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When it comes to showcasing your work experience on your resume, it can be a challenging task. Crafting descriptions of your past employment, volunteer work, projects, and other activities that are relevant to the position you are applying for requires precision, brevity, and descriptive power. A potential employer should be able to gain a clear understanding of your roles, skills, strengths, and accomplishments after reading your descriptions.
To help you in creating impactful and concise work experience descriptions, here are some tips:
1. Start each item with the name of the organization, location, dates, and job title. List your experiences in reverse chronological order, with the most recent ones first.
2. Use concise phrases with strong action verbs to describe your responsibilities. Focus on highlighting the skills and qualities you possess that are relevant to the industry you work in. Incorporate industry-specific keywords to demonstrate your fit for the role.
3. Utilize a variety of action verbs to avoid repetitive descriptions. Use the present tense for current activities and the past tense for past activities.
4. Avoid using pronouns, prepositions, and unnecessary words like “I,” “and,” and “the.” Quantify your accomplishments and responsibilities whenever possible by including numerical figures, monetary values, and percentages.
5. Focus on your individual contributions and achievements rather than summarizing the actions of the organization you worked for.
6. Include only the most significant three to four points in each description to keep it concise and impactful.
For example:
Summer 20XX-20XX: Assistant Manager/Head Lifeguard at The Swim Club, Anywhere, Pennsylvania
– Resolved customer issues and ensured the safety of patrons
– Supervised and trained six lifeguards on club rules and procedures
– Managed schedules for lifeguards, private lessons, and pool activities
– Assisted in overall management of the swim club
In addition to highlighting your domestic work experience, international experience can also be a valuable asset. Working, studying, or volunteering abroad can help you develop a wide range of skills, including:
– Adaptability to new environments and cultures
– Communication skills in various languages and cultural contexts
– Critical thinking and problem-solving abilities in unfamiliar situations
– Independence and time management skills
– Financial management skills
– Confidence, a global perspective, and cultural competency
– Networking and relationship-building skills
Verbs such as adapted, constructed, developed, managed, organized, practiced, represented, travelled, and visited can help convey these skills on your resume.
Incorporating your international experience into your work history can help you stand out to potential employers by showcasing your unique abilities and a global mindset. By following these tips and examples, you can create impactful and descriptive work experience descriptions that effectively communicate your qualifications and accomplishments to potential employers.
