How to Write a Resume Work Experience Section in 2024 (+ Examples)

Your resume work experience section should be the star of the show. When you’re writing an application, know that hiring managers care the most about this part. The section tells your career story, detailing the positions you’ve held in the past plus any notable duties and achievements. So, how do you get it right?

Good question! We have the answers. In the following guide, we’ll be looking at the best way to position your work experience section. You’ll learn how to format this section, and what elements to include. Plus, we have a bunch of tips to help you win over the hiring manager.

What is the resume work experience section?

Whether you’ve had a long, illustrious career or simply a few years in the industry, it’s important to highlight your job experience on a resume. When hiring managers review new resumes, they often skip to the career experience section. This is so they can see whether each candidate has the right experience.

Learning how to list job experience properly is a must. Not only is this a chance to detail your work history, but you can also underline any special skills you have and align your application with the vacancy. By showcasing your relevant competencies and achievements, you put yourself in a prime position.

Work experience section: right vs. wrong example

The best way to understand what makes a good employment history section is to see it for yourself. Let’s look at a poorly-written job experience section vs. a well-written one. See if you can spot the differences between these two resume work experience examples.

As you can see, the above job experience example doesn’t offer the reader much information. While it covers the main experiences the candidate has had, it lacks specificity and is too vague. The section doesn’t quantify any of the claims the candidate makes nor does it hone in on their skills.

Put simply, this resume job experience example wouldn’t hit the mark. When writing a section like this one, the more detail you add, the better. The hiring manager wants to learn what you bring to the table. Do them a favor and serve up as many specifics and evidence as possible.

The above resume job experience example catches the reader’s attention. Featuring actionable points, statistical-based evidence, and even some finer details, it gives the hiring manager a lot to work with. The language is also more persuasive, showcasing the candidate’s written communication skills.

Next up, let’s talk about what to include in your resume job experience section.

What to include in a work experience section

Now that we’ve taken a look at some professional background section examples, let’s dive deeper into what you should include. Here are the main components of a great career experience section.

• Start by including your job title. This is the name of the position that you held at the business. It should match whatever you have in your contract and on LinkedIn, too.
• Include the company name in full. You might also want to list the department or faction you worked in.
• Be specific when it comes to your dates of employment. You should list the month and year you started and ended your role at the business.
• Below the above details, include bullet points detailing your main responsibilities and any specific achievements associated with the role.
• Wherever possible, include quantifiable results such as numbers and statistics. This approach shows the hiring manager the value you bring.

How to describe work experience on a resume

How do you describe your job experience? Structuring and formatting this resume section correctly is a must. Your aim is to engage the hiring manager and clearly show how your experience aligns with the vacancy. To do that, make sure your resume job experience section is detailed, interesting, and concise. Fortunately, there are some quick ways to elevate this part of your application.

Here are our top tips:

Use bullet points for clarity and impact

First up, let’s talk about formatting. Resumes should be skimmable for the hiring manager. It only takes them a matter of seconds to determine whether you’re a prime candidate. Make their job easy by using bullet points in this resume section.

Underneath the main role information, include a selection of bullet points that cover your duties and accomplishments. These work experience points need to be concise and detail-heavy. That way, when the hiring manager reads them, they can gather all the information they need quickly.

Highlight achievements with action verbs

The language you use can make or break your resume. You can make your job duties sound more dynamic and powerful by peppering them with action verbs. Examples include “strategized,” “led,” “oversaw,” “delivered,” and “exceled”. Consider which words you can use in your bullet points.

Starting your bullet points this way shows the impact you had on the business. Rather than passive statements about your responsibilities, these terms put the power in your hands. Take a look at your existing list of responsibilities and think about how you might rewrite them.

Always quantify your achievements

Your resume is no place for vague statements. Instead, you need to quantify your achievements. When writing your bullet points, add specific details, such as numbers and statistics. This information tells the hiring manager exactly what level of results you can deliver.

For example, instead of writing “led a team and increased revenue,” be more precise by writing “led a team of 10 to increase revenue by 30%”. At a glance, the hiring manager understands the tangible proof of your contributions. It’s these details that instantly set you apart from the competition.

Tailor work experience to the job

Customizing your resume for a job is essential to your success. When you’re writing this section of your resume, ensure that it aligns with the demands of the vacancy.

Here’s how you can do that:

• Review the job description: Return to the original job posting and look at the required criteria. Highlight any of the skills and experiences that you have under your belt.
• Rephrase existing bullet points: Look at your employment history section. Reword your duties and achievements to align with the job description. It may be simply changing the terms you use.
• Add missing information: Are some of your skills or experience missing? Now’s the time to change that. Add bullet points to cover these traits and show your relevant experience.

