The work experience section is usually the first (and often the last) part of your resume that recruiters read. That’s why it needs to be spot-on.

The key is turning your career story (no matter how short, diverse, or non-linear) into a clear and human narrative that positions you as the ideal candidate. One that resonates with the reader and makes it past both ATS filters and the recruiter’s 6-second scan. Every experience has value if you know how to tell the story.

In this article, you’ll learn:

How to write your work experience section using a mix of achievements and storytelling to stand out from other candidates.
Ideas to turn daily tasks into measurable results, even if you don’t have exact data or aren’t sure how to reframe them.
How to decide which roles to include and how many jobs to list, based on your career stage, so your resume stays sharp and relevant.
How to choose the best resume format (chronological, functional, hybrid, or project-based) to highlight your experience effectively.
How to build a resume with no work experience, using personal projects, volunteering, or training as real, credible assets.

Why your Work Experience section is key to landing interviews

The work experience section on your resume is more than just a chronological list of jobs. It’s what recruiters scan first to answer three essential questions, often in just a few seconds:

Have you done something similar to what this role requires?
Have you delivered real, relevant results for a company like mine?
Does your career path show growth or stagnation?

This isn’t about inflating job titles or name-dropping big companies. Employers aren’t just looking for credentials, they’re looking for impact. They want to know what problem you solved, how you approached it, and what you learned. And it doesn’t need to be recent, it needs to be relevant to the role.

The most common mistake is treating this section as a plain timeline, without thinking about how to frame, quantify, or align it with the job you want. So do it differently: add numbers, highlight outcomes, explain the context, and show your value.

A well-written work experience section can mean the difference between being skipped and getting the interview. Let’s break down how to get it right.

How to write the Work Experience section on your resume

Recruiters want to know what you contributed, what you learned, and how you made a difference throughout your career. If they see that you’ve already achieved somewhere else what they need in their company, chances are they’ll call you. Here’s how to show it:

1. Use a clear, professional structure

Your work experience should be easy to scan and understand. Stick to a reverse chronological format (it’s the most recruiter and ATS-friendly) and include:

Job title.
Company name.
Start and end dates (month and year).
Location (city and country, or “Remote” if applicable).
(Optional) A short description of the company if it’s not well known (e.g., “50-person B2B SaaS startup in the fintech space”).

Pro Tip:
If you held multiple roles at the same company or got promoted, highlight that. Progression tells a strong story about your performance.

2. Combine key responsibilities with real achievements

It’s okay to mention key tasks, but focus on what you accomplished with them. Use this simple formula:

Action verb + context + result

For example:

“Streamlined the inventory system, cutting stock errors by 40% in three months.”

This kind of sentence shows critical thinking, measurable impact, and a results-driven mindset.

Achievements don’t always have to be numbers, qualitative impact matters too.

Here’s a before-and-after example for a Marketing Assistant to make it clearer:

❌ Weak narrative ❌	✅ Strong narrative ✅
• In charge of social media • Supported campaigns • Tracked metrics	• Designed an Instagram campaign that increased leads by 30% in 3 months, managing a €5,000 budget • Created monthly reports with key performance metrics, helping optimize digital strategy • Strengthened planning skills under pressure, essential in fast-paced environments
Too vague, it shows no impact and it could describe any candidate.	Effective because it uses action verbs, shows real results and reflects growth.

According to market data, resumes that include measurable results are 40% more likely to get interview callbacks. Yet only 8% of resumes actually do it.

3. Use the STAR method to write strong achievements

If you’re just starting out or switching industries, the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) is a powerful and simple storytelling tool. It helps you highlight transferable skills and turn your experience into mini success stories:

Situation: what was the context or challenge?
Task: what was your responsibility?
Action: what did you do?
Result: what was the outcome?

Pro Tip:
Mention the skills you used along the way. It humanizes your experience, shows a growth mindset, and builds trust by giving context.

4. Optimize for both recruiters and ATS

Be sure to include relevant keywords from the job posting. This makes your resume more compelling to recruiters and earns more points from the ATS.

One-page resumes and Harvard & Jake’s resume templates are the most recruiter and ATS-friendly.

How to write resume achievements without exact numbers

Not everyone works with data, and not every company shares business metrics openly. Even if you do work with numbers, chances are you haven’t kept them with you for when you need them. That’s why most people struggle to write strong achievements, it’s hard to know what to say and how to say it. Here are 10 creative strategies to highlight your impact even if you don’t have exact stats:

1. Unlock your memory with specific questions

Instead of asking yourself “what were my achievements?”, try:

What did I learn in that job?
What problem did I help solve?
Who did I support directly, and how did their work or day improve?
What did I do to make something run smoother?

These questions bring up specific memories you can turn into powerful resume bullet points.

2. Rebuild achievements with honest estimates

This isn’t about making things up, it’s about giving a truthful approximation without giving the specific data:

“Customer complaints dropped significantly after we redesigned the support workflow.”

“Delivery times noticeably improved after the new routine was implemented.”

Use adverbs like significantly, frequently, noticeably, or consistently to convey results without exact figures.

3. Focus on emotional or relational impact

Especially useful if you work with people and soft skills are the core of your job (education, healthcare, customer service, team coordination…):

“Earned the trust of a team resistant to change and helped roll out a new system with no friction.”

