Many employers find your work experience to be the most important section of your resume. Not only are you giving a timeline of your career, but also showcasing your achievements and highlighting the impact you made on past positions. This means that writing a strong and relevant work experience section is integral to scoring an interview with your desired job.
Here are some ways to curate a work experience section that organizes your career into an exciting and easy-to-read format.
The purpose of a relevant work experience section
The work experience section of your resume shows hiring managers that you have the relevant skills and knowledge to succeed in the role that you applied for. This area is not only used to showcase your previous jobs, but also spotlights impressive achievements and applicable impact that you made in other roles.
Not only should you include previous roles that are pertinent to the new position that you applied to, but also explain why you excelled at these titles. This is because job seekers that include a thorough work experience section are set apart from other applicants who only list their previous companies, and you may have a higher chance at scoring an interview.
It’s important to note that the concept of “relevant” work experience depends on the specific job that you are interviewing for. This means that you may need to tailor your work experience section for each job application.
Types of relevant work experience
While the definition of work experience may vary depending on the job application, there are several categories that you should consider including on your resume.
Previous job experience: This is the most important aspect that should be included in your work experience section. You should list past jobs that are both recent in your career and relevant to the job application. For example, including your last role at a company should be prioritized over a part-time position you held in another field over a decade ago.
Freelance work: Freelance work in a field is just as relevant as holding a position with a company. As long as the freelance work is related to the job application, you should include your title and the projects worked as a freelance worker.
Internships: If the internship was recent and relevant to your desired job, make sure to include it alongside any of your tasks and projects. It is acceptable to include unpaid internships.
Training and Certifications: Formal training and certifications can showcase your knowledge and experience in a certain field. Make sure to include any professional development courses or technical certifications related to your desired job.
Highlight your achievements of job duties
If you are applying to a job in your field, there is a high chance that the hiring manager already knows your current responsibilities. This is especially true if you are applying to a senior version of your current job. You can make your work experience section stand out by including any achievements or impact you had in your past roles.
For example, highlight specific projects that you worked on or extra responsibilities that you volunteered to handle. This will especially help showcase your leadership or collaborative skills.
Create a consistent format
Your work experience should look as good as it reads. One of the most common ways to format your work experience section is to list your past jobs in reverse chronological order. Within each role, you include: job title, company name, location, and employment dates.
VITUS Search Group is an executive search firm with over 50 years of combined staffing experience. Whether you are a professional interested in finding your next role or a talent seeker searching for high-caliber employees, contact VITUS today and take the first step in working with one of our recruiting specialists.