How to List Your Work Experience on a Resume (With Examples)

When you’re job hunting, few parts of your resume matter more than your work experience section. It’s the place hiring managers look at first to answer a simple question: Can this person do the job?

But what exactly makes a work experience resume section stand out? How do you format it, describe your accomplishments, and tailor it for different roles? Whether you’re updating or starting from scratch, you want to create a winning resume. So, this guide will show you how to list work experience in a resume like a pro.

How to Add Work Experience to Your Resume

Creating a compelling work experience resume section doesn’t have to be complicated. However, it does take intention. This section should tell a clear story of where you’ve worked, what you accomplished, and how your background fits the job you're applying for.

Before writing anything, take time to gather your information and map out your professional timeline. Let’s start there.

Prepare Your Information

Before you start typing, get organized. Reflect on each position you’ve held and jot down your key responsibilities, achievements, and dates of employment. Think about what each job taught you and made you better at what you do today.

Having this info on hand makes it easier to write a focused and tailored resume work experience section.

What to Include in Your Work Experience Section

Each job listing should give a full yet concise snapshot of your role. Think of this section as proof that you’re qualified instead of a list of past positions. Here’s what to include:

Job Title/Position

This is the role you held, and it should match what’s on your official employment record. It’s one of the first things recruiters and Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) look for. Keep it standard by using the official title used by your employer, even if it’s a little boring. For instance, use “Customer Service Representative,” not “Customer Happiness Hero.”

Company Name

Include the full, official name of your employer. If the company isn’t well-known, you might consider adding a short one-line description (especially if it adds context to your industry experience). For example: Acme Systems – A regional provider of cloud-based CRM software.

Location

Add the city and province (or state, if in the U.S.) where you worked. If the job was remote, you can simply write “Remote” or “Remote – Canada.” This helps show hiring managers your working environments, especially if remote or hybrid work is a key part of the role you’re applying for.

Employment Dates

List your start and end dates in month and year format (e.g., January 2021 – May 2023). If you’re currently in the role, write “Present” as your end date. This gives a clear timeline of your career progression, which hiring managers and ATS systems often scan for.

Responsibilities and Achievements

This is the heart of your resume work experience. Use bullet points to describe your key tasks and—more importantly—your accomplishments. Focus on what you did, how you did it, and the results you achieved. Aim for 3–5 bullet points per job, using active language and measurable outcomes wherever possible.

Now that we’ve broken down each element you want to include, let’s look at some resume work experience examples that can help you.

Example 1: Marketing Coordinator ABC Digital Agency, Toronto, ON | March 2022 – Present

• Created and scheduled content across social media platforms, increasing engagement by 35% in 12 months

• Assisted in developing and launching 10+ product campaigns

• Monitored analytics and adjusted strategies to meet KPIs

Example 2: Sales Associate TechNova Electronics, Vancouver, BC | June 2020 – February 2022

• Achieved 120% of monthly sales targets for six consecutive quarters

• Trained and mentored three new employees, improving onboarding time by 25%

• Received “Top Seller” award three quarters in a row

Example 3: Customer Support Specialist CloudSync Inc., Remote | January 2019 – May 2020

• Responded to an average of 75 support tickets per week, maintaining a 97% customer satisfaction rating

• Implemented new FAQ resources that reduced ticket volume by 15%

• Collaborated with the product team to relay customer feedback

Describing Job Responsibilities and Achievements

A standout resume goes beyond listing tasks: you need to demonstrate value. Use concise, impactful language that shows results, not just duties.

Showcase Your Accomplishments

Adding impact and outcomes gives context to your work and makes your resume more compelling. So, highlight what you achieved instead of just listing your job duties. More than just responsibilities, employers care about results.

What not to do:

• “Handled customer emails and phone calls.”

• “Did social media marketing.”

What to do instead:

• “Responded to customer inquiries via phone and email, resolving 95% of issues within 24 hours and improving customer satisfaction ratings by 15%.”

• “Created and managed Instagram and LinkedIn campaigns that increased brand engagement by 40% over three months.”

List Quantifiable Achievements

When it comes to listing accomplishments, numbers speak louder than words. If you can add data to back up your claims, do it. Whenever possible, use metrics: percentages, revenue figures, time savings, growth stats, or customer satisfaction ratings. Quantifying your achievements builds credibility and shows you're results-oriented.

What not to do:

• “Helped improve team performance.”

• “Sold company products to clients.”

What to do instead:

• “Improved team productivity by 25% by introducing a new task management tool and process.”

• “Exceeded monthly sales targets by 20% for six consecutive months, generating $500,000 in new revenue.”

Use Bullet Points

Break down your responsibilities into digestible bullet points. This helps recruiters skim your experience quickly. The verbs you choose at the start of each bullet point can either energize your resume or make it fall flat.

