Here’s How to Write Your Resume Work Experience Section
If you’ve been blindsided by a layoff, a terminated contract, or a furlough because of the government shutdown, you may already be on the hunt for a new job.
Even if you’re expecting to go back to work shortly, it may be wise to update your resume anyway, now that you’ve had a taste of career instability. Indefinitely postponed pay or the complete loss of work are as good reasons as any to make sure your resume is ready for a hiring manager’s perusal. And it may be important that your experience section receives the most attention.
It’s not uncommon for a recruiter to skip over the rest of the page and immediately analyze your work experience section, the area which outlines your specific employment history and related responsibilities.
What to Cover in Your Work Experience Section
Certain essential pieces of information belong in your resume’s work experience section:
- Organization names – Write out the full name of where you previously worked. Only mention subcategories and departments if their mention is valuable.
- Job Title/Position – Include the full, formal title you held at every employer on the list.
- Employment Period – Display the month and year you started the job, followed by when you left the position.
- A quick detailing of job duties. Leave a list of your biggest responsibilities beneath each position. Include only relevant duties.
Employment History Example
For a job in which you worked at a post office, you might write the following:
- Defused conflict while maintaining customer satisfaction
- Efficiently worked in a team environment
- Performed competently in a fast-paced setting
How to Format a Work Experience Section
- Using columns conserves page space. You might place the company name in the left column, the business’ location in the middle, and your dates of employment in the right-side column.
- You don’t need to use full sentences. You’ll be dealing with limited space. Full sentences are unnecessary and can be a distraction for recruiters.
- Strong verbs help to reflect your impact. You don’t need a thesaurus for every word, but try to have your job description make use of strong action words.
Whether you were directly affected by the government shutdown or if you simply want to update your resume, JobHero can help optimize your career path. We’ve got thousands of resume samples, cover letter samples, and other useful career resources.