Your work experience section is the core of your resume—it's where employers look to verify your qualifications. Here are answers to 15 frequently asked questions about listing work history.
Key Takeaways
TL;DR
Craft a powerful work experience section by focusing on quantifiable achievements, not job duties. Use strong action verbs and specific metrics to demonstrate your professional impact, transforming generic responsibilities into compelling narratives of success. Strategically highlight experiences from the last 10-15 years that align with your target role, showing career progression through concrete, measurable results that set you apart from other candidates.
- Focus on accomplishments, not duties. Show impact with numbers and results.
- Use strong action verbs. Start bullets with verbs like "Led," "Increased," "Developed."
- Be honest about everything. Employers verify employment history.
What to Include Questions
List core professional achievements, not just job duties, when detailing work experience on a resume. Quantify results using precise metrics like revenue generated, efficiency improved, or projects completed. Focus on demonstrating value through concrete outcomes that showcase your unique professional impact and problem-solving skills.
How do I list work experience on a resume?
List work experience in reverse-chronological order, starting with your most recent job. Include company name, job title, employment dates, and 3-4 bullet points highlighting quantifiable achievements. Use strong action verbs like "developed," "increased," or "transformed" to demonstrate impact and value.
List each position with: Job Title, Company Name, Location (City, State), Dates (Month/Year - Month/Year), and 3-6 bullet points describing accomplishments. Use reverse chronological order (most recent first). Format dates consistently throughout and include quantified achievements wherever possible.
Should I include every job I've ever had?
Do not include every job on your resume; strategically curate work experiences that showcase career progression and relevant skills. Focus on positions from the last 10-15 years that directly align with the target job's requirements. Omit short-term roles, irrelevant positions, and entry-level jobs that don't demonstrate professional growth.
No. Include relevant positions from the past 10-15 years. You may summarize or omit older roles, very short-term positions, or jobs completely unrelated to your target role. However, never create unexplained gaps—brief mentions are better than mysterious holes in your timeline.
Should I include short-term jobs on my resume?
Include short-term jobs strategically, focusing on those that demonstrate skill development or critical experience. Omit roles under three months unless they provide unique value or fill significant employment gaps. Highlight transferable skills and achievements, not just job titles or duration.
It depends. Include short stints (under 6 months) if: they're relevant to your target role, you have limited experience, or omitting them creates a suspicious gap. Consider listing them without specific months (years only) or grouping similar short roles under one entry like "Contract Roles" or "Consulting Projects."
How do I list a job where I was promoted?
List promotions within the same company under a single employer entry, showing progression chronologically. Use a nested format that highlights your job title changes and increasing responsibilities. Include dates for each role and showcase cumulative achievements that demonstrate your growth trajectory.
Option 1: List as separate positions with shared company header. Option 2: Show progression within one entry: "Marketing Manager (2023-Present) | Marketing Coordinator (2021-2023)." Either way, highlight the promotion as an achievement—it demonstrates growth and employer confidence in your abilities.
Should I include internships on my resume?
Include internships on your resume, especially if they're relevant to your target role or demonstrate substantial skills. Internships provide critical early-career evidence of professional capability, particularly for recent graduates or career changers. Highlight specific projects, achievements, and skills learned during these experiences.
Yes, if you're within 1-3 years of graduation or if the internship is directly relevant to your target role. Treat internships like any other job—list accomplishments, not just duties. As your career progresses, phase out internships to make room for professional experience.
How to Describe Jobs Questions
Describe past jobs by focusing on quantifiable achievements, not just job duties. Use action verbs and specific metrics to demonstrate impact, such as "Increased team productivity by 22%" or "Managed $500K project budget." Align descriptions with target job requirements to show direct career progression.
Should I list job duties or accomplishments?
Always prioritize quantifiable accomplishments over generic job duties on your resume. Recruiters want concrete evidence of your impact, not a copy-paste of job descriptions. Highlight specific achievements that demonstrate measurable results, like "Increased team productivity by 42% through strategic workflow redesign."
Focus on accomplishments over duties. Anyone in your role had similar responsibilities—what sets you apart is what you achieved. Transform "Responsible for sales" into "Exceeded sales quota by 23% for 8 consecutive quarters, generating $1.2M in new revenue." Quantify impact wherever possible.
How do I quantify accomplishments if my job wasn't numbers-based?
Quantify achievements by converting qualitative impacts into measurable outcomes. Track project efficiency gains, time saved, process improvements, or client satisfaction scores. Convert subjective work into concrete metrics like percentage improvements, cost reductions, or workflow optimization percentages that demonstrate tangible value.
