end.