How to Describe Work Experience on Your Resume (With Examples)

Are you stuck writing the work experience section of your resume?

Maybe you’ve been at the same job for years. You’ve built solid projects, kept things running smoothly, and picked up a ton of skills along the way. But now that it’s time to put it all into bullet points, everything sounds… kind of bland.

Your experience is valuable. You just have to show it in the right way.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to write a work experience section that:

• Highlights what you’ve done, even if it wasn’t flashy.
• Focuses on results, not just responsibilities.
• Gets hiring managers to take you seriously.

Let’s get started.

Why your work experience section matters

We’ve all been taught that a resume is a record of your work history. But in reality, it’s a marketing tool.

That shift—from passive (“here’s what I’ve done”) to active (“here’s what I can do for you”)—can make a big difference in whether or not you land the interview.

Your work experience section tells recruiters three things right away:

Your work experience section doesn’t need to tell your whole story. It just needs to spark enough interest to land you the interview.

Now let’s take a look at how to write your work experience section so it achieves that goal.

What to include in your work experience section

When you write your resume, each role should give employers a quick, clear snapshot of where you worked, what you did, and how you made a difference.

For every entry, include:

Always start with your most recent job and work backwards from there. This helps employers see your most relevant experience first.

And remember to present your information consistently throughout your entire work experience section. If you’re not consistent, it can hurt your chances of getting an interview. 

Here’s an example of what a work experience section might look like:

PRO TIP: Leave out personal pronouns like I, me, or my, not just in your work experience, but throughout your resume. It’s understood that everything you’re describing refers to you, so keep the language clean and direct.

How to write strong bullet points

The bullet points in your work experience section are where you show what you actually did and why it mattered.

This is where most resumes fall flat. They list vague tasks instead of showing real contributions. But a few simple tweaks can turn an average bullet point into something that grabs attention and gets results.

Here’s how to write them:

Start with strong action verbs

Always start your bullet points with strong action verbs. Action verbs convey doing and include words like achieved, designed, and implemented. They make you sound clear, confident, and results-driven.

Don’t ever start a bullet point with “responsible for.” It’s vague, passive, and doesn’t show what you actually did. Hiring managers want to see action, not job descriptions.

Show your impact with measurable results

It’s not enough to say what you did. You need to show how well you did it. And the easiest way to do that is by using measurable accomplishments.

These are results you can back up with numbers, like time saved, revenue generated, or projects completed.

Numbers make your bullet points more specific, more believable, and more memorable. Saying you “managed a budget” is vague. Saying you “managed a $150K budget” paints a more vivid picture of what you actually did.

To come up with metrics, ask yourself:

Even ballpark figures are better than none. Numbers give shape and scale to your contributions. They help your resume stand out from the dozens of others that don’t include them.

Here are examples of strong bullet points and weak bullet points:

PRO TIP: Don’t use the words “variety” or “various” in your bullet points. They’re too vague and make your experience sound generic.

Tailor your bullet points to the job description

Generic resumes don’t get interviews. Resumes that are tailored to the job description do.

Before writing or revising your bullet points, read the job description carefully. Look for specific skills, tools, and job titles that are mentioned more than once.

Then reflect that language in your resume, as long as it accurately describes your experience.

As mentioned earlier, most recruiters use an ATS to search resumes by keywords. If your bullet points don’t include the terms they’re searching for, your resume might never show up in their results.

Not sure if you’re using the right keywords? Jobscan’s resume scanner makes it easy.

Here’s how the scanner works:

You’ll then receive a match rate that shows how closely your resume matches the job description, and a report highlighting the keywords you should add to your resume.

Here is an example of the report and match rate:

The red X’s highlight the hard skills that are missing from the resume. Adding them will increase your match rate and your chances of landing an interview.

Work experience formatting tips

Strong experience is only half the battle. How you present your experience is the other half.

The right formatting makes your resume easier to read for both the ATS and for humans.

Follow these tips to make sure your work experience section if formatted the right way:

How much work experience should you include?

How far back your work experience goes depends on your career stage. The key is to focus on what’s most relevant to the job you’re targeting.

SENIOR LEVEL: Stick to the last 10–15 years of experience. Hiring managers care most about your recent, high-level impact. Earlier roles can be summarized in an “Additional Experience” section or omitted entirely unless directly relevant.

Here’s an example of how to add an “Additional Experience” section:

MID-LEVEL: Include the roles that show your progression and current expertise. You don’t need to list everything, just the jobs that show where you’re headed next.

ENTRY-LEVEL: List any jobs that demonstrate transferable skills, whether full-time, part-time, or freelance. Employers want to see evidence that you’ve been responsible, dependable, and ready to grow.

NEW GRADS: Internships, volunteer work, leadership roles, and academic projects all count. Focus on experiences that show relevant skills, initiative, or problem-solving, even if they weren’t paid positions.

How to show a promotion on your resume

Showing promotions on your resume is a great way to highlight your growth, performance, and the trust you’ve earned from past employers

If you’ve held multiple roles at the same company, you can format them one of two ways:

Option 1: Stack the job titles under the company name

This format works best when your roles were within the same department or followed a clear progression, like going from Marketing Coordinator to Marketing Manager.

