essay about a job experience

My First Work Experience and Knowledge I Gained Essay

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When I was a child, my dream was to find the work connected with managing people and resources. The vision persisted until it became time for pursuing a college degree, where I opted for a business course in Human Resource Management (HRM). I intended to be in a position to lead people at the workplace. After graduating from school, luckily, I got an internship program with one of the renowned retail companies called Costco Retailers.

The first working experience was memorable because I finally managed to become independent and earn my first money. When I started working in the corporation, I changed my mentality to adapt to the new system. This paper will discuss the experience during my first job recruitment, skills, and knowledge gathered during this period. During the first working experience, recruits should apply the theoretical knowledge in practice to avoid difficulties in time-management, issue solving, and communication with clients and colleagues.

The time-management appeared to be a fundamental problem that I have faced during my experience. It was a requirement that all the staff report one hour before the opening of the stores. This was necessary to facilitate daily planning and arrangement of the work routine to enhance the efficiency of the operations. It was difficult for me to manage time properly and organize the activities of other people. I had to participate in various events and often failed to perform my duties correctly. There even was a period of time when I was at significant risk of being fired. I had to learn how to be time-conscious to overcome the pressure. I solved this problem thanks to applying some time-management techniques.

Besides the time factor, another issue was working under pressure. During the first few months, I was stationed at the customer care desk to attend to the clients’ queries. At this position, several problems emerged that required immediate attention from the top managers within the department. It was challenging to handle some inquiries because of the large number of customers and the nature of their needs. The intensity to meet their expectation was overwhelming, and it involved many commands from the senior staff.

Another problem that required theoretical knowledge from me was cultural diversity. Shoppers consist of people from different races, gender, culture, and profession. Communicating with customers was a nightmare, especially for those whose cultures tend to diverge at some point. Sometimes you might offend people from different cultures without noticing it. Nonetheless, thanks to their interactive nature and understanding, some clients helped me learn how to communicate appropriately.

Generally, working with customers entails fluctuating motions since they come in different moods with various expectations to be fulfilled. Meeting people from different backgrounds increased my exposure and understanding of individuals behave in relation to their culture. The race-tolerance strategies learned during my education helped me to adjust my communicational style.

I thought handling customers was the main challenge of this position, but there was another significant problem. Being a novice, young, and unfamiliar with the company’s system was another terrifying encounter. At the customer care desk, we had co-workers who had been in the institution for an extended period. These workers used to take advantage of the recruits by assigning complex tasks and overworking them. I became a victim and felt exploited since I could do twice what the other workers were doing. From one point of view, such pressure was rational, aiming to increase my working skills. From the other point, I had moral difficulties coping with a considerable amount of work while experienced colleagues did not offer me any help.

It is also essential to mention which new skills I have gained during my working experience which contribute to my professional development. Thanks to this organization, I gained valuable knowledge and skills helpful for developing in this work industry. First, I gained an understanding of how to communicate with customers and colleagues. Before joining the Costco team, I thought managing people was easy to perform and did not require any special knowledge. Thanks to this working experience, I have learned that communication and management is a whole science that requires profound knowledge and well-developed communicational skills. Therefore, I realized that it is critical to apply the behavioral analysis approach to maintain effective communication.

Moreover, the company made me develop and improve my intrapersonal skills. Working with people having different ages and cultures requires self-understanding (Horak & Matoskova, 2018). To be able to relate effectively with other staff members and even customers, I had to learn how to communicate and listen. Communication is essential in advancing the relationship amongst the business affiliates. The on-the-job experience made it easier to comprehend and apply the skills. Here I also successfully applied the gained during my education knowledge.

Surprisingly, technological knowledge was vital during my working experience. Furthermore, being at the customer care desk exposed me to using the computer system to record, search, monitor, and even communicate with the administration. I developed deep insight into technology, and my computer knowledge increased. Through the period, I could use the system to perform critical tasks like monitoring the level of inventory, tracking customers’ purchasing records, and updating new valuable information for clients. In addition, I was able to analyze the trend of buyers, which was helpful for the administration for updating the stocks.

