What is “work experience”?

The work experience section of your resume provides employers with an overview of all jobs you’ve held in the past. Whether you’re brand new to the workforce or making a career change, it is the first thing you need prepared and ready to go.

A well-written work experience gives your resume a major credibility boost that can determine if you’re a perfect fit for a role.

Your work experience should highlight…

The companies you worked for
The positions you held
Dates of employment
Brief descriptions of your responsibilities
Key achievements

Read on to find out how to showcase your experience in the best way!

How to make your job history more appealing

Begin by listing your most recent experience, followed by your more previous ones. Rather than cramming this section full of buzzwords and standard responsibilities, focus on result-oriented accomplishments instead.

Some common guidelines to follow are:

1. Use bullet points

Briefly describe the scope of your responsibilities for each job in no more than three sentences.

2. Be specific about what you accomplished

Stating numbers, facts, and figures explains your contributions and achievements better.

3. Begin with action-benefit statements

Stand out by using action verbs that emphasize everything that makes you the best candidate for the job.

So instead of describing yourself as “A result-driven individual with 3 years of experience as a Team Lead”, you’re more likely to leave a strong impression with this: “Managed a team of over 30 employees in Customer Service.”

The latter example explains your leadership experience better than stating the amount of time you spent doing it.

4. Include your key achievements

Highlight information that details your best accomplishments and learnings – something your prospective employers cannot miss.

Work Experience Examples:

Design Team Lead, Hiredly

March 2020 – Current

Develop original concepts and sketches of new designs
Lead the design, development, and execution of branding projects
Review and edit social media visuals using Photoshop or Illustrator
Supervise and direct the design team in content creation for advertisements and printed materials
Awarded Employee of the Year twice in a row (2020 – 2021)

Junior Graphic Designer, ABC Company

June 2018 – February 2020

Pitched creative ideas and project timelines to management
Produced prototypes and engaging design solutions like logos, banners, and interfaces
Communicated with clients to go over their needs and desired outcomes
Performed other tasks related to graphic design such as designing web pages as per client specifications

How do you write about work experience with no work experience?

You might have less than 1 year of work experience or none at all. In this case, especially when you’re entering the job market for the first time, you’ll want to emphasize other experiences that helped you in your career journey. Give your skills as much prominence as possible.

The key is making sure your resume is tailored to the job you are applying for so that a hiring manager can see how you would benefit the company.

Check out the article below to see examples of other experiences you can include in your resume:

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Resume Writing Tip: How to Perfectly Describe Your Work Experience