A well-versed and organized work experience section will positively benefit your resume. It is the pivotal element of the whole resume, as it shows have the necessary qualifications that fit according to the position you are applying for. It also highlights the important skillset you possess. It provides relevant information in a limited space, making it easier for the recruiter to navigate and read.
Building a strong, elegantly written experience section is the first step to success, learning how to create an impactful work experience section in your resume may help you get an interview.
Why is it important to include a work experience section in your Resume?
To recruiters, the work experience section is the most crucial part of the candidate’s resume, as it not only outlines what a candidate is able to do but also the skills that he possesses. Hence it is the most important part of a professional resume. More often than not, recruiters skip first to the work experience section to scan it first to determine if the rest of the candidate’s resume is worth investing time in or not. And if you are the correct fit for the position they are recruiting for.
This section gives a clear insight into your employment history. It allows recruiters to comprehend your understanding, familiarity, and knowledge of the specific job position they are recruiting for as well the industry.
In this section, showcasing your unique ways of doing things, your professional approach to problems as well as highlighting your skills, allows the recruiter to understand what you as an individual bring to the company.
Mentioning your duties and the tasks you performed tailored to fit the position you are applying for, allows the recruiter to identify your capabilities and your transferable skills.
Lastly, giving a spotlight to the awards, achievements, and accomplishments you managed to grab in a particular position clearly exhibits to the recruiter the standard of work you will bring to the particular position they are recruiting for.
This section will allow you to outline the details of your current (if applicable) and previous jobs. Ideally, this section should contain all information about each of the job titles you work in, but it can vary in some situations. This will include all full-time and part-time positions, internships, and temporary and volunteer work (if applicable). Alongside listing each job position you must include each and every task including the day-to-day task you’ve performed while holding that job title.
What to include:
The following is the list of things you must mention in the work experience section of your resume:
- The name of the company as well as the location of the company you worked at
- Your job title.
- The date that you started that job position
- The date that the job position ended for you
- Position summary including key responsibilities
- Skills that you learned while holding that position
- Your accomplishments and achievements as well as any awards/recognition you received.
You must repeat each point from this list for each position you list.
How to include:
It is easy to get carried away while writing your resume. However, instead of haphazardly jotting down irrelevant stories and an overload of jargon, here are a few steps you can follow to write a neat, to-the-point, informative work experience section in your resume:
Step 1: Step back and Evaluate
It is very necessary before your start writing your work experience section, you must step back and look at the big picture. Analyze, evaluate, and decide which job positions you want to include. This must be done in the light of the job you are applying for, and how each position will affect your chances of getting you that interview. You must decide which position is relevant and which does not have any positive effect on your chances of getting that said interview. You can choose to include every position you’ve worked in, or you may only include positions relevant to the job you are applying for. As someone with less experience in that particular industry, you may mention unrelated positions but for someone who comes from the same background as the position you are applying for, it is advised to stick to your guns.
Step 2: Your most recent job
After deciding on all the jobs, you are going to include in your work experience, you must mention the most recent job title you held. To a recruiter, a candidate will be the best and most improved version of their professional self in their most recent job position. It must showcase if not all than some of your best skills and qualities.
Step 3: What good is a bland stew?
Just listing job titles will not do, you must include specific details about your responsibilities in each particular position. Just like a bland stew does not seem scrumptious, similarly, just adding job titles without details will not suffice. Spice up the section by listing all the activities, tasks, and duties you performed in bullet points. And for garnishing you can add a position summary to give it a nice touch.
Step 4. Slide down
List all the positions you want to mention in your work experience section in chronological order. You can decide how many positions to include in your resume based on your experience level. If you have more experience, then you may include three to five positions, though if you’re newer to the industry, you may include one to two positions.
Step 5: Proofreading
Upon completing and listing down everything you wanted to mention in the work experience section of your resume, you must proofread it. Proofreading allows you to find any spelling, grammatical, and even formatting errors. Having an error-free resume allows the recruiter easy navigate your particulars while showcasing your eye for detail.