Another critical skill that I acquired during the period was the ability to solve problems. At the customer care desk, clients came with various issues ranging from sales of defective products to poor service delivery. I have analyzed different literature on the topic of problem-solving. Multiple techniques help the manager build good relationships with the customer and colleagues (Funke et al., 2018). One of them is the culturally-tolerant attitude towards the participants of communication. I developed a profound knowledge of managing different circumstances to generate a proper solution by handling such issues. Seeing and learning how the colleagues were regulating similar situations at work was vital and prompted self-confidence. To make a decision, self-reliance is essential as it allows one to find their own answers to the problem.

Generally, obtaining a job after completing coursework in college is beneficial because you can gain valuable experience. On the job, learning makes the whole perspective different as it comes with arrays of experiences both encouraging and demoralizing. Sometimes changing and adapting to a new routine is difficult for the new employees. Furthermore, interacting with various people at the workplace advance understanding and worldview of individuals.

The exposure also makes people gain the necessary knowledge and skills that are essential for further carrier development. Joining the proper organization could impact the level of experience individual gains. If people are ready to develop their knowledge and skills, asking questions, elaborate new ideas, then the chances of attaining new skills at work are high. It is also vital to implement the theoretical concept learned through education in practice. Thus, applying theoretical concepts and constant development contributed to forming a positive working experience.

Funke, J., Fischer, A., & Holt, D. V. (2018). Competencies for complexity: Problem solving in the twenty-first century. In Assessment and teaching of 21st century skills (pp. 41-53). Springer, Cham. Web.

Horak, M., & Matoskova, J. (2018). Comparison of training programmes and activities for cluster managers in Europe with respect to their focus on skills development. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Knowledge , 6 (1). Web.

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IvyPanda. (2022, November 25). My First Work Experience and Knowledge I Gained. https://ivypanda.com/essays/my-first-work-experience-and-knowledge-i-gained/

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“Tell Me About Your Work Experience” (Sample Answer)

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Being asked about your work experience is a given during a job interview. Hiring managers ask interview questions about your experience because they want to understand the impact of your prior work more comprehensively than reading the bullet points on a resume . If you’re a job seeker preparing for an interview, this article will guide you through how to talk about your skills and experience in a way that clearly communicates your value to an interviewer. You’ll also find “tell me about your work experience” sample answers, as well as the different forms this question might take in a job interview. Key Takeaways: Connect how the experience you have relates to the role you’re interviewing for. Be honest about your your skills and experience. If you don’t have much experience in the specific field, express your interest in gaining that experience and learning through this opportunity. In This Article    Skip to section Tell me about your work experience sample answers Why interviewers ask about your experience Tips for answering interview questions about experience Work experience FAQ References Sign Up For More Advice and Jobs Show More Tell me about your work experience sample answers

While everyone’s work experience is unique, use these “tell me about your work experience” example questions and answers as a way to frame your own response:

Tell me about your professional background. This is a generalized question that hiring managers often ask to get a sense of how you’ll speak about your professional background.

While other questions are targeted to a specific position listed on your resume , this question is phrased in a way that asks for the complete story of your work history succinctly and informatively.

Tell me about your work experience sample answer example answer #1

“I started working towards my goal of becoming an early childhood educator long before I began teaching. Since I was in high school, I knew it was what I wanted to do with my career. When I was studying for my undergraduate degree in child development, I took on my first internship role as a teacher ’s assistant to a kindergarten class. I worked in that role over my senior year, and at the end of the internship, I was offered a position as a substitute teacher . This gave me a lot of experience working with many different children and strengthened my skills in classroom control. I’m now seeking a full-time teaching position to further my knowledge of childhood education in the field.”

What not to say:

“I don’t have much professional experience because I’ve never had a full-time teaching job before. I’ve worked as a substitute teacher, but only for about a year.”

Why it doesn’t work: This answer makes the applicant sound insecure and inexperienced. The interviewer doesn’t specifically ask for a recounting of paid positions you’ve worked.

Use that opportunity to speak about experiences you do have if your job history is lacking, such as an internship or project.

What experience do you have related to this role? When an interviewer asks what experience you have related to the role, they’re curious about two things.

First off, your prior experience and the intent to use it for success in the future.

Secondly, how familiar you are with the requirements of the role you’re interviewing for. Answer this interview question by tying in elements of the job description with your background.

