The logic behind the reverse chronological resume format is that professional and academic progress occurs in a linear fashion. In the reverse chronological format, the applicant's work experience and education are listed and described in sequence from most recent to least recent. This approach provides the reader with a clear sense of the applicant's career and academic progression through time. It also enables the employer to determine from a quick glance where and when the applicant worked, as well as what they accomplished at each job.
The reverse chronological format is a good choice for job hunters whose most recent work and educational experience is closely related to their current job objective. It also favors those who have demonstrated a stable work history with few or no employment gaps. Finally, it works well for those whose careers have progressed logically toward their current objective.
The reverse chronological format was an excellent choice for Anne Sein, who is pursuing a career in nursing. Anne chose to begin her resume with her education section, since her recent nursing degree and high grades are two of her most impressive qualifications. She then lists her work experience, which is not only directly related to her career objective, but also shows a healthy career advancement over time. This serves to reassure the employer that Anne is definitely on the right track. The reverse chronological format is a perfect fit for her career objective. What you wouldn't know about Anne from reading this resume is that she is actually a career changer. Her previous work experience was scattered over a wide variety of fields. It was omitted because it was irrelevant. This method is not dishonest it's an intelligent, selective marketing effort.
However, the reverse chronological format is not for everybody. It is not for those who have an inconsistent work record, or history of job jumping. On a reverse chronological resume, a checkered past becomes glaringly obvious. Gaps in job continuity jump off the page. The reverse chronological approach is less effective for those whose most relevant work experiences came earlier in their career. For example, imagine that you are applying for a job as an accountant. Five years ago you worked as a bookkeeper, but since then you have been employed with the circus as a clown. On a reverse chronological resume your experience as a clown is the first thing the employer would see. Not very promising.
Though it worked for Anne, the reverse chronological approach may not be the best choice for career changers or those with limited experience in their chosen field. Let's say you want to get into publishing, but have no actual publishing experience. Preparing your resume in a reverse chronological manner will only emphasize your lack of experience and give employers little cause to consider you as a serious candidate. If you find yourself in this predicament you may need to opt for the skills based format.
Reverse Chronological Format Checklist Consider using this format if:
- your most recent work and/or educational experience is related to your career goal
- you have a stable work history with few or no gaps
- your work history shows a logical progression toward your current objective
- you want to play it safe and not risk pissing off the employer
- you have little or no relevant work experience
- your work history is unfocused, and you have jumped from field to field
- you have gaping holes in your employment history
The skills based format is predicated on a logic which stresses the importance of what you can do rather than where and when you did it. Your qualifications are grouped into skill based categories such as marketing, counseling, or research that relate directly to the position for which you are applying. The abilities you present on a skills based resume can be extracted from a wide range of experiences, not just the workplace. For the skills based resume to be successful, the categories you choose must mirror what the employer is seeking. If the employer is looking for someone with budgeting, negotiation, and public speaking skills, and you stress your management, communication, and planning skills, then it's ''bye bye resume." On the other hand, if your categories are on target you have an excellent chance of getting a job interview. The skills based format affords tremendous flexibility. It enables you to tailor your qualifications precisely to the needs of the employer. If you know they are looking for someone to write, edit, and conduct research, you simply group your qualifications into those headings (assuming you have those abilities).
The skills based approach is a particularly good choice for those who have limited, irrelevant, or spotty work histories because it glosses over gaps, career shifts, and lack of direct experience. This format also works well for those who have acquired the bulk of their credentials from non professional experiences such as volunteering, interning, taking classes, and traveling. Finally, it is a good choice for the job seeker who has held several similar positions over the course of a career, and performed the same responsibilities repeatedly. A skills based approach would enable such a job seeker to avoid the redundancy that would occur in a reverse chronological format.
Let's consider the case of Evan Rogers, a recent graduate who is not quite sure of the career direction he would like to take. Evan is currently working as a youth counselor, but would prefer to get involved in program development or social science research.
His professional experience is fairly limited, and most of his accomplishments have come from a wide range of extracurricular activities. For Evan, a reverse chronological format would only serve to emphasize the fact that he has limited professional experience and a checkered work history. To avoid giving this impression, Evan thought long and hard about what he would most like to do on his next job, and decided that he would like to use his organizational, leadership, and research skills. He then selected accomplishments pertaining to these areas from his work, school, and extracurricular activities, and sorted them accordingly. He finished the resume with a summary of his work history so the employer could place his experience in a historical context.
The major downside of the skills based format is that most employers often find it more difficult and time consuming to read. They also may suspect that if you use this type of resume you are trying to hide some gross deficiency or horrible skeleton in your closet.
And let's face it, sometimes you are.
Skills Based Format Checklist Consider using this format if:
- you have limited direct experience in your chosen field
- your skills have been acquired through study, travel, volunteering, interning
- your work history is inconsistent
- you are changing careers
- your work experience is repetitive or redundant