You’ll list the company once, then stack your job titles underneath in reverse-chronological order. Under each title, include bullet points that highlight your key achievements in that role.

Here’s an example:

Option 2: List each role separately

Use this format if your roles were in different departments, involved very different responsibilities, or if you want to showcase more detail for each.

Even though the company name appears more than once, this method gives you room to tailor your bullet points to each position and highlight distinct accomplishments.

Where to place your work experience section

The format of your resume affects how and where your work experience appears. Here’s a quick overview of the three main formats and how your work experience fits into each one:

Reverse-chronological format

The reverse-chronological format lists your work experience starting with your most recent job and working backward.

Recruiters often focus on the most recent role first. If that job title and description align with the position they’re hiring for, you’ve immediately made a strong impression.

The reverse chronological resume format is the most common—and the one most recruiters prefer—because it clearly shows your career progression over time.

Functional

The functional resume format emphasizes skills over job titles. Instead of listing your experience by date, it groups your qualifications under skill-based categories.

This format shifts the focus to what you can do, rather than where or when you did it. That can be helpful when your background doesn’t follow a traditional path.

However, many recruiters are less familiar with this format, and some are skeptical of it. Because it separates skills from work history, it can raise questions or make your experience harder to verify at a glance.

Combination (also called hybrid)

The combination resume format typically opens with a short skills or accomplishments section, followed by a reverse-chronological work experience section.

In other words, it combines the skill-focused approach of a functional resume with the easy-to-skim timeline of a chronological resume.

This format is useful when you want to show recruiters, right away, that you’ve got the right skills, especially in jobs that require specific technical or leadership abilities.

If you’re still confused about which resume format is best for you, use the chart below to help you decide:

What to do when your career path isn’t linear

Not every career follows a straight line, and that’s okay. Whether you’re changing fields, have a gap in your work history, or do freelance or contract work, you can still create a strong resume.

Let’s look at how to present your background when your experience isn’t linear.

Career change

If you’re switching industries, your resume should focus less on job titles and more on transferable skills.

Think about the strengths you’ve developed that apply across roles—like communication, collaboration, or adaptability—and make those visible in your bullet points.

Tailor your language to the new industry wherever possible, and consider starting your resume with a short objective that reframes your experience and signals where you’re headed next.

Employment gaps

You don’t need to explain every gap, but if you have one that spans several months or more, a short phrase like “Family caregiving (2022–2023)” or “Pursued additional training” can help.

This reassures employers that the gap was intentional, not due to missing information. Focus on what you bring to the table today, and let the rest speak for itself.

Freelance, contract, or gig work

Freelance or contract roles can be formatted just like traditional jobs. Use clear headings like “Freelance Graphic Designer” and include the timeframe, scope of work, and results. Group similar projects together if needed.

What matters most is showing the impact of your work: clients served, outcomes achieved, and the value you delivered. Don’t undersell it just because it wasn’t full-time or permanent.

No experience

If you’re early in your career and don’t have formal work experience, that’s okay. Internships, volunteer work, school projects, and part-time jobs can all count, especially if they show transferable skills like leadership, collaboration, or problem-solving.

Format them the same way you would a job, and focus on what you contributed and learned.

Other resume sections that support your work experience

Your work experience section carries the most weight, but it doesn’t have to do all the heavy lifting on its own.

These additional sections can help round out your resume and give employers a fuller picture of what you bring to the table.

Resume summary

A resume summary is a short paragraph near the top of your resume that highlights your most relevant skills, experience, and accomplishments.

Think of it as your personal highlight reel. In just a few sentences, you’re answering the question: Why should they keep reading?

Your summary goes right below your contact information. If you’re using a resume headline, place the summary directly underneath it. Keep it concise. Most summaries are 2 to 5 sentences long.

Skills section

This section should highlight your most relevant hard skills. These are the tools, technologies, or areas of expertise that match the job.

It’s especially helpful for showing your qualifications at a glance and for hitting important keywords for the ATS.

You can format this section using bullet points, commas, or vertical bars (|). Just keep it clean, consistent, and easy to scan.

Certifications

Certifications are especially helpful if you’re changing careers, applying to a specialized role, or want to demonstrate a skill not fully reflected in your job history.

List certifications in reverse chronological order, starting with the most recent. Include the name of the certification, the issuing organization, and the year received.

Projects

Projects can be a great way to show skills and accomplishments that might not be fully reflected in your work history, especially if you’re early in your career, freelancing, or changing fields.

If you’ve led or contributed to a project with measurable results, consider adding a separate Projects section. Use clear titles like “Workflow Optimization Project” or “Marketing Automation Initiative,” and include bullet points showing your role, the tools you used, and the outcome.

Resume examples by job title

Wondering what a strong work experience section actually looks like? Below are real-world resume examples that apply the principles we’ve covered.

After each resume, you’ll find a short breakdown highlighting what works and why.

1. SQL developer

2. Office coordinator

3. Entry-level human resources

4. Project manager

5. Digital marketing manager

Key takeaways