resume samples 3 5 years experience

• Side Hustles
• Power Players
• Young Success
• Save and Invest
• Become Debt-Free
• Land the Job
• Closing the Gap
• Science of Success
• Pop Culture and Media
• Psychology and Relationships
• Health and Wellness
• Real Estate
• Most Popular

Related Stories

• Science of Success The No. 1 personality trait   employers always look for
• Land the Job 3 resume red flags recruiters look   out for and how to avoid them
• Land the Job The No. 1 mistake job seekers make   when using AI, says career expert
• Work 4 things to prioritize when applying for   jobs, says hiring pro: ‘Be selective’
• Land the Job How to get recruiters' attention   with your resume summary

I've been interviewing for 20 years—and these are the 3 best resume examples, based on experience level

There is no one-size-fits-all template for a resume that will guarantee a job interview or offer. But there is one major message that every resume should illustrate : "This is how I made things better for my employers."

The secret to making that point as clear and compelling as possible depends on how many years you've been working. Here are solid resumes examples from candidates across three common experience levels: Mid-level, junior and recently graduated:

* Note : These are hypothetical examples; the people, experiences and companies are not real. Numbers and percentages represented by "X" are meant to show style and format.

1. The 'mid-level professional' resume

(Click here to enlarge.)

Mid-level professionals typically have a strong background in managing teams or directing departments. Since they have anywhere from seven to 15 years of experience, their resumes can be longer than one page.

Essential tips:

• Make the first section your professional summary. For a highly experienced candidate like Jonathan, adding a professional summary at the very top is a quick way to concisely convey his core competencies.
• Highlight relevant skills. Notice how Jonathan uses strong keywords and phrases like " strategic planning," "cost management" and "financial planning & analysis" — as noted in the job description. Whether it's being scanned by a human or by a machine, this is what gets a resume noticed.
• Make your recent position the most comprehensive. The professional experience is the bulk every resume, and details from your most recent (or current) position should account for about 75% of this section. Also, you do not need to include your first job.
• Include company descriptions . I consider this a universal rule: If you worked at a company that isn't a household name, adding notable details about the organization (i.e., what it does, number of employees, annual revenue) will save the hiring manager time from having to look it up.
• Numbers, numbers, numbers . If your marketing plan contributed to a 35% increase in sales, make it loud and clear! No need to explain  how you did it; the hiring manager will ask for more details during the interview .
• Emphasize select achievements. Limit your job responsibility descriptions to just two or four of the most important points. By keeping things brief, you can dedicate more space to your proudest and most relevant achievements . This is a more powerful way to showcase what you can contribute to the next employer.

2. The 'junior-level professional' resume

(Click here to enlarge.)

Junior-level candidates usually have two or less years of work experience and tend to require close supervision, especially for complex tasks. These resumes should be one page, tops.

• Showcase strong teamwork skills. One of the most important skills hiring managers look for in junior-level candidates is the ability to work well in teams, large or small. Contrary to popular belief, using words like "we" or "our team" doesn't dilute your achievements; rather, it strengthens your impact. And it's far more effective than saying, "I'm a team player."
• Only include relevant work and internship experience.  Listing each and every internship or job you've held only weakens the resume, mostly because it distracts the hiring manager from focusing on how qualified you are for a specific job.
• Leave out the professional summary.  Unlike those with seven or more years of experience, junior-level professionals don't have enough relevant work to warrant a summary. Instead, their resumes should immediately focus on initial jobs, key accomplishments, education and extracurricular activities.
• Leave out the objective.  What you don't see in Grace's resume (or any other resume here) is an objective. What so many candidates fail to realize is that  objectives are pointless . Even if you truly are "seeking a challenging team leadership position," saying so still reveals nothing about what you can do for a prospective employer.

3. The 'recent college graduate' resume

• Put your education in the first section. Resumes of recent college graduates or workforce entrants should start with the college or university attended, degrees obtained, GPA and any academic honors.
• Keep details about your internships short.  Let's be honest: You were an intern — and there's no way you held as many relevant responsibilities as a non-graduate with years of experience. Going on and on about all the tiny things you did will just make the hiring manager think you're exaggerating or being dishonest. Focus only on the tasks that are important to your field.
• Use extracurricular activities to tell a story.  Be thoughtful about what extracurricular activities you include. It can be something as big as being president of a club or something as small as a weekend of volunteer work — as long as it's interesting enough to tell a story about your hobbies, accomplishments and who you are as a person.
• Keep it to just one page.  Fight the urge to oversell. Prospective employers know that you just graduated, so don't try to make yourself look like something you're not. Otherwise, you'll lose credibility.
• Make your resume pleasing to the eye with lots of white space. Hiring managers don't expect college graduate resumes to be jam-packed with a ton of details. Keep it clean, clear and presentable; use bullet points and strong actions verbs. It's assumed that you have references, so no need to list any or say they're "available upon request."

Gary Burnison has been in the business of hiring and interviewing for more than 20 years. Currently, he is the CEO of Korn Ferry , the world's largest executive recruiting firm. Gary is also the author of "Advance: The Ultimate How-To Guide f or Your Career" and the New York Times best-seller "Lose the Resume, Land the Job." Follow him on LinkedIn here .

Don't miss:

• This is the most impressive resume I've ever seen—based on my 20 years of hiring and interviewing
• Here's an example of the perfect cover letter, according to Harvard career experts
• After 20 years of hiring, I refuse to look at resumes that have this common yet outdated section

Like this story? Subscribe to CNBC Make It on YouTube!

Automation Talks

Automation testing world .

• Software Testing Basics
• Software Testing Certifications
• Mainframe Testing
• API Testing
• Selenium WebDriver
• Selenium Grid
• TestNG Framework Tutorial
• AutoIT Tutorial
• Test Automation Framework
• Java for Selenium
• Selenium Interview Questions
• TOSCA Tutorial
• Maven Tutorial
• Jenkins Tutorial
• Guest Articles
• My Udemy Courses
• - Software Testing Basics
• - Software Testing Certifications
• - Mainframe Testing
• - API Testing
• - Selenium WebDriver
• - Selenium Grid
• - TestNG Framework Tutorial
• - AutoIT Tutorial
• - Test Automation Framework
• - Java for Selenium
• - Selenium Interview Questions
• - Maven Tutorial
• - Jenkins Tutorial

SAMPLE RESUME – 3 TO 5 YEARS EXPERIENCE – MANUAL AND TEST AUTOMATION

In this article, i have attached sample resumes for Testing professionals – Manual and Automation with various tools like Selenium, QTP and Other. For Experience range of 3 to  years.

Click on each link of below to get right resume template for you.

67. Full Name_3.5 Years  

66. Full Name_3 Years  

65. Full Name_3.5 Years  

64. Full Name_4 Years  

59. Full Name_3 Years  

60. Full Name_4 Years  

61. Full Name_3 Years  

62. Full Name_3 Years  

50. Full Name_3.11 Years  

49. Full Name_4 Years  

47. Full Name_3.6 Years  

41. Full Name_4.5 Years  

44. Full Name_3 Years  

45. Full Name_4.7 Years  

39. Full Name_4 Years  

31. Full Name_4.4 Years  

17. Full Name_3 Years  

19. Full Name_3.3 Years  

15. Full Name_3.4 Years  

13. Full Name_3 Years  

10. Full Name_4 Years  

11. Full Name_4.5 Years  

5. Full Name_4.3 Years  

6. Full Name_3.3 Years  

2. Full Name_3 Years  

1. Full Name_4 Years

Looking for Resume with Other Experience Range? Click here to get them.

Leave Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Currently you have JavaScript disabled. In order to post comments, please make sure JavaScript and Cookies are enabled, and reload the page. Click here for instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your browser.

Looking for learning Framework Development from Scratch? Lookout for Detailed Framework Development videos on YouTube here -

https://www.youtube.com/automationtalks

Get the Framework code at Github Repo: https://github.com/prakashnarkhede?tab=repositories

How to Write Years of Experience on a Resume

Quick Navigation:

How many years of experience should be on a resume?

How to write years of experience on a resume, should you include all work experience on a resume, is it ok to leave jobs off your resume.

When considering how many years of experience to write on a resume, take a look at the job posting you’re applying to. The number of years you show for work experience can be a crucial indicator to the hiring manager. This article explains how you can include years of experience on your resume to accurately highlight your work history.

As a general rule, try to keep your work timeline as solid as possible and without any major gaps or holes. While companies may be interested in your work five years ago, they may not be as interested in unrelated work 25 years ago. You can make your resume more appealing by cutting less relevant experience from your work history and saving it to discuss during the in-person interview.  

Follow these steps to properly include years of work experience on your resume:

1. First, include only the essentials

When in doubt, try to keep your resume as straightforward as possible. One of the biggest problems with having 20 to 30 years of experience on a resume is that it can create a cluttered look and feel. Try to keep your resume free of this type of clutter so that a hiring manager can make their decision as easy as possible. An interesting resume that captures the attention of the reader is a resume that employers are more likely to fully read. This, in turn, makes it more likely that you get called in for an interview.

2. Second, keep the length to no longer than two pages

The ideal length for a resume is one to two pages long, which may mean you have to do some trimming to optimize your space. If you feel like you are running out of room on your application, you can try using a smaller font or removing less relevant jobs from your resume.

To minimize the space that you’re using for your resume, you can also try writing the title and dates for the positions you have worked in the past, without including multiple bullet point details about the job. You can also condense your resume by abbreviating the months for the dates of employment for each position or even listing the dates of employment on the same line as the job title separated by commas. 

3. Third, check the job posting for the required years of work experience

Consider a job posting that requires 20 years of job-related experience. In a scenario like that, you can still apply with 15 years of work-related experience. Ultimately, the reason that companies might list a requirement for someone with that many years of experience is to indicate that they’re looking to hire someone for a senior position. It’s not actually about a specific number of years.  

4. Next, keep some information for the in-person interview

If you are a more seasoned applicant who might have experience stretching beyond 10 to 15 years, you don’t necessarily need to add that older work experience to your resume. Some industries view it as irrelevant for you to share information about job experience that dates back farther than 15 years. 

You should be careful how much information you share directly on your resume so that it doesn’t seem like your skills might be outdated or that you’d be a risk to hire. This information can be kept until an in-person interview when you can mention it as a bonus to your interviewer.

5. Finally, create an impact with relevance

One of the most important keys to having an impactful resume is to include the most relevant information to the position. While it might be tempting to add everything to your resume, quality carries more impact than quantity, and taking the time to edit your previous work experience can be what ultimately helps you get hired for the position. Try to take the extra time to cut and refine the information you do put on your resume to make sure it’s presented as efficiently as possible. The effort is well worth the time, as your resume is often the first impression you give to a hiring manager.

The goal of your resume is to provide insight into why you’re the best fit for the role that you are applying for. This means that if you’ve held positions that are not relevant to the role, you might not want to highlight them in the same way as others. Whether you omit jobs entirely or condense them into title and dates (without the details), be sure to organize the information on your resume so each section is clearly defined.

When you’re considering information about relevant jobs, a good rule to follow is to list your experience without gaps in employment. For example, if you want to include a position that you held 10 years ago, then you should include job information leading up to the present. The purpose of keeping this consistency is so that a hiring manager can see that you’ve been employed consistently for the time leading up to your application. 

If you are trying to consolidate information, you can trim the jobs that are the farthest back in your work history. Showing a solid list of jobs can help indicate that you are a reliable team member. Your work history can be a hidden trait when hiring managers are looking for a candidate who remains loyal to a company over time.

• Resume Templates

Choose a free Resume Template and build your resume. Use our intuitive drag-and-drop resume builder and save it as a PDF in minutes. Start building your resume right now.

Double Column

Free, Two Column resume template. The most popular choice for most roles, including programming & marketing.

The classic Harvard template, updated for the 21st century with a refined design that recruiters love and an optimized structure for improved ATS performance.

Elegant template with a beautiful design and compact, easy-to-read layout that highlights your strengths and achievements.

The most popular template for upper management roles, project managers and product owners.

A refined template, especially great for positions where presentation is paramount: business development managers, sales leaders & other customer-facing roles.

A creative template that accents your header and makes recruiters want to read the rest. Built for any industry.

A timeline resume template. Organized neatly with a Timeline to show your career progress. For experienced professionals.

Are you a software engineer or a data scientist with a lot of skills & projects to list on your resume? This template allows you to create a perfect one-page resume.

Single Column

Free, simple resume template. Easily readable by both humans and ATS bots.

Designed as a one-page resume template for mid-level roles with 3-10 years of experience.

Multicolumn

Multicolumn resume template. Made for executives to fit additional info in a third column.

Traditional resume template. Fitting for conservative industries.

High Performer

Data-focused resume template. Perfect for project and product managers.

Minimalistic resume template. Blends whitespace and content, without clutter.