Tell me about your work experience sample answer example answer #2

“Most of my professional experience has led me up to this administrative secretary role. I’ve been working in the field for almost ten years now. I got my first position as an office assistant when I was 18 – a position that required a lot of communication with both co-workers and customers. After two years, I was offered a new position as a secretary for a well-known dental group in the area. I worked in that job for nearly seven years. I eventually worked my way up to a management role. The job description stated that you’re looking for a candidate with at least four years of experience in a secretarial position with excellent communication skills . My background satisfies these conditions, and more. I’m interested in this position specifically because it would allow me to expand my leadership potential and continue working in an environment that I have a great deal of experience in.”

Why it works: A hiring manager chooses to use this phrasing of an experience interview question because it’s more direct. It gets right to the point of skills that are relevant to the job . This response works because it answers what the interviewer is asking.

The speaker gives a solid description of their work history up to that point and paints themselves as an experienced candidate.

They also mention specific skills that were asked for in the job description, which shows the interviewer that they did their research on the role and company.

“I’m not sure what your business wants in its secretaries, but I’ve worked in similar roles before.”

Why it doesn’t work: Unless you’ve scoured the job listing and it’s given very little information about the position, there’s no excuse for not having a good idea of what the company is looking for in the role.

This answer doesn’t have any specificity about their responsibilities, and the interviewer is forced to pull these details out of them.

What prior work experience has prepared you to take on this position? This question is a similar rendition of the last one.

The interviewer is assessing the candidate’s knowledge of the position’s requirements and if their abilities line up with these stipulations.

Answering well depends on the candidate’s prior knowledge of the position and a focus on the most applicable experience.

Tell me about your work experience sample answer example answer #3

“While I’ve worked in a few different positions in the past, I think the prior experience that has most prepared me for this position was working as a nurse in a Greenview Hospital emergency room for five years. A position that required me to provide top-notch patient care under pressure . In the position description, I noticed that you’re interested in hiring a candidate with experience in high-stress medical situations and a familiarity with an ER nurse’s schedule. This former job gave me practice in both these aspects of nursing. I believe these skills would help me to succeed in this role as well.”

Why it works: The candidate references the original job description to state how their skills fit these needs.

They explain a specific role that gave them the most relevant experience for the position they’re applying to and then went on into further explanation. This is a compact and informative answer.

“I’ve had experience working as a nurse.”

Why it doesn’t work: Responding to an interview question is best done briefly, but it isn’t supposed to be this short.

This answer doesn’t work because it doesn’t provide any details about the responsibilities of the role involved or how it relates to the position you’re hoping to land. It all around just needs more detail.

What has your work experience taught you about yourself? A hiring manager wants to know more than just a laundry list of your last few jobs’ responsibilities; they want to hear how you think about those experiences, what you’ve liked and disliked, and what you want to do with your skill set now.

Asking about what you learned from your last few jobs helps both you and the interviewer understand if the open job would actually be a good fit for you.

Tell me about your work experience sample answer example answer #4

“I got started in marketing 4 years ago as an analyst , which taught me a lot about how to make data-driven decisions and make rapid pivots when the underlying data you were relying on started to shift. I also learned that I wasn’t built for a job that spent so much time making and using spreadsheets. From there, I moved to a content strategist position, which was sort of a lateral move but involved a lot more creativity. I was actually applying the sort of data I was analyzing in my earlier job, and I found that I enjoyed and thrived in an environment where I could make decisions based on more than just spreadsheets. In my current job as a marketing analytics manager , I’ve learned much more about lead generation, working with sales and design personnel more closely, and honed my skills as an analyst. Through this career path , I’ve learned where my skills and interests lie, which is what led me to apply for this role.”

Why it works: The candidate directly refers to elements from their past jobs that directly relate to the job they’re applying for. They show that the candidate has carefully considered what lessons they learned at each of those jobs, and why those lessons led them to apply for this new job.

“My work experience has taught me that I excel at working alone. With group work, I tend to be tied down by other people’s timelines, but when I’m able to just focus on my own tasks, the quality is much higher.”

Why interviewers ask about your experience

Interviewers ask about your previous work experience, to clarify your background, gauge your ability to communicate, and hear firsthand how you hope to put that experience to use in the future:

Clarity. As with any other inquisition put forward during an interview, experience questions are used to form a clearer picture of who you are professionally. This helps an interviewer decide if you’re the right fit for the position needing to be filled.

