sample resume for year 10 work experience

The Right Way to Include Your Work Experience on a Resume (With Examples)

We all know resumes are important. They’re your first impression. The highlight reel of your qualifications. The tool that you can use to land an interview (and ultimately a job).

Your past experience takes up the bulk of your resume and tells future employers what you’ve done up until now that qualifies you for your next job. So when it comes time to write about your experience on your resume, the pressure is admittedly a bit high. Determining what, exactly, belongs in there, let alone how to write about it and how to format it can be trickier than it sounds.

But fear not. As a recruiter and career coach, I can say—without exaggeration—that I’ve laid eyes on thousands (and thousands!) of resumes. So I know my way around an experience section. Allow me to answer all your questions:

What Belongs in My Experience Section?

Ok, so how do i know what experience is relevant, how should i format the experience section of my resume, is it ever ok to tweak my job titles, how far back should my experience section go, what if i have a gap in employment, can i see an example experience section.

When you think about which experience should be included on a resume, you usually think of past jobs. And rightfully so—your full-time work history will often be the primary source of material for your resume. But your experience can encompass so much more than the traditional jobs you’ve held. Internships , volunteer work , freelance assignments, temporary gigs , and part-time jobs all count as experience, too.

What types of experiences you include on your resume will depend on where you are in your career journey. More established job seekers who aren’t looking to make a significant career change can likely fill their experience section with their most recent full-time jobs. But if you’re new (or newer) to the workforce, looking to break into a new industry, or making a career pivot, it might make sense to incorporate less traditional experience. Before you include something on your resume, ask yourself: Is this relevant experience for the jobs I’m targeting?

Relevant experience is simply experience that’s applicable to the type of jobs you’re pursuing. For example, if you’re a software engineer, you’ll want to include your current and previous engineering jobs and internships, but you might decide to leave off your long-ago stint as a paralegal (unless you’re applying to work as a programmer at a law firm or legal services startup!) Or if you’re applying for a senior marketing role in publishing, you might decide to trim the first marketing job you had out of college in the beauty industry in order to make more space to highlight your publishing industry experience.

Besides which roles you’re listing, think about how to describe what you did and achieved. Suppose you currently work as a server in a restaurant, and you’re applying for receptionist jobs. In this case, you’d want to include experience interacting with customers, answering incoming phone calls, and managing schedules on your resume because those skills are highly transferable to the job you want. And you might skip less relevant job duties like busing tables because you probably won’t be needing those skills in a receptionist role.

If you aren’t making a big career pivot from one type of job or industry to another, chances are, most of your work history is relevant. But every job posting is a bit different, so you’ll need to be more discerning about which of your past responsibilities are most relevant.

To tailor your resume for each specific job, spend some time reading through the posting and take note of the skills and job duties it mentions. Then make a list of the responsibilities you have experience performing. And voilà! You’ve identified your most relevant experience.

When you write about this relevant experience on your resume, make sure you’re incorporating keywords from the specific job posting. This is essential for two key reasons. First, most applications will be scanned by an applicant tracking system or ATS, which helps recruiters search resumes for relevant keywords to find which applicants are the best match for an open role. Second, a well-tailored resume will make it easy for the recruiter reviewing it to understand why you’d be a good match for their open job.

Every experience section should start with a clear section heading. You might simply call it “Experience” or “Work Experience” or “Relevant Experience.” Or maybe you’d prefer to highlight your specific role or industry with a header like “Accounting Experience” or “Entertainment Industry Experience.” The key is to make it easy to spot for anyone who may be quickly scanning your resume.

In some cases, you may want to showcase experience from a previous career or otherwise include experience that’s not directly related to the job you’re applying for. To do this, you can simply create another section with a header like “Additional Experience” or “Additional Professional Experience.” You can also pull out a section such as “Volunteer Experience” if it doesn’t make sense to include volunteer roles under your main experience section or if you prefer to list them separately

For most job seekers using a chronological or combination resume format, you should list your past jobs within your experience section (or sections) in reverse chronological order. For each item you list—full-time jobs or other types of experience—include the following:

• Position details: List your job title, company name, location, and employment dates (month and year) for every position on your resume. Here’s one way it might look:

Graphic Designer | Evergreen Industries | San Francisco, CA | May 2018 – April 2020

• Job duties and achievements : Aim to include three to seven bullet points under each position describing what you did there, starting with a high-level overview of your role and common responsibilities and then drilling down into more specifics. These bullets should highlight your most applicable experiences for the role you’re applying to. You can either include your most relevant achievements for each job alongside your job duties or you can create a dedicated subsection for “Key Achievements.” Quantifying everything you can will lend context to your work history and can be a great way to wow prospective employers. Use this magic formula to craft eye-catching bullet points:  Compelling verb + job duty = tangible number and/or result.  So you might say:  Redesigned new hire onboarding program to include welcome week, 1:1 mentoring, and interactive training, resulting in a 60% increase in 90-day retention.
• Promotions: If you were promoted during your tenure with an employer, you can either separate the two roles (if your job duties were distinct enough) or group them together into one entry that shares a set of bullet points. For example:

UX Designer | Caterpillar Collective | Kansas City, MO | July 2019 – Present Associate UX Designer | March 2018 – July 2019

• Collaborated with marketing team to create user-centric graphic designs for print and web that contributed to a 30% increase in customers over 2 years.
• Conducted 50+ IDIs and created and completed 12 surveys of 200+ users each; compiled and analyzed results to make recommendations to stakeholders.
• Led website redesign with a focus on accessibility, increasing retention rate of customers with visual impairments by 50%, per self-reported survey.

While it’s never OK to straight-up lie about (or even embellish) your work history, there are cases when tweaking your job titles is permissible. Just remember: The key is to use your job title to clarify your role—not to mislead. Two situations where adjusting your job title is generally above board are:

• Your employer gave you a funky title . A startup might hire a “Data Guru” while an established e-commerce organization would employ a “Data Scientist” to perform the same duties. In this case, it’s probably safe to tweak that job title on your resume.
• You wear lots of different hats. If you’re in a role where you juggle lots of different responsibilities (like an office manager who also supports a marketing team), you might adjust your job title to give recruiters more context. For example, if said office manager wanted to pivot into a marketing assistant role, they might list “Office Manager - Marketing Support” as their job title.

If tweaking a title feels like a stretch, you can instead focus on crafting strong bullet points to clearly convey your responsibilities or use your summary to lend additional context to your qualifications.

Keeping your focus on relevant experience means you probably won’t need to include all of your past jobs—and that’s a good thing. Recruiters and hiring managers are going to be most interested in your most relevant and recent experience. They also love a concise, single-page resume that’s easy to scan (they get a lot of applications and don’t have time to read through years and years of work experience). So it’s OK to keep your resume short and sweet.

As a general rule, you don’t need to include more than 10 to 15 years of experience on your resume (with some exceptions). Check out this guide for a detailed breakdown on how far back your resume should go depending on where you are in your career and any special situations.

If you took time away from the workforce, know that you’re in good company. Plenty of successful people have gaps in their employment history for myriad reasons, like caring for a loved one, raising children , going back to school, or losing a job. If your employment gap is brief (less than six months or so), you probably don’t need to address it on your resume. But if it’s a bit longer (more than a year), you may want to add a bit of context in the form of an additional “experience” entry—no more than a line or two.

Here’s what it might look like:

Professional Sabbatical | June 2016 – August 2019

• Provided full-time care for a sick family member.
• Traveled throughout Southeast Asia, including Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia.
• Authored a memoir about growing up on a Christmas tree farm.

Whether or not you include an entry like this on your resume, you can use your cover letter to explain any special circumstances in more detail.

If you took time away to go back to school, listing your education (and including relevant projects or coursework) will also suffice to bridge the gap on your resume.

Below is an example of how a tailored, quantified experience section might look on a sample resume. This job seeker has already made a career change from accounting to writing (notice how they leveraged their transferable accounting expertise to write for financial publications, first as a volunteer and then a freelancer before landing a full-time writing job). Now, they’re hoping to find a new staff writing role covering different topics—ideally lifestyle or wellness.

The types of jobs this job seeker will be applying for require at least three years of experience pitching and producing SEO-focused articles, preferably with a lifestyle focus. Notice how this job seeker uses the “Key Achievements” subsections to highlight their most relevant project work. (They’d also include a link to their personal website on their resume so that potential employers can easily see their portfolio!)

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How to Write Work Experience on a Resume

Writing the work experience section

Writing the resume work experience section is one of the most influential and often trickiest resume sections to get right. Some employers will even cut right past the summary at the top of a resume and scan the employers, job titles and work dates to see if the resume is worth reading in detail. How much text you include for each section will also create a significant first impression. A lot can be understood during that mythical 6-second scan.

The work experience/job history on a resume is where past job descriptions and professional experiences give credibility to an application or interview. All the other information and sections on a resume, from hobbies to the personal statement , frame the list of relevant work experience over the last 10 - 15 years. So, how do I describe my work experience on a resume?

This guide will show you everything you need to know about including work experience on a resume, including:

• Why the work experience in cv matters
• What to include (and not include) in work experience on a resume
• The best format to follow for describing your work history
• Examples of work experience in cv across industries
• Practical tips for resume work experience
• How to list your current job and previous positions

The five-word rule. Think about five words that would be sum up your career. How would you describe your experience? Those five words should then come across incredibly strongly in the work experience on a resume. A hiring manager is not going to remember the sentences that you write, but if they stop reading with those five words (or more) in their minds, your resume will have done its job.

Why is work experience on your resume so important?

Before we jump in to the ins and outs of writing work experience on a resume, here is why it matters. A hiring manager or employer looks at a resume to answer one question:

Does this person’s work experience qualify them for this job?

The work experience section of your resume is the foundation that either qualifies you or disqualifies you for an interview or the next step in the hiring process. This resume section uses the last 10 - 15 years of relevant career history to tell a prospective employer whether you have the work experience in your cv that will fit the requirements of the role. The work experience section gives credibility to your application and should compliment every other aspect of your application materials (other sections in the resume, cover letter, portfolio, etc).

Be careful not to write your work experience section like a list of job responsibilities , though. The hiring manager knows what they want you to do. They are far more interested in evidence from your previous work experiences that you have what it takes to perform and take your next employer forward. Focus on offering compelling accomplishments, plenty of context and quantifiable results that your competition will not be able to match.

How do I add experience to my resume: What to include

In most cases, choosing which jobs to include on your resume should depend on your work history and the type of job you’re applying for. In general, work in a backward chronological order (in a resume format often known as reverse chronological format ) starting with your most recent position at the top of the page and include the last 10-15 years of employment history. The backward chronological order works best for most job seekers.

