How to Describe Work Experience on a Resume (Samples & Guide)
Our customers have been hired at: *Foot Note
Table of Contents
Get started with MyPerfectResume today!
- Build a resume on any device
- Pick an ATS-friendly template
- Tailor with AI copy suggestions
Your work experience section is where your resume comes to life. It’s not just a list of past jobs—it’s your chance to show how you’ve made an impact and grown in your career.
When written well, a resume work experience section tells a clear story about your strengths and helps hiring managers see why you’re a strong fit for the role.
In this guide, you’ll learn how to describe work experience on a resume to highlight your achievements in a way that grabs attention and supports your overall career story.
How to Highlight Work Experience on a Resume
Including work experience on a resume is key to showing the hiring manager that you’re the best candidate for the role. Follow these steps to create an impactful work history resume section.
STEP 1
Prepare your information
Before you start writing your resume, take a moment to gather the details you’ll need to build a strong work history section.
Having this information ready will make the writing process easier and help you present your experience accurately and effectively.
Here’s what to collect before you begin:
- Make a list of your past employers, job titles, and responsibilities.
- Focus on your last 10 years of employment. If you don't have formal work experience, consider other relevant experience, such as internships, volunteer activities, community service work, or academic or personal projects.
- Make note of what you achieved for each job and the key skills you learned.
- Consider what you're most proud of from your past job experiences. Be specific about how you tackled challenges and describe the positive impact of your actions.
STEP 2
List your work experience in reverse-chronological order
Next, organize your work history starting with your current or most recent job and working backward chronologically. This will better showcase your career progression.
STEP 3
Add essential information about each job you held
For each role, list the following details in this order:
- Your job title
- The company name and location (city and state)
- Your dates of employment
STEP 4
Showcase three to five achievements for each job experience
To make your work history section stand out, listing job responsibilities isn’t enough. Instead, show employers the value you bring by highlighting your measurable accomplishments. Focus on what you achieved in each role—not just what you were assigned to do.
Aim to include three to five measurable achievements per job. Since hiring managers often spend less than a minute reviewing a resume, bullet points help make your accomplishments scannable.
Compare the difference between a work experience section without accomplishments and one that includes multiple measurable achievements:
New York, NY | June 2020 – Present
Designed marketing assets for a client’s social media platforms.
Collaborated with the marketing team to create a rebranding campaign for a key client.
Streamlined the design process by implementing new design software.
New York, NY | June 2020 – Present
- Designed and launched over 50+ marketing assets for clients, resulting in a 30% increase in engagement across social platforms.
- Collaborated with the marketing team to create a rebranding campaign for a key client, leading to a 25% boost in brand recognition and a 15% increase in customer retention.
- Streamlined the design process by implementing new design software, cutting production time by 20%, and improving overall team efficiency.
Take the Next Step in Your Career
Make your first impression count with a professionally designed resume that showcases your skills and achievements. Start now and stand out to recruiters!
How to Format Work Experience on a Resume
Different resume formats highlight work experience in different ways, so choosing the right one helps ensure your background is presented clearly and effectively.
Below, we’ll explain how to format your work experience section for each of the three main resume formats and when each option works best.
Work experience on a chronological resume
The chronological resume format is the most commonly used and works best for candidates with several years of relevant work experience.
In this format, your work history appears at the top of your resume, directly below your resume summary, allowing employers to quickly see your most recent roles and career progression.
It’s an ideal choice for candidates with a consistent employment history and clear growth over time. Here's an example of how to format work experience on a chronological resume:
Work experience on a functional resume
The functional resume format works well for first-time job seekers or candidates with gaps in their employment history because it emphasizes skills rather than work experience. Instead of focusing on when and where you worked, this format highlights what you can do.
The work history section is brief and appears beneath the skills section, keeping the focus on your strengths and capabilities. Here’s an example:
Work experience on a combination resume
The combination resume (also known as a hybrid resume) blends elements of both the chronological and functional formats.
It opens with a summary of qualifications and key skills, similar to a functional resume, then follows with a chronological work history that gives equal weight to your experience.
This format is ideal for candidates who want to highlight both their skills and their career progression. Here’s a work experience sample on a combination resume:
Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or a recent graduate, our resume templates can help you jump-start your resume writing journey.
Resume Work Experience Examples for Different Career Levels
What you highlight in your work history section, and how you present it, will vary depending on whether you’re just starting, building experience, or advancing into a more senior role.
Below, you’ll find resume work experience examples tailored to different career levels to help you showcase your background most effectively.
Entry-level
Food Server
Burger Shack Unlimited | Newark, NJ
January 2020 – Present
- Greet up to 40 customers per hour and take accurate orders on the register for menu items.
- Prepare food items for a menu of 36 dishes using restaurant-supplied recipes by correctly measuring and mixing ingredients.
- Use the POS system to calculate customer food order totals and process more than 50 cash and credit card transactions per day.
- Deliver friendly customer service to hundreds of customers daily and address their concerns when needed.