Honesty. Any form of lying is unacceptable in an interview. Some questions require you to reach into your professional past and find examples of skills that match the job you’re going for.

An intent to put experience to use. While your professional background may be a compelling story, there’s a reason beyond this that interviews ask about former experience.

Tips for answering interview questions about experience

When discussing your work experience, you should always be as specific as possible and connect your prior experience to your career goals:

Be specific about responsibilities and accomplishments. When discussing your previous professional experience, be specific about the role you served.

Don’t memorize an answer. A lot of candidates decide to prepare for their interview by memorizing their answers to questions about prior experience. This often produces a stiff response that’s unsatisfying to an interviewer.

Connect prior experience to future goals. An interview seeks to gather information about how an applicant intends to behave in their role if chosen for hire.

Work experience FAQ

How can I describe myself through work experience?

You can describe yourself through your work experience by being specific about what you learned about yourself in previous roles. Providing details about what you liked and didn’t like about past responsibilities will go a long way in showing your unique personality and why you’re interviewing for this particular job.

What are examples of work experience?

Examples of work experience include specific responsibilities and the skills you used to carry out your tasks in previous jobs. Ultimately, the best examples of work experience are completely dependent on the job you’re applying for. It’s essential that you highlight the most relevant aspects of your former jobs, even if they were a smaller part of your last job than the new job you’re interviewing for.

Drexel University – How to Describe Your Work Experience

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Sky Ariella is a professional freelance writer, originally from New York. She has been featured on websites and online magazines covering topics in career, travel, and lifestyle. She received her BA in psychology from Hunter College.

Denise Bitler has 30+ years of HR experience working in various industries and with all level of employees from hourly through C-suite, as well as company Board Members.She is the founder of Resume-Interview Success, LLC and is an expert in best practices related to resume, cover letter, and Executive bio writing, LinkedIn Profile optimization, job search strategies, and interview coaching.

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How to Write Work Experience on a Resume

Writing the work experience section

Writing the resume work experience section is one of the most influential and often trickiest resume sections to get right. Some employers will even cut right past the summary at the top of a resume and scan the employers, job titles and work dates to see if the resume is worth reading in detail. How much text you include for each section will also create a significant first impression. A lot can be understood during that mythical 6-second scan.

The work experience/job history on a resume is where past job descriptions and professional experiences give credibility to an application or interview. All the other information and sections on a resume, from hobbies to the personal statement , frame the list of relevant work experience over the last 10 - 15 years. So, how do I describe my work experience on a resume?

This guide will show you everything you need to know about including work experience on a resume, including:

• Why the work experience in cv matters
• What to include (and not include) in work experience on a resume
• The best format to follow for describing your work history
• Examples of work experience in cv across industries
• Practical tips for resume work experience
• How to list your current job and previous positions

The five-word rule. Think about five words that would be sum up your career. How would you describe your experience? Those five words should then come across incredibly strongly in the work experience on a resume. A hiring manager is not going to remember the sentences that you write, but if they stop reading with those five words (or more) in their minds, your resume will have done its job.

Why is work experience on your resume so important?

Before we jump in to the ins and outs of writing work experience on a resume, here is why it matters. A hiring manager or employer looks at a resume to answer one question:

Does this person’s work experience qualify them for this job?

The work experience section of your resume is the foundation that either qualifies you or disqualifies you for an interview or the next step in the hiring process. This resume section uses the last 10 - 15 years of relevant career history to tell a prospective employer whether you have the work experience in your cv that will fit the requirements of the role. The work experience section gives credibility to your application and should compliment every other aspect of your application materials (other sections in the resume, cover letter, portfolio, etc).

Be careful not to write your work experience section like a list of job responsibilities , though. The hiring manager knows what they want you to do. They are far more interested in evidence from your previous work experiences that you have what it takes to perform and take your next employer forward. Focus on offering compelling accomplishments, plenty of context and quantifiable results that your competition will not be able to match.

How do I add experience to my resume: What to include

In most cases, choosing which jobs to include on your resume should depend on your work history and the type of job you’re applying for. In general, work in a backward chronological order (in a resume format often known as reverse chronological format ) starting with your most recent position at the top of the page and include the last 10-15 years of employment history. The backward chronological order works best for most job seekers.