If you have a scattered work history, don’t stress. Job hopping is both more common and more widely accepted today, especially among the younger workforce. Including short part-time stints and side projects is good if those professional experiences directly relate to the job or feature skills that overlap with the position. Be prepared to answer questions about your career choices while considering work experience in cv, have a confident answer about your career path, and be forthcoming about the level of commitment you’re looking for. Once you’ve chosen the positions, let’s dive into the specific bullet points about work experience in a cv. Each one should include:

• Results-focused facts: The hiring manager already knows the basics. These bullet points should focus on how you specifically managed the position with innovation.
• Action Verbs: Strong action verbs hook in the reader. Negotiated! Pioneered! Transformed! This also keeps you away from falling down the adjective rabbit hole.
• Quantitative information: Numbers stand out to a hiring manager. They are specific and tangible. You grew a client’s reader base by 300% or managed 200 silent auction items. Let your accomplishments shine!
• On-Site Training: Weave skills and certifications gained on the job. This shows initiative and otherwise overlooked abilities.
• Awards and honors: If you were called out on the job for great work, go ahead and brag. Your work experience resume examples should be designed to impress.

Ideally, each position should include a mix of free-flowing text and achievement-led bullet points. The bullets will catch the eye, but you can only really tell a deeper story when you are not constrained by the width of the page.

How do I write a student CV? A student CV for a first job should contain full details on your education (as that will testify to your ability to focus and achieve) and ideally also contain details on any student jobs or volunteer work that you have done while you were studying. It doesn't matter how menial this work was, the most important thing is that you understand the responsibility of doing a paid day's work.

Volunteer work can be a wonderful way to feature a variety of valuable skills, Here's a list of how to add volunteer work to your resume.

Work experience on a resume: what to avoid

Always assume that your reader — in this case, the hiring manager — doesn’t need anything explained. You also have very little room to ramble on your resume. They will assume more about you than you think - especially if you have worked for a while in their industry.

Free up some space by not including:

• What the organization does: your resume is about you. The hiring manager doesn’t need to hear about the company.
• The basic requirements of your position: this is implied in your job title and will shine through your result-focused bullet points.
• Filler words: For the most part, save space by cutting out words like “I” and “the.”
• Anything irrelevant: If you have smaller responsibilities in a position that do not relate to the new job, leave them out. Every bullet point and every word takes up precious real estate on your resume - make them count.
• Chaired a project team through a change process, trimming 5% of our cost base.
• Outperformed sales team in quarterly new business attraction by 67%.
• Executed the software rollout to twelve departments within two months.
• Resolved a company-record 150 customer complaints a week.
• Rectified a list of outstanding issues that had been dormant for more than a year.

If you are a recent graduate with little or no work experience , you can consider adding your GPA or cum laude on your resume. As you acquire work experience over the years, you should replace your GPA or cum laude with relevant work experience. 

What is the most effective format for work experience on a resume?

On a basic level, the work experience layout typically includes:

• Job title, company name, location of employment
• Month and year started and left the position
• Between three and six bullet points briefly outlining your impact at the company

Work experience/job history on a resume should also include:

• Clear and concise bullet points that demonstrate the positive results of your work
• Powerful verbs
• Clear numbers and facts
• Growth between positions
• Specific keywords pulled from job description

Examples of work experience on a resume

Here are a few examples of work experience on a resume to see the differences between a first draft and the final draft. How do you describe your experience in the most succinct way possible?

Example #1: Work Experience in CV for a Teacher. Let’s say you’re applying to be a middle school science teacher at a popular independent school. The new job description emphasizes the importance of involvement outside the classroom. They specified that they’re looking for teachers looking to grow through professional development throughout their time there.

First Draft:

• I taught 5th-grade science classes
• I advised students outside of class
• I attended a conference on social-emotional learning

Final Draft:

• Developed and carried out a student-driven curriculum in three sections of Earth Science
• Annually advised 20 students to track growth and address individual challenges and strengths
• Invited to attend NAIS annual conference to develop modern social-emotional learning classroom tactics

Example #2: Work Experience in CV for Content Marketing Manager. Content Marketing Managers encompass a very wide range of responsibilities. The recruiter will have a general sense of your job experience — no need to start from scratch — but results-based, specific bullet points will thrive here.

• I manage a team of freelance copywriters at a major NYC marketing agency and ensure they got their work in on time
• I talked to clients and figured out what would be best for their brand
• Before everything was published, I proofread it all
• Oversaw a team of 25 freelance writers and streamlined content pipeline from ideation to publication
• Advised clients on both short- and long-term content strategy tactics while clarifying their personalized brand voice
• Edited and polished copy to maintain content consistency across multiple channels

When you have moved up the career ladder at a previous employer, you should be proud to showcase it on a resume. But how can you display multiple positions for the same company?

Example #3: Work Experience on a Resume for a Waiter . Food service moves quickly. Anything that cut a manager’s search time in half is more likely to land you the job. Be sure to look for keywords in the job posting such as “craft cocktail bartending experience” or “fine dining.” Sure, you can learn — and will learn — on the job, but restaurants have minimal time to train you on the basics. Be confident and clear about your background.

• I waited tables at a busy NYC Midtown restaurant
• Most of the time, I tended bar on nights and weekends
• Trained a few hosts
• Served lunch and dinner for four years in a Michelin-star-rated Midtown brasserie
• Acted as primary bartender during peak weekend and evening hours, specializing in craft cocktail creation
• Managed and streamlined training methods for new hosts and servers

Example #4: Work Experience Resume Example for an Executive Assistant . Personality plays such a large role in calmly managing a busy executive’s schedule and lifestyle. The tone of your resume should be both level-headed and confident in what is expected of an EA. Try to always be a step ahead of what your boss needs before you even begin the job.

• I made travel plans on behalf of executive team
• Budgeted for the office and managed expenses
• I trained other assistants and helped with hiring
• Managed complex domestic and international travel for five, C-level executives
• Decreased expense management costs by 35% and perfected expense tracking system for all office management accounts
• Hired, trained, and guided a team of five team assistants including a seasonal team of sales interns

Example #5: Work Experience Resume Sample for Sales Rep . Provable facts and figures are your largest asset as a sales representative. Did your last position measure your personal or team sales growth? Dig up these numbers to work them into your work experience section. Then, explain the methods you applied in the job itself to make it happen. This work experience resume example offers some ideas:

• Grew sales revenue every month
• I signed several new clients
• I changed the way we talked about our product
• Exponentially increased monthly sales revenue, surpassing 150% growth for the department after just 6 months
• Developed and signed 10 new key clients by researching previously undiscovered corners of our industry
• Redeveloped brand voice and sale representative script for efficient and personalized customer care

What skills do I put on a resume? when you are considering the work experience in a resume, you should aim to make the best possible use of space. There will always be a separate skills section where you can list one-word hard and soft skills , so make sure that this is related to the experience that you have mentioned with each employer, but it should add to the overall picture rather than simple repeat it. If you add an interesting skill that you have not mentioned in the work experience section, an employer is bound to ask about it at interview.

Grammar tips for listing job history on a resume

Do you write sentences? Phrases? Declarations? Writing resumes for first job? Here are some nitty-gritty grammar rules for writing your work experience bullet points.

• Write in phrases, often beginning with a strong verb. No need to write “I” to start off the sentence — that is implied and work experience in a CV is often conveyed in the third person as this is more professional.
• Tense: If you are still at your current position completing the work described, use present tense. For past positions or completed projects, choose past tense.
• Don’t be afraid to break out the thesaurus — especially for synonyms of “lead, managed and trained” — but stick to words you’d use yourself. No need to ace the SAT verbal section.

Filling your resume with exclusively truthful statements about your career is harder than you might think. Lying on a resume can take many forms. Don’t give in to temptation.

Tailoring job history on a resume for each application

Instead of mass applying to every job ad on the internet with the same resume, take the time to tailor it. The work experience section might require the least tailoring (as it will tick the boxes of most jobs if you are targeted in your approach), but there may be a few accomplishments that you may want to include for certain roles and exclude for others. View yourself as a meticulous editor cutting and pasting your career story to make it as attractive as possible.

Besides the fact that 36% of hiring managers throw out resumes that don’t seem personalized for a particular role, a tailored resume and application:

• Shows the hiring manager you took the time to apply and their job wasn’t one of 50 different places you sent your resume.
• Get past the automatic keyword filtering larger companies might use to automatically screen candidates in their Applicant Tracking System (ATS). Your work experience samples need to be scanned by the machines first.
• Tweak diverse experiences to focus on the most relevant experience for a particular job. For example if you’ve ever had a job “wearing many hats” unless you’re applying for another “many hats” position, this strategy gives you a chance to focus your work experience on the hats that are most relevant for the new role.

Restarting this process every time you apply for a new job may seem excessive. Ideally, the more time you put into tailoring your resume, the less jobs you’ll need to apply to.

• Ignited a fire under the management team to deliver an extra $950k sales.
• Scrutinized the market and doubled market share by launching a new product.
• Implemented a new software solution that shrunk build time by 34%
• Initiated a recruitment drive that hired fifteen people within three months.
• Minimized surgery wait times by 15 mins, increasing patient satisfaction by 25%

How far back should your resume work experience go?

Your resume work experience should contain every piece of information that is relevant to you securing the role. This will dictate the amount of work experience in a CV that you might include. 

If you have a 30-year career, you might choose simply to list the employers for the first 10-15 years and use your precious resume space to describe the most recent resume experiences . However, if your career is 15 years or less, you should definitely include resume work experience about everything. 

In terms of the amount of work experience on your resume, try to give more information on the more recent roles. Make use of bullet points and solid text after your have listed the employer and date details - as you can see in our many resume samples .

Including a list of roles that were more than 15 years old might be possible, but only include the headlines. It is interesting for some business leaders to see where a senior manager spent their early career, so while you may not be asked about this much during an interview, it does add a certain depth to your application.

Should I put seminars on my CV? Typically, a one or two-day seminar would not be included on work experience in a CV. If the training or educational event has a certain prestige or lasts more than a week, then you might consider including it in the education section, but as anyone can attend a seminar, it will not give a huge indication as to your individual level of suitability for the role. You will certainly have more important information to share.

Your transition out of the military requires a resume that expresses your talents in a way that civilian employers will understand. The blog below offers tips for making the most of your service in your post-military resume.

Key takeaways

• Focus on results of your job history in the past. Only list work experience on a resume that is relevant to the job you’re applying to.
• Stand out with strong action verbs
• Get specific: use numbers, facts, and figures
• Speak in the past tense when the job is complete, present when you’re still doing the work.
• Cut out unnecessary filler words or adjectives.
• Align your job history bullet points to match the job description.
• Make sure that the work experience in CV goes back an appropriate amount of time

Work experience on a great resume helps employers know in 10 seconds or less if you are qualified for the job. It should sound a lot like the description in the job post. If the work experience in CV doesn’t sound like the job description or follow these rules, be prepared to pull out some creativity to get noticed. For example, use a resume builder to build a perfect resume in the exact format potential employers are looking for.

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Work Experience on a Resume: 20+ Examples of How to List It

Your work experience is the resume section hiring managers look at first. And if they’re busy, it’s often the only part they review. To get the interview, you need to pay extra attention to your resume work history section. In practice, this means you should spend roughly 80% of the total time spent on your resume on the work experience section. As with other resume sections, there are some simple rules to follow.  In this guide, we’ll unpack them for you and help you create a resume that stands out every single time.

