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One of the most difficult yet important parts of the recruitment process is highlighting your past work experience on a resume. In fact, it’s the most crucial aspect of your job application. However, many people are under the impression that it’s simply about highlighting your professional history. There is more to it! Recruiters already know what you did as your job title summarizes your role to a certain extent. If you want your application to stand out, you need to go above and beyond the obvious.
Read on to see how to write work experience in resume in an effective way—that not only helps recruiters take notice but also makes for a strong candidacy.
The Need For Highlighting Work Experience On A Resume
Before we explore how to mention work experience in resume, let’s understand the reason for doing so. Often, employers regard the past work experience section as the most important part of a resume. It helps them gauge the kind of roles or work you have engaged in. This is the section that hiring managers are likely to read first. It determines whether employers move forward with your application or not.
Work experience on a resume should highlight your professional history, including job titles, past employers, tenure, accomplishments, responsibilities and skills acquired. It should explicitly indicate to potential employers that you have what it takes to succeed in the current role you’re applying for. Moreover, personalizing and tailoring work experience to a job description helps your application stand out.
How To Describe Work Experience On A Resume
If you want your application to make an impact, here are some simple yet effective strategies that’ll teach you how to write work experience in resume in the most effective manner:
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Mention Past Employers
Provide the full and official names of organizations that you have worked for. Start with the most recent and proceed backward. It’s a good rule of thumb to include at least three previous employers.
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Highlight Job Titles
Your job title is the most crucial aspect as it gives employers a snapshot of the responsibilities your previous role(s) entailed. However, it’s important to be as specific about the job title as possible. Avoid using acronyms or abbreviations and state your full and formal title. For example, Social Media Marketing Associate instead of Marketing Associate.
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State Employment Dates
Recruiters often expect employment dates on your resume to gauge how long you have worked at an organization. If you have gap(s) in your work history, there is no cause for worry. List down only the years of employment and prepare to explain the employment gaps during your interview. It’s best to use the standard month-year format; for example, July 2019-January 2020 (date of starting and date of leaving).
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Emphasize On Impact
Work experience on a resume is incomplete without describing your main responsibilities and the skills, knowledge and expertise you gained over time. Presenting them with your impact not only builds credibility but also shows recruiters that you’re a competent employee. For example, instead of writing ‘led two successful marketing campaigns’, write ‘headed two successful marketing campaigns that increased online visibility of the brand by 15%’.
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Pay Attention To Formatting
The way you structure the work experience section also matters immensely. Make sure that your titles or roles are listed in chronological order with the most recent experience on top. You can opt for a functional format, where you categorize your skills and achievements according to current job requirements. A combination format will allow greater flexibility, where you present a summary of your work experience followed by skills and achievements. No matter what format you opt for, ensure that everything is clear and concise.
While these tips will teach you how to write work experience on a resume, you need to strengthen your writing skills to make your application stand out. Harappa’s Writing Proficiently course will help you write with impact and leave a lasting impression on the reader. Powerful frameworks such as the Pyramid Principle will teach you how to present key points in an effective manner. Polish your writing style and write your own success story, with Harappa!
Explore Harappa Diaries to learn more about topics such as Skills For Resume, Hobbies For Resume, How To Make A Resume For Your First Job, Resume Language Skills and Soft Skills For Resume to ace your next interview.