If you have a scattered work history, don’t stress. Job hopping is both more common and more widely accepted today, especially among the younger workforce. Including short part-time stints and side projects is good if those professional experiences directly relate to the job or feature skills that overlap with the position. Be prepared to answer questions about your career choices while considering work experience in cv, have a confident answer about your career path, and be forthcoming about the level of commitment you’re looking for. Once you’ve chosen the positions, let’s dive into the specific bullet points about work experience in a cv. Each one should include:

• Results-focused facts: The hiring manager already knows the basics. These bullet points should focus on how you specifically managed the position with innovation.
• Action Verbs: Strong action verbs hook in the reader. Negotiated! Pioneered! Transformed! This also keeps you away from falling down the adjective rabbit hole.
• Quantitative information: Numbers stand out to a hiring manager. They are specific and tangible. You grew a client’s reader base by 300% or managed 200 silent auction items. Let your accomplishments shine!
• On-Site Training: Weave skills and certifications gained on the job. This shows initiative and otherwise overlooked abilities.
• Awards and honors: If you were called out on the job for great work, go ahead and brag. Your work experience resume examples should be designed to impress.

Ideally, each position should include a mix of free-flowing text and achievement-led bullet points. The bullets will catch the eye, but you can only really tell a deeper story when you are not constrained by the width of the page.

How do I write a student CV? A student CV for a first job should contain full details on your education (as that will testify to your ability to focus and achieve) and ideally also contain details on any student jobs or volunteer work that you have done while you were studying. It doesn't matter how menial this work was, the most important thing is that you understand the responsibility of doing a paid day's work.

Volunteer work can be a wonderful way to feature a variety of valuable skills, Here's a list of how to add volunteer work to your resume.

Work experience on a resume: what to avoid

Always assume that your reader — in this case, the hiring manager — doesn’t need anything explained. You also have very little room to ramble on your resume. They will assume more about you than you think - especially if you have worked for a while in their industry.

Free up some space by not including:

• What the organization does: your resume is about you. The hiring manager doesn’t need to hear about the company.
• The basic requirements of your position: this is implied in your job title and will shine through your result-focused bullet points.
• Filler words: For the most part, save space by cutting out words like “I” and “the.”
• Anything irrelevant: If you have smaller responsibilities in a position that do not relate to the new job, leave them out. Every bullet point and every word takes up precious real estate on your resume - make them count.
• Chaired a project team through a change process, trimming 5% of our cost base.
• Outperformed sales team in quarterly new business attraction by 67%.
• Executed the software rollout to twelve departments within two months.
• Resolved a company-record 150 customer complaints a week.
• Rectified a list of outstanding issues that had been dormant for more than a year.

If you are a recent graduate with little or no work experience , you can consider adding your GPA or cum laude on your resume. As you acquire work experience over the years, you should replace your GPA or cum laude with relevant work experience. 

What is the most effective format for work experience on a resume?

On a basic level, the work experience layout typically includes:

• Job title, company name, location of employment
• Month and year started and left the position
• Between three and six bullet points briefly outlining your impact at the company

Work experience/job history on a resume should also include:

• Clear and concise bullet points that demonstrate the positive results of your work
• Powerful verbs
• Clear numbers and facts
• Growth between positions
• Specific keywords pulled from job description

Examples of work experience on a resume

Here are a few examples of work experience on a resume to see the differences between a first draft and the final draft. How do you describe your experience in the most succinct way possible?

Example #1: Work Experience in CV for a Teacher . Let’s say you’re applying to be a middle school science teacher at a popular independent school. The new job description emphasizes the importance of involvement outside the classroom. They specified that they’re looking for teachers looking to grow through professional development throughout their time there.

First Draft:

• I taught 5th-grade science classes
• I advised students outside of class
• I attended a conference on social-emotional learning

Final Draft:

• Developed and carried out a student-driven curriculum in three sections of Earth Science
• Annually advised 20 students to track growth and address individual challenges and strengths
• Invited to attend NAIS annual conference to develop modern social-emotional learning classroom tactics

Example #2: Work Experience in CV for Content Marketing Manager . Content Marketing Managers encompass a very wide range of responsibilities. The recruiter will have a general sense of your job experience — no need to start from scratch — but results-based, specific bullet points will thrive here.