Here’s what you’ll master today:

• How to describe your work experience on a resume (plus how to format it)
• Extra tips on how to make your work history super-memorable
• How to sell yourself on a resume in different situations
• How to draft your work experience section based on real examples for the most common scenarios and jobs

Let’s dive in!

How to List Your Experience on Your Resume

• Put it under a clear, legible heading
• Place it right after the resume summary or objective
• List your most recent experience first
• Include relevant experience
• Be clear, concise, and consistent with your formatting
• Use bullet points to describe your responsibilities and achievements

1. Put it under a clear, legible heading

Make sure your work experience section is clearly visible and has its own heading. You can name this section “Work Experience”, “Experience” or “Employment History”.

2. Place it right under the resume summary or objective

It’s best to place the experience section right under your resume summary or a resume objective. However, if you’re fresh out of college and have little or no work experience, you can fit the work history under your education section.

3. List your most recent experience first

You typically list your work experience in reverse chronological order — put your current or most recent gig at the top, followed by the previous one, then the one before that, and so on.

This is effective because it gives the hiring team the most relevant information instantly. If you’re a UX designer looking for a new opportunity, the hiring manager will want to know about your most recent accomplishments to see how you progressed, where your expertise lies, and how your latest experience can translate into success in your new role.

4. Include relevant experience

Do you need to put all your past experience on a resume? By no means. Professional resume writers and career coaches advise that you include up to 15 years of relevant work experience. Including every single job you’ve done (like that pizza delivery summer gig when you were 16) can actually work against you.

Remember, this is just a general rule that can be broken in certain situations.

For instance, if you’re looking for a job in tech, where skills, frameworks, and tech stacks change often, your experience from 13 years ago may not be truly relevant today.

Also, if you’ve had a major career change, e.g. switched from teaching to copywriting 10 years ago, you could omit your teaching roles. However, if working in that position gave you relevant skills and experience that you still consider useful and valuable (e.g. clear communication, time management, or presentations), you can definitely include it in your resume.

Read on if you’re changing careers, switching from the military, or are freshly graduated (we’ll cover those scenarios in a bit).

5. Be clear, concise, and consistent with your formatting

This is a big one. It’s crucial to format your entries properly so that the information is easy to spot and read. Also, consistency is hugely important. Maintain the same order of information in each entry for a polished, organized, and harmonious look.

Here’s how you can order the items in a single work experience entry:

• Your position (usually written in bigger font or in bold)
• Company name
• Dates worked
• Bullet points highlighting your responsibilities and achievements

6. Use bullet points to describe your responsibilities and achievements

Instead of writing a paragraph or description explaining your role in detail, make sure to use a bulleted list (it’s way clearer, better organized, and memorable).

Next, it’s always wise to focus on your most important accomplishments and achievements, rather than simply listing your everyday responsibilities. After all, the point of this section is to gently persuade the hiring team that you’re equipped to do the job and that you have an excellent track record.

In other words, this is where it pays to take a moment to think back to your biggest career wins and corroborate that with some data (more about this later).

Finally, make sure to limit the number of bullets as you go back in time. While it’s perfectly fine to have 5–8 points for your latest job, 3–4 will be enough for older entries.

Now let’s put theory into practice and look at two great examples of work history on a resume that follow the steps we discussed above.

Sample resume work experience section (senior candidate)

Vice President of Marketing Vue 03/2017 – Present

• Helmed website overhaul, resulting in increase of organic traffic by over 300%
• Spearheaded the team of 7 full-time employees and 12 contractors
• Tracked email, PPC and display marketing performance to optimize cost per lead
• Hit 541% and 137% return on marketing investment for organic and email, respectively

Sample resume work experience section (junior to mid-level candidate)

• Responded to up to 20 tickets a day, resulting in 97% first touch resolution score
• Maintained a >9.0 monthly average satisfaction rating each of last 12 months
• Resolved 7 escalations with the IT/SysDev teams in the last 3 months
• Wrote 24 knowledge base articles to reduce ticket resolution times by 1.3 minutes

How to Take Your Resume Work Experience Section from Standard to Job-Winning

Now let’s zoom in on your work experience section even closer and help you take those bullet points from average to outstanding. To sell yourself on your resume, just follow these simple tips.

1. Focus on achievements over day-to-day duties and quantify wherever possible

This is precisely where most candidates get stuck. A lot of you are probably thinking: yes, I’ve heard this piece of advice many times. But I don’t have any stellar achievements. I just do my job well .

Precisely. That’s enough to be sure you do have achievements. You might not even know it. And the best way to showcase those is by hard numbers.

Again, don’t freak out. You don’t have to be in the data and numbers game to be able to come up with quantifiable results and statistics. There are simple strategies to present tangible results to back up your accomplishments. And just so you realize how miserably bad people are at showcasing their accomplishments —

Here’s a real-life story that a resume-writing consultant friend told me.

He was hired to revamp a spacecraft engineer’s resume (btw, how cool is that!). When she walked him through her resume and explained what each item meant, one caught his attention — ” Optimized and automated the procurement and invoicing flow. ” Optimizing and automating? That always means something cool.

She eventually explained how she made a highly complex process fully automatic, and in doing so, saved around 18 work hours a month for 7 people each. These people were paid an average of $200/hr. That’s $1.3 million a year saved for the company. And that was not on her resume.

Why am I telling you this?

Because this is proof that you’re not alone in being horrible at framing duties as achievements. Apparently, even the most extraordinary candidates are. Bottom line: you will most definitely stand out if you know how to do it!

So here are a few tips on how to really stand out from the crowd:

Mention the scale , e.g. how many people you managed, or the size of the budgets you handled

• Provided consultations for 120 students a year over 7 consecutive years
• Managed a shift of 70 workers in a 250.000 square foot facility
• Standardized the Sales process in a 2000-employee company averaging 300M annual ARR
• Controlled an annual marketing budget of $30K

Mention the frequency , e.g. how many tasks you performed within a time frame

• Wrote 14 new SEO-optimized articles in the last quarter
• Onboarded 17 Fortune 2000 clients in 2021
• Performed 13 weekly technical website audits and resolved 25 issues
• Hosted 5 company webinars attracting a total of 790 B2B leads

Mention specific results , e.g. money and time saved

• Reduced the employee turnover rate by 5% in 2021
• Tripled the number of Instagram sales since 2019
• Reduced cost per sale from 3.8K to 2.7K in two years’ time
• Attracted 2.6 new LinkedIn followers in the last quarter

Pro tip: Record your accomplishments as they happen. This is how I do it. Every time something cool happens (e.g. 89% of email subscribers click on the CTA button in an email and read my article or 5 product demos were booked on a blog page that I wrote), I take a note in a Google document. Even if I’m not actively looking for a job. (Or not even thinking about it.) In time, you’ll have a killer list of accomplishments to add to your resume, cutting your writing time in half. Otherwise, you’ll either forget the details or spend hours digging through your old projects to find the right info.

2. Use action verbs at the beginning of your bullet points

If you take a closer look at all the examples we listed in this guide so far, you’ll notice a few common themes — none of the bullets start with “I” and they sound super descriptive although we used zero adjectives.

The secret lies in action verbs, the powerful verbs that are used at the beginning of each bullet to draw the reader in and show your impact.

Take a look at these examples again:

• Responded to an average of 20 tickets a day, resulting in 97% first touch resolution score
• Received 9.1 satisfaction rating in the last 365 days
• Resolved 7 escalations in the last 3 months with the IT/SysDev teams

Combined with numbers and specific results, these verbs show the recruiting team exactly how you accomplished things and attained goals at work.

There are extensive lists of power/action verbs you can find on the web, but here’s a short list of our favorite ones to get you started.

Top 50 action verbs to use in your resume work experience section:

• Coordinated
• Established
• Facilitated
• Implemented
• Standardized
• Streamlined
• Strengthened

Expert tip: Vary your power verbs to avoid repetition. Keep your bullet points as short as possible and avoid the use of pronouns, articles, and adjectives.

Here’s an example of a bland work experience section turned amazing and catchy by applying the 3 tips above.

• Responsible for all content marketing activities in the company
• I was in charge of the link-building project
• Proofreading of the copy before publishing.

Why we think it sucks:

Let’s dissect this Frankenstein.

• Consistency issues: Although the candidate uses the bulleted list to provide more information about their recent role, they are not consistent. The first bullet starts with an adjective, the second uses a pronoun (“I”) and looks like an actual sentence, while the third one starts with an -ing form. All in all, it’s a mess.
• No details or real info: The candidate uses overused phrases like “responsible” and “in charge of” combined with little other info. All in all, super bland and nonspecific.

Now let’s see how you can transform this meh work history section into an unforgettable one by using action verbs and quantifiers.

• Designed annual content marketing strategy, resulting in 247 SQLs (500+ employees)
• Oversaw a team of 10 writers, resulting in 60 do-follow links in the last 90 days
• Increased content downloads website-wide by 78%
• Conducted quality assurance for 100% of content

Why we love this version:

First, it’s super specific and it tells us exactly what this Content Marketing Manager did. Next, they listed the results of their efforts in a consistent and persuasive way. Finally, a nice mix of power verbs (designed, oversaw, increased, and conducted) leaves the reader with the impression that this person knows what they’re doing.

3. Customize your employment history section to the job description at hand

We’ve been saying this forever and we’ll say it again: don’t expect to have a single resume that can win you endless jobs. Heck. Don’t expect a generic, all-purpose resume to land you more than 1 interview out of 50 applications.

That’s not how the pros do it.

Instead, you’ll need multiple versions that you’ll then further customize by tailoring your work experience section to the exact position you’re targeting.

The easiest way to do this is to peruse the job description, identify which skills and requirements matter to the employer and then have your resume prove that you possess those very skills.

Here’s how it works in practice.

Let’s say a MarTech company is looking for someone to join the Billing Customer Support Team.

Here is a sample job ad and some of the requirements and duties listed in the description:

After carefully reading the job description details, this candidate found 5 points they have previously excelled in. Next, they’ll use them as guidelines to tailor their work experience resume section to match the requirements 100%.

Customer Support Engineer Omnis

• Solved a daily average of 20 Zendesk tickets over a 3-year period
• Maintained the internal knowledge base 100% clean and up to date
• Prioritized feature requests and worked with AppDev and PO until implementation
• Hit company-record ticket response times (11 hours Zendesk; 2 minutes live chat)
• Authored a total of 56 technical articles in the Help Center

Why we like this answer: The candidate relied on the information from the job ad to highlight their accomplishments in a clear and convincing way. They showed their familiarity with Zendesk, their dedication to keeping the internal company wiki updated, and proved that they are independent and proficient enough to write technical documentation. Finally, they illustrated most of their efforts with relevant metrics and KPIs and used power verbs to convey authority and skill.

How to List Work Experience on a Resume for Different Scenarios

This may make perfect sense to someone who’s had 10+ years of experience and few job gaps. But what if you’re applying for a job outside your industry or aren’t sure whether to include your volunteer experience? Here are all your questions answered.

How to show a promotion on your resume?

If you’ve held multiple positions in the same company or if you’d like to highlight your growth and change in roles, you can approach this in two different ways.

