Of all the information listed on a resume, highlighting previous work experience is one of the most important. This is your opportunity to share with a potential employer what you’ve done in the past and why it has prepared you for a career with their organization. You probably have a lot that you want to share!
However, most recruiters will look at a resume for only 7 seconds. This means your resume needs to make an impression, and make it fast. With so much information to share, how do you highlight work experience in a way that will capture the attention of a recruiter in such a short amount of time? By keeping your descriptions concise, writing with action words in mind, and quantifying your accomplishments, your work experience has a better chance of standing out on your resume.
Keep it concise.
Resumes are meant to give an overview of your past experience, so keep each job experience brief. Start by stating the company name, your previous job title, location, and the dates that you worked for the organization. If you had multiple job titles under the same organization, list each one. For each position, list your main responsibilities. You can do this in either a bulleted list or in paragraph form. You may have worn multiple hats in a previous role, but limit yourself to four to five main responsibilities. This makes it easier for a recruiter to scan your resume and decide if your experience is applicable.
For example:
Medix Staffing Solutions Chicago, IL Recruitment Advisor June 2020-Present
- Identify qualified candidates through a number of creative outlets.
- Assess candidates through phone screening, interviewing, skills testing, and reference checks.
- Maintain and develop relationships with over 100 candidates via phone and email communications.
- Consistently exceeded quarterly performance metrics.
Use action words.
Word choice is extremely important when it comes to highlighting previous work experience on your resume. Action words help your resume stand out by focusing on what you’ve achieved in a previous role. They are not passive filler words such as “responsible for.” Action words state specifics and show exactly how you contributed to a project or initiative. They also make the resume easier to read. Example action words include words such as “achieved,” “generated,” “refined,” and “ensured.” Action words also show confidence in your accomplishments. You should be proud of what you’ve done in the past, so state your accomplishments confidently!
For example:
Medix Staffing Solutions Chicago, IL Job Title Dates
- Spearheaded new hire training program
- Broke 10 accounts generating $50,000 in revenue
- Ensured client satisfaction through weekly check-ins and monthly feedback sessions
Quantify your accomplishments.
Numbers don’t lie. Anytime you are able to quantify previous work accomplishments, you should. For example, instead of stating that you, “increased website traffic for company webpage,” try saying, “increased website traffic for company webpage by 40 percent.” Quantifying your accomplishments shows credibility you’ve actually done what you say and have data to prove it. It also draws the eyes of recruiters and makes your experience more memorable. In addition, adding in numbers to previous work experience helps set realistic expectations for recruiters of what you’ve done in the past and may be able to accomplish in a future role.
For example:
Medix Staffing Solutions Chicago, IL Job Title Dates
- Increased website traffic for company webpage by 40%
- Oversaw a team of 10 junior developers
If you haven’t been tracking your accomplishments at work, start now! Keep a journal of what you’ve done at work, and think about what key performance indicators (KPIs) are important in your past or current roles. Numbers don’t always have to be exact. If you’re not able to nail down an exact number you can use a range such as thirty to forty percent. Just make sure all quantified accomplishments have reputable data to back them up!
There’s a lot to cover when it comes to resumes, but work experience may be the most critical. When highlighting previous work experience, make sure to keep it concise, use powerful action words, and quantify your accomplishments whenever possible. These three tips will ensure you create a strong, eye-catching resume!
Ready to put your resume to the test? Check out our current openings and apply at careers.medixteam.com.
Thank you for this.
Thanks for reading!
Thank you for looking into my interest to apply for the opportunity
Thanks for reading, Kermundu! If you’re interested in viewing our open positions, please visit careers.medixteam.com
Thank you. These were very helpful tips.
Glad you found this helpful! Thanks for reading!
I have 14 years experience in retail sector in sales and cashier . Team leadership werehouse
Thanks for reading and commenting! To view our job openings, please visit careers.medixteam.com
What if the previous work experiences were non-sanguine, non-productive or fired.
How to handle such issues in a resume.
Thanks for reading and commenting, Sharon. You can list any previous experience you have on a resume. Try to keep the tone positive and relevant to whatever position you may be applying for!
Dear sir. I want to job in your company. I have 1st experience is cadila pharmaceutical in Agro Division in labour supervisor in 2 years. 2nd experience in Aarana Lawns and banquet hall management in 8 years. other job for a driving. Supervisor. Postel. Delivery. Ready for work.
Thanks for reading and commenting!
To view our latest job openings and apply, please visit careers.medixteam.com
Great tips ..thank you will put in place and utilize.Thank you.
Thanks for reading and commenting, Judie!
Thank you for your information, it is appreciated very much.
Thanks for reading Angel!
Am still waiting on my check I work for you all at I still don’t get paid I send my time sheet so much time no reply I want you all to please pay me I don’t have any job right now I was getting unemployment but it gets cut cause I was working for you all
Danny, thank you for bringing this issue to our attention. We have sent a message to your recruiter and they should be reaching out shortly. Please feel free to contact us anytime with any issues you may have at contactus@medixteam.com. Thank you, and we apologize for the inconvenience.
darlenebasier24@gmail.com
Hi Darlene,
If you’re interested in viewing or applying to our job postings, please visit careers.medixteam.com
Thank you!
CNA, phlebotomy
Thanks for reading, Bernice! To view our most recent job postings, please visit careers.medixteam.com
Thanks!
DEAR
MANY THANKS I CAN TO WORK WITH YOUR COMPANY BY CAREFULLY AND DETERMINATION TO ACHIEVE INTERESTING AND SUCCESS .
MANY THANKS
To view and apply for our job openings, please visit careers.medixteam.com
Thank you for reading!
medix is a good place to work for, they pay on time I will like to work with them.
Thanks for reading and commenting Mary!
I’m still waiting on a response from my recruiter about my vacation paid on a job that end with CVS Covid tester. I waiting on my pay and a response from any one from this company. My end job date was July 3,2021. I’m not working at the moment and unemployment denied me. Please send me my vacation and sick time please.
Antonine, we are so sorry to hear about the lack of communication with your recruiter. We have reached out and they should be in contact with you shortly. If you require any additional assistance, please feel free to email contactus@medixteam.com. Thank you, and we apologize for the inconvenience.
I want a job. Hello?
Hi Donald! Thanks for reading and commenting. To view our job openings, please visit careers.medixteam.com
Thank you!
I work as a nurse, and our quarterly goal was to reduce overtime by 10%— although i left he company before the end of the quarter, and our boss did not provide regular updates about our progress…i am confident that i was able to achieve this quota—would it be overstepping to state that it was something i was able to accomplish? Is there a better way to state this? Also, any metrics we had weren’t individualized—how do you make them specific?
I started two subcommittees and ran lead on the national nurses quality indicators (our metrics) by creating a LIASON position between nurses and physicians… the goal was to increase communication between groups….how can we quantify these types of accomplishments?
Thanks for reading, Melissa!
To answer your questions, first, you can phrase this as “contributed to team quarterly quota goal of reducing overtime by 10%.” This way, you can explain further in an interview and not overstep! Second, you could state, “Created two subcommittees and led national nurses quality indicators by implementing a liaison position between nurses and physicians to improve communication between groups.” Using some of those action words really helps here! Not every accomplishment needs to be quantifiable, only when it’s applicable.
Hope this helps! Thanks again for reading!
Thank you.
Thanks for reading, David!
Thank you this was very helpful
Thanks for reading!