- Follow all proper on-the-job safe food-handling procedures and cleaning regulations when working with raw ingredients and serving.
Mid-career
Senior Copywriter
The Art of Digital Content | Anaheim, CA
March 2018 – Present
- Create high-impact messaging for all marketing media, contributing to a 35% increase in revenue and market share.
- Provide editorial guidance to the other four cross-functional departments, including the marketing team, ensuring the delivery of top-quality content.
- Authored online display ads that drove click-conversion rates of 2.35% in two months.
Copywriter
The Art of Digital Content | Anaheim, CA
August 2013 – July 2018
- Edited 100+ pieces of content produced by senior executives, modifying the text to conform to company-wide branding standards and publication guidelines.
- Wrote advertising copy for online content, adhering to employers' overarching brand identity and personality, and increasing click-through rates by 25%.
- Incorporated between 11.5k and 30.3k SEO keywords into copy to increase search result rankings, producing high conversion rates.
Experienced
Senior UI/UX Designer
TechSphere Innovations | San Francisco, CA
January 2016 – Present
- Lead the design and implementation of 15+ mobile and web applications, resulting in a 25% increase in user engagement and a 30% reduction in bounce rates.
- Spearhead a comprehensive redesign of the company’s flagship product, increasing user retention by 20% within the first 6 months post-launch.
- Establish a design system that improved cross-functional collaboration and reduced design cycle time by 40%.
UI/UX Lead
PixelCraft Studio | Seattle, WA
May 2010 – December 2015
- Directed a team of 5 designers to create intuitive interfaces for 10+ client projects, achieving a 98% satisfaction rate in client feedback surveys.
- Designed an e-commerce platform that increased conversion rates by 35% and earned an award for innovation in digital retail.
- Developed A/B testing strategies that optimized product design, resulting in a 22% improvement in task completion rates.
UI/UX Designer
Bright Ideas Agency | New York, NY
June 2008 – April 2010
- Designed and prototyped user interfaces for 20+ websites, contributing to a 15% average increase in client revenue post-launch.
- Conducted user research and usability testing for multiple projects, reducing average user pain points by 25%.
- Implemented responsive design practices that boosted mobile traffic by 40% across all projects.
Tips for a Standout Work History Section
- Use standard job titles. Ensure that your job titles are commonly recognized and match the title of the job you are applying for or job titles typically used in your industry.
- Include relevant keywords. Boost your resume with keywords and phrases that match the job requirements and increase your chances of passing ATS.
- Use bullet points. Organize your work history with bullet points to make it easier for the ATS to scan and extract relevant information.
- Quantify your achievements. Where possible, include numbers that show the impact of your accomplishments.
- Use action-oriented language. Start each entry with a strong action verb to reduce wordiness and convey proactiveness.
Advice for Unique Work Experiences
Crafting a work history section can be particularly challenging when you have a unique job history, such as employment gaps, a lack of traditional experience, or a career change.
In these situations, you must be strategic when highlighting your skills, accomplishments, and potential to prospective employers.
We'll provide guidance and tips for navigating unique work situations so your job history spotlights your strengths and suitability for the desired role.
Employment gaps
We recommend using the combination (hybrid) resume format in this situation, as it gives equal emphasis to your skills and work experience, minimizing the visibility of any employment gaps.
If your employment gap lasted longer than a year, you can briefly include what you were doing during that time—but only if it’s relevant to your career goals.
Examples include caring for family, volunteering with a local organization, earning a certification, or taking on short-term projects or gigs that helped you develop valuable skills.
Here’s an example of how to structure a work experience section when you have employment gaps:
First job
When you’re writing a resume with no experience, it’s important to think outside the box. Were you in any relevant internships?
Do you have a personal project that relates to the job you are applying for? Were you involved in an extracurricular activity that gave you important skills and experience? Did your school club arrange fundraising events or donation drives?
All of these can be valuable additions to your resume. Consider using a functional resume that centers around your skills and strengths.
This format helps you show the hiring manager that you’re a well-rounded candidate with great potential. Here's how to make a resume with no work experience:
Career change
Updating a resume for a career change is all about highlighting transferable skills and relevant job experience to make a connection between your previous jobs and your new career path.
Read the job description carefully and match your current skills to the required skills in the ad.
Consider using a resume objective instead of a resume summary to market yourself as the best candidate for the job.
The following is a good example of a resume for a career change:
How to Include Freelance, Contract, or Gig Work Experience on Your Resume
Don’t hide your short-term projects! Display them with your traditional full-time jobs or create a separate section for them in your job history section.
Incorporating freelance, contract, or gig work into your work experience section demonstrates your versatility and showcases the valuable skills you gained in today's gig-based workforce.
Here are some tips on how to effectively include this type of work:
- Use clear labels. Indicate whether the position was freelance, contract, or gig work.
- Highlight key projects and clients. Showcase specific projects you worked on and the clients or companies you collaborated with. Include details about the scope of the projects, your role, and any notable achievements.