1) List them as a single entry if similar and if the career path is clear. Start with the company name, dates worked, and then list your positions together with the from-to period when you held them. Like this:

Acme Technologies Inc. 03/2017 – Present

Content Marketing Manager (01/2021 – Present) (a bullet-pointed list of accomplishments)

Content Writer (03/2017 – 01/2021) (note the promotion, followed by a bulleted list of responsibilities and achievements)

2) List them as two separate entries if you made a bigger shift or changed departments (e.g. started in a call center, then switched to Business Development).

A note of caution: When using stacked entries (1), there’s a chance that the ATS software won’t recognize your promotion as such, and may list your skills and experience under the earlier position. To ensure your resume will be well-parsed by the ATS and look good, it’s safer to stick to the format shown in (2) and list your promotions as two separate entries.

How to put freelance work on a resume?

Absolutely include your freelance work in your employment history, as it shows your versatility, skill set, and soft skills like client management, negotiation, and independence. Here’s an example of how a writer and illustrator listed their freelancing experience.

Content Writing Consultant (alternatively, you can use Contractor ) Freelance

• Contributed original blog content to businesses (include most notable clients)
• Increased organic traffic by 250% with a 6-month blog project
• Helped generate 14 Fortune 2000 leads through Google AdWords over a 6-month period
• Illustrated for both web and printed media
• Provided 50+ illustrations for clients such as NewYorker Magazine, CondeNast, Monocle
• Won Best Book Cover Award (Illustration Category) in 2021
• Collaborated with 20+ teams with an average UpWork score of 4.8

Should I include volunteer work on my resume?

If you can supply at least 5 years of paid work experience, you can skip your volunteering experience altogether or add them to other resume sections.

If your employment history is short or if you’re just starting your job search after being a stay-at-home parent or a student, then definitely include the volunteering gigs in your main work history section. After all, recruiters love seeing this type of experience — it tells a lot about who you are as a person, what you’re passionate about, and that you’re not entirely motivated by money.

How to list part-time jobs on a resume?

When adding your part-time jobs to your resume work history, treat it like any other entry. However, make sure to add that you worked part-time. A simple note next to your position works just fine. Like this:

Online Marketing Specialist (part-time) Forwa

• Posted 5 blog posts weekly in WordPress over a 2-year period
• Set up an average of 10 email marketing campaigns/week
• Assisted 2 Lead Gen Specialists to clean 14 lists over a 2-year period

How to put internships on a resume?

You can include your internship just as you would with any other work experience, no matter if it was paid or not. Add your official role, the company name, and then provide a bulleted list of your responsibilities and accomplishments. Here’s how one candidate did it:

• Used javascript, HTML, and bootstrap to build UI pages
• Worked closely with frontend developers to solve more complex issues
• Collaborated with backend developers and UX/UI designer to assess requirements

How to explain employment gaps on a resume?

I’ll start with a general note here: people freak out about their employment gaps way more than they should. Yes, employment gaps on your resume can be considered red flags, but not by default.

As a matter of fact, a recent study published in the American Economic Review reveals that “long-term unemployment spells in the past do not matter for employers’ hiring decisions.” The study also found that all subsequent experiences canceled out the gaps in employment, as well as that employers didn’t treat short-term and long-term unemployment much differently.

So no reason to panic, okay?

You’d normally have the chance to explain the gaps in your employment in an interview. To get there, it’s wise to address them in your resume work experience section and provide a bit of information and context.

This is especially valid if the gaps are bigger and happened for a good reason like getting a degree, being a full-time parent or caregiver, or for medical reasons.

And here’s how you can integrate that smartly into your resume employment history.

• Took time off from professional career to provide care for a baby and a toddler and manage the household
• Used the gap years to complete 3 B2B Sales courses

(In case you need more inspo, here’s what else you can put on a resume .)

Resume Work Experience Examples for Different Careers

Here you’ll find some of the best resume experience examples for the most common professions.

Customer service and tech support

• Assisted customers and troubleshot technical issues on 30+ calls/day on average
• Resolved 90% of issues without transfers or escalations
• Decreased cancellations by 11% over a one year period
• Ran regular customer satisfaction surveys resulting in 9.6/10 satisfaction rating
• Built close relationships with CIOs and CTOs from prospective companies
• Provided software demonstrations to 52 companies in the last quarter
• Closed 36 new deals, hitting a 69% closing rate in the last quarter

Software engineering

• Worked with PO team to update and rearchitect 50+ page web app
• Built 5 additional features in the last 12 months
• Cooperated with a team of 8 agile developers to prioritize biggest impact features

Office administration

• Provided reliable administrative assistance to the Regional Manager
• Organized 2 conferences for 2000+ attendees
• Managed 7 workshops and 10 local events over a two-year period
• Interviewed 6 potential new candidates and trained 3 new team members

Digital marketing

• Posted daily on 5 company social media profiles
• Interacted with 10 LinkedIn HR influencers every day
• Grew the LinkedIn account by 525% over a six-month period
• Provided emergency health care to 20 patient per shift on average
• Participated in 300+ emergency procedures over a one-year period
• Exceeded standards of care to hit 9.7 patient satisfaction rating in an anonymous survey
• Prepared and delivered 100% of lessons to second year students (<20 students/class)
• Coordinated 30+ extra study sessions to prepare students for state exams
• Increased assignment completion by 40% via technology-based learning during Covid19

Business analysis & data science

• Reduced the cost of IT infrastructure by 24% via alternative software solutions
• Relocated budget from social to organic for 30% increase in ROI
• Restructured the Sales department, resulting in 45K of new revenue

Find out how to write a next-level resume work experience section for 100+ other professions in this free resume library .

Need a bit more guidance?

You can hop over to Big Interview’s Resume Builder, where you’ll get to enter your information section by section (basic info and contact details, summary, work experience, education, certifications, skills), choose the design and then have the tool create a resume for you. Here’s what you’ll find inside:

This is super useful because you can easily create many iterations (for different job ads) and save a bunch of time in the process.

Once that’s done, you can also use ResumeAI , a new feature that assesses your resume for various criteria hiring teams use in real life – how easy it is on the eye, how you used action words to convey experience and skills, and whether it’s ATS-friendly Basically, you’ll get a rating based on how effective you were in showcasing your skills and experience.

And if you need a bit more support, we created a short course on resume writing, designed and led by our own co-founder, Pamela Skillings (aka *the resume and job interview guru*). In this curriculum, you get 8 video lessons with Pam (with a transcript), after which you’ll be 100% sure to crush that resume.

Key Points Summarized

TL; DR? Here’s the essence of a killer resume work experience section that you can copy in no time.

• A well-written employment history section directly impacts your chances of being shortlisted. Take some extra time to do it right.
• Always present your work experience in a clearly separated section and place it under your resume summary.
• Begin with your current (or most recent) job and work backward from there.
• Include the following information, in this order: your position, company name, and dates worked.
• Back up this information with a bulleted list of up to 5 achievements and responsibilities. Forget false modesty and show your excellent track record. Quantify and provide tangible results wherever possible. Use power verbs to convey authority and entice the hiring team.
• When applying for multiple jobs in different companies, custom-tailor your work experience section to each job opening. Browse the job requirements and duties and match them with examples from past experience.
• Bonus tip: Keep the high standards in other resume sections too. Learn how to best showcase your skills on a resume.

How many years of work history should I describe on a resume?

List 10–15 years of experience, depending on your individual circumstances. The key thing here is to include only relevant work experience, so if you’ve been in the job market for 10 years, but only 6 are relevant to the job you’re applying for, focus on those 6 years. You can still list the previous experience, but there’s no need to go into great detail.

How many bullet points should I use per entry in the work history section?

A common guideline is to have 3–8 bullet points per entry. This way you can give plenty of relevant information about your achievements and responsibilities without overwhelming the reader with excessive detail. You can use 5–8 for your most recent and penultimate positions. As you work your way backwards, 3 bullet points is usually enough. Remember to aim for quality over quantity — if you can fit your best accomplishments into 3 bullet points, there’s no need to write 2 additional weak ones. Make sure to refer to your “strongest” qualities in the first 2 bullets.

What work experience should I not include in my resume?

Here are some examples of work experience that should not be included in your resume: irrelevant experience, experience from over 15 years ago, high school jobs, or volunteer work. However, this all depends on where you are in the career journey. For example, for first-time job seekers, school jobs, part-time jobs, and volunteer experience will matter.

What should I do if I have little to no work experience?

If you have no or little formal work experience, include other types of experience and focus on your qualifications and results. Some ideas to consider: internships, volunteer work, academic projects, freelance or contract work, leadership roles in student associations or sport clubs, and community work. Don’t worry about your title or if it was a formal experience. Instead, focus on the relevant skills and tangible results you accomplished in these roles.

Should I put volunteer experience in my work history section?

You can include it if you have little to no relevant professional experience. Otherwise, you can put it in a separate resume section or omit it if your resume is already full.

How to address gaps in employment in my work experience section?

If there’s a significant gap in your resume, address it proactively in the document and don’t wait for it to come up at the interview (imagine you miss out on one because of that gap!). This way, your potential employers will know you have nothing to hide. Briefly explain the reasons for the gap, keep your language positive, and mention if you did any coursework or upskilling during that time. If you took a sabbatical to travel, take care of a family, or get degrees to prepare for a career change, say it proudly.

When should I take a job off my resume?

A general rule is to remove a job from your resume if it’s no longer relevant to the position you’re applying for. For example, if you’re applying for a marketing role, already had 4 marketing roles, but had initially worked as a history teacher for 1 year, it’s safe to assume your history teacher experience can be taken off. The point is to not overwhelm the resume with unrelated experience. You can also remove some short-term jobs or jobs you had a long time ago, especially if your resume is already getting longer than 2 pages.

Should I include a job I was fired from on my resume?

That depends on several factors. If this was a recent position you held for a long time, you should include it. Otherwise, there would be a big employment gap that you’d still have to address (and it may come up anyway during a background check). If you can come up with a tactful, honest explanation behind the termination, and especially if you’ve gained new relevant skills in the meantime, don’t hesitate to include that position. On the other hand, if the job was a long time ago or if it’s unrelated to the position you’re currently applying for, feel free to omit it.

Pamela Skillings

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70 resume experience examples (Copy and Paste)

When asked to provide past work experience on a resume, it’s best to present experiences that demonstrate your fit for the job.

This means presenting resume experiences that can tell a story about your job-ready skills, including:

• Soft Skills : The interpersonal and relational skills you’ve developed in your past experiences, like leadership and conflict resolution.
• Transferrable Skills: The skills that you can bring from one experience to another, like decision-making and project management.
• Hard Skills: The technical skills specific for doing the job, such as copywriting, food preparation, digital marketing, and statistical analysis.

From the below list, scan through the various types of experiences, sorted for a range of different situations (e.g. students, graduates, managers, etc.) and copy and paste the experiences that resonate with you. Don’t forget to edit them to suit your own personal background.

Resume Experience Examples

Resume experiences for high school students.

