How to Write the Work Experience Section

Recruiters read the work experience section to answer three questions: What have you done? How well did you do it? Is it relevant to this job? A well-written section answers all three in a few seconds per role.

What to include for each job

• Job title: your official title, or a clear equivalent if your internal title was unusual
• Employer name and location (city and state or country, or "Remote")
• Dates: month and year for start and end, or "Present" for your current role
• Three to six bullet points describing achievements and key responsibilities

List roles in reverse-chronological order, with your current or most recent job first.

Write achievements, not duties

A job description lists duties. Your resume should show results. Compare:

A simple bullet formula

Action verb + what you did + result or scale. Not every bullet needs a number, but each should show impact or context. Ask yourself: How many? How often? How much? Compared to what? What changed because of my work?

• ScaleSupervised a team of 12 cashiers across morning and evening shifts.
• ResultIncreased repeat customer orders by 22% by launching a loyalty email program.
• FrequencyPrepared weekly sales reports for 5 regional managers.
• RecognitionSelected by management to train all new hires on the point-of-sale system.

Find strong opening words in the resume action verbs list.

How far back should you go?

Most resumes cover the last 10 to 15 years. Older roles can be removed or summarized in a short "Earlier experience" line without dates if they are not relevant. Keep older roles when they are directly relevant to the job, such as a technical position that matches what you are applying for.

Order bullets by relevance

Put your most impressive and relevant bullet first in each role. Recruiters often read only the first one or two. Give your recent, relevant roles more bullets and older roles fewer.

Multiple roles at the same company

If you were promoted, show it. List the employer once, then each title with its own dates and bullets. Promotions show that someone trusted you with more responsibility.

Employment gaps

Gaps are common and do not need a long explanation on your resume. You can:

• Use years only for older roles if that is your chosen date format throughout
• Add a short, honest line such as "Career break: family caregiving" or "Relocation"
• List relevant courses, certifications, freelance work or volunteering from that period
• Use the cover letter to add context if it helps

Do not change dates to hide a gap. Employers may verify employment history.

Other types of experience

Internships, freelance projects, contract work, volunteer roles and military service all count. Present them in the same format as jobs. You can rename the section "Relevant Experience" to include a mix, or give volunteering its own section.

Tailor the section for each job

• Move the most relevant bullets to the top
• Use the employer's terms for tools and skills where they accurately describe your work
• Remove bullets that have nothing to do with the new role to make space

In the resume builder you can duplicate a resume for each application and reorder bullets by dragging or using the move buttons.

Frequently asked questions