Resume Templates by job

Unleash the full potential of your career with professionally vetted resume templates. Take a look at samples from real resumes that helped people get hired at top companies in your field, and build a job-winning resume yourself.

Search more resume examples by job

Software Engineer

Project Manager

Product Manager

Account Manager

Business Development

Marketing Manager

General Manager

Operations Manager

Business Analyst

Managing Director

Full-Stack Developer

Data Scientist

Resume templates by experience.

(1-3 years of experience)

(3-7+ years of experience)

10+ years of experience)

Entry Level

(no prior experience)

Career Change

Resume templates by format.

Combination Resume Templates

Corporate Resume Templates

Infographic Resume Templates

One Page Resume Templates

Timeline Resume Templates

Chronological Resume Templates

Functional Resume Templates

Minimalist Resume Templates

Two Column Resume Templates

• Modern Resume Templates

• Simple Resume Templates

• Create Resume
• Terms of Service
• Privacy Policy
• Cookie Preferences
• Resume Examples
• AI Resume Builder
• Resume Summary Generator
• Resume Formats
• Resume Checker
• Resume Skills
• How to Write a Resume
• Cover Letter Builder
• Cover Letter Examples
• Cover Letter Templates
• Cover Letter Formats
• How to Write a Cover Letter
• Resume Guides
• Cover Letter Guides
• Job Interview Guides
• Job Interview Questions
• Career Resources
• Meet our customers
• Career resources
• English (UK)
• French (FR)
• German (DE)
• Spanish (ES)
• Swedish (SE)

© 2024 . All rights reserved.

Made with love by people who care.

Work Experience on a Resume - How to List It Right

Imagine you’re a hiring manager who goes through countless resumes on the daily.

What’s the first thing you look at?

If your guess was work experience, then you’re right.

And if you spot a few relevant keywords in their work experience section, then you’re more likely to continue reading about their background, contact information, and so on.

The most important thing hiring managers want to know is whether you can do the job you’re applying for, and that’s where the work experience section of your resume comes in.

So how do you make your work experience do the heavy lifting?

Don’t worry! Our article is here to help.

We’re going to cover:

• What Information Your Work Experience Section Needs

How to Format Work Experience on Your Resume

• 11 Real-Life Examples of Work Experience on a Resume

Let’s get started.

What to Include in Your Work Experience Section

The work experience section is the most important part of your resume.

This is the section that gives hiring managers a look at your professional journey so far, including your skills and achievements, and it’s the section they base their hiring decisions on the most.

Your work history can show how likely you are to excel at the job, how committed you are to career growth , and what industry know-how you ought to have.

This section is going to look different depending on your career level, how recent your work experience is, and what the job you're applying for is.

Let’s look at what information employers expect from your work experience section:

• Job Title/Position . Add this at the top of each work experience entry. You want the hiring manager to know at a glance that you have relevant work experience for the job, so use the actual job title instead of any buzzwords.
• Company Name. Include the name of the employer. Sometimes, if the employer isn’t well-known, you might want to describe the company in a sentence or two to give the hiring manager context.
• Location. The general location, such as the city and state/country where you worked, is more than enough information.
• Employment Dates. Write down the approximate timeframe of your employment. There’s no need to give exact dates since the standard format for this is mm/yyyy.
• Responsibilities and Achievements. The core of each work experience entry is what you achieved while you were there. List your responsibilities and achievements in bullet points instead of paragraphs to make them easier to read. Use 5-6 bullet points for newer job entries and 2-3 for older ones.

Here’s an example of a work experience section that includes all of the above:

Want to know more about other resume sections? Learn how to write a resume with our detailed guide!

You know what to include in your work experience section, so let’s talk about how to include it.

First things first - your work experience section should always follow a reverse chronological order . Add your latest work experience at the very top, and work your way backward.

Hiring managers aren’t interested in what you did ten years ago. Instead, they’d rather know what you’ve been up to right before applying for this specific job.

That being said, if you have a lot of experience, you shouldn’t include every single job you’ve ever had.

Your resume is supposed to be one page long , so feel free to omit any summer gigs or part-time jobs to free up space. It’s also extremely important that your work experience is easy to find and that the information is well-structured and readable.

Here’s an example of how to format your work experience section:

Making Your Work Experience Stand Out

Now that you know how to list your work experience, you need to describe it in a way that makes you stand out from other candidates.

We’ve divided this process into several steps, starting with:

#1. List Achievements Instead of Responsibilities

Too many resumes focus on the day-to-day tasks in the work experience section.

The thing is, hiring managers already know what those responsibilities are. They’re the ones who write the job ads, so you won’t impress them by telling them you did just what they would expect you to do.

For example, if you’re a QA engineer, your responsibilities could include:

• Identifying software bugs.
• Ensuring test coverage for all features.
• Making detailed reports on product quality.

These same responsibilities show up in 99% of QA engineer resumes out there.

So, if you want to stand out from the crowd, you want to focus on your most impressive achievements instead. Show the hiring manager how you helped your previous employer and the difference you made while you were there.

Let’s compare how the same work experience entry looks like when we use achievements and when we use responsibilities:

• Increased test coverage by 25% by implementing new automated test suites.
• Reported and triaged over 100 high-priority defects ahead of major releases.
• Executed manual test cases across web and mobile applications.
• Logged defects into bug-tracking systems as they were encountered.

But there are some fields where there aren’t that many achievements you can mention in your resume. For example, if you’re a server , serving 120+ patrons a night, or earning a lot of tips aren’t achievements that look good on your resume.

Your daily tasks probably include:

• Taking orders, serving food and beverages, and ensuring customer satisfaction.
• Preparing tables for meals, including setting up items such as linens, silverware, and glassware.
• Assisting in opening and closing the restaurant, including cleaning duties and setting up for the next service.

In this case, it’s okay to focus on responsibilities instead. You can still distinguish yourself by following the rest of our tips on how to make your work experience shine.

#2. Tailor Your Work Experience to the Job

If you want your resume to go from “okay” to "outstanding," what you need to do is tailor it to the specific job you’re applying for. 

The hiring manager doesn’t need to know details about every job you’ve had or about the skills you gained in a different field. 

So, your work experience should reflect what the job requirements are. This way, you’re more likely to really catch the hiring manager’s attention and land a job interview .

Here’s an example of a well-tailored job ad:

As you can see from the picture, it’s easy to figure out what the most important requirements for the role are. 

So, to tailor your resume to this ad, you need to show how you meet every one of these job requirements.

Let’s look at an example of how the same work experience would be tailored differently according to different job ads.

Say, you were an advertising intern.

Here’s what your work experience would look like when you’re applying for a position as a social media assistant:

INTERNSHIPS

Marketing Intern

Full Picture Company

New York, NY

09/2023 - 12/2023

• Analyzed various social media platforms for trending content.
• Managed company social media accounts.
• Posted interesting content on the company's Facebook page, increasing engagement by 25%.

Pretty easy, right? Now, let’s look at what the same work experience entry would look like for a job as a content writer .

• Assisted the Marketing Manager in writing press releases and new blog posts, which increased web traffic by 25%.
• Created engaging content for email marketing campaigns and boosted newsletter subscriptions.
• Revitalized old blog posts with updated information and SEO optimization, improving organic search rankings by 30%.

The internship is still the same but this way, the experience you’re focusing on is tailored to the job you’re applying for. The hiring manager can immediately see your most important skills for the job and the value you could bring to their team.

#3. Add the Right Amount of Work Experience

If you’ve had a lot of jobs so far, you might be wondering if they all belong on your resume.

The answer is usually no. Your full, detailed work history belongs on your CV instead of your resume .

The hiring manager only wants the most recent and relevant information, not your full life story.

So, the amount of work information your resume should include depends entirely on your level of experience.

Let’s break it down:

• No Experience. If you’re currently looking for your very first job , you simply won’t have any jobs to fill in your work experience section. In that case, we recommend skipping this section and instead focusing on any experience gained in clubs, extracurricular activities , volunteering, and other projects.
• Entry-Level. When you’re applying for an entry-level job, you can list most of your work experience so far. Likely, some of it won’t be relevant, but it still shows the hiring manager that you have some work experience, and that’s better than none.
• Mid-Level. At this level, you should only mention relevant work experience. Don’t waste precious space listing old internships or jobs you had as a teenager .
• Senior-Level. You only need to list up to 15 years of relevant work experience. You might even need a two-page resume to apply for an executive position at this stage, but only if you have too much relevant work experience to fit onto a single page.

#4. Optimize for the Applicant Tracking System (ATS) Software

Before the hiring manager reads your resume, it has to make it to them.

The fact is that 70% of resumes get discarded before the hiring manager even reads them.

That’s because most companies use specialized Applicant Tracking Software (ATS) to go through hundreds of resumes and automatically filter out ones that don’t have what the hiring manager is looking for.

Unfortunately, this means that if a resume is missing a specific skill or isn’t formatted in a way that the ATS can process , it gets rejected immediately.

So, how can your work experience make the cut?

Here are a few tips:

• Don’t go over one page. The ATS can have a limit on how long a resume is allowed to be, so we recommend always sticking to a single-page resume.
• Format everything carefully. Don’t give your resume sections quirky names. Your work experience section should be titled “Work Experience,” not “The Journey So Far.” If you try being too creative, the ATS might not recognize what that section is and reject you.
• Tailor carefully to the job ad. If you want to beat the ATS, you need your resume to be as tailored to the job ad as possible. Include as many relevant keywords as you can in your work experience section. Just make sure they’re all used in a logical context since the hiring manager is supposed to read them, too.
• Keep everything in an active voice. Describe your previous jobs with clear and specific language. (E.g.: Instead of “A team of ten people was managed by me,” say “Managed a team of ten people” ).
• Use power words and action verbs. Hiring managers don’t want to hear how you “were responsible” for this or “helped with” that. Make your work experience pop by using impactful language like “spearheaded,” “designed,” “conceptualized,” and more.

Choose one of our ATS-friendly resume templates to make sure your resume passes the test.

Where to Place Work Experience on Your Resume

The work experience section should always be one of the first sections on your resume, along with the skills section.

Typically, it comes just after your resume header , so that the hiring manager can read it immediately after your resume headline .

If you are using the reverse-chronological resume format, work experience should go at the top of your resume. This way, hiring managers can quickly evaluate your qualifications based on your most recent roles.

However, if you’re using a different resume format, such as functional or combination resume formats, you can make an exception. These resume formats emphasize skills over work history, so you could move your work experience further down, towards the middle of your resume.

Recent graduates are another exception to this rule

Suppose you’re a student with minimal professional experience. In that case, you can put your education section on top instead of your work experience section to emphasize your academic achievements and show that you’re ready to put your knowledge to good use.

Want to learn about the other popular resume formats ? Check out this article to see which one is right for you.

Complimentary Resume Sections

While your work experience might be the single most important section of your resume, at the end of the day, it works in sync with the rest of it.

Other resume sections , like your resume summary or certifications, can show the hiring manager how experienced you are and how much industry know-how you bring to the table.

So, here are a few other resume sections that come into play if you want to back up your work experience and increase your chances of getting an interview:

#1. Resume Summary

A resume summary is a short section at the top of your resume that highlights your most relevant skills and achievements related to the job.

In 2-3 simple sentences, a good resume summary tells the hiring manager:

• Your years of experience in that type of role.
• Your top qualifications or impressive accomplishments.
• What kind of responsibilities you’re familiar with.
• What your motivation for the position is.

By summarizing the core of your work experience upfront, your resume summary lets the hiring manager know what they can expect from the rest of your resume. So, when done well, an eye-catching resume summary can make you stand out from the crowd.

Here’s an example of a resume summary:

Another important section is devoted to your most important skills.

The skills section lets you list abilities that supplement your work experience, and it should be divided into two categories:

• Hard Skills. These include technical skills, tools, and specific knowledge that’s directly applicable to the role.
• Soft Skills. These can be personality traits or interpersonal skills that demonstrate how you work with others and how well you’d fit into the company’s team.

Along with your work history, the skills section helps employers quickly evaluate your credentials and relevant expertise for the position. While your work experience highlights skills in context, the skills section provides an easy-to-reference summary.

Make sure the skills you list on your resume align with what the employer is looking for. Use the job description as a reference to pinpoint the keywords you should add to your resume .

Here’s an example of a skills section on a resume:

#3. Certificates

Professional certificates and coursework can show your commitment to continuous learning and honing your skills.

Listing certificates on your resume allows you to showcase specialized knowledge and skills that might not be evident from your work experience.

For example, say you’re applying for a position as an SEO content marketer.

If you’re experienced in digital marketing but don’t have formal work experience with SEO, that could be a problem. However, listing a certificate from an SEO course can tell the hiring manager that you have the necessary knowledge to take on the role.

