Chronological Resume

The most important parts of résumé writing are knowing your audience—the potential employer—and knowing your subject—your history, strengths, and qualifications. Consider both of these and boost your résumé by highlighting your strengths as you write and revise your résumé.

Know your audience.

• Highlight important catch phrases in the job ad or posting to which you are replying.
  • Take note of the qualifications and attributes they are seeking.
  • Evaluate how your experience fits these specifications.
  • Show how you fit these specifications in your résumé and cover letter.
• Research the company or organization.
  • What do they do?
  • What is their ‘corporate attitude’? Are they big and formal, or small and family-like?
  • What are their goals?
  • How does the position you are applying to fit the ‘big picture’?
  • Why does this company or organization appeal to you?
• Find out to whom you should address and send your résumé.
• Be prepared to explain and defend your interest in the position and organization as soon as your résumé is sent. Although you do not know when an interested employer will respond, you should be prepared to do an introductory interview when you submit your résumé.
  • List the reasons you want to work there.
  • Identify the ones that will appeal most to this particular employer.
  • Consider your strongest qualities and qualifications. How will you convey these?
  • Avoid the reasons that you should not share with a potential employer, such as “Because I need a job.”

Know your subject.

• Maintain a generic résumé or data sheet that lists position titles, dates, and employer contacts for easy reference.
  • Keep track of such detailed information; it will make résumé writing much easier.
  • Revise this generic form to suit each application you send out.
  • Create more than one generic résumé for yourself if you have several specialties in which you focus.
    • For instance, keep track of one that focuses on writing jobs, another that focuses on professional development, and a third with a focus on teaching to make tailoring résumés simpler.
    • This will be especially useful if you do a lot of freelance or contract work in different areas.
• Make sure you are able to concisely and persuasively describe your duties and responsibilities.
  • Emphasize your accomplishments and high-level responsibilities.
  • Use descriptive, active words that tell exactly what you did.
  • Be specific.
    • Provide figures that quantify your achievements.
    • Point to finished products to which you contributed.
  • Highlight relevant differentiators.
    • What unique skills set you apart from the competition?
    • How can those skills be defined?
    • How will those skills contribute to the position applied for?
  • Be accurate and honest. Being persuasive does not mean embellishing the truth.
• Tailor each position’s description to emphasize the aspects that apply most to the job applied for.

Highlight your strengths.

• A brief statement describing your career objectives
• • Tailor your statement of objectives to the specific position to which you are applying.
  • Indicate your workplace ideals, focusing on aspects that will be considered positively by a reviewer.
    • “A challenging, dynamic workplace” is a positive ideal.
    • “A chill environment” may not be read so positively.
    • Find out what the company you are applying to is like and what they expect to gauge what ideals would be appropriate.
  • List your overarching professional objectives, focusing on those aspects that will be developed through the position for which you are applying.
  • Use active, vivid language to describe your objectives.
• A timeline of relevant facts about your work history in reverse chronological order
  • List in reverse chronological order (beginning with your most recent position or degree earned and going back in time to the earliest one you include) positions held, degrees earned, and institutions attended.
  • Provide necessary information such as:
    • Name of company or institution
    • Formal job title
    • Dates started and ended
    • Location, at your discretion
  • Provide concise detail about your responsibilities and accomplishments.
• A list of your technical capabilities and skills
  • List unique technical capabilities and skills, such as language fluency or computer program proficiency.
  • Name relevant certifications and awards. Include date awarded
  • Emphasize computer proficiencies, such as software you are familiar with, coding languages known, and even typing speed, if applicable.