As you rise through the ranks at your company, show promotions on your resume the right way

Writing a resume is often a daunting challenge. It can be difficult to determine what information to include, how to organize and name each section of your resume, and the best format to use as you tell your career story. That challenge increases when you need to figure out how to show a promotion on your resume.

One of the most frequent questions professional resume writers receive is, “How do I list multiple jobs within the same company?” It's a perfectly understandable dilemma. If resume sections are typically separated by job and company, what do you do when there is only a foggy distinction between the two?

In this post, we'll explain some of the options that you can use to highlight promotions on a resume. We'll also include some examples you can refer to for guidance as you add these critical details.

Why you need to know how to show promotions on your resume

You might be wondering why you even need to know how to show promotions on your resume. The answer is simple: if you've been fortunate enough to remain with the same company for a lengthy period as you continued to advance your career, showing promotions can help to show how much that company appreciated the value you provided. It also helps to demonstrate that your career is progressing, rather than stagnating.

What options can you use to show promotions on a resume?

There are two main options available to you if you need to highlight promotions on your resume. They include:

  • Stacking your separate roles beneath the same company entry

  • Listing the company multiple times, with different job titles for each entry

Let's look at each of these different options in more detail.

Option 1: Stacking the two

Stacking the positions into one description is the most common resume format for organizing more than one position at a single company. This method is used to draw attention to lateral moves or progressive responsibilities, achievements, and dedication to the company. There are a few simple rules to this resume format:

  • Include the overall date range at the top
  • List dates for each position next to the job title
  • Place job descriptions and bulleted key achievements directly below each position
The sample resume format looks like this:

COMPANY NAME, City, State • Company Start Date to Company End Date

Most Recent Position - Start Date to End Date

Job Description

  • Key Achievement 1
  • Key Achievement 2
  • Key Achievement 3

Previous Position – Start Date to End Date

Job Description

  • Key Achievement 1
  • Key Achievement 2
  • Key Achievement 3

Place the most recent position at the top and start each description with “Promoted within from [former job title] to [promotion job title]” and describe your new position. You do not need to give reasons for the promotion. Use action verbs to show your accomplishments, not just your job duties. Also be sure to include bullet points of achievements which reflect your contributions.

Here is an example of a description using action verbs and "achieving" language:

  • Incorrect: Responsible for managing operations at multiple stores in the state

  • Correct: Led teams across 50 stores statewide, with combined annual earnings of $190 million

Related: How to Make Your Resume Stand Out with Action Verbs

Option 2: Use separate company listings

Sometimes, your positions at a given company will be distinct enough to stand alone. In those situations, it is advisable to list each career advancement or lateral move separately on your resume, as you would if they were positions at different companies. This approach draws attention to both your achievement history according to position and the period in which those achievements occurred.

One word of caution if you opt for this resume format option: be careful not to give the impression that you were job hopping. Looking like a job hopper can be prevented by placing the dates clearly next to the company, making it easier for the hiring manager or employer to identify the different periods. Other resume format rules to follow include:

  • Only identify important jobs separately

  • Combine less-important positions together

  • Make dates clearly visible

  • Draw attention to achievements

The resume format looks like this:

COMPANY A's NAME, City, State • Start Date to End Date

Most recent position

Job Description

  • Key Achievement 1
  • Key Achievement 2
  • Key Achievement 3

COMPANY A's NAME, City, State • Start Date to End Date

Previous position

Job Description

  • Key Achievement 1
  • Key Achievement 2
  • Key Achievement 3

Another situation that you may find yourself needing to address in the format of your resume is when you've left a company and were later rehired for a different role. For example, say John worked for Dell Computers for six years before moving to Apple. After two years at Apple, Dell then offered John a new position, paying twice his salary at Apple. John decided to go back to Dell and would list his jobs in the following order:

DELL, City, State - Start Date to End Date

Most recent position at Dell 

Job Description

  • Key Achievement 1
  • Key Achievement 2
  • Key Achievement 3

APPLE, City, State - Start Date to End Date

Position at Apple 

Job Description

  • Key Achievement 1
  • Key Achievement 2
  • Key Achievement 3

DELL, City, State - Start Date to End Date

Previous position at Dell

Job Description

  • Key Achievement 1
  • Key Achievement 2
  • Key Achievement 3

So, which option should you choose?

Once you understand the options available to you, the next step is to decide which format is right for your resume. Which one will help to ensure that your resume stands out in a sea of rival candidacies? That decision will likely be based on several distinct factors:

How long you've spent in each job role

If you're one of those people who's worked at the same company for many years and received only one or two promotions, the stacked option will likely be your best bet. That will help to avoid any unnecessary repetition, while still allowing you the ability to highlight your career progression.

How many promotions you've received

On the other hand, if your career progression within a given company has involved multiple promotions that demonstrate consistent career growth, you may want to make multiple listings to highlight this.

Which of those promotions are relevant to the job you're seeking

The skills and experience derived from each role can also be an important consideration. If your promotions and new duties provided expanded opportunities for increasing your value as an employee, that too may be worthy of separate listings.

Changes in job title

In addition to promotions, you may also find yourself needing to highlight changes in your job title. Company restructuring, lateral job changes, and other factors can sometimes result in employees receiving different job titles, new duties, and responsibilities - without receiving any type of formal promotion or change in compensation.

To show those changes on your resume, your best option is to use a format that relies on separate entries for these job title changes. You can then stack entries for any promotions that you might receive while holding any of those job titles.

Just make sure that you don't forget to focus on measurable achievements for each of those entries. Highlight your adaptability and resilience, while noting any restructuring or other changes that led to the change in role or job title. As always, emphasize the value that you provided as an employee at the company.

Key takeaways

Listing more than one job or promotion within the same company shouldn't be a difficult practice in resume formats. There are just a few basic rules. For one, treat it as you would other job listings: stack the positions under the company name, and draw attention to achievements and dates.

If the position calls for individual listings, remember to make the dates easier to see, focus on achievements, and write transition sentences to start each new position. This helps to draw more attention to your abilities and clarify your situation. If you're unsure whether to stack or list each position separately, remember these differences:

A stacked resume is used when positions are similar but with increasing responsibilities. It focuses on:

  • Promotions

  • Achievements

  • Job Description

Separate positions are used when promotions are major and don't fit well under the other positions. This one focuses on:

  • Major promotions

  • Hiatus from the company

  • Achievements

  • Dates

Knowing how to show promotions on a resume can help you to stand out from the crowd

Promotions and other career victories are not just reasons for celebration; they're also important highlights that you need to emphasize on your resume. Knowing how to show promotions on your resume can help to ensure that potential employers take note of your career progression and the type of value that you provided for your previous employers.

Still not sure about your best options for showing promotions on your resume? Get your free resume review from our team of experts today.

This article was originally written by MA Smith and has been updated by Ken Chase. 

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