Relevant certificates can provide evidence of your advanced skills, industry expertise, or any other necessary qualifications for the role. They can back up your skills and distinguish you from other candidates with similar work experience.

Depending on the context, any certificates you have can either be listed in the education section or a dedicated resume section.

If the certificates are more recent and different from your formal education, we recommend listing them separately. Here’s an example:

#4. Personal Projects

One of the best ways to show your passion and dedication is through your projects.

Hiring managers love candidates who do cool stuff in their spare time.

If any personal passion project you’ve been working on is relevant to the role you’re applying for, make sure to add it to your resume. It can back up the skills and experience on your resume, and help you stand out from other applicants.

For example, if you’re applying for a job as an animator , any published flash animation videos on YouTube are a great addition to your resume.

However, personal projects should only be listed if they’re relevant. If you’re looking for a job as an architect , your incredible cosplay sewing abilities just won’t cut it.

Here’s an example of a personal projects section:

11 Real-Life Examples

Not sure how to list work experience for your field?

Check out the practical work experience in these resume examples for different professions:

#1. Marketing Executive Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a marketing executive resume here.

#2. Teacher Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a teacher resume here.

#3. Cashier Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a cashier resume here.

#4. Software Engineer Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a software engineer resume here.

#5. Career Change Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a career change resume here.

#6. Illustrator Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing an illustrator resume here.

#7. Esthetician Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing an esthetician resume here.

#8. Stay-at-Home Parent Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a stay-at-home parent resume here.

#9. University Graduate Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a university graduate resume here.

#10. University Student Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a university student resume here.

#11. High School Graduate Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a high school graduate resume here.

Work Experience Section FAQs

Are you still wondering about something related to your resume’s work experience? Check out the answers to these popular questions about listing work experience on a resume:

#1. What If I Don’t Have Any Work Experience?

If you don’t have any work experience, there are two things you should consider: first, hiring managers don’t expect candidates for entry-level roles to have a ton of experience, so you don’t have to worry too much.

And second - there are plenty of ways to make an impressive resume even without any professional experience .

For example, if you're a recent graduate, you can focus on highlighting your education, relevant coursework or extracurricular activities.

Include any internships, volunteer roles, or student organizations that show you have the skills necessary for the job.

You can also highlight universal skills like communication , teamwork, problem-solving, and computer skills . If you use a strategic approach, your lack of work experience won’t hold you back from writing a great resume.

#2. Can I List an Internship Instead of Work Experience?

Yes, you can list internship experience on your resume instead of work experience.

Internships provide valuable on-the-job training and give you exposure to a professional work environment, so they’re always a great thing to add to your resume.

Like work experience, internships allow you to gain important skills, learn about a particular industry or role, and build accomplishments you can use to show potential future employers. 

Internships can be a vital resume section for candidates with less experience, such as students, career changers, or stay-at-home parents re-entering the workforce, since they show hiring managers you have enough relevant hands-on experience to succeed at the job.

#3. How Can I Explain an Employment Gap on My Resume?

The key to managing a gap in your work experience section is to address it briefly and positively on your resume or cover letter .

In a line or two, explain what happened and move on without dwelling on it, since employment gaps are relatively common and can happen for different reasons.

For example, if you had to take a year off to recover from a medical issue, just say so in your resume without going into details. The important thing is that you’re now better, ready to resume work, and the hiring manager knows it won’t be a problem.

If you have a short employment gap, you can probably skip the explanations. Simply list the start and end dates for each role without explaining the time in between. A couple of months between jobs is perfectly normal, and hiring managers aren’t likely to ask about it.

#4. What If My Work Experience Isn’t Relevant?

If you're applying for a job and none of your work experience is relevant, it’s a bit more complicated.

As a general rule, any work experience is better than no work experience. Most soft skills are applicable across industries, so you can focus on them in your resume.

If you’re an entry-level candidate, you might want to leverage other areas to show the hiring manager that you’re a good fit for the role.

For example, if you want to be a graphic designer but only have experience in customer service , emphasize your art education, portfolio work, and personal projects instead. If you’ve taken any more recent courses related to the field, you can list them before your work experience.

However, if you’re an experienced professional looking to change careers , things are a little different.

For a career change, you need to articulate your transferable skills and show how your previous experience can help you in this new role.

Let's say you're a sales professional interested in marketing. You could highlight skills like communication, market analysis, client relationship-building, and goal-oriented achievements that show your valuable marketing skills.

Key Takeaways

You’ve made it to the end!

Now, you’re all set to write a flawless work experience section.

But before you go, let’s recap what we talked about:

• Always list your work experience reverse-chronologically so the hiring manager can see what your most recent achievements and experiences are.
• If possible, focus on work achievements over day-to-day tasks. This way, you can immediately show the hiring manager what you’ve done for your previous team and what the value of hiring you would be.
• Carefully format your work experience so it passes the ATS and so that the hiring manager can easily read it.
• Instead of paragraphs, use bullet points to describe your previous jobs. For newer experiences, 5-6 bullets are good, but for older ones, 2-3 bullet points are enough.
• If you don’t have work experience, use this section to list your internship, volunteer experience, personal projects, or extracurricular activities. Treat them the same way you would treat work experience, and list your responsibilities and achievements in bullet points.
• Make sure the other sections in your resume complement your work experience for a flawless job application.

To provide a safer experience, the best content and great communication, we use cookies. Learn how we use them for non-authenticated users.

Resume Worded   |  Proven Resume Examples

• Resume Examples
• Data & Analytics Resumes

15 Business Analyst Resume Examples - Here's What Works In 2024

Business analysts are in high demand in today’s marketplace. here are five examples of resumes that will help you land a business analyst job in 2023 (google docs and pdfs attached).

A business analyst can greatly enhance the success of the companies he or she works for. As the global market becomes increasingly data-driven, more and more companies are bringing these types of professionals on board to help edge out the competition and maximize their earning potential. Business analysts are not only visionaries who see opportunities for companies to grow and improve; they also use data and technology to create positive change and help businesses thrive in today’s competitive market. Their breadth of skills enables them to find work in a wide range of industries, including healthcare, government, higher education, banking, transportation, and IT. The job market for business analysts has been projected to grow by around 14% between 2016 and 2026. Business analytics is a rapidly-growing field with many employment opportunities, and it offers numerous different career pathways for skilled and capable individuals. Demand for business analysis is at an all-time high. And while business analytics can be challenging because of the many and varied job responsibilities you might have, it’s also a rewarding and well-paying line of work. If you’re pursuing a job in this field, you’ll need to demonstrate your relevant skills and experience in your resume. Not sure what to include? Take a look at our business analyst resume templates to see what features a strong resume should have. Next, we’ll talk about the skills to focus on and how to include them in your resume. Finally, we’ll discuss some general tips and strong action verbs to make your business analyst resume shine.

Business Analyst Resume Templates

Jump to a template:

• Business Analyst
• Entry Level Business Analyst
• Technical Business Analyst
• Senior Business Analyst
• Agile Business Analyst
• Experienced Business Analyst
• Healthcare Business Analyst
• Junior Business Analyst
• Business System Analyst
• IT Business Analyst

Jump to a resource:

• Keywords for Business Analyst Resumes

Business Analyst Resume Tips

• Action Verbs to Use
• Bullet Points on Business Analyst Resumes
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Related Data & Analytics Resumes

Get advice on each section of your resume:

Template 1 of 15: Business Analyst Resume Example

A business analyst implements innovative solutions to business problems using data analytics. They evaluate business processes, operations, products, services, hardware, and software, to identify the need for change. Then, they will estimate the costs of integrating this change and evaluate if it falls under the determined budget by stakeholders. That’s why you should indicate your budgeting skills on your resume.

We're just getting the template ready for you, just a second left.

Tips to help you write your Business Analyst resume in 2024

   highlight your forecasting skills..

A business analyst should evaluate and predict a company’s future financial state and production. That’s why they use statistical knowledge to evaluate their production, inventory flow, and deliverables. Hence, it is crucial to highlight your forecasting skills on your resume.

   Emphasize your educational value.

As a business analysts should ideally have a bachelor’s or master’s degree in either business analysis, data science, or business administration. Since this role requires advanced training, it is important to emphasize your academic value on your resume.

Skills you can include on your Business Analyst resume

Template 2 of 15: business analyst resume example.

Business analysts use a wide variety of skills to accomplish their objectives. A few of the most essential skills include researching, documentation, data analysis, visual modeling, and communication. Many business analysts also work closely with IT departments, so having some technical knowledge helps, but it’s not always required. This resume template highlights many of these skills and provides examples of past achievements in the work experience section.

   Prominent skills section

Placing the skills section near the top of your resume makes it easy for potential employers to quickly get a sense of your abilities. The skills section on this resume mentions specific technical proficiencies that may be useful in a business analyst role (such as SQL and Agile Project Management).

   Strong action verbs relevant to business analytics

This resume template includes some of the action verbs we specifically recommend for writing about research or analytics-based work experience. Verbs like “analyzed”, “interviewed” and “developed” are all strong choices that speak to your analytical skills.

Template 3 of 15: Entry Level Business Analyst Resume Example

As an entry level business analyst, you'll be working closely with different teams to analyze business processes and identify areas for improvement. It's important to showcase your adaptability and eagerness to learn in your resume since you'll be entering a constantly evolving industry. Companies are looking for candidates who can quickly grasp new concepts and have strong analytical skills to help them adapt to the ever-changing business landscape. When writing your resume for an entry level business analyst role, make sure to emphasize your key strengths, as well as your knowledge of recent industry trends and tools. Demonstrating your ability to work with data and understand business processes will be crucial to standing out among other applicants.

Tips to help you write your Entry Level Business Analyst resume in 2024

   highlight relevant coursework and internships.

Since you might not have extensive work experience, emphasize any coursework or internships you've completed that's relevant to business analysis. This shows you have foundational knowledge and some practical experience, making you a more competitive candidate.

   Showcase your technical and analytical skills

As an entry level business analyst, you'll need to possess strong technical and analytical skills. On your resume, provide examples of projects you've worked on or tools you're familiar with, such as SQL, Excel, or Tableau, that demonstrate your ability to analyze data and make data-driven recommendations.

Skills you can include on your Entry Level Business Analyst resume

Template 4 of 15: entry level business analyst resume example.

Business analyst positions may require more skills and experience than some other jobs do. However, if you’ve interned in business or data analytics, or if you have an educational background in areas such as computer science or math, you can still be a competitive candidate for a business analyst job. Emphasizing these experiences can be a good strategy if you don’t have much professional history.

   Focuses on education and internship experience

As an entry-level job applicant, you’re not expected to have a lengthy record of past jobs. A resume like this one puts the focus on relevant work the applicant has done at school or internships so that hiring managers can see evidence of their abilities.

   Internship projects related to business analytics

This resume template does a great job of pointing out specific projects where the candidate has analyzed a business, identified an area for improvement, and created a solution. Hiring managers will be glad to see that you’ve done these types of projects.

Template 5 of 15: Technical Business Analyst Resume Example

A technical business analyst provides innovative software solutions to an organization. They develop software that improves business operations by automating processes and reducing redundant tasks. Even though this is a highly technical role, you still need to demonstrate you are capable of evaluating business needs. That’s why it is essential to highlight your business analysis skills on your resume.

Tips to help you write your Technical Business Analyst resume in 2024

   demonstrate your knowledge of it regulations..

As a technical business analyst, you should ensure that the company’s software aligns with IT regulations. This will keep the company compliant and safe. If you are familiar with relevant laws, you should indicate them in your resume.

   Indicate the programming languages you are familiar with.

Technical business analysts are required to create software solutions, so it’s a good idea to mention the programming languages are familiar with in your resume. This will let your potential employer know whether you are a good fit for the projects they’ll like to implement in their business.

Skills you can include on your Technical Business Analyst resume

Template 6 of 15: technical business analyst resume example.

A technical business analyst works directly with technological systems and processes. They need to be able to pinpoint problems by troubleshooting, testing, debugging, and analyzing software and hardware. When you’re seeking this type of position, your resume should focus heavily on how you’ve used your technical skills to design workable solutions for problems.

   Relevant metrics for business analytics

In the work experience section, this resume has several examples of bullet-point items discussing specific, measurable achievements in past jobs. For example, pointing out that the applicant “increased app engagement time by 2x and decreased drop off rate by 30%” shows that they have experience with improving apps for a better user experience.

   Skills section demonstrates technical ability

On this resume template, the applicant has the skills section near the top of the resume, and they mention being “advanced” or having “a strong understanding” of specific frameworks and softwares. Being well-versed in systems like SQL and Visual Basic makes you more marketable as a candidate, so it’s wise to highlight these skills.

