How to Write a Resume Work Experience Section That Gets You Hired

Why Your Work Experience Section Makes or Breaks Your Resume

I've reviewed over 50,000 resumes in my recruiting career. The work experience section accounts for roughly 80% of my hiring decision. It's where candidates either prove their value or reveal they don't understand what employers actually want.

Your work experience isn't a job description archive. It's a highlight reel of your professional impact. Most candidates get this wrong. They list responsibilities instead of achievements. They write paragraphs instead of scannable bullets. They include every job since high school instead of focusing on what matters.

The hiring managers I work with spend an average of 6-7 seconds on initial resume screening. In that time, they're scanning your experience section looking for evidence that you can do the job they need done. If that evidence isn't immediately visible, you're out. For comprehensive strategies on translating your experience, our ultimate experience translation guide covers the complete framework.

This guide breaks down exactly how to structure your work experience section so it survives ATS screening and lands on a recruiter's "yes" pile.

The Anatomy of a Perfect Work Experience Entry

Every work experience entry needs five core elements, presented in a specific order that both ATS systems and human readers expect.

Company Name and Location

Lead with the company name. Include city and state (or country for international roles). If the company isn't well-known, add a brief descriptor: "TechFlow Inc. (B2B SaaS startup, 50 employees)."

Job Title

Your official title comes next. If your internal title was obscure, you can use a more recognizable equivalent. "Client Success Associate" is clearer than "Customer Champion Level II."

Employment Dates

Use month and year format (January 2023 - Present). Avoid unclear date ranges like "2023-2024" which could mean anything from 2 months to 2 years. ATS systems parse dates better when they're explicit.

Achievement Bullets

This is where most candidates fail. Each bullet should follow the formula: Action Verb + Task + Result. "Managed customer accounts" becomes "Managed 45 enterprise accounts generating $2.3M annual recurring revenue."

If you're transitioning to a different industry, our role-specific resume examples show how professionals in various fields structure their experience sections.

Optional Context Line

For significant roles, add a one-line description of scope before your bullets: "Led product development team responsible for company's flagship mobile application (2.5M downloads)."

Writing Achievement-Focused Bullet Points

The difference between a rejected resume and an interview invitation often comes down to how you write your experience bullets. Generic descriptions blend into the hundreds of other applications. Specific achievements stand out.

The STAR Method for Resume Bullets

Adapt the STAR interview framework for your bullets: Situation context, Task you handled, Action you took, Result you achieved. Compress it into one powerful sentence.

Instead of: "Responsible for sales team training"

Write: "Developed and led sales training program that increased new hire ramp time by 40% and boosted first-quarter close rates from 15% to 28%"

The second version tells a complete story with measurable impact. Hiring managers can immediately understand what you did and why it mattered.

Power Verbs That Get Attention

Your choice of action verb signals your level of contribution. Weak verbs like "helped," "assisted," and "participated" suggest supporting roles. Strong verbs demonstrate ownership and leadership.

Notice how each of these verbs implies ownership and initiative—exactly what employers want to see.

Quantifying Results When Numbers Aren't Obvious

Every accomplishment can be quantified with the right framing. Even roles that seem number-free have measurable impacts.

If you managed customer inquiries, you handled "150+ customer inquiries weekly with 98% satisfaction rating." If you processed reports, you "delivered 50+ weekly financial reports with zero errors across 18-month tenure."

Structuring Experience for Different Career Stages

Your work experience section should evolve as your career progresses. What works for a recent graduate won't work for a senior executive.

Entry-Level and New Graduates

With limited professional experience, emphasize transferable skills from internships, part-time jobs, and academic projects. Use coursework and campus leadership positions strategically.

A retail job becomes: "Managed customer transactions totaling $15K daily while maintaining inventory accuracy above 99.5%"

A class project becomes: "Led 4-person research team analyzing market trends for Fortune 500 client, delivering presentation to 50+ industry professionals"

Entry-level candidates should also consider section placement: your education often belongs before experience when it's your strongest credential. For complete guidance on structuring your entire resume by career stage, see Resume Structure: What Goes Where (And Why).

Mid-Career Professionals (5-15 Years)

Focus on progression and increased responsibility. Show how each role built on the previous one. Highlight promotions, expanded scope, and cross-functional leadership.

Trim early-career positions to bare essentials. Your job at the campus coffee shop doesn't need four bullet points anymore.

Senior and Executive Level

Lead with strategic impact rather than tactical execution. Board-level readers want to see revenue growth, market expansion, organizational transformation, and stakeholder management.

Consolidate older roles into a brief "Earlier Career" section. Detail only the past 10-15 years fully.

Common Mistakes That Get Resumes Rejected

After reviewing thousands of resumes, I've identified the patterns that consistently lead to rejection. Avoid these and you're already ahead of most candidates.

Mistake 1: Listing Duties Instead of Achievements

"Responsible for managing team schedule" tells me nothing about your impact. "Coordinated schedules for 12-person team, reducing scheduling conflicts by 60% and improving project delivery timelines" tells me you solve problems.

Mistake 2: Using Passive Voice

"Sales were increased by 25%" distances you from the achievement. "Increased sales by 25%" claims ownership. Always use active voice.

Mistake 3: Including Irrelevant Experience

That summer lifeguard job from 15 years ago isn't helping your application for VP of Marketing. Every experience entry should connect to your target role.

Mistake 4: Inconsistent Formatting

Mixing date formats, varying bullet styles, and random capitalization signal carelessness. Consistency demonstrates attention to detail—a quality every employer values.

