How to Present Your Work Experience on Your Resume

Are you an active participant in the job market? Have you already created your resume? Have you been agonizing over how to craft your resume to demonstrate your skills, experience and accomplishments without lying or embellishing yourself too much to stand out from the competition? It is not very fun to go through the process of looking for employment, especially in today’s super tough jobs climate; however, you can present yourself with an outstanding shot at finding the type of job or career you are highly interested in. You will learn how to prioritize your descriptions for the positions you have held in the past on your cover letter, list of references and resume.

The first principle you must adhere to on your cover letter and resume is to not speak in the first person, or say “I”. For example, it is an excellent idea to provide an opening paragraph that says, “My skills and experience are a great asset. My ambition is to contribute to the success of your company.”

Your cover letter should include a section after the opening paragraph that highlights your talents and what you have achieved at your past jobs. Below is a strong example.

Accomplishments and Background:

* Strong computer skills
* Increased ABC Sales’ sales volume by twenty percent.

Put great care into your list of references. Provide a typed copy that includes the contact information of previous employers. Include the names of your immediate supervisors and the full address and telephone number of each company you have listed.

Your resume should cover the positions you have held in a reverse chronological order, starting with your most recent position. It is a good idea to cover the jobs you have held over the past seven years. Each main header on your resume should be typed in a boldface style. In the section that covers your job experiences, include a title for each position you have held that most accurately explains what you did. Below is an example of how to highlight some skills you possess, your achievements and your previous positions.

Special Skills

CUSTOMER SERVICE
* Possess strong people and cash handling skills.
* Served customers in a friendly and timely manner at Todd’s Hamburgers.

SALES
* Improved ABC Sales’ bottom line by twenty percent.

COMPUTER
* Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, proficiency with the Internet

EXPERIENCE
Sales Associate/Sales Manager – December 2006 to December 2008
ABC Sales

Food Server/Cashier – August 2001 to October 2006
Todd’s Hamburgers

Adhere to what you have learned to properly prioritize your past job descriptions and increase your chances for landing your dream job!