Template 7 of 15: Senior Business Analyst Resume Example

A senior business analyst has direct contact with stakeholders. They perform a bird’s-eye view evaluation of the company’s processes and operations to identify improvement opportunities. The purpose of a senior business analyst is to improve efficiency. To become a senior business analyst, you should ideally have a graduate degree in a related field and extensive industry experience. That’s why they’ll craft a solution considering the company’s resources, budget, and goals. You should highlight your business acumen in your resume. Talk about previous projects in which you successfully implemented innovative solutions.

Tips to help you write your Senior Business Analyst resume in 2024

   indicate your risk management skills..

In order to support project success, you should have risk management skills as a senior business analyst. Risk is always present in any project; it’s your ability to mitigate, overcome, and anticipate it that drives you through success. Any senior business analyst should be proficient at this skill.

   Showcase your data visualization skills.

Data visualization and storytelling play a huge role in a senior business analyst position. It’s what will help you represent your insights and make it easy to understand for everyone. Senior business analysts with data visualization skills can significantly improve the reporting process.

Skills you can include on your Senior Business Analyst resume

Template 8 of 15: senior business analyst resume example.

If you want a senior business analyst job, your resume shouldn’t only show your experience and accomplishments with business analytics; it should also demonstrate that you are highly motivated and have leadership capabilities. If you’ve been promoted in the past, or if you’ve coached or mentored other employees, mention these experiences so potential employers can see that you’ll be a good fit for a leadership role.

   Detailed work history with many relevant accomplishments

Senior positions demand a high level of knowledge and experience. With a resume like this one, you can show how you’ve successfully improved other businesses, led teams, designed workshops, and mentored other analysts -- all responsibilities you might have as a senior business analyst.

   Promotions demonstrate professional growth

This resume template shows the candidate holding two different positions at a previous company. Promotions always look good on a resume, but especially when you have your sights set on a senior position, it’s important to show proof of excellent performance and professional growth.

Template 9 of 15: Agile Business Analyst Resume Example

An Agile Business Analyst serves as the bridge between all teams during the development cycle, harnessing their business acumen and Agile understanding to ensure effective workflow. It's a role that's evolved with the increasing adoption of Agile methodologies. As Agile prioritizes adaptability, you must demonstrate how you've responded to change or uncertainty in your resume. Your potential employer wants to see examples of adaptive problem-solving, and not just a list of certifications or skills. On top of that, businesses are seeking candidates who can mesh with their teams, fostering a collaborative environment. In your resume, it's essential to communicate not just what you achieved, but how you did it – your work style, interactions with diverse teams, and how you've put Agile principles to use.

Tips to help you write your Agile Business Analyst resume in 2024

   highlight your agile tool experience.

While soft skills are vital, your technical fluency matters too. Agile teams often utilize tools such as Jira, Confluence, Trello, or Slack. Mentioning your experience with these tools is a clear, concise way to show your hands-on Agile practice.

   Showcase your adaptability through projects

Agile is all about fast response and adaptability. Highlight your experience in adapting project strategies, responding to feedback, or modifying processes under uncertain conditions. This tells employers you understand Agile is more than just a buzzword, but a real, practical approach.

Skills you can include on your Agile Business Analyst resume

Template 10 of 15: agile business analyst resume example.

Agile business analysts specialize in the area of agile software development, which takes a collaborative, responsive approach to resolving software issues. To be a successful agile business analyst, you must be adept at working with a team while also designing excellent software that aligns with the Agile philosophy. Your resume should show that you are flexible, adaptable, and creative in your approach to solving problems.

   Relevant work experience

This resume example is well-tailored to the job title. The applicant’s prior work experience shows that they have led teams and facilitated interactions between people -- and for agile business analyst roles, it’s important to emphasize those interpersonal dimensions of your work history.

   Strong action verbs in bullet points

All of the bullet points in this resume begin with action verbs such as “designed”, “facilitated”, and “streamlined”. Verbs like these tell recruiters that the candidate has played an active role in their achievements.

Template 11 of 15: Experienced Business Analyst Resume Example

An experienced business analyst interrogates the past for information that can help decision-makers make better and more profitable decisions in the future. This position requires an analytical educational background and a lengthy analyst career. Your aim will be to help businesses save money, increase profits, or improve efficiency. Take a look at this resume that highlights the applicant’s success in all the above areas.

Tips to help you write your Experienced Business Analyst resume in 2024

   show your impact on the bottom line..

As an experienced business analyst, you will be expected to have quantifiable success in your resume. Be sure to use actual figures to show recruiters how much money you saved your company by suggesting changes that reduced costs or increased efficiency.

   Show growth through promotions.

This is not an entry-level position, and as such recruiters will want to see a progression in your career up to this point. Showing promotions in your career indicates to recruiters that you are an exemplary employee and have had a successful career.

Skills you can include on your Experienced Business Analyst resume

Template 12 of 15: healthcare business analyst resume example.

A healthcare business analyst will look specifically at healthcare data and try to gain insights that can help a healthcare institution function more efficiently. This position requires you to have in-depth knowledge and understanding of the delicate and complex healthcare ecosystem. You need to be able to know how it should run and what is vital to operations so that you can pinpoint places of inefficiency or weakness. This applicant has a degree in nursing which recruiters will very much appreciate.

Tips to help you write your Healthcare Business Analyst resume in 2024

   highlight healthcare certification..

Show recruiters that you have an in-depth knowledge of the way the healthcare industry works by listing any healthcare-related certification you may have. This applicant has a bachelor’s degree in nursing.

   Use numbers and metrics to illustrate your successes.

Using numbers and metrics makes your resume easily digestible and understandable to recruiters. It also makes it easy to impress recruiters and put you above your competition. This applicant has used metrics to show recruiters their workload capabilities and the impact of their work on the bottom line.

Skills you can include on your Healthcare Business Analyst resume

Template 13 of 15: junior business analyst resume example.

A good position to begin your business analyst career is as a junior business analyst. You will most likely work under a senior business analyst and will assist them in their projects, or you may be assigned your own. Use this position as an opportunity to train and learn as much as you can from your superiors so you can progress to the business analyst position and beyond.

Tips to help you write your Junior Business Analyst resume in 2024

   include any research-based experience..

Because you may not have much business-analyst-specific experience, fill the rest of your resume with any experience you have had in a research or analytical position. The skill set is transferable and relevant to a business analyst position. This applicant has included their experience as a student research assistant.

   Get as many analyst-related certifications as possible.

What you lack in experience, you can make up with certification. In today's world, it is easy to take an online course and receive certification, so pursue courses in business analysis, research, auditing, or a related field. It will show recruiters a dedication to the profession.

Skills you can include on your Junior Business Analyst resume

Template 14 of 15: business system analyst resume example.

A business system analyst will look at the systems a business uses to operate and try and find points for potential improvement or for potential upgrades. You need to have expertise in the operating systems of whatever industry you want to work in and you need to be able to show success in analyzing these systems. This recruiter-approved resume shows both.

Tips to help you write your Business System Analyst resume in 2024

   highlight software system certification and experience..

This can be a very I.T.-heavy position so you need to show recruiters that you are experienced in this field. If you have gotten any certification in this area, be sure to highlight it. E.g. this applicant is a certified information systems auditor.

   Ensure your skills list includes the industry standard systems.

Every industry, and every company, uses different operational systems. It is imperative that your skills list reflects the industry standards or company standards for the company you are applying to. So do some research and adjust your skills list accordingly. Make sure you get experience using a system before adding it to your list. An online course is an efficient way to make that happen.

Skills you can include on your Business System Analyst resume

Template 15 of 15: it business analyst resume example.

As an IT business analyst, you will be in charge of synthesizing a company’s needs and communicating them to the IT professionals so that the systems and processes they create, serve the company best. You will be in constant communication with the IT team as well as the decision-makers in the company, so communication skills are crucial. You must also have a strong IT background so you can understand the part IT systems play in the running of a company.

Tips to help you write your IT Business Analyst resume in 2024

   use metrics to highlight your success..

Your job as an analyst is to provide recommendations and insights that will assist the company in lowering costs, increasing revenue, or increasing efficiency. Highlight times when this was achieved by using actual metrics in your experience section.

   Include analyst experience in related fields.

If you do not have a lot of IT-specific analyst experience, feel free to add analyst experience in related fields. Analyst skills are largely transferable, so recruiters will value that addition. This applicant included their analyst experience as a financial data analyst.

Skills you can include on your IT Business Analyst resume

As a hiring manager who has recruited business analysts at top companies like McKinsey, Deloitte, and Accenture, I know what it takes to create a compelling business analyst resume. The following tips will help you craft a resume that stands out and showcases your skills and experience in the best possible light.

   Highlight your technical skills

Business analysts need a mix of technical and soft skills to succeed in their roles. Make sure to highlight your proficiency in:

• Data analysis tools like Excel, SQL, and Tableau
• Programming languages like Python or R
• Business intelligence platforms like Power BI or Qlik
• Project management methodologies like Agile or Scrum

For example, instead of just listing 'Excel' as a skill, you could say:

• Analyzed customer data using pivot tables and VLOOKUP in Excel to identify $500K in potential cost savings

   Quantify your impact with metrics

Employers want to see the tangible impact you've had in your previous roles. Use specific numbers and metrics to quantify your achievements, such as:

• Reduced customer churn by 15% by implementing a new feedback system
• Improved operational efficiency by 20% through process automation
• Identified $250K in annual cost savings by optimizing supplier contracts

Avoid vague statements that don't convey your true value, like:

• Helped improve processes
• Worked on cost reduction initiatives

   Tailor your resume to the job description

Every business analyst role is different, so it's important to customize your resume for each application. Carefully review the job description and highlight the skills and experience that are most relevant to that particular position.

For instance, if a job emphasizes experience with Agile methodologies, make sure to feature your Agile projects and certifications prominently. If it calls for expertise in a specific industry, like healthcare or finance, focus on your experience in that domain.

   Showcase your problem-solving abilities

At their core, business analysts are problem-solvers. Use your resume to highlight specific examples of how you've tackled complex business challenges. For example:

• Led a cross-functional team to streamline the order fulfillment process, reducing average order processing time from 5 days to 2 days
• Conducted a root cause analysis on declining sales, uncovering issues with product quality that led to a 10% increase in revenue after being addressed

Avoid generic statements that don't showcase your unique value, like:

• Helped solve business problems
• Worked with stakeholders to improve processes

   Demonstrate your communication skills

Business analysts often serve as the bridge between technical and non-technical stakeholders. Your resume should showcase your ability to communicate complex ideas to diverse audiences. Some examples:

• Created data visualizations and dashboards to help executive team track key performance metrics
• Translated business requirements into user stories for development team, ensuring successful delivery of new CRM system
• Presented findings from competitive analysis to C-suite, securing buy-in for new market entry strategy

Remember, the goal is to show rather than tell. Instead of just claiming to have 'strong communication skills', prove it with concrete examples.

   Feature your business acumen

While technical skills are crucial, the best business analysts also have a deep understanding of business operations and strategy. Highlight your business knowledge by including things like:

• Relevant industry certifications (e.g., CFA, CBAP)
• Business-focused academic degrees (e.g., MBA, M.S. in Management)
• Experience in specific business functions (e.g., Supply Chain, Finance, Marketing)

Results-driven business analyst with 5+ years experience optimizing processes and driving strategic initiatives in the healthcare industry. MBA graduate with expertise in data analysis, Lean Six Sigma, and stakeholder management. Seeking to leverage my skills in business operations and data-driven decision making to improve efficiency and profitability at XYZ company.

A summary like this shows that you have both the technical and business skills to excel as a business analyst.

Still curious about how to build an outstanding business analyst resume? Here are a few of our best pointers.

   Add industry-specific keywords to your business analyst resume

As we mentioned earlier, a business analyst may work within a variety of different industries. When you’re applying to become a business analyst, you’ll want to tailor your resume to the specific industry that you hope to work in -- whether it’s consulting, HR, or another area. One approach is to include keywords that relate to the type of work you’ll potentially be doing. For example, if the job you want is in the finance sector, you might sprinkle finance-related words like “planning”, “budgeting”, or “accounting” throughout your skills or work experience sections. You can get other keyword inspiration by looking at job postings for finance positions and taking note of any words or phrases that crop up repeatedly. Using these types of keywords in your resume shows that you understand what a potential employer is looking for and that you have the right skills for the job you’re seeking.

   Use your skills section wisely

Business analysts need to have a resume section devoted to job-specific skills. Again, this section should primarily focus on hard skills, such as your technical expertise. In other words, this is the place to list the softwares, frameworks, and other technical systems that you have experience with (such as Microsoft Access and SQL). Avoid listing soft skills and other proficiencies in your skill section. You can discuss those and illustrate them with examples in your work experience bullet points.