1. Volunteering at a Hospital

As a volunteer, responsibilities included greeting patients, assisting staff with administrative tasks, and providing comfort to patients. Worked under hospital protocols and maintained patient confidentiality. Developed skills in communication and empathy. Highlighted ability to follow instructions and adapt quickly in challenging environments.

2. Part-Time Job at a Bookstore

Assisting customers in locating books and managing inventory were the key responsibilities. Also handled cash registers and kept track of sales. Showcased customer service and organizational skills . Earned experience in sales and inventory management.

3. Tutoring Middle School Students

Taught math and science to middle school students. This job tested capabilities like patience, clarity in communication, and planning. It also demonstrated an understanding of young children’s educational needs. Presented superior proficiency in these subjects.

4. Captain of the School Soccer Team

Led a team of 15 players and developed teamwork and leadership skills . Responsible for strategizing game plans and collaborating with coaches. Enhanced communication, strategic thinking , and problem-solving skills. Demonstrated a real passion for sports.

5. Participation in a School Play

Took part in a school play, showcasing acting and team cooperation skills. Assisted in scriptwriting and stage setup. Improved public speaking and creativity. Displayed commitment and dedication to collective goals.

6. Interning at a Local Business

Worked in various departments, gaining knowledge of business operations. Assisted staff in daily tasks and learned about responsibility and professionalism. Advanced understanding of office etiquette and business ethics. Demonstrated quick learning capabilities.

Read Also: Strongest Attributes to List on your Resume

7. Participating in a Coding Boot Camp

Completed a coding boot camp and created a simple application. Showcased abilities in problem-solving, patience, and analytical thinking . The experience reflected technological prowess and innovative tendencies. Developed a fascination with computer programming.

8. Assisting in a Bakery

Assisted in baking and decorating cakes and pastries, exploring creativity and precision. Displayed culinary skills and client service by ensuring food display looked appealing to customers. Demonstrated ability to handle pressure during busy hours. Gained valuable experience in culinary arts.

9. School Newspaper Editor

Oversaw the production of the school newspaper by coordinating with a team of writers and illustrators. Edited and proofread articles before they were published. The role reflected leadership abilities and attention to detail. Showcased advanced written communication skills and journalistic ethics.

10. Relaying in a Charity Run

Completed a 5K charity run and helped raise funds for a local nonprofit. Showed dedication, stamina, and community engagement. Conveyed determination and willpower. Demonstrated a sense of social responsibility.

Resume Experiences for Entry-Level Jobs

11. Volunteer at a Local Library

Volunteered at the local library, assisting in administrative tasks and facilitating reading programs. Acquired organization, communication, and administrative skills. Showcased love for literature and community service. Demonstrated responsibility and punctuality.

12. Resident Assistant in University Dormitory

Acted as a resident assistant in a university dormitory, helping in conflict resolution and enforcing housing policies. Developed leadership, problem-solving, and negotiation skills. Managed event programming and emergency protocols. Encouraged a sense of responsibility and community building.

13. College Newspaper Reporter

Worked as a reporter for the college newspaper, covering campus events and writing feature stories. Honed research, writing, and interviewing skills. Showcased commitment to accurate and impactful journalism. Fostered teamwork and met strict reporting deadlines.

14. Student Government Participant

Served on the student government council, creating and implementing student initiatives. Developed abilities in leadership, public speaking, and team collaboration. Showcased problem-solving and dedication to improving student life. Encouraged participation in democratic processes and representation.

15. Retail Internship

Completed an internship in a retail setting, gaining customer service experience and understanding store operations. Developed skills in sales, inventory management, and cashier duties. Showcased strong communication, organization, and customer service skills. Nurtured a resilient work ethic and adaptability in fast-paced environments.

16. Teaching Assistant for a University Course

Assisted a professor with a university course, grading assignments and coordinating class activities. Gained experience in mentorship, academic integrity, and administrative tasks. Demonstrated knowledge in subject area. Developed clear communication and organizational skills.

17. Part-Time Job in Food Service

Worked a part-time position at a restaurant or café, providing customer service and assisting with food preparation. Acquired skills in multitasking, teamwork, and time management. Fostered an understanding of food service operations and customer satisfaction. Demonstrated attention to detail and a strong work ethic.

18. University Club Leadership Role

Held a leadership role in a university club, organizing events, and leading meetings. Acquired skills in teamwork, organization, and delegation. Showcased ability to inspire others and champion causes. Cultivated a sense of community and pride within the club.

19. Summer Camp Counselor

Worked as a counselor at a summer camp, leading group activities and ensuring camper safety. Developed skills in leadership, problem-solving, and communication. Showcased responsibility and creativity. Encouraged interpersonal skills and nurtured the ability to manage groups effectively.

20. Work-Study Job in University Office

Handled a work-study job at a university office, performing administrative tasks and offering student assistance. Sharpened abilities in data entry, customer service, and administrative support. Demonstrated responsibility and professionalism. Managed time effectively between work and academic responsibilities.

Resume Experiences for New Graduates

21. Graduate Research Assistant

Assisted leading professors in academic research, contributing to data collection, analysis, and presentations. Built understanding of research methodologies and academic writing. Sharpened analytical and critical thinking skills . Showcased commitment to understanding and contributing to their field of study.

22. University Tutor

Worked as a university tutor, supporting undergraduate students with coursework. Developed strong communication, mentorship, and presentation skills. Displayed expertise in the subject area. Built patience and adaptability while dealing with diverse learners.

23. Study Abroad Participant

Participated in a semester-long study abroad program, experiencing cultural immersion and globalized education. Improved language and communication skills. Fostered adaptability and a strong sense of resilience. Showcased an open mind and demonstrated interest in international affairs.

24. University Club President

Led a university club, managing activities, budget, and team members. Developed leadership skills, event management, and fundraising abilities. Showcased a capacity for organizational and planning tasks. Demonstrated commitment to extracurricular development and enhancing university life with peer engagement.

25. Campus Newspaper Editor

Managed content development, editing, and publishing for the university’s newspaper. Enhanced skills in reporting, editing, and time management. Established an understanding of journalistic integrity and process. Created solid groundwork for future communication or editorial roles.

26. Student Government Member

Joined the campus student government, representing the student body and working on policy modifications. Developed networks, negotiation skills, and a strong understanding of governance. Showcased leadership qualities , public speaking skills, and diplomacy. Indicated active involvement in university life and civic engagement.

27. Capstone Project Participant

Developed and implemented a capstone project related to chosen field of study. Gained practical experience in project management and teamwork. Generated solutions for real-world industry problems. Exhibited understanding of field-specific knowledge, practical application, and research skills.

28. Volunteer at Local Organizations

Served at local organizations, supporting community development and service activities. Cultivated interpersonal skills, problem-solving capabilities and a sense of social responsibility. Demonstrated commitment to giving back to the community. Indicated the adaptability to work in diverse team environments.

29. Lab Assistant

Worked in a university lab setting, assisting in experiments and maintaining lab equipment. Gained hands-on experience with protocols and technical processes. Developed attention to detail, adherence to safety measures, and understanding of scientific procedure. Provided practical exposure to the rigors of the scientific process.

30. Student Mentor

Acted as a mentor for first-year students, providing advice and guidance. Cultivated leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills. Demonstrated empathy and effective problem-solving abilities. Created foundations for roles requiring mentorship or counseling.

Resume Experiences for Managers

31. Project Management Role

Led a team on various projects, managing timelines, resources, and maintaining effective communication. Significant experience in managing diverse teams, coordinating with all stakeholders. Demonstrated abilities in setting realistic goals, planning ahead, and delivering results. Further honed leadership skills and strategic planning abilities.

32. Department Supervisor

Supervised a department in a retail environment, overseeing employee scheduling, task allocation, and customer service. Developed a substantial understanding of retail operations, staff management, and customer relationship management. Showcased strong leadership and decision-making skills. Effectively managed conflict and enhanced team cooperation.

33. Marketing Campaign Lead

Oversaw the implementation of a successful marketing campaign from inception to completion. Nurtured abilities in strategic thinking, creativity, and team management. Showed capacity to meet project deadlines, tracking progress and making necessary changes. Demonstrated a blend of leadership and marketing acumen.

34. Non-Profit Co-Founder

Co-founded a non-profit organization, taking on the responsibility of managing fund-raising, community outreach, and volunteer coordination. Proved abilities in budgeting, networking, and social advocacy. Demonstrated strong leadership qualities and a commitment to the mission and vision of the organization. Valuable experience gained in entrepreneurship and social impact.

35. Member of Executive Committee

Served on an executive committee, making significant decisions impacting an organization’s direction. Gained invaluable experience in corporate governance, strategic planning, and conflict resolution. Showcased diplomatic skills and ethical leadership. Amplified understanding of large scale decision-making processes.

36. Product Manager

Managed the lifecycle of a product line, enhancing market reach and customer satisfaction. Proved skills in managing cross-functional teams, market research, and product development. Focused on customer needs and market trends. Ensured profitability and longevity of the product line.

37. Human Resources Manager

Led the human resources department of a company, managing recruitment, employee training, labor relations, and benefit programs. Developed in-depth knowledge of HR policies, compliance, and employee management. Showcased skills in negotiation, empathy, and decision-making. Built a fair, productive, and engaging work environment.

38. Operations Manager in a Manufacturing Plant

Managed the day-to-day operations of a manufacturing plant, ensuring safety protocols, efficiency, and quality production. Proved abilities in logistics, budgeting, and inventory management. Demonstrated leadership by maintaining productive teams, handling crisis situations, and meeting production goals. Fostered a professional understanding of the production industry.

39. Branch Manager for a Bank

Oversaw operations of a bank branch, including customer service, employee management, and meeting sales targets. Demonstrated proficiency in finance management, risk assessment, and business development. Showcased strong leadership, customer service, and decision-making abilities. Ensured the branch’s financial success and reputation.

40. Team Lead in a Tech Company

Led a team of developers in a tech company, managing software development projects and innovation initiatives. Fostered technical knowledge, project management, and leadership skills. Maintained high team morale and encouraged creativity. Delivered projects on time, to specification, and within budget.

Resume Experience for Leadership Positions

41. Team Leader at a Retail Store

Managed a small team at a retail store, overseeing customer interactions, cash handling, and inventory. Developed leadership skills, conflict management, and team cooperation. Showcased ability to drive sales targets and enhance customer satisfaction. Demonstrated capabilities in multitasking and staff scheduling.

42. University Club President

Served as the president of a university club, leading the team to organize events and initiatives. Enhanced leadership abilities, public speaking skills, and event management. Showcased ability to motivate team members and execute successful events. Imbibed a strong sense of responsibility and promotion of club values.

43. Research Group Leader

Led a team for a university research project, coordinating roles, setting meeting schedules, and managing project timelines. Developed leadership, liaison, and project management skills. Showcased ability to work within deadlines and foster team collaboration. Demonstrated a profound understanding of research methodologies and academic collaboration.

44. Lead Tutor in a Learning Center

Managed a team of tutors at a university learning center, coordinating schedules, conducting tutor training, and handling student queries. Cultivated leadership skills, patience, and organizational abilities. Showcased excellent subject knowledge, guidance, and mentorship abilities. Showed commitment to student success and effective teaching methodologies.