Strong action verbs demonstrate leadership, initiative, and results. Weak ones? Not so much. Here’s how to upgrade your resume language:

Avoid: vague or passive verbs. They don’t show impact and often make your resume sound generic. These are some verbs you want to steer away from:

• Helped

• Worked on

• Assisted with

• Was responsible for

• Did

Use Instead: specific, active verbs. They immediately convey that you made things happen. Here are some go-to verbs for describing work experience in a resume:

• Led

• Created

• Improved

• Developed

• Implemented

• Launched

• Streamlined

• Managed

• Resolved

Let’s look at some more real-life examples:

Pro tip: Start each bullet point with a strong verb and avoid repeating the same one throughout your resume. Variety helps maintain interest and better reflects the scope of your experience.

Formatting the Work Experience Section

Formatting matters—especially when it comes to ATS systems. A clean, easy-to-read layout ensures your experience gets noticed.

Why Use the Reverse Chronological Order

Most recruiters and ATS tools prefer the reverse chronological format. That means listing your most recent job first and working backward.

Why? It highlights your current skills and achievements right at the top. Unless you have no experience or are making a career change, this is your best bet.

Tailoring Work Experience for Specific Job Applications

One of the most common mistakes job seekers make is sending out the same resume to every employer. But recruiters can spot a generic resume from a mile away—and worse, so can applicant tracking systems (ATS). Tailoring your resume to each job posting not only shows effort, but it dramatically improves your chances of landing an interview.

This doesn’t mean rewriting your entire resume for every application. Instead, it’s about aligning your work experience resume section with the specific requirements and language of the job you’re applying for.

Relevance: Focus on Experiences Pertinent to the Job Applied For

Not every job you’ve had needs to be listed—especially if it’s not connected to the role you're targeting. Think of your work experience section as a curated highlight reel, not a comprehensive autobiography.

Here’s how to tailor for relevance:

• Study the job description carefully. Look for keywords, required skills, and responsibilities.

• Select roles that show you have those skills. Even if the industries are different, transferable skills like project management, communication, or technical expertise can still apply.

• Emphasize similar tasks and environments. If the role mentions remote collaboration or fast-paced environments and you’ve worked in those conditions, say so.

Example: Let’s say you’re applying for a marketing coordinator role, and you previously worked in retail. You can focus on experiences such as:

“Created in-store displays and seasonal campaigns that increased customer engagement by 15%—skills directly transferable to campaign planning and brand promotion.”

Quick tip: If a job doesn’t directly relate but shows valuable soft skills (like leadership, teamwork, or customer service), you can still include it—just frame it with intention.

Keywords: Use Industry-Specific Terms from the Job Description

Most companies use ATS software to filter resumes before a human ever sees them. These systems scan for specific keywords from the job description. If your resume doesn’t include them, it might get rejected even if you’re qualified for the position.

How to tailor with keywords:

1. Highlight the most important words and phrases in the job description. These are usually listed under “requirements,” “responsibilities,” or “qualifications.”

2. Mirror those words exactly when describing your past roles, as long as they’re accurate.

3. Incorporate them naturally into your bullet points, headline, and summary. Don’t just stuff a list of keywords at the bottom.

Example: If the job description says, “Must have experience managing digital ad campaigns across Google Ads and Meta,” your resume might say:

“Managed and optimized Google Ads and Meta advertising campaigns with a monthly spend of $10K, resulting in a 3:1 ROI.”

Other common keyword areas include:

• Software/tools: Salesforce, HubSpot, Excel, Slack

• Methodologies: Agile, Scrum, Human-Centered Design

• Certifications: PMP, CPA, Google Analytics

• Skills: Customer onboarding, account management, budgeting, reporting

Pro tip: If you're unsure which keywords to use, copy the job description into a free word frequency tool (like Online-Utility.org's Text Analyzer) and see which terms appear most often.

Work Experience Section for Special Circumstances

Not everyone has a perfectly linear career path—and that’s OK. Here’s how to handle special cases in your resume work experience section.

Addressing Employment Gaps

Employment gaps happen for many reasons, and they’re far from deal-breakers. Maybe you were laid off, went back to school, took time off for caregiving, or faced personal challenges. What matters most is how you present it in your work experience resume section.

Here’s how to do it with confidence:

• Be honest, but concise. There’s no need to go into personal details. A brief mention or adjustment in formatting can help address gaps without drawing unnecessary attention.

• Fill the gap with productive activities. Did you freelance, volunteer, study, or earn a certification during the time off? Include that experience under your work history.

• Use a functional or hybrid format if needed. These formats emphasize skills and achievements over strict timelines, which can help de-emphasize gaps.

Example 1: You took time off to care for a family member, but completed online courses during that time. Here’s how to describe this situation:

“Completed Google Project Management Certificate while providing part-time caregiving (May 2022 – January 2023). Strengthened skills in organization, scheduling, and remote collaboration.”

Example 2: You took a break to travel and freelance. You can describe this period like this:

“Freelance Content Writer (June 2021 – December 2021) Created blog content and web copy for small businesses while traveling, maintaining client relationships and deadlines remotely.”