   Create strong bullet points in your work experience section

• Was responsible for monitoring user satisfaction with mobile app

This example is vague and doesn’t tell hiring managers much about what you achieved. Saying that you “were responsible for” something takes the emphasis off of what you did; instead, it sounds like something generic that you’d find in a job description. STRONGER

• Analyzed user engagement with mobile app over a 12-month period; gathered survey data, made recommendations for improvements, and increased user satisfaction by 50%

This bullet point begins with a strong action verb, tells recruiters exactly what you did, and quantifies the improvement you made. From this example, it’s easy to see how you contributed to your old company’s success.

Writing Your Business Analyst Resume: Section By Section

  header, 1. keep it simple and professional.

Your header should be clean, concise, and easy to read. Stick to a simple font like Arial or Calibri, and avoid using colors or graphics. Remember, the focus should be on your qualifications and experience, not flashy design elements.

Here's an example of a well-formatted header for a business analyst resume:

• New York, NY | [email protected] | 555-123-4567 | linkedin.com/in/johnsmith

Avoid cluttering your header with unnecessary details or using hard-to-read fonts like this:

• John Smith, MBA, PMP, CBAP
• Senior Business Analyst with 10+ Years of Experience
• 123 Main Street, Apartment 4B, New York, NY 10001
• [email protected] | 555-123-4567 | linkedin.com/in/johnsmith | twitter.com/johnsmith

2. Include your location, even if remote

Even if you're applying for remote business analyst positions, it's still important to include your location in your header. Some companies prefer candidates in specific time zones or regions, and including your location can help demonstrate your availability.

If you are open to relocation or working remotely, you can indicate this in your header:

• New York, NY (Open to relocation) | [email protected] | 555-123-4567

Avoid using vague or misleading location information, such as:

• Anywhere, USA | [email protected] | 555-123-4567

3. Showcase your professional brand

As a business analyst, your header is an opportunity to showcase your professional brand and make a strong first impression. Consider including a brief, targeted headline that highlights your key strengths or specializations.

For example:

John Smith Business Analyst | Data-Driven Problem Solver | Process Improvement Specialist New York, NY | [email protected] | 555-123-4567 | linkedin.com/in/johnsmith

Avoid using generic or overly broad headlines that don't effectively communicate your value as a business analyst, such as:

John Smith Experienced Professional | Strong Communication Skills | Team Player New York, NY | [email protected] | 555-123-4567 | linkedin.com/in/johnsmith

By crafting a compelling headline, you can grab the attention of recruiters and hiring managers, encouraging them to read further into your resume.

  Summary

Writing a strong summary for your business analyst resume is optional, but when done right, it can give hiring managers a compelling snapshot of your qualifications and fit for the role. Avoid using an objective statement, which is an outdated approach that focuses on your goals rather than what you bring to the table.

Instead, think of your summary as a highlight reel of your most relevant skills, experiences, and achievements. It's a chance to provide context for your career trajectory and emphasize how you can add value in a business analyst position. Keep it concise and targeted to the specific role and company.

To learn how to write an effective resume summary for your Business Analyst resume, or figure out if you need one, please read Business Analyst Resume Summary Examples , or Business Analyst Resume Objective Examples .

1. Tailor your summary to the business analyst role

Many job seekers make the mistake of using a generic, one-size-fits-all summary that they copy-paste for every application. To stand out, your summary should be tailored to the specific business analyst position you're targeting.

Before writing your summary, carefully review the job description and identify the key skills, qualifications, and experiences the employer is looking for. Then, showcase how you meet or exceed those requirements, using specific examples and metrics when possible.

Results-driven professional with 5+ years of experience in project management and data analysis. Skilled in leading cross-functional teams and delivering complex projects on time and under budget.

While this summary touches on relevant skills, it's too broad and could apply to many different roles. Instead, try something more targeted:

Business analyst with 5+ years of experience driving process improvements and cost savings for Fortune 500 financial services companies. Expertise in requirements gathering, data modeling, and stakeholder management. Collaborated with cross-functional teams to implement solutions that reduced costs by 20% and increased efficiency by 15%.

2. Highlight your most impressive and relevant achievements

Your summary is valuable real estate, so make every word count by focusing on your most impressive accomplishments and skills that are directly relevant to the business analyst role.

Quantify your achievements whenever possible to give hiring managers a concrete sense of the impact you've made. And be specific about the business analyst methodologies, tools, and domains you have experience with.

• Experienced business analyst skilled in project management, data analysis, and communication.
• Led requirements gathering sessions and created detailed documentation for development teams.

While these bullet points mention relevant skills, they're too vague and don't provide any context for the scope of your contributions. Instead, quantify your achievements and call out specific tools:

• Business analyst with expertise in Agile methodologies, SQL, and Tableau. Partnered with stakeholders across 5 departments to gather and analyze requirements.
• Spearheaded a business process re-engineering project that reduced defect rates by 30% and cycle times by 20%, resulting in $500K in annual cost savings.

  Experience

Your work experience section is the most important part of your business analyst resume. It's where you'll highlight your relevant experience and accomplishments to show employers you have the skills they need.

In this section, we'll break down how to write an effective work experience section step-by-step, with examples of what to do and what to avoid. By following these tips, you can craft a compelling work experience section that will help you land your next business analyst role.

1. Focus on your most relevant experience

When writing your work experience section, focus on the experience that's most relevant to the business analyst role you're targeting. This may include:

• Gathering and analyzing business requirements
• Identifying process improvement opportunities
• Collaborating with cross-functional teams
• Developing data models and reports

If you have experience in these areas, make sure to highlight it prominently. You can briefly mention other experience, but don't spend too much space on it.

For example, if you worked as an administrative assistant before moving into business analysis, you might include a brief mention of that role, but focus the bulk of your work experience section on your business analyst experience.

2. Use strong action verbs

When describing your experience, use strong action verbs to highlight your contributions and accomplishments. Avoid generic phrases like "responsible for" or "participated in."

Instead of this:

Responsible for gathering business requirements for software development projects

Spearheaded requirements gathering for 10+ software development projects, collaborating with business stakeholders to identify and document key needs

Other strong action verbs for business analysts include:

3. Quantify your accomplishments

Whenever possible, use numbers and metrics to quantify your accomplishments. This helps employers understand the scope and impact of your work.

• Analyzed customer data to identify $500K in annual cost savings opportunities
• Developed Tableau dashboards to track 10 key sales KPIs, resulting in 20% revenue growth
• Led requirements workshops with 50+ stakeholders to gather business needs for new CRM system

If you don't have hard numbers, you can still provide context for your accomplishments:

• Partnered with Sales, Marketing and IT to implement new lead tracking process, reducing lead leakage by 25%
• Served as liaison between business and technical teams on 5 large-scale software projects

4. Showcase your technical skills

Business analysts often need a mix of business and technical skills. Use your work experience section to showcase your technical abilities, tools and methodologies.

Mention specific tools you've used, like:

Also highlight any relevant methodologies or frameworks, such as:

• Lean Six Sigma

Used SQL to analyze large datasets and identify opportunities to streamline operations, leading to $200K in annual savings

Incorporating these technical keywords will help your resume perform better in applicant tracking systems and grab the attention of employers.

  Education

Your education section is a key part of your business analyst resume. It shows hiring managers that you have the necessary knowledge and training for the role. When writing your education section, focus on the most relevant and impressive aspects of your educational background.

1. Put your education section near the top if you're a recent grad

If you graduated within the last few years, your education is one of your biggest selling points. In this case, place the education section above your work experience.

Here's an example of a well-written education section for a recent graduate:

Bachelor of Science in Business Administration University of California, Berkeley Graduated: May 2022 GPA: 3.8 Relevant Coursework: Business Analytics, Data Management, Quantitative Methods

2. Keep it brief if you have several years of experience

Once you have a few years of work experience under your belt, your education section should be short and sweet. Hiring managers will be more interested in your professional accomplishments at this stage.

A senior-level business analyst education section might look like this:

• MBA, Harvard Business School
• BS in Economics, Stanford University

Compare that to a bad example that includes irrelevant or outdated information:

• Master of Business Administration, Harvard Business School, 1995-1997
• Bachelor of Science in Economics, Stanford University, 1991-1995
• Online Business Analytics Course, Udemy, 2020

3. Include relevant certifications

Certifications demonstrate your expertise and commitment to professional development. If you have any certifications that are relevant to business analysis, include them in your education section or in a separate 'Certifications' section.

Some valuable certifications for business analysts include:

• Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP)
• PMI Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA)
• Certified Analytics Professional (CAP)

Education MBA, New York University BS in Business Administration, University of Florida Certifications Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP) PMI Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA)

Action Verbs For Business Analyst Resumes

A business analyst resume should discuss achievements at former jobs using vivid, precise language. Leading with the right action verbs can you help frame what you’ve accomplished in the best possible light and leave a strong impression on your potential employer. The following are just a few action verbs that are well-suited for people in research and analytical professions. Business analysts need to highlight their abilities to analyze, interpret, and communicate information, as well as their skills in solving problems -- so they should choose their verbs accordingly. Visit this page for a complete list of action verbs for resumes.

For a full list of effective resume action verbs, visit Resume Action Verbs .

Action Verbs for Business Analyst Resumes

How to write a business analyst resume.

When applying to become a business analyst, there are certain steps that you should follow to ensure your resume is tailored to the role. This guide explains how you can craft a business analyst resume that will impress recruiters in 2022.

Sections to include in your Business Analyst Resume

1.1: include sections with the most relevant experience near the top.

Place your Experience section just after the header. The header should include your name, contact details, and (preferably) your LinkedIn profile. Keep the education section short (2-3 lines) and only put it at the top if you are an entry-level job seeker.

1.2: Include a skills section with hard skills

Adding a skills section will allow you to include keywords that are usually selected by resume filtering software. Avoid listing soft skills in this section. Rather, focus on hard skills such as 'agile methodology', 'user acceptance testing' and 'requirements analysis'.

Make your Data Analyst resume easy to skim

2.1: use bullets with strong action verbs.

Recruiters only skim resumes, they don't read them in detail. Using bullet points makes it easy to communicate your achievements. Start your resume with strong action verbs such as 'managed', 'researched' and 'modelled'.

2.2: Quantify your impact using numbers

Your bullet points should communicate what you accomplished in your previous roles, not day-to-day tasks. An easy way to do this is to include metrics that explain the impact you made on the organization. How much time did an achievement save? By what percentage did you increase productivity? Let's look at an effective bullet point example: Analyzed user engagement for 50000 consumers and modelled a performance enhancement framework that increased customer retention by 33% Notice how the bullet point starts with an action verb, 'Analyzed', followed by the task alongside a relevant metric, '33%'.

2.3: Tailor your resume to a specific industry

Business analysts work across various industries such as consulting, technology, hospitality, retail, and sales. As such, you need to read the job description carefully and include industry-specific keywords in your resume. For instance, if you are applying to the banking sector, then you should sprinkle terms like 'risk management', 'portfolio management', and 'financial analysis' across your bullet points.

Use the right format to get past Applicant Tracking Systems

3.1: use a simple google docs or word template, then save it as a pdf.

Most companies now use resume scanning software known as Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to filter applications for business analyst roles. One way to get past the ATS and ensure your resume is read by a recruiter is to use a standard Google Docs or Word template to draft your resume, then convert the document to PDF before submitting it.

3.2: Use a single-column layout and avoid tables

Even though resume scanners are getting better at parsing multi-column resumes, some of them still glitch while trying to read multi-column layouts. Tables too are best avoided as they are rarely parsed correctly. Scanned copies should not be submitted online for the same reason.

Finalizing your Business Analyst resume

4.1: edit your resume to remove fillers.

Reread through your resume and replace weak verbs like 'Assisted' and 'Helped' with strong action verbs like 'developed' and 'spearheaded'. In your bullet points, change the present tense (for example, 'managing') to past tense ('managed') as this will help turn responsibilities into accomplishments. Replace fillers such as 'various' and 'multiple' with specific numbers and ensure none of your bullets is over 2 lines long.

4.2: Ensure your resume scores highly on an online resume checker

As a final step, upload your resume to a free resume checker such as Score My Resume . This tool will confirm that your document is properly formatted and that it includes all the recommended sections. The tool will also give you recommendations on what you can improve on.

Skills For Business Analyst Resumes

If you want to be a top candidate for a business analyst position, use your resume to show that you are capable of succeeding in the role. Highlight your technical background and other hard skills in your skills section. Meanwhile, you can show other proficiencies like analysis, data modeling, organization, and communication through bullet points of your past accomplishments. Showcasing your most relevant hard and soft skills will show hiring managers that you’re the best person for the job. Tailoring your resume to the business analyst job you’re applying for will also help you get through automated screenings such as the applicant tracking system (ATS) , which scans resumes for keywords related to the job.

• Business Analysis
• Requirements Analysis
• Requirements Gathering
• Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC)
• Business Requirements
• User Acceptance Testing
• Agile Methodologies
• Project Management
• Data Analysis
• Software Project Management
• Business Process
• Microsoft Access
• Business Process Improvement
• Vendor Management
• Business Intelligence (BI)
• Business Strategy
• Financial Analysis

Skills Word Cloud For Business Analyst Resumes

This word cloud highlights the important keywords that appear on Business Analyst job descriptions and resumes. The bigger the word, the more frequently it appears on job postings, and the more 'important' it is.