Tailoring your resume experience to meet the needs of the job can be a real game-changer. It’s not about lying—which you should never do!—but about ensuring you share the right information for the role.

Showcase career progression and growth

How have you developed and grown over the course of your career? That’ll be a hot question on the hiring manager’s mind. Use your job experience section to effectively detail your career progression. That includes gaining promotions, increased responsibilities, and expanded skill sets.

When it comes to showing growth on a resume, there are a few approaches you can take.

Let’s break down some of the main strategies:

• Detail increased responsibilities: Underline the difference between your prior work duties and your responsibilities now. For example, initially, you might have had fewer tasks and no leadership duties. However, in later positions, make it clear that your duties became more in-depth and that you lead a team.
• Emphasize skill development: Chances are, you’ve learned skills throughout your career. Pinpoint when you developed these competencies and share how they’ve grown.
• Quantify your achievements: By adding facts and statistics to each bullet point, the hiring manager will be able to see how your skills and responsibilities have increased.

Detailing your career progression on your resume tells the hiring manager you’re a good investment. They’ll be looking for a professional who is keen to develop and has career aspirations. Let them know you tick that box by using the above tactics.

Tailoring your work experience section to specific jobs

If you’re using a one-size-fits-all resume, you’re making a serious mistake. Standing out in a crowd of applicants can be tough. However, by customizing your resume for the job description, you instantly boost your chances of success. This is a speedy way to make the right impression on the hiring manager.

Learning how to tailor your resume experience doesn’t have to be hard. But if you’ve never done this before, you may be looking for some pointers. Here are three of the ways that you can get started.

Analyze job description for key skills and keywords

Always refer back to the job description. It’ll include the key skills and experiences the hiring manager requires. Take a moment to highlight the resume keywords that stand out to you.

Find any skills matching your resume in the job offer. When you’ve done that, look at your job experience section. If you've used different words for those skills, swap them out for the exact ones from the job ad. This makes sure your resume aligns perfectly with what they're looking for.

Adapt your work experience to different industries

When creating an industry-specific resume, tailor your job experience to match the expectations of the field. Each industry has unique priorities. Adjusting how you present your experience can improve your resume.

Here’s how to customize your resume by industry for fields like IT, marketing, and healthcare:

• IT industry: Technical skills and project experience are top priorities. Focus on programming languages, software, and technologies you worked with. Use statistics to showcase the impact of your work, such as "improved system performance by 30%".
• Marketing industry: Creativity, communication skills, and results-driven campaigns are key. Emphasize your experience in executing marketing strategies, managing campaigns, and using analytics tools to track performance. Be specific about achievements. For example, "boosted lead generation by 35% through targeted social media campaigns."
• Healthcare industry: The healthcare world is all about patient care and success. Use examples to demonstrate how you improved patient outcomes or streamlined processes, like "improved patient recovery times by 15%" or "enhanced clinic efficiency by implementing electronic health records."

In each case, think about what the hiring manager is looking for. What do they expect of a professional in your field? If you can answer that question, you’ll be a real winner.

Emphasizing transferable skills for career changers

Are you changing careers or entering a new industry? Transferable skills are your secret weapon. While your past or present experiences may not align directly with the new role, you likely have skills that do. When writing a resume for your career change, look for overlapping skills and duties.

Pinpoint transferable skills for your resume and demonstrate them in your work experience section. Wherever possible, draw comparisons between the duties you previously held and the demands of the vacancy. This approach shows the hiring manager how and why you’re a good fit for the position.

Of course, the details you include in your professional experience will depend on your situation. In the next section, we discuss the level of detail you should go into.  

When to include specific details in your work experience

Resume real estate is valuable. The last thing you want to do is waste it unnecessarily. With that in mind, it’s important to know when to go into great detail about roles and when to keep things short and sweet.

The answer often lies in the stage you’re at. When it comes to your resume job experience length, you don’t need to include every role you’ve ever had. Only go back between 10-15 years at the most.

Let’s take a look at how much detail is in a resume based on your career level.

Career transitions

There’s an art to writing a career change resume experience. You may not have direct experience of the industry you’re applying to work within. So, the key is emphasizing the transferable skills and relevant experiences you do have. Be selective about the job experience you share in this section.

When writing a transitioning career resume, tailor the bullet points to meet the needs of the job. It’s not so much about how much depth you go into, but the duties you highlight. Make sure that each of them applies—at least, in some way—to the job you’re applying for.