45. Shift Supervisor at a Café

Served as a shift supervisor in a busy café, overseeing staff, managing inventory, and ensuring customer satisfaction. Gained leadership, customer service, and problem-solving skills. Showcased strong organizational skills and an ability to work under pressure. Ensured smooth operations and team coordination during each shift.

46. Student Group Project Leader

Led a group project in university, setting goals, assigning tasks, and managing deliverables. Fostered team collaboration, strategic planning, and communication skills. Demonstrated ability to manage time effectively and encourage team input. Motivated the team to meet project objectives and adhere to deadlines.

47. Chair of a Volunteer Committee

Chaired a committee for a community volunteer program, coordinating volunteer activities, and fundraising. Demonstrated leadership, budgeting, and organizational skills. Showcased dedication to public service and event management. Produced successful community events and volunteer engagement.

48. Internship Coordinator

As an internship coordinator, matched interns with internal teams, supervised intern assignments, and handled program logistics. Enhanced leadership, HR policy understanding, and team pairing skills. Facilitated intern onboarding and performance assessments. Introduced students to professional environments and offered career guidance.

49. Assistant Manager at a Fitness Center

Worked as an assistant manager at a fitness center, overseeing membership sales, staff training, and facility maintenance. Demonstrated leadership skills, customer relations, and attention to detail. Fostered an understanding of health and fitness. Delivered quality customer service while maintaining a safe fitness environment.

50. Student Council Representative

Acted as a representative on the student council, voicing student concerns, and implementing policy changes. Developed leadership, negotiation, and diplomacy skills. Showcased a strong sense of ethics and a commitment to student welfare. Participated actively in improving university life and initiating positive changes.

Resume Experience for Customer Service

51. Retail Store Sales Associate

Worked as a sales associate at a retail store, helping customers with product inquiries, assisting in purchases and managing returns. Gained solid experience in dealing with customer queries, handling cash transactions, and showcasing products. Fostered strong communication skills and a customer-oriented approach. Prioritized maintaining high customer satisfaction levels.

52. Call Center Representative

Handled calls at a call center, answering customer questions, and resolving issues. Proved skills in active listening , problem-solving, and stress management. Developed a strong understanding of company policies and products. Ensured every customer interaction ended positively, reinforcing the company’s reputation.

53. Hospitality Staff Member

Worked as a staff member in the hospitality industry, providing information, coordinating services, and ensuring guest satisfaction. Demonstrated excellent customer service abilities, adaptability, and quick thinking. Showcased knowledge about facilities and the local area. Strived to provide high-quality service at every interaction.

54. Product Demonstrator

Operated as a product demonstrator at trade shows and events, showcasing products, explaining features, and answering customer queries. Developed strong product knowledge, presentation skills, and selling strategies. Ensured potential customers understood the product value. Promoted the product and boosted event sales.

55. Technical Support Representative

Provided technical support, troubleshooting hardware and software issues for customers. Acquired expertise in product troubleshooting, tech solutions, and customer communication. Maintained patience in handling customer frustrations. Managed to transform complex technical language into understandable terms for customers.

56. Front Desk Clerk at a Hotel

Operated as a front desk clerk in a hotel, handling check-in, customer queries, and problem resolution. Showcased skills in multitasking, organization, and patience. Demonstrated a strong understanding of hotel procedures, services, and reservation systems. Prioritized delivering an outstanding guest experience.

57. E-commerce Customer Service Representative

Handled customer service duties for an e-commerce company, resolving problems, processing refunds, and answering order inquiries. Showcased abilities in complaint handling, data management, and quickly grasping e-commerce processes. Focused on enhancing customer satisfaction and improving online shopping experiences. Turned disgruntled customers into satisfied ones.

58. Food Server at a Restaurant

Served as a food server at a restaurant, taking orders, serving food, and addressing customer complaints. Advanced people skills , multitasking, and a thorough understanding of the menu. Delivered top-rated customer service and ensured a satisfactory dining experience. Kept calm and efficient during peak hours.

59. Bank Customer Service Representative

Acted as a customer service representative in a bank, aiding customers with account inquiries, troubleshooting accounts issues, and explaining bank services. Cultivated skills in financial product knowledge, problem-solving, and customer communication. Upheld confidentiality and followed banking regulations diligently. Turned complex banking procedures into simple customer interaction.

60. Receptionist at a corporate office

Served as a receptionist in a corporate office, managing front desk duties, handling incoming calls, and greeting visitors. Enhanced administrative skills, telephone etiquette, and customer service abilities. Fostered an understanding of the business, directed visitors appropriately, and managed administrative tasks. Gave visitors and callers their first positive impression of the company.

Resume Experience for Teachers

61. Student Teacher during University Coursework

Undertook a student teaching assignment during university coursework, planning lessons and teaching under the supervision of a mentor teacher. Developed skills in lesson planning, classroom management, and student assessment. Showcased adaptability and pedagogical knowledge. Maintained a positive and stimulating learning environment.

62. Tutor at a University Learning Center

Worked as a tutor at the university Learning Center, assisting students with coursework and study strategies. Enhanced abilities in subject knowledge, explaining complex concepts, and providing constructive feedback. Demonstrated patience and dedication to student success. Fostered a deeper understanding of effective teaching methodologies.

63. Volunteer English Teacher Abroad

Volunteered as an English teacher abroad, teaching English to non-native English speakers. Developed cross-cultural communication skills, lesson planning, and language teaching strategies . Showcased commitment and resilience in new environments. Fostered language learning and cultural exchange.

64. Preschool Assistant Teacher

Worked as an assistant teacher in a preschool, maintaining a safe learning environment and facilitating classroom activities. Enhanced understanding of early childhood development, classroom management, and patience. Collaborated with main teacher in teaching basic skills. Progressed development of young learners and nurtured their curiosity.

65. After-School Program Coordinator

Coordinated an after-school program at a community center, organizing educational activities and tutoring sessions. Developed skills in lesson planning, educational program development, and community relations. Showcased a strong commitment to youth educational needs outside classroom hours. Encouraged inclusive learning and extracurricular engagement.

66. Camp Counselor at an Arts Camp

Served as a counselor at a summer arts camp, teaching various artistic techniques and facilitating group projects. Showcased skills in arts education, leadership, and creativity. Fostered a positive, educational, and safe environment for campers. Inspired and nurtured children’s artistic abilities.

67. Volunteer Tutor for Underprivileged Students

Volunteered as a tutor for underprivileged students, helping them with homework and providing academic support. Proved teaching abilities, patience, and dedication to service. Cultivated a motivational environment to inspire students. Demonstrated a commitment to educational equality.

68. Special Education Aid in a Primary School

Worked as a special education aid in a primary school, providing individualized attention and support to children with special needs. Gained experience in special education principles, compassion, and conflict resolution. Showcased specialized teaching skills and empathy. Fostered an inclusive and supportive learning environment for all students.

69. Mentor for First-Year University Students

Acted as a mentor for first-year university students, providing guidance, organizational skills seminars, and academic advice. Cultivated leadership, advisory, and communication skills. Showcased ability to inspire and guide younger students. Contributed to improving students’ academic performances and university experiences.

70. Math Coach for a High School Math Team

Coached a high school math team, preparing them for competitions and improving their problem-solving skills. Demonstrated skills in mathematics education, strategic thinking, and competitive spirit. Motivated students to achieve their best. Enhanced students’ passion for mathematics and problem-solving techniques.

When discussing relevant experience on your resume, it’s paramount to draw a clear connection between the skills developed in the past role and the qualifications required for the prospective job.

Frame your experience in a way that clearly communicates your competencies and accomplishments, using precise language and action verbs. As a bonus, quantitative evidence of your successes (e.g., “increased sales by 15%”) can concretely demonstrate your impact and potential.

Don’t forget to customize your resume for each specific job application rather than adopting a one-size-fits-all approach. And lastly, proofread meticulously and review each detail to ensure accuracy and professionalism; these steps will help establish a strong first impression to potential employers.

Chris Drew (PhD)

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 15 Self-Actualization Examples (Maslow's Hierarchy)
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ Forest Schools Philosophy & Curriculum, Explained!
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ Montessori's 4 Planes of Development, Explained!
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ Montessori vs Reggio Emilia vs Steiner-Waldorf vs Froebel

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Work Experience on a Resume - How to List It Right

Imagine you’re a hiring manager who goes through countless resumes on the daily.

What’s the first thing you look at?

If your guess was work experience, then you’re right.

And if you spot a few relevant keywords in their work experience section, then you’re more likely to continue reading about their background, contact information, and so on.

The most important thing hiring managers want to know is whether you can do the job you’re applying for, and that’s where the work experience section of your resume comes in.

So how do you make your work experience do the heavy lifting?

Don’t worry! Our article is here to help.

We’re going to cover:

• What Information Your Work Experience Section Needs

How to Format Work Experience on Your Resume

• 11 Real-Life Examples of Work Experience on a Resume

Let’s get started.

What to Include in Your Work Experience Section

The work experience section is the most important part of your resume.

This is the section that gives hiring managers a look at your professional journey so far, including your skills and achievements, and it’s the section they base their hiring decisions on the most.

Your work history can show how likely you are to excel at the job, how committed you are to career growth , and what industry know-how you ought to have.

This section is going to look different depending on your career level, how recent your work experience is, and what the job you're applying for is.

Let’s look at what information employers expect from your work experience section:

• Job Title/Position . Add this at the top of each work experience entry. You want the hiring manager to know at a glance that you have relevant work experience for the job, so use the actual job title instead of any buzzwords.
• Company Name. Include the name of the employer. Sometimes, if the employer isn’t well-known, you might want to describe the company in a sentence or two to give the hiring manager context.
• Location. The general location, such as the city and state/country where you worked, is more than enough information.
• Employment Dates. Write down the approximate timeframe of your employment. There’s no need to give exact dates since the standard format for this is mm/yyyy.
• Responsibilities and Achievements. The core of each work experience entry is what you achieved while you were there. List your responsibilities and achievements in bullet points instead of paragraphs to make them easier to read. Use 5-6 bullet points for newer job entries and 2-3 for older ones.

Here’s an example of a work experience section that includes all of the above:

Want to know more about other resume sections? Learn how to write a resume with our detailed guide!

You know what to include in your work experience section, so let’s talk about how to include it.

First things first - your work experience section should always follow a reverse chronological order . Add your latest work experience at the very top, and work your way backward.

Hiring managers aren’t interested in what you did ten years ago. Instead, they’d rather know what you’ve been up to right before applying for this specific job.

That being said, if you have a lot of experience, you shouldn’t include every single job you’ve ever had.

Your resume is supposed to be one page long , so feel free to omit any summer gigs or part-time jobs to free up space. It’s also extremely important that your work experience is easy to find and that the information is well-structured and readable.

Here’s an example of how to format your work experience section:

Making Your Work Experience Stand Out

Now that you know how to list your work experience, you need to describe it in a way that makes you stand out from other candidates.

We’ve divided this process into several steps, starting with:

#1. List Achievements Instead of Responsibilities

Too many resumes focus on the day-to-day tasks in the work experience section.