Every job has metrics if you look: number of people trained, projects completed, processes improved, time saved, satisfaction scores, team size, budget managed, stakeholders served. "Trained 15 new employees" and "Reduced processing time by 30%" work for any role. Ask yourself: How many? How much? How often?
What action verbs should I use on my resume?
Power verbs like "achieved," "optimized," and "transformed" signal proactive impact over generic terms like "responsible for" or "helped." Choose industry-specific action verbs that quantify your contributions, focusing on results-driven language that demonstrates measurable performance and strategic thinking to hiring managers.
Start each bullet with a strong action verb: Led, Developed, Increased, Reduced, Implemented, Created, Managed, Designed, Achieved, Efficient, Launched, Negotiated, Coordinated, Delivered, Transformed. Avoid weak starts like "Responsible for," "Helped with," or "Assisted in."
How long should work experience bullet points be?
Work experience bullet points should be 1-3 lines long, ideally 40-80 words total. Prioritize achievement-oriented language with quantifiable results and specific actions. Start with strong action verbs, and focus on outcomes that demonstrate concrete value to potential employers.
Each bullet should be 1-2 lines maximum. If longer, break into multiple bullets or trim. Structure as: Action Verb + Task + Result. "Reduced customer wait times by 40% by implementing new queuing system, improving satisfaction scores from 3.2 to 4.7." Concise bullets are easier to scan.
Should I use first person on my resume?
Avoid first-person pronouns on your resume; they waste valuable space and sound unprofessional. Hiring managers expect a concise, objective document that highlights achievements. Use clear, action-oriented language starting with strong verbs like "developed," "increased," or "implemented" instead of "I" statements.
No. Resumes use implied first person—drop the "I." Write "Managed team of 10" not "I managed a team of 10." This is standard resume convention and makes your statements more direct and powerful. Save space and maintain professional tone.
What Special Situations Questions Should You Ask About Job History?
How do I explain a layoff on my resume?
Address layoffs directly and confidently by treating them as a neutral career transition. List the company, your role, and key achievements as normal. Include the reason for departure if it reflects broader economic trends, such as industry-wide restructuring or pandemic-related downsizing.
Don't explain it on the resume—your resume lists positions and accomplishments, not reasons for leaving. If the company closed, you might note "(Company closed 2024)" after the company name. Save explanations for cover letters or interviews where you can provide context.
Should I include freelance or contract work?
Always include freelance and contract work as legitimate professional experience on your resume. Treat these roles identically to traditional employment, listing specific clients, project outcomes, and quantifiable achievements. Hiring managers recognize the growing gig economy and value demonstrated skills and results over traditional employment status.
Yes. List freelance work like any other job: "Freelance Marketing Consultant | 2022-2023" with bullet points of accomplishments. If you had multiple clients, you might group under one heading and list notable clients. Contract work demonstrates initiative and maintained skills.
How do I handle gaps in employment?
Address employment gaps transparently by briefly explaining the reason and highlighting skills or personal development during that time. Focus on positive, constructive narratives like freelance work, volunteer projects, professional certifications, or caregiving that demonstrate continued professional growth and adaptability.
Address significant gaps (6+ months) by listing what you did: "Freelance Consultant," "Caregiver," or "Professional Development." Use years-only formatting to minimize shorter gaps. In your cover letter, briefly address the gap positively, focusing on how you stayed productive or what you learned.
Can I leave off a job I was fired from?
Legally and professionally, you can omit a short-term or terminated position from your resume. Strategically exclude roles under 3-6 months or with potential negative implications. Focus on showcasing your strongest professional experiences that demonstrate relevant skills and career progression.
You can omit any job, but gaps are suspicious. If the role was brief, omitting may be acceptable. If significant, include it with honest (but brief) positive accomplishments. In interviews, prepare a neutral explanation: "It wasn't the right fit" is acceptable without detailing circumstances.
What if I can't remember exact dates of employment?
Use approximate months and years if exact dates are unclear. Recruiters prefer estimated dates over blank spaces. List month and year (e.g., "June 2018 - August 2020") and focus on demonstrating consistent employment periods and career progression rather than precise day-level accuracy.
Do your best to be accurate—background checks verify dates. Check old tax returns, LinkedIn history, social security earnings statements, or contact former HR departments. If uncertain, use years only (2019-2021) rather than specific months. Never guess at dates.
Need help crafting compelling work experience descriptions? Resume Geni's AI-powered builder suggests impactful bullet points based on your role.
What Related Resume Resources Should I Review?
- ATS Resume Formatting Guide
- Quantifying Resume Achievements
- Resume Keywords Optimization
- Professional Summary Examples
- Cover Letter Guide