How to use these skills?

Resume bullet points from business analyst resumes.

You should use bullet points to describe your achievements in your Business Analyst resume. Here are sample bullet points to help you get started:

Leveraged evidence-based research methodology (interviews, user shadowing, requirements workshops, surveys, and use scenarios), future-focused industry research, and design thinking facilitation techniques to elicit latent user needs

Led the cost analysis for the data consolidation effort; interviewed stakeholders to collect cost data, documented requirements and identified shortfalls between the current and future state environment

Translated business questions into use cases and data model requirements with emphasis on anticipating future ad-hoc needs

Implemented automation and reporting frameworks for product testing, leading to adoption by testing teams and reducing internal testing timelines by 30%

Developed new management dashboard to evaluate individual team performance by revenue segment

For more sample bullet points and details on how to write effective bullet points, see our articles on resume bullet points , how to quantify your resume and resume accomplishments .

Frequently Asked Questions on Business Analyst Resumes

What tools and skills should you include in your business analyst skills section, what should i add to my business analyst resume, what are hiring managers looking for on your business analyst resume.

Analyzed user engagement for 50000 consumers and modelled a performance enhancement framework that increased customer retention by 33%.

Other Data & Analytics Resumes

Business owner.

Data Analyst

Data Governance

• Data Analyst Resume Guide
• Data Engineer Resume Guide

Business Analyst Resume Guide

• Data Scientist Resume Guide
• Data Mining Resume Guide
• Data Entry Resume Guide
• Business Intelligence Resume Guide
• SQL Developer Resume Guide
• Actuarial Science Resume Guide
• Data Modeling Resume Guide
• Supply Chain Planner Resume Guide
• Program Analyst Resume Guide
• Market Researcher Resume Guide
• Big Data Resume Guide
• Intelligence Analyst Resume Guide
• Director of Analytics Resume Guide
• Reporting Analyst Resume Guide
• Data Governance Resume Guide
• Data Specialist Resume Guide
• Machine Learning Resume Guide
• GIS Resume Guide
• Business Analyst Resume Example
• Entry Level Business Analyst Resume Example
• Technical Business Analyst Resume Example
• Senior Business Analyst Resume Example
• Agile Business Analyst Resume Example
• Experienced Business Analyst Resume Example
• Healthcare Business Analyst Resume Example
• Junior Business Analyst Resume Example
• Business System Analyst Resume Example
• IT Business Analyst Resume Example
• Tips for Business Analyst Resumes
• Skills and Keywords to Add
• Sample Bullet Points from Top Resumes
• All Resume Examples
• Business Analyst CV Examples
• Business Analyst Cover Letter
• Business Analyst Interview Guide
• Explore Alternative and Similar Careers

Download this PDF template.

Creating an account is free and takes five seconds. you'll get access to the pdf version of this resume template., choose an option..

• Have an account? Sign in

E-mail Please enter a valid email address This email address hasn't been signed up yet, or it has already been signed up with Facebook or Google login.

Password Show Your password needs to be between 6 and 50 characters long, and must contain at least 1 letter and 1 number. It looks like your password is incorrect.

Remember me

Forgot your password?

Sign up to get access to Resume Worded's Career Coaching platform in less than 2 minutes

Name Please enter your name correctly

E-mail Remember to use a real email address that you have access to. You will need to confirm your email address before you get access to our features, so please enter it correctly. Please enter a valid email address, or another email address to sign up. We unfortunately can't accept that email domain right now. This email address has already been taken, or you've already signed up via Google or Facebook login. We currently are experiencing a very high server load so Email signup is currently disabled for the next 24 hours. Please sign up with Google or Facebook to continue! We apologize for the inconvenience!

Password Show Your password needs to be between 6 and 50 characters long, and must contain at least 1 letter and 1 number.

Receive resume templates, real resume samples, and updates monthly via email

By continuing, you agree to our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy .

Lost your password? Please enter the email address you used when you signed up. We'll send you a link to create a new password.

E-mail This email address either hasn't been signed up yet, or you signed up with Facebook or Google. This email address doesn't look valid.

Back to log-in

These professional templates are optimized to beat resume screeners (i.e. the Applicant Tracking System). You can download the templates in Word, Google Docs, or PDF. For free (limited time).

   access samples from top resumes, get inspired by real bullet points that helped candidates get into top companies.,    get a resume score., find out how effective your resume really is. you'll get access to our confidential resume review tool which will tell you how recruiters see your resume..

Writing an effective resume has never been easier .

Upgrade to resume worded pro to unlock your full resume review., get this resume template (+ 14 others), plus proven bullet points., for a small one-time fee, you'll get everything you need to write a winning resume in your industry., here's what you'll get:.

• 📄 Get the editable resume template in Google Docs + Word . Plus, you'll also get all 14 other templates .
• ✍️ Get sample bullet points that worked for others in your industry . Copy proven lines and tailor them to your resume.
• 🎯 Optimized to pass all resume screeners (i.e. ATS) . All templates have been professionally designed by recruiters and 100% readable by ATS.

Buy now. Instant delivery via email.

  instant access. one-time only., what's your email address.

I had a clear uptick in responses after using your template. I got many compliments on it from senior hiring staff, and my resume scored way higher when I ran it through ATS resume scanners because it was more readable. Thank you!

Thank you for the checklist! I realized I was making so many mistakes on my resume that I've now fixed. I'm much more confident in my resume now.

Shop for Car Insurance

Other Insurance Products

Types of mortgages

Calculators

Find & Compare Credit Cards

Cards with Rewards

Cards for a Purpose

Cards for Building Credit

Credit Card Reviews

Understanding Credit & Score

Student Loans

Paying for College

Personal Finance for College Students

Life Events

How to Craft a Winning Resume: Step-By-Step Guide

A standout resume showcases your fit for the role and reflects your professional narrative and brand, emphasizing your qualifications, experience and the unique value you bring to the position.

Quality Verified

Updated: April 5, 2024

On This Page:

• Why Your Resume Matters
• Step 1: Job Description
• Step 2: Format
• Step 3: Objective
• Step 4: Work Experience
• Step 5: Skills
• Step 6: Education & Credentials
• Step 7: Optional Sections
• Step 8: Proofread

Additional Resources

Advertising & Editorial Disclosure

An effective resume is much more than a simple list of skills and career history. Your resume often makes the first impression on potential employers and is vital to securing an interview during a job search . When crafted correctly, it's a tool that reflects your qualifications, experiences and compatibility with the position you're applying for.

Importance of a Well-Crafted Resume

A well-crafted resume does more than state your work history — it's a strategic way to present your professional narrative in the most compelling light. Here's why a resume is vital in your job application process:

Step 1: Carefully Read the Job Description

The first step in crafting a compelling resume is a thorough understanding of the job description. It sets the direction for how you'll customize your resume to meet the specific needs and requirements of the role. Here's how to approach it:

Read Attentively

Begin by reading the job description carefully. Pay attention to the language used and the listed responsibilities and requirements. This will give you a clear idea of what the employer values most.

Highlight Key Skills and Qualifications

As you read, underline or highlight the essential skills and qualifications mentioned. These are usually listed under sections titled "Requirements," "Qualifications," or "Skills."

Match Your Skills

Compare your experiences and skills to those in the job description. Identify where your background aligns with the job requirements. This step is crucial for tailoring your resume to show you're an ideal fit.

Incorporate Keywords

Integrate keywords and phrases found in the job description throughout your resume. Use them in your summary, work experience and skills sections. This shows that your qualifications match the role and helps your resume get past Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), which screen resumes based on specific keywords.

Step 2: Choose the Best Resume Format

Choosing the right resume format ensures that your application captures the attention of hiring managers by presenting your background in the most effective and relevant way. Below are the three most commonly used resume formats, along with guidance on who should use each and why:

Chronological Resume

This format arranges your work experience in reverse chronological order, beginning with your most recent job at the top. It's ideal for individuals with a solid and steady work history. The chronological resume highlights career progression and is particularly effective for those looking to advance in the same field.

Best for: Seasoned professionals with consistent employment in their field.

Example: A marketing manager with 10 years of experience seeking to become a marketing director.

Functional Resume

This format emphasizes your skills and abilities rather than the chronological chronology of your professional experience. It's beneficial for those with career gaps in their employment, newcomers to the workforce or career changers, as it allows them to highlight how their skills transfer to the position they're applying for.

Best for: Career changers, individuals with employment gaps or those with diverse skill sets not tied to specific roles.

Example: A professional transitioning from a teaching career to a corporate training position, emphasizing skills in curriculum development, presentation and educational technology.

Combination Resume

A hybrid of the chronological and functional formats, this style allows you to showcase your relevant skills and work history. It's perfect for those with a solid employment record who also want to highlight specific skills that are particularly relevant to the job they're applying for.

Best for: Professionals with a robust work history and specific, transferable skills directly applicable to the job opening.

Example: A software developer with extensive experience in project management looking to focus on agile project management roles.

Step 3: Write a Compelling Resume Summary or Objective

Your summary or objective should introduce your resume and encapsulate your professional identity and value proposition, making a compelling case for why you're the ideal candidate for the position. Here's how to differentiate between the two and write them effectively:

Resume Summary

Ideal for experienced professionals, a summary provides a concise overview of your career achievements and key strengths. It highlights your experience, major accomplishments and the value you bring to a potential employer.

Example: "Customer Service Manager with over seven years of experience specializing in improving customer satisfaction and team performance. Achieved a 30% increase in customer satisfaction at XYZ Co., demonstrating proficiency in CRM software and effective team leadership."

Resume Objective

Best suited for those at the entry level, career changers or applicants with gaps in employment, an objective focuses on your career goals and how they align with the company's needs, emphasizing your enthusiasm and potential contributions.

Example: "Recent Computer Science graduate passionate about software development and problem-solving. Aiming to apply academic knowledge and innovative thinking in a Junior Developer role. Awarded university prize for excellence in project development, showcasing strong technical skills and creative solutions."

• Be Concise: Keep your summary or objective brief, targeting three to five lines.
• Showcase Your Value: Mention specific skills and experiences that align with the job description, indicating how you can solve problems or add value to the team.
• Use Active Language: Start sentences with action verbs and use the active voice to convey dynamism and proactivity.

Step 4: Detail Your Work Experience

The work experience section of your resume is where you showcase your professional journey and demonstrate your value to potential employers. Here's how you can effectively list your work experience:

Chronological Order

Begin with your most recent position and proceed backward in time. This format allows employers to quickly understand your current level of responsibility and track your career progression.

Dynamic Action Verbs

Initiate each bullet point with a strong action verb (e.g., led, developed, increased, optimized) to capture attention and actively convey your role in each achievement.

Quantify Achievements

Wherever possible, use numbers, percentages and specific outcomes to quantify your achievements. This approach provides tangible evidence of your contributions and impact on your roles.

Beyond Duties

Focus on your achievements in each position rather than simply listing job duties. Describe how you added value, solved problems or improved processes. This distinction helps employers gauge your potential impact on their organization.

Tailor to the Job

Select experiences and accomplishments most relevant to the position you're applying for. Tailoring this section to the job description ensures you highlight the skills and experiences that align closely with what the employer is seeking.

Step 5: Highlight Your Skills

The skills section can be an opportunity to respond directly to the job description's call for specific competencies. Follow these steps to make your skills section stand out:

Inventory Your Skills

Compile a comprehensive list of your skills, including technical skills and interpersonal skills. No skill is too small to consider.

Prioritize Relevant Skills

From your inventory, select the skills that most closely match the job description. These are the ones you should highlight in your resume.

Balancing Hard and Soft Skills

A well-rounded candidate possesses hard and soft skills . Hard skills demonstrate your specific qualifications for the job, while soft skills illustrate how you interact with others and approach your work.

Presenting Your Skills

When listing your skills, consider using bullet points for clarity and ease of reading. Provide brief examples of how you've applied each skill in a professional setting, either within the skills section itself or elsewhere in your resume.

Integrating Soft Skills Throughout

While it's important to list soft skills, you can also integrate them into your work experience and achievements.

Step 6: Include Your Education and Credentials

This section should highlight your academic achievements and underscore your commitment to professional development. Consider the following tips to showcase your education and credentials effectively:

List Your Highest Education First

Begin with the most advanced degree you've earned, followed by others in reverse chronological order. For each, include the degree type, your major, the name of the institution and your graduation year (or expected graduation year if you're currently enrolled).

Certifications and Licenses

List any professional certifications or licenses you hold, especially those directly relevant to the job. Include the name of the certification, the issuing organization and the date of attainment or expiration, if applicable.

