How to Highlight Work Experience on Your Resume

How to Highlight Work Experience on Your Resume

Providing details about your relevant work experience on your resume is vital to obtaining a new position. Every resume should have an experience section that highlights key achievements in your past roles. You should tailor each resume to highlight experience relevant to the position that you are applying for.

Be Specific

• List the company name, role you worked in, dates of employment, and company location.
• When highlighting your past work experience, it is important to be detailed and specific in what you are listing.
• Utilize metrics and specific numbers to show measurable accomplishments.
• Making broad statements does not provide insight into your accomplishments and can be hard for a recruiter or hiring manager to understand your capabilities. You should also be specific about the role and company.

Format

• Experience should typically be listed in chronological order with your most recent job at the top. You should make the format work in a way that is most appropriate to your experience.
• A chronological resume is the most common type of resume and lists work experience in order from most recent to least recent.
• A functional resume is when work experience is organized in a way that highlights your skills. With this format, you would provide a summary of your experience and follow up with a list of your achievements and skills.
• You may use a combination of a functional and chronological format when applying to high-level or executive roles.

Be Brief

• A concise resume is easier for hiring managers or recruiters to read and understand.

Check for Errors

• Once your resume is finalized, have a proofreader check for errors.