- Quantify your results. Whenever possible, quantify the impact of your freelance, contract, or gig work by including metrics or results achieved. This could include metrics such as revenue generated, cost savings, or project completion time.
- Emphasize your transferable skills. Highlight the relevant transferable skills you developed through your freelance, contract, or gig work.
Resume Work Experience Examples by Job Title
Our career advice experts created resume examples for current trending job roles to give you ideas for presenting your work experience and other key resume sections:
Procurement manager
Sales associate
Zumba instructor
Resident assistant
Radio host
Property manager
Key Takeaways
- In your resume’s job history section, follow standard formatting: job title, company name, company location, and dates of employment.
- Recap your work experience with three to five bullet points per job.
- Start each bullet point with an action verb.
- Tailor each job experience you’re listing to the job you’re applying to.
- Highlight achievements instead of everyday tasks and include numbers when possible.
- Each resume format highlights work experience differently, so choose the one that best presents your experience and skills.
- If you don’t have work experience, it’s acceptable to use internships, community service, volunteer work, and academic or personal projects that demonstrate your ability to perform the job you want.
FAQ
How many years of work history should be on a resume?
The ideal number of years of work experience on a resume typically ranges from 10 to 15 years, but can vary.
Prioritize recent, relevant work experience while keeping your resume concise and focused on key qualifications and achievements.
Ultimately, the goal is to provide a strong, comprehensive overview of your professional background that aligns with the requirements of the job you are applying for.
How do you write a resume with no work experience?
Writing a resume with no work experience can be challenging, but it’s important to remember that employers understand that entry-level candidates may not have a lot of professional experience.
Here are some tips for writing a strong resume with no work experience:
- Focus on your education and academic achievements. List your degree, major, GPA, relevant coursework, and any academic honors or awards. You can also include any relevant skills or certifications you gained through your education.
- Highlight your relevant skills and accomplishments. Even without work experience, you may have developed skills through volunteering, internships, or extracurricular activities.
- Include any relevant skills, such as communication skills, teamwork, leadership skills, or problem-solving skills.
- Include any relevant experience, even if it’s not paid work. This could include volunteer work, internships, or freelance projects.
- Remember to keep your resume concise and focused, and use a simple and easy-to-read format.
Should I list my current or most recent role first?
In most cases, yes—you should list your current or most recent role first. The reverse-chronological format is the most common and makes it easy for hiring managers and applicant tracking systems (ATS) to understand your career progression.
That said, other formats can work better in certain situations. If you’re new to the workforce, changing careers, or have gaps in your employment history, a functional or combination resume may be a stronger choice.
These formats still include your work history, but they place greater emphasis on skills or qualifications rather than the timeline. In those cases, your most recent role may appear later on the page, while your most relevant skills take priority.
What is a stable work history?
A stable work history is a pattern of consistent employment over time, typically evidenced by longer tenures in each role and minimal unexplained gaps between jobs.
It doesn’t mean staying with one employer forever—rather, it shows steady progression, logical career moves, or continued work within the same field, for example:
- Longer tenures: Spending several years with the same employer (e.g., over three years in one role or organization).
- Fewer gaps: Minimal or no unexplained employment gaps between jobs.
- Progression: A logical progression in job titles, responsibilities, or industries, showing career growth and development.
- Consistency in the field: Working in the same or related industries, demonstrating commitment and expertise in a specific area.
A less stable history (e.g., shorter job tenures or frequent career shifts) can be framed positively if it highlights diverse experience, adaptability, or purpose-driven decisions.
What are examples of work experience for a resume?
Work experience on a resume can include paid jobs, internships, freelance or contract work, volunteer roles, and even relevant activities completed during employment gaps.
For each entry, list your job title, company or organization, dates of involvement, and a few bullet points that highlight your key accomplishments or skills.
Focus on measurable results whenever possible, such as increasing sales, completing projects, supporting teams, or earning certifications, to clearly show the value you bring to an employer.
How can I make my work experience stand out?
To make your work experience stand out, focus on achievements rather than job duties and include measurable results whenever possible, such as percentages or time saved.
Use clear, job-relevant keywords to create an ATS-friendly resume that is optimized for automated screening software that scans for skills and experience that match the job description.
Keep your bullet points concise, tailor them to each role you apply for, and show progression or growth so both ATS software and hiring managers can quickly see your impact.
How we reviewed this article
Since 2012, we have helped more than 11 million job seekers. We want to make your career journey accessible and manageable through our services and Career Center’s how-to guides and tips. In our commitment to bring you a transparent process, we present our Editorial Process.
Rate this article
How to Describe Work Experience on a Resume (Samples & Guide)
Natalia is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) and member of the Professional Association of Resume Writers & Career Coaches. She is committed to helping job seekers navigate the job market and succeed in their careers.
More Articles by Natalia Merced, CPRWShare this page
Our customers have been hired at:*Foot Note