Mistake 5: Writing Paragraphs Instead of Bullets

Dense paragraphs don't get read. They get skipped. Bullet points are scannable. In a 6-second review, bullets are the only thing getting read.

Tailoring Your Experience Section for ATS Screening

Approximately 75% of resumes are rejected by ATS before a human ever sees them. Your work experience section needs to be optimized for both machine parsing and human reading.

Keyword Integration

Study the job description. Identify repeated skills, qualifications, and phrases. Incorporate these naturally into your experience bullets.

If the job posting mentions "cross-functional collaboration" three times, that phrase should appear in your resume—ideally in an experience bullet that demonstrates you've done it.

Section Header Optimization

Use standard headers that ATS systems recognize: "Work Experience," "Professional Experience," or "Experience." Creative alternatives like "Career Journey" or "Where I've Made Impact" confuse parsing algorithms.

Format Considerations

Dates and Job Titles

ATS systems look for clear date patterns to calculate tenure. Use consistent formatting: "January 2023 - Present" or "01/2023 - Present." Avoid abbreviations that might confuse parsing.

Handling Special Situations

Not every career path is straightforward. Here's how to present complex situations effectively.

Employment Gaps

Address gaps honestly but strategically. If you took time for education, caregiving, or health reasons, you can note this briefly or leave dates at the year level to minimize gap visibility.

Focus on any productive activities during the gap: freelance work, volunteering, certifications, or relevant skill development. A gap filled with growth is far better than an unexplained void.

Short Job Tenures

Multiple short stints raise red flags. For contract positions, label them clearly: "Contract Role" or "Project-Based Engagement." For jobs you left quickly due to circumstances, consider whether including them serves your application.

If you were laid off or the company closed, that's worth mentioning. If you quit after two months because you hated the job, you might omit it entirely.

Career Changes

When pivoting to a new field, lead with transferable skills. Reframe past experience in terms relevant to your new target. A teacher becoming a corporate trainer emphasizes "curriculum development," "group facilitation," and "learning outcomes assessment"—not "grading papers."

Freelance and Self-Employment

Treat freelance work as a legitimate employer. "Independent Consultant" or "Freelance [Title]" as the company name, with your specialty as the job title. List 3-4 representative clients or projects with quantified outcomes.

Before and After Examples

Let me show you how these principles transform actual resume entries.

Example 1: Sales Professional

Before:

Sales Representative, ABC Corp, 2022-2024

• Made cold calls to prospective customers
• Attended team meetings and training sessions
• Helped close deals with the sales team

After:

Sales Representative | ABC Corp | Chicago, IL | March 2022 - December 2024

• Generated $1.8M in new business revenue through 200+ cold outreach touches weekly
• Exceeded quarterly targets by average of 115% across 8 consecutive quarters
• Mentored 3 new hires on prospecting techniques, accelerating their ramp to quota by 6 weeks

Example 2: Marketing Professional

Before:

Marketing Coordinator, XYZ Inc, 2021-2023

• Worked on social media accounts
• Helped with email campaigns
• Supported the marketing team with various projects

After:

Marketing Coordinator | XYZ Inc | Austin, TX | June 2021 - August 2023

• Grew Instagram following from 5K to 45K through content strategy and influencer partnerships
• Managed email marketing program reaching 80K subscribers with 32% average open rate
• Coordinated 12 product launches generating $2.4M combined revenue in first quarters

Example 3: Operations Professional

Before:

Operations Manager, 123 Solutions, 2020-2024

• Managed day-to-day operations
• Supervised team members
• Handled customer issues

After:

Operations Manager | 123 Solutions | Denver, CO | February 2020 - Present

• Direct operations for $15M revenue unit, managing team of 22 across 3 locations
• Reduced operational costs by 18% ($270K annual savings) through process automation
• Improved customer satisfaction scores from 3.8 to 4.6 stars through service protocol redesign

Frequently Asked Questions

How many jobs should I include in my work experience section?

Include 3-5 relevant positions covering the past 10-15 years. Focus on roles that demonstrate skills relevant to your target job. Recent graduates can include internships and significant part-time work.

Should I include every job I have ever had on my resume?

No. Include only relevant positions from the past 10-15 years. Older roles or short-term irrelevant jobs can be omitted. Focus on quality and relevance over quantity.

How do I write work experience if I have employment gaps?

Be honest but strategic. Focus on what you did during gaps (freelancing, education, caregiving) and emphasize skills gained. Address significant gaps briefly in your cover letter.

What tense should I use for work experience bullet points?

Use past tense for previous jobs and present tense for your current role. Be consistent throughout each job entry.

How many bullet points should each job have?

Use 3-6 bullet points per position. Recent and relevant roles warrant more bullets, while older positions can have fewer. Prioritize your strongest achievements.

Final Thoughts

Your work experience section is where you prove your value to potential employers. Every bullet point is an opportunity to demonstrate that you've solved problems, delivered results, and grown as a professional.

Stop describing what you were responsible for. Start showcasing what you actually accomplished. Use numbers wherever possible. Lead with your strongest achievements. Tailor every application to the specific role.

The candidates who land interviews aren't necessarily the most experienced—they're the ones who communicate their experience most effectively. Your work history might be impressive, but if your resume doesn't convey that clearly, you'll never get the chance to discuss it.

Take your current resume and review each experience bullet. Does it tell a story of impact? Does it include a measurable result? Does it begin with a strong action verb? If not, you now have the framework to fix it. For a complete framework on how to write accomplishments on your resume, including examples across industries and career levels, see our dedicated guide.