Relevant Coursework, Honors and Awards

Mention any courses, honors or awards directly relevant to the job or that showcase exceptional achievement. Place these details under the appropriate educational entry, keeping the descriptions brief yet descriptive.

Formatting for Clarity

Use bullet points for each element to ensure the section is easily scannable. This helps potential employers quickly grasp your academic and professional learning achievements.

Prioritizing Information

Your educational background will be particularly important if you're starting your career or a recent graduate. In this case, consider placing your education section above your work experience. For those more advanced in their careers, education can follow the work experience section, focusing more on degrees and certifications than on coursework or honors.

• Master of Science in Data Analytics – XYZ University, 2023
• Specialization: Big Data Processing and Visualization Technique
• Honors: Received the Dean's Award for Outstanding Graduate Research

Certifications

• Certified Data Analyst – Data Science Institute, 2022

Step 7: Consider Optional Resume Sections

In addition to the essential components of your resume — such as your career summary, skills, work experience and education — consider including optional sections to further develop your brand, showcase a comprehensive skill set and stand out from other candidates. Select optional sections that add value and are relevant to the position you're applying for. Here are some possibilities:

Volunteer Work

Highlight significant volunteer roles and community service activities. These experiences can illustrate your commitment to social causes, leadership abilities and application of professional skills in a volunteer setting.

Detailing relevant certifications underscores your dedication to professional development and expertise in your field.

Share hobbies that reflect positively on your personality and offer insights into your soft skills, such as teamwork, creativity or leadership. Choose hobbies that are relevant or could contribute uniquely to the job.

Awards and Honors

Include professional or academic recognitions to emphasize your commitment to excellence and achievement in your career or field of study.

Listing language proficiencies can demonstrate your ability to communicate in diverse environments, an essential skill in many global or multicultural roles.

Professional Affiliations

Show your engagement with the professional community through memberships in associations, which can indicate a broader network and up-to-date industry knowledge

Step 8: Proofread and Format Your Resume

Errors, typos and inconsistencies in formatting can significantly detract from your professionalism and attention to detail. Here are some strategies to ensure your resume is polished and professional:

Be Consistent

Use a consistent format for headings, bullet points and fonts throughout your resume. This uniformity helps maintain a clean, professional look.

Choose a Professional Font

Use a professional, easy-to-read font such as Arial, Calibri or Times New Roman. Maintain a font size of 10 to 12 points for body text and slightly larger for headings.

Bullet Points

Use bullet points to list achievements and responsibilities, improving the document's readability and making it easier for employers to scan.

Margins and Spacing

Set your margins to 1" on all sides to create a balanced, uncluttered layout. Adequate spacing between sections further enhances readability.

Multiple Rounds of Proofreading

Go beyond a cursory spell check. Read your resume several times, each focusing on different elements — first for typos and grammar, then for consistency in formatting and finally for overall flow and persuasiveness.

Get a Second Opinion

Having someone else review your resume can provide valuable insights and catch errors you might have missed.

Use Digital Tools

Leverage grammar and spell-check tools like Grammarly or Microsoft Word's Review features for an additional layer of error checking.

Here's a list of valuable resources for crafting a standout resume that effectively navigates modern job application processes. Each offers unique insights and guidance tailored to different aspects of resume writing and job search strategies:

• GCFLearnFree.org : Features a wide range of guides, including formatting resumes for Applicant Tracking Systems and tailoring resumes to specific job applications​​.
• U.S. Department of Labor : Shares tips for writing a federal resume, including tailoring your resume to the job's requirements and selecting the right format​​.
• Workshops for Warriors : Provides targeted advice for veterans transitioning to civilian work, focusing on showcasing military training, certifications and soft skills​​.

About Nathan Paulus

Nathan Paulus is the Head of Content Marketing at MoneyGeek, with nearly 10 years of experience researching and creating content related to personal finance and financial literacy.

Paulus has a bachelor's degree in English from the University of St. Thomas, Houston. He enjoys helping people from all walks of life build stronger financial foundations.

Resume Builder

• Resume Experts
• Search Jobs
• Search for Talent
• Employer Branding
• Outplacement
• Resume Samples

Experienced Recruiter Resume Samples

The guide to resume tailoring.

Guide the recruiter to the conclusion that you are the best candidate for the experienced recruiter job. It’s actually very simple. Tailor your resume by picking relevant responsibilities from the examples below and then add your accomplishments. This way, you can position yourself in the best way to get hired.

Craft your perfect resume by picking job responsibilities written by professional recruiters

Pick from the thousands of curated job responsibilities used by the leading companies, tailor your resume & cover letter with wording that best fits for each job you apply.

Create a Resume in Minutes with Professional Resume Templates

• Assists with the coaching and development of new team members
• Create the position in our ATS, and manage the approval process until the final closure,
• Partner with your hiring managers and business leaders to create innovative and effective hiring processes
• Provide a weekly update with overview of the market and exact status of the search to the hiring manager,
• Manage the posting and sourcing strategy through the most accurate channels (LinkedIn, CV databases and other specialized jobs boards)
• Identifies and participates in continuous improvement initiatives
• Support the development of your interviewers through training and coaching
• Work with the Recruiting Manager to design and implement hiring strategy for Americas region in line with the global framework
• Liaise with Practice Group and HC leadership to set and manage expectations around recruiting process, develop job descriptions and execute against targets
• Utilize the firm's recruitment tools and processes to execute work flow
• Work in tandem with the divisional generalist teams, employee relations, legal, background check and others to provide full service to clients
• Generate and send offer letters and manage the collection of new hire paperwork; liaising with HC generalists and Training on onboarding
• Provide recruiting activity management reports
• Make strong recommendations to the Area and BU on candidates to be interviewed and evaluated for positions within the firm
• Participate in workforce planning sessions and ongoing ad-hoc feedback meetings with hiring managers
• Develop and maintain relationships with Business Unit and Service Line hiring managers and HR leaders
• Utilize Ernst & Young's recruitment tools and processes to execute work flow
• Identify candidates through multiple sources including employee referrals, social networking sites (e.g. LinkedIn), alumni, transfers and agencies
• Execute on processes to implement hiring plans based on business strategy in consultation with business and recruiting leaders
• Manage other recruiters and sourcing team members, or entire sourcing teams
• Work with the Practice and the APT team on the ultimate hiring decision. Drive the recruitment process for a practice, Business Unit or sub-Area
• Ability to quickly gain in-depth knowledge of the firm's recruitment policies, processes and protocols
• With a strong knowledge of IT and Software’s profiles, you will bring a real added value on a daily basis, and act as real “Advisor”,
• Good knowledge base and prior experience in full life-cycle recruitment of experienced hires
• Ability to quickly adapt to, embrace and champion new technology and tools. Act as a change agent as new technology, tools and processes are rolled out
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, multitasking environment
• You have a Strong Experience of using online job boards and social networking media for recruitment
• Ability to articulate and market EY opportunities to candidates
• Broad understanding of the firm's Service Lines and a detailed understanding of the Practice for which this position is responsible for
• Ability to negotiate and close offers
• Ability to utilize strategic thinking skills and work to collaborate with fellow team members on best practices

12 Experienced Recruiter resume templates

Read our complete resume writing guides

How to tailor your resume, how to make a resume, how to mention achievements, work experience in resume, 50+ skills to put on a resume, how and why put hobbies, top 22 fonts for your resume, 50 best resume tips, 200+ action words to use, internship resume, killer resume summary, write a resume objective, what to put on a resume, how long should a resume be, the best resume format, how to list education, cv vs. resume: the difference, include contact information, resume format pdf vs word, how to write a student resume, experienced hire recruiter supporting advisory practice resume examples & samples.

• Utilize Ernst & Young's recruitment tools and processes to execute work flow
• Gain a solid understanding of Ernst & Young's tools, processes, protocols and Service Lines to source, recruit and hire experienced candidates. Recommend good candidates to the Area and/or Business Unit
• Ability to utilize resources effectively, including Investigations, General Counsel's Office, Center for Mobility Services (CMS), VISA and Immigration (V&I), etc
• Broad understanding of the nature of the Service Lines and Practice(s) to be supported
• Competent at articulating and presenting hiring statistics and data at National/sub-Area Practice meetings, or APT meetings
• Independence, to troubleshoot and resolve complex recruitment and hiring issues, with little guidance

Experienced Hire Recruiter Supporting CBS Resume Examples & Samples

• Serve as a recruiter for a Sub-Service Line or a Practice. Conduct pre-qualifying phone screens on candidates and targeted warm calls to generate interest in Ernst & Young opportunities. Make recommendations regarding next steps with each candidate
• Act as the main recruiting contact for key client groups and internal and external candidates. Develop sound business relationships with internal clients to achieve stated goals
• Ability to articulate and market Ernst & Young opportunities to candidates

Experienced Hire Recruiter Supporting Tax Resume Examples & Samples

• Help resolve complex recruitment challenges
• Manage the internal process for a transferring inbound recruits to designated sub-Areas and Business Units
• Directly or indirectly supervise, coach and counsel others, including junior recruiters
• Act as a formal or informal mentor for team members, and key contact for guidance

Experienced Hire Recruiter Supporting Financial Services Organization Resume Examples & Samples

• Serve as the main resource for queries for other team members and the service line in general
• Help Business Units, Practices or sub-Areas meet their goals for recruiting experienced hires
• Manage and participate in local recruitment training programs
• Act as a change agent for new technology, tools and processes that are rolled out to the broader recruiting community
• A minimum of 8-10 years of experienced hire recruitment experience; preferably from a professional services environment

Experienced Hire Recruiter Supporting IT Resume Examples & Samples

• Responsible for mastering the use of recruiting tools and technologies (Taleo, LinkedIn, etc) to remain at the forefront of talent acquisition. Research and recommend the use of other vendors that may improve the effectiveness of recruiting and/or sourcing activities. May provide testing or manage the rollout of a new tool or technology to the recruiting community
• Responsible for counseling and mentoring other recruiters
• Provide regular updates to hiring manager, recruiting leaders and other stakeholders as may be appropriate on pipeline development and progress of candidates
• Ability to quickly gain in-depth knowledge of the firm's recruitment policies, processes and protocols
• Possesses high level of specialized knowledge in experienced hire recruitment
• A minimum of 5-8 years of experienced hire recruiting experience; preferably from a professional services environment

CIB Experienced Recruiter Resume Examples & Samples

• Must have the ablility and skill to manage mulitple administrative recruiting processes
• Must have 1 - 3 years of full-cycle, professional level recruiting experience
• Ability to produce powerpoint presentations and ad hoc report using Excel

Experienced Hire Recruiter Resume Examples & Samples

• Utilize the firm's recruitment tools and processes to execute work flow
• Embrace the firm's branding strategy in the recruitment lifecycle
• Use a solid understanding of the firm's tools, processes, protocols and service line knowledge to source, recruit and hire experienced-hire candidates
• Strong knowledge of firm recruitment policies, processes, and protocols
• Broad understanding of the firm's service lines and a solid understanding of the practice which he/she supports

Experienced Hire Recruiter Month Contract Resume Examples & Samples

• Recruit to fill experienced hire positions with best available talent as directed by practice leadership and Canada People Team
• Function as main recruiting point of contact for key client groups and internal and external candidates
• Manage the internal transfer process of inbound recruits to designated Areas and business units
• Support the lifelong relationship strategy by building close working relationships with local Alumni Relations resources, and participating in onboarding and integration processes
• Achieve a BU, practice or Area's experienced hire recruitment goals
• Collaborate with practice and Canada People Team by using sound business judgment and outstanding communication skills to assist in the ultimate hiring decision. Drive the recruitment process for a practice, BU or Area
• A university degree and related business experience are essential
• A CHRP designation is desirable, as is, exposure to the professional services industry

Experienced Recruiter Resume Examples & Samples

• Serve as a recruiter for a Sub-Service Line or a Practice. Conduct pre-qualifying phone screens on candidates and targeted warm calls to generate interest in EY opportunities. Make recommendations regarding next steps with each candidate