Entry-level positions

Are you new to the working world? If you’ve only had internships, part-time jobs, or volunteer work in the past, you may be wondering how to present this information. Writing an entry-level resume experience section can be simple. Include 4-5 detailed bullet points that cover your duties and accomplishments.  

On the other hand, if you’re writing a resume with no experience, you might want to change the formatting. You can use a functional format, for example, to underscore your skills over your career experience.

Senior-level positions

Going for that top job? If you’re aiming high, your career experience should match your aspirations. It’s important to underline any leadership roles you’ve held while also delving into your strategic responsibilities and high-impact achievements. Quantify your achievements to give them weight.

When it comes to executive resume experience, go into more depth. The hiring manager will expect you to have a high level of experience. Don’t be afraid to illustrate this and add details. One of the best senior-level resume tips you’ll get is to zoom in on your specific impact and value.

Resume work experience examples by industry

Looking for some creative inspiration? We’ve got a selection of resume work experience examples for you to take a peek at. Use the following to guide you when writing your own resume job experience section.

Sales work experience example

Selling yourself to the hiring manager is one of the hardest pitches you’ll ever make. However, ensuring your work experience section is detailed and packed with evidence is the way to go.

The hiring manager cares about the bottom line when it comes to sales. So, what can you deliver? The above resume career experience example covers the candidate’s key achievements and responsibilities well. However, it also includes statistics, such as the “95% client retention rate” and “increasing market share by 20%”. These nuggets of information highlight the candidate’s value perfectly.

Take a look at our sales resume example now.

Marketing work experience example

Working in marketing is all about taking control of the narrative. Create a job experience section that conveys your talents to the hiring manager and puts you in a prime position.

The above structure provides a clear, concise, and impactful presentation of the candidate's marketing experience. Featuring action verbs, such as “spearheaded,” “managed,” and “implemented,” it accentuates the candidate’s talents and impact. The career experience example also includes a wealth of statistics. Plus there are specific details, like the “$2M annual marketing budget,” which adds trust.

If you’re writing a marketing resume from scratch, use our resume examples to guide the way.

IT work experience example

The IT sector can often be a jargon-heavy world. Cut through the pack by delivering clear, actionable points in your employment history section. Be straightforward about the role you played.

Including measurable points, such as "reducing system downtime by 40%" and "improving application response time by 30%,” is a great place to start. This job experience example also avoids the use of industry-specific jargon. Keep the language simple, since you don’t know who will read your resume. Write for the common reader. Additionally, the bullet points include powerful, persuasive language.

Check out our IT resume example for more inspiration.

Healthcare work experience example

Healthcare is an industry built on trust. Include quantifiable results in your professional experience section to show the hiring manager you’re worthy of just that.

Not only do the above examples include a selection of quantifiable points, they go deeper than that. The addition of a leadership role and involvement in system implementation shows that the candidate is flexible. The hiring manager is likely to view this candidate as well-rounded and versatile.

Management work experience example

If you’ve climbed the career ladder, and you’re now a manager, you’ll be used to writing resumes. Make sure your employment history section accurately shares your leadership style and values.

Leadership is all about taking control. So including strong action verbs like "managed," "reduced," "spearheaded," and "collaborated" is the way to go. The above professional experience example illustrates that the candidate is the driving force behind the department’s success. It also includes a load of high-impact results, which only further bolster the application.

Look at our manager's resume example to help you get started.

Engineering work experience example

Looking to engineer your way toward success? Spotlight the job experience you have and show off how it aligns with the demands of the job.

Each point shows off technical skills or methodologies—e.g., Lean Six Sigma, patent development, and simulation tools. When the hiring manager looks at this career experience section, they can clearly see the candidate’s talents. The language is trustworthy without being stuffy or packed with jargon.

Frequently asked questions about resume work experience

Do you need more answers? You’ve come to the right place. Check out our resume job experience FAQs below. We’ve covered the main questions that may be on your mind.

Using technology in your resume work experience

In today’s modern world, it’s logical to use tech to your advantage when creating a resume. For example, you may choose to use AI for resume writing or use our resume builder tools to get started. If you’re looking for a way to give yourself a competitive advantage, you might just have found it.

How to use AI to customize work experience entries

Aligning your employment history with the vacancy is a must. Luckily, that’s where tech can help. Customizing your resume with AI takes just a few clicks. Simply input the job description and then ask the AI resume generator—or ChatGPT—to do the hard work for you.

Use the following prompt to get it right:

In conclusion

Your professional background section is vital to your success. This is likely the first section hiring managers will look at. Don’t miss out on your chance to captivate them with action verbs, measurable points, and tailored content. If you want some help along the way, use the power of AI to craft a well-written career experience section.

Get started now by using our straightforward resume builder tool!