The thing is, hiring managers already know what those responsibilities are. They’re the ones who write the job ads, so you won’t impress them by telling them you did just what they would expect you to do.

For example, if you’re a QA engineer, your responsibilities could include:

• Identifying software bugs.
• Ensuring test coverage for all features.
• Making detailed reports on product quality.

These same responsibilities show up in 99% of QA engineer resumes out there.

So, if you want to stand out from the crowd, you want to focus on your most impressive achievements instead. Show the hiring manager how you helped your previous employer and the difference you made while you were there.

Let’s compare how the same work experience entry looks like when we use achievements and when we use responsibilities:

• Increased test coverage by 25% by implementing new automated test suites.
• Reported and triaged over 100 high-priority defects ahead of major releases.
• Executed manual test cases across web and mobile applications.
• Logged defects into bug-tracking systems as they were encountered.

But there are some fields where there aren’t that many achievements you can mention in your resume. For example, if you’re a server , serving 120+ patrons a night, or earning a lot of tips aren’t achievements that look good on your resume.

Your daily tasks probably include:

• Taking orders, serving food and beverages, and ensuring customer satisfaction.
• Preparing tables for meals, including setting up items such as linens, silverware, and glassware.
• Assisting in opening and closing the restaurant, including cleaning duties and setting up for the next service.

In this case, it’s okay to focus on responsibilities instead. You can still distinguish yourself by following the rest of our tips on how to make your work experience shine.

#2. Tailor Your Work Experience to the Job

If you want your resume to go from “okay” to "outstanding," what you need to do is tailor it to the specific job you’re applying for. 

The hiring manager doesn’t need to know details about every job you’ve had or about the skills you gained in a different field. 

So, your work experience should reflect what the job requirements are. This way, you’re more likely to really catch the hiring manager’s attention and land a job interview .

Here’s an example of a well-tailored job ad:

As you can see from the picture, it’s easy to figure out what the most important requirements for the role are. 

So, to tailor your resume to this ad, you need to show how you meet every one of these job requirements.

Let’s look at an example of how the same work experience would be tailored differently according to different job ads.

Say, you were an advertising intern.

Here’s what your work experience would look like when you’re applying for a position as a social media assistant:

INTERNSHIPS

Marketing Intern

Full Picture Company

New York, NY

09/2023 - 12/2023

• Analyzed various social media platforms for trending content.
• Managed company social media accounts.
• Posted interesting content on the company's Facebook page, increasing engagement by 25%.

Pretty easy, right? Now, let’s look at what the same work experience entry would look like for a job as a content writer .

• Assisted the Marketing Manager in writing press releases and new blog posts, which increased web traffic by 25%.
• Created engaging content for email marketing campaigns and boosted newsletter subscriptions.
• Revitalized old blog posts with updated information and SEO optimization, improving organic search rankings by 30%.

The internship is still the same but this way, the experience you’re focusing on is tailored to the job you’re applying for. The hiring manager can immediately see your most important skills for the job and the value you could bring to their team.

#3. Add the Right Amount of Work Experience

If you’ve had a lot of jobs so far, you might be wondering if they all belong on your resume.

The answer is usually no. Your full, detailed work history belongs on your CV instead of your resume .

The hiring manager only wants the most recent and relevant information, not your full life story.

So, the amount of work information your resume should include depends entirely on your level of experience.

Let’s break it down:

• No Experience. If you’re currently looking for your very first job , you simply won’t have any jobs to fill in your work experience section. In that case, we recommend skipping this section and instead focusing on any experience gained in clubs, extracurricular activities , volunteering, and other projects.
• Entry-Level. When you’re applying for an entry-level job, you can list most of your work experience so far. Likely, some of it won’t be relevant, but it still shows the hiring manager that you have some work experience, and that’s better than none.
• Mid-Level. At this level, you should only mention relevant work experience. Don’t waste precious space listing old internships or jobs you had as a teenager .
• Senior-Level. You only need to list up to 15 years of relevant work experience. You might even need a two-page resume to apply for an executive position at this stage, but only if you have too much relevant work experience to fit onto a single page.

#4. Optimize for the Applicant Tracking System (ATS) Software

Before the hiring manager reads your resume, it has to make it to them.

The fact is that 70% of resumes get discarded before the hiring manager even reads them.

That’s because most companies use specialized Applicant Tracking Software (ATS) to go through hundreds of resumes and automatically filter out ones that don’t have what the hiring manager is looking for.

Unfortunately, this means that if a resume is missing a specific skill or isn’t formatted in a way that the ATS can process , it gets rejected immediately.

So, how can your work experience make the cut?

Here are a few tips:

• Don’t go over one page. The ATS can have a limit on how long a resume is allowed to be, so we recommend always sticking to a single-page resume.
• Format everything carefully. Don’t give your resume sections quirky names. Your work experience section should be titled “Work Experience,” not “The Journey So Far.” If you try being too creative, the ATS might not recognize what that section is and reject you.
• Tailor carefully to the job ad. If you want to beat the ATS, you need your resume to be as tailored to the job ad as possible. Include as many relevant keywords as you can in your work experience section. Just make sure they’re all used in a logical context since the hiring manager is supposed to read them, too.
• Keep everything in an active voice. Describe your previous jobs with clear and specific language. (E.g.: Instead of “A team of ten people was managed by me,” say “Managed a team of ten people” ).
• Use power words and action verbs. Hiring managers don’t want to hear how you “were responsible” for this or “helped with” that. Make your work experience pop by using impactful language like “spearheaded,” “designed,” “conceptualized,” and more.

Choose one of our ATS-friendly resume templates to make sure your resume passes the test.

Where to Place Work Experience on Your Resume

The work experience section should always be one of the first sections on your resume, along with the skills section.

Typically, it comes just after your resume header , so that the hiring manager can read it immediately after your resume headline .

If you are using the reverse-chronological resume format, work experience should go at the top of your resume. This way, hiring managers can quickly evaluate your qualifications based on your most recent roles.

However, if you’re using a different resume format, such as functional or combination resume formats, you can make an exception. These resume formats emphasize skills over work history, so you could move your work experience further down, towards the middle of your resume.

Recent graduates are another exception to this rule

Suppose you’re a student with minimal professional experience. In that case, you can put your education section on top instead of your work experience section to emphasize your academic achievements and show that you’re ready to put your knowledge to good use.

Want to learn about the other popular resume formats ? Check out this article to see which one is right for you.

Complimentary Resume Sections

While your work experience might be the single most important section of your resume, at the end of the day, it works in sync with the rest of it.

Other resume sections , like your resume summary or certifications, can show the hiring manager how experienced you are and how much industry know-how you bring to the table.

So, here are a few other resume sections that come into play if you want to back up your work experience and increase your chances of getting an interview:

#1. Resume Summary

A resume summary is a short section at the top of your resume that highlights your most relevant skills and achievements related to the job.

In 2-3 simple sentences, a good resume summary tells the hiring manager:

• Your years of experience in that type of role.
• Your top qualifications or impressive accomplishments.
• What kind of responsibilities you’re familiar with.
• What your motivation for the position is.

By summarizing the core of your work experience upfront, your resume summary lets the hiring manager know what they can expect from the rest of your resume. So, when done well, an eye-catching resume summary can make you stand out from the crowd.

Here’s an example of a resume summary:

Another important section is devoted to your most important skills.

The skills section lets you list abilities that supplement your work experience, and it should be divided into two categories:

• Hard Skills. These include technical skills, tools, and specific knowledge that’s directly applicable to the role.
• Soft Skills. These can be personality traits or interpersonal skills that demonstrate how you work with others and how well you’d fit into the company’s team.

Along with your work history, the skills section helps employers quickly evaluate your credentials and relevant expertise for the position. While your work experience highlights skills in context, the skills section provides an easy-to-reference summary.

Make sure the skills you list on your resume align with what the employer is looking for. Use the job description as a reference to pinpoint the keywords you should add to your resume .

Here’s an example of a skills section on a resume:

#3. Certificates

Professional certificates and coursework can show your commitment to continuous learning and honing your skills.

Listing certificates on your resume allows you to showcase specialized knowledge and skills that might not be evident from your work experience.

For example, say you’re applying for a position as an SEO content marketer.

If you’re experienced in digital marketing but don’t have formal work experience with SEO, that could be a problem. However, listing a certificate from an SEO course can tell the hiring manager that you have the necessary knowledge to take on the role.

Relevant certificates can provide evidence of your advanced skills, industry expertise, or any other necessary qualifications for the role. They can back up your skills and distinguish you from other candidates with similar work experience.

Depending on the context, any certificates you have can either be listed in the education section or a dedicated resume section.

If the certificates are more recent and different from your formal education, we recommend listing them separately. Here’s an example:

#4. Personal Projects

One of the best ways to show your passion and dedication is through your projects.

Hiring managers love candidates who do cool stuff in their spare time.

If any personal passion project you’ve been working on is relevant to the role you’re applying for, make sure to add it to your resume. It can back up the skills and experience on your resume, and help you stand out from other applicants.

For example, if you’re applying for a job as an animator , any published flash animation videos on YouTube are a great addition to your resume.

However, personal projects should only be listed if they’re relevant. If you’re looking for a job as an architect , your incredible cosplay sewing abilities just won’t cut it.

Here’s an example of a personal projects section:

11 Real-Life Examples

Not sure how to list work experience for your field?

Check out the practical work experience in these resume examples for different professions:

#1. Marketing Executive Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a marketing executive resume here.

#2. Teacher Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a teacher resume here.

#3. Cashier Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a cashier resume here.

#4. Software Engineer Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a software engineer resume here.

#5. Career Change Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a career change resume here.

#6. Illustrator Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing an illustrator resume here.

#7. Esthetician Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing an esthetician resume here.

#8. Stay-at-Home Parent Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a stay-at-home parent resume here.

#9. University Graduate Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a university graduate resume here.

#10. University Student Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a university student resume here.

#11. High School Graduate Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a high school graduate resume here.

Work Experience Section FAQs

Are you still wondering about something related to your resume’s work experience? Check out the answers to these popular questions about listing work experience on a resume:

#1. What If I Don’t Have Any Work Experience?

If you don’t have any work experience, there are two things you should consider: first, hiring managers don’t expect candidates for entry-level roles to have a ton of experience, so you don’t have to worry too much.

And second - there are plenty of ways to make an impressive resume even without any professional experience .

For example, if you're a recent graduate, you can focus on highlighting your education, relevant coursework or extracurricular activities.

Include any internships, volunteer roles, or student organizations that show you have the skills necessary for the job.

You can also highlight universal skills like communication , teamwork, problem-solving, and computer skills . If you use a strategic approach, your lack of work experience won’t hold you back from writing a great resume.

#2. Can I List an Internship Instead of Work Experience?

Yes, you can list internship experience on your resume instead of work experience.

Internships provide valuable on-the-job training and give you exposure to a professional work environment, so they’re always a great thing to add to your resume.

Like work experience, internships allow you to gain important skills, learn about a particular industry or role, and build accomplishments you can use to show potential future employers. 