Pro tip: If a gap is short (under six months), you might not need to address it at all, especially if your resume is otherwise strong and up to date.

Multiple Roles at the Same Company

Being promoted or shifting roles within a company shows growth, flexibility, and trust from your employer. However, those multiple roles can be tricky to format on your resume. Luckily, there’s a simple and effective way to structure this in your resume work experience section.

Here’s how to present multiple roles at the same company:

• Use a single company heading. This keeps the timeline clean and helps avoid unnecessary repetition.

• List each position underneath, with separate job titles and dates. Include bullet points for each role that highlight your accomplishments and evolving responsibilities.

• Showcase your career progression. Emphasize promotions, new challenges, and expanded scopes of work.

Example: The format below clearly communicates your growth and keeps your resume visually tidy and easy to scan.

GlobalTech Inc., Toronto, ON January 2020 – Present

Senior Product Analyst (June 2022 – Present)

• Led cross-functional data initiatives to improve product usability, increasing NPS score by 18%

• Managed a team of three analysts; implemented dashboard tracking for customer insights

Product Analyst (January 2020 – May 2022)

• Analyzed user behavior across web and mobile platforms, generating weekly reports for stakeholders

• Helped identify product friction points, leading to a 12% increase in user retention

Pro tip: Use the second role’s bullet points to avoid repeating achievements from the first. Focus on what was new or more strategic in your higher position.

Career Change

Making a career change doesn’t mean starting from zero. It means reframing your past work to show how it translates into your new target role. This is key in your work experience resume section, where employers will be looking for relevant experience, even if it’s indirect.

Here’s how to make the shift smoother on your resume:

• Highlight transferable skills. Project management, leadership, communication, and data analysis are all valuable abilities across industries.

• Reframe your accomplishments. Instead of focusing on industry-specific results, emphasize processes and skills that are universal.

• Use a skills-focused bullet structure. Lead with the transferable skill, then show how you applied it.

• Add relevant education and projects. Include any courses, certifications, or side projects that align with your new field. They’ll reinforce your commitment to the career change.

Example: If you're moving from teaching to a project management role, here’s how you can showcase this change:

“Planned and led daily instructional programs for 30+ students, incorporating time management, task prioritization, and performance tracking—skills aligned with project planning and execution.”

Pro tip: If your most relevant experience comes from volunteer work, freelance gigs, or personal projects, list those under your work experience section to boost relevance.

First Job

Writing a resume for your first job can feel intimidating, but you probably have more to include than you think. Even without official work experience, you can use school projects, volunteer work, internships, or extracurricular activities to demonstrate your readiness.

Here’s how to structure the work experience section for a resume with no work experience:

• Choose a strong, relevant heading. Instead of “Work Experience,” you can use “Relevant Experience” or “Professional Experience” to encompass broader types of experience.

• Focus on responsibilities and outcomes. Even if it was unpaid, show what you did and the impact it had.

• Highlight soft and hard skills. Time management, communication, research, customer service, and technical skills are all valuable.

• Include education info. If you’ve completed certifications (e.g., from LinkedIn Learning, Coursera, Google), add them to support your skills.

Example: You volunteered at a community center. This is how to mention it:

“Managed the check-in desk and assisted with scheduling for daily classes, helping to streamline visitor flow and improve event attendance by 10%.”

Tip: Customize your experience to match each job you apply to. If the job mentions teamwork, highlight a group project. If it asks for customer service skills, bring up volunteer or school experiences that involved people interaction.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Even strong candidates can fall into resume traps that hurt their chances of landing an interview. Here are the biggest mistakes to avoid when writing your work experience resume section—and how to fix them.

Excessive Length

A resume isn’t your life story. Limit each role to 3–5 bullet points. Recruiters often spend less than 10 seconds scanning each resume, so keep things punchy and impactful. Prioritize recent and relevant achievements, and cut out fluff.

Vague Descriptions

Avoid generic phrases like “responsible for customer service” or “handled various tasks.” These don’t tell employers how you contributed or what the outcome was. Instead, get specific about your impact, using numbers and action verbs whenever possible.

Irrelevant Information

Don’t include jobs that have no connection to the role you’re applying for—unless they demonstrate transferable skills. For example, your summer job as a lifeguard may not help if you’re applying for a finance position. Focus on experiences that showcase problem-solving, leadership, or industry expertise.

Too Far Back

Employers generally don’t need to know about roles from 15+ years ago—especially if they’re unrelated. Stick to the past 10–15 years, and include older roles only if they’re directly relevant or particularly impressive (e.g., a key leadership role or major project).

Work Experience in a Resume: Final Thoughts

Whether you’re a first-time job seeker or a seasoned professional, your work experience resume section is where you prove your value. It’s your chance to show what you did, how well you did it, and what you can bring to the next role.

Use clear formatting, focus on accomplishments, and tailor each application with care. Remember, your resume is more than a timeline—it’s your story. Tell it well.