Experienced Recruiter Eindhoven Resume Examples & Samples

• You have a Bachelor or Master degree
• Minimum 4/5 years of stable experience in both recruitment and relationship management with both Hiring Managers and candidates
• Fluent in English and Dutch, communication and interpersonal skill
• Ability to develop creative recruitment action plans
• Lead of the Kick off meeting with Local HR and Hiring manager in order to understand requirements and to determine appropriate recruiting sources for advertising and posting positions
• Drive the selections of the best cv , prescreening, face to face interviews, and present of the short-list,
• Schedule interviews for managers and follow- up as needed,
• Check the references and C&B information
• Work hand in hand with the local HR at each step, advise and be a real added-value in the recruitment process
• Maintain accurate and timely recruiting records, follow-up the process until the candidate acceptance
• You have at least 5 years’ experience in a Recruitment agency or IT in a multinational company with the management of the full process of recruitment
• With a strong knowledge of IT and Software’s profiles, you will bring a real added value on a daily basis, and act as real “Advisor”,
• Proactive and autonomous, you have good communication skills and you are able to work with a remote manager and escalate information when it’s required
• You have already demonstrated your ability to manage and prioritize a high volume workload in a context of growth,
• You know how to maintain focus and work on deadlines, proving a high quality of work,
• Fluent level in Hungarian and English are mandatory
• Manage candidate flow, track and monitor interview progress
• Provide feedback and influence hiring decisions
• Negotiate compensation packages for new hires
• Close and deliver candidates
• Develop external contacts to stay abreast of new hiring practices and trends in the industry
• Bachelor degree required
• Minimum 2 years recruiting/search experience in a financial services organization or professional services firm
• Experience in recruiting Analyst to VP level professionals with standard and complex compensation structures
• Client focused, service oriented, relationship builder
• Strong communication skills, both written and oral
• Ability to work in high volume environment; handle multiple tasks and prioritize accordingly
• Understanding of Operations businesses preferred
• Proven project management skills
• Proven ability in managing external vendors
• Credibility to influence at the highest levels within divisions and the firm
• Maintains effective working relationship with HR and Operational partners to ensure appropriate staffing service levels are met through the creation of area staffing plans
• Confers with management and supervisors to identify staffing needs and requirements, conducting intake/scoping calls and providing process overviews and realistic expectations to hiring managers
• Manages the necessary sourcing and advertising of openings
• Develops and maintains relationships with technical schools, colleges, alumni groups, military sources, and diversity organizations to find and attract applicants
• Manages and facilities onsite hiring events (open house, career fairs, interview days)
• Conducts electronic screening and phone screening of candidates, updating status in our tracking system
• Maintains constant communication with hiring managers on active candidates. Also regularly discusses future hiring needs and backup candidates
• Coordinates background checks on applicants, and reference checks where appropriate
• Ensures compliance with all federal/state laws and regulations including AAP, ADA, and OFCCP; shows respect and sensitivity for cultural differences in all phases of recruitment process
• Supports Penske diversity initiatives and objectives
• Develops a full understanding of, and utilizes, reporting features of recruiting systems, including requisition reports, candidate status reports, etc
• Other projects and tasks as assigned by supervisor
• 3-5 years recruiting experience in a large, decentralized or centralized company environment required
• Bilingual Spanish candidates with fluency in reading/writing highly preferred
• Bachelor's degree required, or, at least 3 years of equivalent work experience required
• Must have demonstrated internal customer service skills, including troubleshoot and problem solving experiences
• Must have demonstrated strong organizational and documentation skills
• Able to communicate effectively both in-person and through written correspondences and presentations with candidates, peers, managers, and leadership
• Willingness to travel, about 20-40% to various locations by car, plane or train overnight, as required or directed by area operational leadership
• Strong knowledge of enterprise applicant tracking systems required, prior experience with Taleo preferred
• Willingness to travel as necessary, work the required schedule, work at the specific location required, complete Penske employment application, submit to a background investigation (to include past employment, education, and criminal history) and drug screening are required
• Manage all aspects of recruitment cycle for assigned practices including: job postings, resume review, up front screen calls, interview and offer process, and sell efforts
• Work with team to maximize direct sourcing – Market Mapping, LinkedIn, referral network, school postings, and other web-based searches to ensure cost effective approach
• Manage communications with candidates, acting as the ‘face of the company’ and ensuring a superior candidate experience
• Maintain accurate records in the firm’s Applicant Tracking System (GTIOS) to ensure accurate global reporting including: creating applications, uploading scores, and producing reports as needed
• Work with the Practice Groups to ensure successful integration of new staff
• Coordinate interview days including: scheduling interviewer time, managing room booking, ordering catering, printing and collating interviewer packs, collecting receipts and travel reimbursement request forms from candidates
• Help with other areas of recruitment and HC projects as required including reporting and analytics, and ad hoc campus-based recruitment projects
• 4-6 years of corporate or agency recruiting
• Experience in management consultancy, financial services, and/or a similar professional services industry a plus
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and able to deal with people at all levels across a multicultural and environment
• Strong service focused – dedicated to meeting the expectations of all staff, securing effective relationships with clients and executing deliverables to the highest standards
• Poise and judgment
• Strong interpersonal, analytical and communication skills
• Exceptional organizational skills and the ability to successfully handle multiple tasks simultaneously, balancing competing priorities
• Experience in a fast-paced, professional services environment
• Ability to maintain and respect confidentiality
• Proactive team player who has experience of and has enjoyed working as part of a team
• Ability to juggle several tasks at once, to prioritize and manage own time -someone who is willing to step outside their job description
• Self-starter, quick study, confident and ability to work with little guidance
• Ability to manage a heavy work volume and meet deadlines in an extremely fast paced environment
• Methodical, organized, excellent attention to detail and stickler for accuracy
• Flexible attitude, hard-working and results driven
• Knowledge of applicant tracking systems (GTIOS, Taleo, etc.)
• Knowledge of recruiting policies, procedures, and laws
• Responsible for management of the Company's recruiting and staffing plans of experienced professionals based on current and future activity forecasts
• Obtains resumés from various sources as per established process; screens, reviews and recommends candidates
• Ensures consistent corporate image throughout recruiting campaigns
• Collects and discusses the technical assessments with the interviewers and makes final recommendations about the suitability of the candidate
• Coordinates induction of new recruits and monitors progress and success through the first year of their career
• Identifies and maintains regular contact with approved recruiting agencies to support the recruiting process
• Abides by published list of non poaching agreements to ensure we are in compliance with our agreements and not jeopardizing any relationships with clients
• Generates monthly statistics to keep abreast of recruitment status
• Complies with the company’s policies and standards
• Promotes privacy awareness, manages and oversees the deployment of Data Protection requirements and the Company's Privacy Strategy
• Employees may be assigned other duties, in addition to, or in lieu of those described above, according to the needs of the location or Company
• University Degree with a minimum of 5 years' experience in recruiting
• Specialisation in recruiting Drivers (CDL / HAZMAT) for a large transport or logistics company
• Experience with Microsoft Office Suite and using an ATS
• Candidates must be able to legally work and reside in the US, without sponsorship

Experienced Clinical Recruiter Opportunity With Signature Healthcare Resume Examples & Samples

• Screen all candidates from the initial phone call, through pre-qualifying, testing, reference checking, and interviewing
• Generate qualified applicants by direct recruiting, networking, reactivating previously interviewed applicants
• 3 years: Clinical/Medical recruiting experience

Experienced Clinical Recruiter Opportunities With Signature Healthcare Resume Examples & Samples

• Ensure that all employment practices are administered fairly and without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, marital status, amnesty, or veteran status in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws
• Negotiate job offers to include salary, benefits, relocation, bonuses etc. Attend client visits with Sales Consultant as needed
• Create referral contacts and programs to increase candidate flow.Work in coordination with the Vice-President and Senior Director to ensure the security, integrity and confidentiality of the recruitment processes

Experienced Craft Recruiter Resume Examples & Samples

• Manage a recruiting requisition load of 15-20+ job openings at a time
• Utilize SuccessFactors applicant tracking system, LinkedIn, social media, job boards such as Dice and Careerbuilder, Boolean searches, and professional / networking groups
• Network to recruit active and passive candidates for current positions and build talent pipelines for future career opportunities
• Extend job offers, and see candidates through the Onboarding process
• Emotional Intelligence – Ability to manage emotions in positive ways to communicate effectively, empathize with others, overcome challenges, and defuse conflicts
• Outstanding customer service and problem solving skills
• Demonstrated energy, enthusiasm and initiative
• Relocatable in the South Eastern United States

Experienced Hiring Recruiter Resume Examples & Samples

• Collaborate with the business and recruiting colleagues to identify and define talent needs, build position profiles and specifications
• Develop effective sourcing strategies to engage active and passive candidates through multiple channels incl. direct sourcing , executive search, employee referrals to build a high quality candidate pipeline
• Handhold candidates through the recruiting process ensuring a best in class candidate experience
• Identify and partner with headhunters on targeted searches
• Develop and continually enhance market intelligence of the talent landscape in the region
• Evaluate the potential of social media in advancing our talent goals and develop a strategy to leverage these in an innovative and effective manner
• Act as a digital recruiting evangelist to garner support and build an internal content team for a sustainable social media recruiting strategy

Related Job Titles

How Long Should a Resume Be?

By Kelli Mason Updated on April 17, 2024

So you’ve sat down to write your resume. As you list your previous experiences, accomplishments, and skills, you notice the length of your resume is growing…and growing…and growing!

It’s great that you bring so much to the table— but do recruiters really need to know all of this information in the initial stages? 

It can be tempting to include everything that makes you a standout candidate, but it may not be the best way to get your skills and accomplishments noticed.

How long should a resume be?

In general, a resume should be no more than one page.

On average, recruiters only spend an average of six to seven seconds looking at resumes . They have dozens, if not hundreds, of applications to sort through, and there simply isn’t enough time to give each a thorough read.

You want your resume to showcase your career and experience highlights as succinctly as possible. You may have all of right skills, but if it’s buried in irrelevant details, your resume may end up in the wrong pile.

Think of a resume as a summary on the back of a book. It’s designed to hook the reader and get them interested— not tell the whole story. Similarly, a resume is supposed to be a brief overview of your skills and experiences that let a recruiter know whether or not you’re qualified to move on to the next step. 

Of course, there are exceptions to this rule of thumb. If a job description or recruiter asks for an expanded resume, you should include more detail to give the full picture of your experience. But, unless you are instructed to send a long-format resume, a one-pager will suffice.

How can I make the most of resume space?

One page may not seem like a lot of room to get your point across, so it’s important to use the space wisely. Here are some tips for making the most of your one page resume . 

1. Format it correctly.

Make the most of your space by formatting your resume in a way that puts the most important information front and center. 

Always start with your contact information. But beyond that, the best way to format your resume will depend on where you are in your career. For instance, if you’ve recently graduated from college, you’ll probably want to lead with your education and relevant coursework. If you’ve been in the workforce for three or more years, you’ll want to start with your most recent job experience. 

It’s also important to use a clean and professional format that is easy to read. Use consistent spacing, margins, and font sizes throughout your resume. Use bullet points and short paragraphs to break up large blocks of text and make your resume more scannable.

2. Include only information that is relevant to the job you are applying for.

If you’re having trouble squeezing your experience onto one page, look over each role and ask yourself, “Is this relevant to the job I’m applying for?” If the answer is no, consider cutting it.

For example, if you’re applying to a marketing position and have ten years of marketing experience at three companies, it is unnecessary to include your college job at the campus bookstore. That space would be better used elaborating on the experience that directly relates to the position you hope to land. 

Your resume is a snapshot, not an all-encompassing history.

3. Limit the amount of bullet points you include for each job experience.

Recruiters want to see more than the company you worked for and the position you held. Including bullet points that explain the responsibilities and accomplishments for each experience can help provide a look into your skills and experience. 

But it can be easy to get carried away here and create a list that is ten bullet points long. After all, it’s hard to synthesize months or years worth of work into a few sentences!

However, you should be selective with the points that you choose and, again, keep it relevant to the job you want. Three short bullet points per job experience should be enough to provide key details but not waste space.

4. Choose your font sizes wisely.

Need to squeeze just a few more lines onto one page? Look at your font size. Decreasing your font size by even a half point may give you the extra room you need. 

Be careful not to make it so small that it is impossible to read. Anything below 10 points is too small. 

5. Don’t include photos or images on your resume.

You may think that including a photo will help put a face to the name, but including a headshot on a resume is not a good idea for several reasons. For one, they take up a lot of that precious, precious space! 

Secondly, photos aren’t ATS-friendly. Applicant tracking systems, commonly referred to as ATS, help recruiters sort and track applications. These programs don’t always know how to interpret photos and can cause your resume to get overlooked.

Lastly, they provide an opportunity for unconscious bias to creep in. By not including photos, you can help the recruiter can focus on what’s important— the skills and experience you bring to the table. 

Expanding on your resume during your interview

If the recruiter determines that you have the skills and qualifications for the job, your next step will be a phone screen or an interview. 

There, you will have an opportunity to expand upon your resume . This is your chance to provide context to your experience and elaborate on what your duties and responsibilities consisted of. You can also talk about accomplishments that you didn’t have room for on paper. 

The bottom line

Crafting an effective resume is crucial in landing your dream job. While there is no one-size-fits-all answer to how long a resume should be, a one-page resume is the best guideline to follow. Keep in mind that recruiters have limited time to review each resume and need to quickly determine if a candidate is qualified for the job. Therefore, it’s important to make every word count and ensure that your qualifications and accomplishments are clearly and effectively communicated.