Internships can be a vital resume section for candidates with less experience, such as students, career changers, or stay-at-home parents re-entering the workforce, since they show hiring managers you have enough relevant hands-on experience to succeed at the job.

#3. How Can I Explain an Employment Gap on My Resume?

The key to managing a gap in your work experience section is to address it briefly and positively on your resume or cover letter .

In a line or two, explain what happened and move on without dwelling on it, since employment gaps are relatively common and can happen for different reasons.

For example, if you had to take a year off to recover from a medical issue, just say so in your resume without going into details. The important thing is that you’re now better, ready to resume work, and the hiring manager knows it won’t be a problem.

If you have a short employment gap, you can probably skip the explanations. Simply list the start and end dates for each role without explaining the time in between. A couple of months between jobs is perfectly normal, and hiring managers aren’t likely to ask about it.

#4. What If My Work Experience Isn’t Relevant?

If you're applying for a job and none of your work experience is relevant, it’s a bit more complicated.

As a general rule, any work experience is better than no work experience. Most soft skills are applicable across industries, so you can focus on them in your resume.

If you’re an entry-level candidate, you might want to leverage other areas to show the hiring manager that you’re a good fit for the role.

For example, if you want to be a graphic designer but only have experience in customer service , emphasize your art education, portfolio work, and personal projects instead. If you’ve taken any more recent courses related to the field, you can list them before your work experience.

However, if you’re an experienced professional looking to change careers , things are a little different.

For a career change, you need to articulate your transferable skills and show how your previous experience can help you in this new role.

Let's say you're a sales professional interested in marketing. You could highlight skills like communication, market analysis, client relationship-building, and goal-oriented achievements that show your valuable marketing skills.

Key Takeaways

You’ve made it to the end!

Now, you’re all set to write a flawless work experience section.

But before you go, let’s recap what we talked about:

• Always list your work experience reverse-chronologically so the hiring manager can see what your most recent achievements and experiences are.
• If possible, focus on work achievements over day-to-day tasks. This way, you can immediately show the hiring manager what you’ve done for your previous team and what the value of hiring you would be.
• Carefully format your work experience so it passes the ATS and so that the hiring manager can easily read it.
• Instead of paragraphs, use bullet points to describe your previous jobs. For newer experiences, 5-6 bullets are good, but for older ones, 2-3 bullet points are enough.
• If you don’t have work experience, use this section to list your internship, volunteer experience, personal projects, or extracurricular activities. Treat them the same way you would treat work experience, and list your responsibilities and achievements in bullet points.
• Make sure the other sections in your resume complement your work experience for a flawless job application.

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How to write a resume with a 10 year gap

2008 challenged my survival after being laid-off. Three gravely ill family members required me to care for them, sadly until they passed away. Making a few attempts to start a home business and presently I'm struggling with formatting/ writing an eye-catching resume. How can I explain a 10-year gap on my resume?

3 Answers 3

How can I explain a 10-year gap on my resume?

On your resume, you just leave the gap in place.

When asked you explain what you did during those 10 years. You cared for three gravely ill family members and you attempted to start your own businesses.

There's nothing to be ashamed about and nothing to hide.

You can go into more detail in a cover letter if you wish, but not in a resume.

• 8 "When asked you explain" - except he will likely NOT be asked. He will just not be invited to an interview. –  TomTom Sep 14, 2018 at 19:03
• 1 I don't understand this advice. What are the disadvantages of putting an explanation in the resume? –  Tanner Swett Sep 20, 2018 at 15:04

Simple: you don't have a gap on your resume. What you put in your resume is... what you were doing at that time. I'd format it slightly differently (maybe italicised?) to make it clear that it's unpaid and therefore different to my other experience.

Carer for terminally ill family members 2008 - 2016 I took a career break to care for three terminally ill family members

You can even add what you learnt in this "role" if you like.

This has helped me to deal with working under pressure and has taught me patience and perseverance

For running your own business, put that too. It's a business, not unpaid work, so you can put it as any other job

Small business owner 2016-2018 I ran multiple home businesses. From these I gained an understanding of bookkeeping, planning/logistics and consumer legislation

Basically, it's the same principle as when you applied for your first "real" office job: you included being the treasurer of your university sports team, and stacking shelves at your local supermarket, as they demonstrate a few basic skills and show that you weren't just lounging on the sofa watching TV all day.

As a recruiter my fear with someone with a so long career gap would be that he or she has lost some work habit and some technological skill (if applicable), requiring a longer time to adapt.

You don't need to explain why you didn't work in that time in CV or cover letter, but having recent activity, training or projects to relate would certainly help getting hired.

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10+ Resume Template for 10 Years Experienced Professionals

Extremely professional 10+ resume templates for those who want to show their 10 years of experience and stand out from the crowd.

Administration Resume Template for 10 Years of Experience

Professional Resume Template for 10 Years Experience

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Software Engineering Resume Template for 10 Years of Experience

Resume Template for 10 Years Experienced Executives

Writing/Editing Resume Template for 10 Years of Experience

Resume Template for 10 Years of Sales Experience

Resume Template for 10 Years Experienced Candidate

Finance Resume Template for 10 Years of Experience

Which Resume Format is Best for Someone With 10 Years of Experience

For any professional with 10 years of relevant work experience, we recommend using a reverse chronological resume format.

For any professional with 10 years of experience trying to apply for jobs to make career transitions, we recommend a functional resume or a combination resume to stand out.

Here are the criterias on when to use either of the three resume formats to show a 10 year experience.

Reverse Chronological Resume Format for 10 Years of Experience

• Consistent career progression over 10 years.
• Highlights recent experience and career growth.
• Easy for recruiters to follow and understand.
• Preferred in industries favoring traditional formats.
• Limited flexibility for emphasizing specific skills or downplaying career gaps.

Functional Resume Format for 10 Years of Experience

• Diverse skills but non-linear career paths.
• Emphasizes skills and accomplishments over specific job titles.
• Downplays career gaps or transitions.
• Less common in some industries.
• High flexibility for showcasing relevant skills but may be less compatible with Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS).

Combination Resume Format for 10 Years of Experience

• Balances chronological and functional formats.
• Highlights both career progression and key skills.
• Increasingly accepted in various industries.
• Offers flexibility for tailoring the resume to job requirements.
• High compatibility with ATS, suitable for online job applications.

Here’s a matrix that simplifies how to select the best resume format if you have 10 years of experience:

Tips To Write the Best 10 Years Experience Resume

• Summary : Ensure your resume kicks off with a robust summary or profile, encapsulating your decade-long expertise. Highlight significant achievements, leadership roles, and career aspirations within your industry. You don’t need an objective unless you are making a career transition.
• Work experience : Prioritize recent and relevant experiences from the past 10 years. Ensure alignment with the job you're targeting, showcasing your depth of knowledge and accomplishments gained over the years.
• Format : Use the right resume format from reverse chronological, functional or a combination resume format.
• Achievements : Quantify achievements with specific numbers and metrics to showcase the tangible impact of your work. Highlight milestones like revenue generated, cost savings, project completions, or team successes.
• Skills : Spotlight advanced technical skills and expertise developed over 10 years, emphasizing proficiency in industry-specific tools, software, programming languages, and emerging technologies.
• Certifications and credentials : Demonstrate commitment to continuous learning and professional development by listing relevant certifications, advanced training programs, industry conferences, or specialized workshops completed throughout your career.
• Customization : Tailor your resume for each job application by strategically selecting and emphasizing experiences and skills that closely match the job requirements and align with the employer's needs and expectations.
• Clean and consistent : Present your resume in a clean, professional format that's easy to read and visually appealing. Ensure consistency in formatting, font styles, and layout throughout the document to maintain a polished appearance.
• Proofread : Thoroughly proofread your resume to eliminate any typos, grammatical errors, or formatting inconsistencies. Given your extensive experience, pay particular attention to detail and accuracy to present yourself as a meticulous and reliable professional.
• Add a cover letter : Accompany your resume with a customized cover letter that complements your career narrative, expands on key achievements and experiences from the past decade, and articulates your enthusiasm for the specific role and company. Use the cover letter to further showcase your fit for the position and your value proposition as a seasoned professional.

How Long Should Your 10 Years Experience Resume Should be?

Your 10 years of experience resume should typically be one page long. Keeping your resume to one page ensures that you present a concise and focused document that quickly grabs the attention of hiring managers.

There are some situations where someone with an experience of 10 years would have more than a one page resume and it is acceptable. Some of these situations are:

• Holding multiple leadership positions, such as Vice President of Sales and Director of Marketing, within the same company or across different organizations.
• Demonstrating diverse experiences across industries, such as working in finance, healthcare, and technology sectors, each requiring distinct skill sets and expertise.
• Accumulating a substantial list of certifications, such as Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified Public Accountant (CPA), and Six Sigma Black Belt, relevant to your field.
• Receiving numerous awards and recognitions, such as "Salesperson of the Year" or "Top Performer" accolades, highlighting your exceptional achievements.
• Publishing articles or research papers in reputable journals or presenting at industry conferences, showcasing your thought leadership and expertise in your field.
• Targeting industries or positions that require a more comprehensive understanding of your professional background, such as executive roles in finance, where detailed financial analysis and strategic planning experience are crucial.
• Applying for senior-level positions where employers expect a thorough overview of your qualifications, including extensive work history, leadership experience, and specialized skills.
• Seeking roles in academia or research institutions, where a detailed curriculum vitae (CV) is typically required to document academic achievements, publications, presentations, and professional affiliations.

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Resume Examples by Industry and Experience

Level up your resume with these professional resume examples. These 1800+ resume samples will help you unleash the full potential of your career.

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Most Popular Resume Examples

Build your resume following one of our most-widely used resumes. From IT to Product, check the most popular resume examples for each industry.

Frequently asked questions about resume examples

What is a resume example, why should i use resume examples.

Using a resume example can help you with that initial writing block. You get a ready-made design and layout template to follow. The only thing that you should focus on is writing a good experience section , including your skills that best fit the job description, and ensuring that you’ve tailored your resume.

What should a resume look like in 2024?

When you’re choosing the design of your resume you have to take into consideration the fact that most resumes have to pass an ATS before a recruiter lays eyes on it.

In almost all cases, using a reverse-chronological resume format should be your first choice. Applicant tracking systems are best at reading that format. Furthermore, hiring managers love it.

How do you write a resume example?

First, we start by picking a format that’s most suitable to the industry you’re applying for. Then we choose a suitable design – this includes font , margins , and backgrounds.

Once we have the basic layout done, we start adding sections that match the company in which you’re looking to get a job – like a resume summary for more traditional industries and a “My Time” section for more creative ones.

Are these the best resume examples for 2024?

We’ve handpicked all of the best-performing resumes across different industries. This includes design, wording, and the different sections that are featured on the resume.

We’ve ensured that you get to see high-quality resume examples that will help you create a quality resume yourself.

How do I adjust these resume examples to my needs?

You can start with an example and go into the Enhancv resume builder . From there you can use the design and layout of the resume of your choosing and re-write it to have your information.

Or, you can explore a few different examples related to your industry and build your resume from scratch using one of our resume templates .

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