“Kept morale high during a tough restructuring by creating safe spaces for team communication.”

These achievements matter. In fact, emotional intelligence is one of the most in-demand skills right now, so any sign you’ve developed it is a huge plus.

4. Set the scene if you can’t quantify

Place your contribution in a complex or high-pressure context:

“Adapted customer service protocols during the pandemic without compromising quality.”

Even without numbers, this shows adaptability, leadership, and resilience, skills employers actively look for in 2025.

5. Turn everyday tasks into real impact

Ask yourself: what changed because of my work? Here’s how a simple task becomes a transformation:

❌ Weak narrative ❌	✅ Strong narrative ✅
Scheduled weekly meetings.	Organized weekly meetings that helped identify blockers and speed up delivery.
Wrote reports.	Created reports that informed key strategic decisions.
Managed social media.	Designed a campaign that boosted engagement by 30% in two months.

6. Get inspired by others in your role

Search for people with similar job titles on LinkedIn and check how they describe their achievements. It’s a great way to learn how to reframe your daily tasks into outcomes that recruiters recognize and value.

7. Keep your resume updated regularly

Don’t wait until you’re job hunting to remember what you did well. Every time you solve a problem, hit a milestone, or get positive feedback, make a quick note. That way, your resume will practically write itself when you need it.

You can jot down things like:

Problems you helped solve.
Positive feedback from managers or clients.
Processes you improved.
Things you do better now than before.

Keeping track of these moments makes your experience more compelling and easier to articulate later.

At the end of the day, writing your work experience is about telling a clear, honest story of who you are, what you bring to the table, and how you make things better; with or without exact metrics.

Your story already has impact. You just need to learn how to tell it.

What to include in your work experience: relevance over volume

Every role you list on your resume should help answer the main question: why you for this job?

It’s not about listing everything you’ve ever done, it’s about crafting a compelling narrative.

Here’s how to decide what to include:

Lead with impact. If a job doesn’t show a relevant skill, lesson, or achievement tied to the role you’re applying for, it might not be worth including.
Support your story. Does this experience highlight skills the company cares about? For example, working as a waiter can show your customer focus and ability to handle high-pressure situations, perfect for a support or sales role. Reframe the experience through that lens.
Tailor it to your career stage:
- Less than 2 years of experience: include internships, volunteering, or part-time jobs that add value to your profile.
- 2–7 years: focus on your 2–3 most recent roles and briefly summarize older ones, only if they’re relevant.
- 7+ years: emphasize what’s most relevant. Older roles can be grouped under a section like “Previous Relevant Experience.”

How to choose the right resume format

Each resume format highlights something different, so pick the one that best supports your case.

Reverse Chronological

The most common format: your work history appears from most recent to oldest. Best if you have a stable, upward career path.

This format is recruiter-friendly and the most compatible with ATS, which makes it a safe and effective choice for most applicants.

Functional (skills-based)

Organizes your resume by skill categories instead of timelines. It’s often recommended for career changers or people with limited experience, but we don’t recommend it. It can be confusing for recruiters and is poorly handled by most ATS systems.

Unless a job posting explicitly says they accept functional resumes, it’s better to highlight your skills in smarter ways.

Combination (Hybrid)

Blends skill-based sections with a brief chronological work history. Ideal for professionals with a few years of experience who want to spotlight their strengths without losing clarity.

Project-based or Thematic

Groups your experience by key areas of impact (e.g., “Digital Transformation” or “Remote Team Management”). Best for consultants, freelancers, or anyone who works by project and wants to showcase outcomes over job continuity. The main drawback is that many ATS systems still struggle to parse this format.

The chronological format remains recruiters’ favorite. But if your story isn’t linear or doesn’t fit the mold, don’t be afraid to tell it differently. A project-based format can turn a nontraditional path into a strong, memorable proposition.

How to shine without work experience on your resume

Not having formal work experience doesn’t mean you have nothing to show. It means you need to redefine what counts as “experience”, and tell your story with intention.

The goal isn’t to make things up, but to translate what you’ve already done into clear signals of value. This article explains how to write a resume with no experience, but here’s a quick summary:

1. Academic projects and hands-on learning

Don’t underestimate your education. A thesis, a capstone project, or a group assignment can showcase analytical thinking, leadership, problem-solving, or creativity.

2. Personal projects

Have you launched a blog, a YouTube channel, a mobile app, or a personal portfolio? These show initiative, technical skills, and consistency; even if they didn’t bring in money or clients.

3. Volunteering, unpaid internships, or informal roles

Organizing an event, managing social media for a local group, or helping at a nonprofit all count. What matters is what you learned or achieved, not whether you got paid.

4. Transferable skills

Even without job experience, you already have valuable skills: languages, digital tools, soft skills, work habits… Identify the key skills the job requires and give examples that show you already use them.

Final thoughts: your story is your superpower

Your work experience is how you connect what you’ve done with what you’re ready to do next.

A great resume doesn’t require the “perfect” career history. It requires purpose, clarity, and honesty.

With a strategic approach, the right format, and a clear lens on your strengths, you can create a resume that works in 2025: clear, memorable, and deeply human.

✨ You don’t need a corporate background. You need clarity, authenticity, and a story worth reading.

To structure your resume effectively, explore the templates and tools at CandyCV and take your story to the next level.

How to write work experience on a resume: tips to show your achievements