• I manage a team of freelance copywriters at a major NYC marketing agency and ensure they got their work in on time
• I talked to clients and figured out what would be best for their brand
• Before everything was published, I proofread it all
• Oversaw a team of 25 freelance writers and streamlined content pipeline from ideation to publication
• Advised clients on both short- and long-term content strategy tactics while clarifying their personalized brand voice
• Edited and polished copy to maintain content consistency across multiple channels

When you have moved up the career ladder at a previous employer, you should be proud to showcase it on a resume. But how can you display multiple positions for the same company?

Example #3: Work Experience on a Resume for a Waiter . Food service moves quickly. Anything that cut a manager’s search time in half is more likely to land you the job. Be sure to look for keywords in the job posting such as “craft cocktail bartending experience” or “fine dining.” Sure, you can learn — and will learn — on the job, but restaurants have minimal time to train you on the basics. Be confident and clear about your background.

• I waited tables at a busy NYC Midtown restaurant
• Most of the time, I tended bar on nights and weekends
• Trained a few hosts
• Served lunch and dinner for four years in a Michelin-star-rated Midtown brasserie
• Acted as primary bartender during peak weekend and evening hours, specializing in craft cocktail creation
• Managed and streamlined training methods for new hosts and servers

Example #4: Work Experience Resume Example for an Executive Assistant . Personality plays such a large role in calmly managing a busy executive’s schedule and lifestyle. The tone of your resume should be both level-headed and confident in what is expected of an EA. Try to always be a step ahead of what your boss needs before you even begin the job.

• I made travel plans on behalf of executive team
• Budgeted for the office and managed expenses
• I trained other assistants and helped with hiring
• Managed complex domestic and international travel for five, C-level executives
• Decreased expense management costs by 35% and perfected expense tracking system for all office management accounts
• Hired, trained, and guided a team of five team assistants including a seasonal team of sales interns

Example #5: Work Experience Resume Sample for Sales Rep . Provable facts and figures are your largest asset as a sales representative. Did your last position measure your personal or team sales growth? Dig up these numbers to work them into your work experience section. Then, explain the methods you applied in the job itself to make it happen. This work experience resume example offers some ideas:

• Grew sales revenue every month
• I signed several new clients
• I changed the way we talked about our product
• Exponentially increased monthly sales revenue, surpassing 150% growth for the department after just 6 months
• Developed and signed 10 new key clients by researching previously undiscovered corners of our industry
• Redeveloped brand voice and sale representative script for efficient and personalized customer care

What skills do I put on a resume? when you are considering the work experience in a resume, you should aim to make the best possible use of space. There will always be a separate skills section where you can list one-word hard and soft skills , so make sure that this is related to the experience that you have mentioned with each employer, but it should add to the overall picture rather than simple repeat it. If you add an interesting skill that you have not mentioned in the work experience section, an employer is bound to ask about it at interview.

Grammar tips for listing job history on a resume

Do you write sentences? Phrases? Declarations? Writing resumes for first job? Here are some nitty-gritty grammar rules for writing your work experience bullet points.

• Write in phrases, often beginning with a strong verb. No need to write “I” to start off the sentence — that is implied and work experience in a CV is often conveyed in the third person as this is more professional.
• Tense : If you are still at your current position completing the work described, use present tense. For past positions or completed projects, choose past tense.
• Don’t be afraid to break out the thesaurus — especially for synonyms of “lead, managed and trained” — but stick to words you’d use yourself. No need to ace the SAT verbal section.

Filling your resume with exclusively truthful statements about your career is harder than you might think. Lying on a resume can take many forms. Don’t give in to temptation.

Tailoring job history on a resume for each application

Instead of mass applying to every job ad on the internet with the same resume, take the time to tailor it. The work experience section might require the least tailoring (as it will tick the boxes of most jobs if you are targeted in your approach), but there may be a few accomplishments that you may want to include for certain roles and exclude for others. View yourself as a meticulous editor cutting and pasting your career story to make it as attractive as possible.

Besides the fact that 36% of hiring managers throw out resumes that don’t seem personalized for a particular role, a tailored resume and application:

• Shows the hiring manager you took the time to apply and their job wasn’t one of 50 different places you sent your resume.
• Get past the automatic keyword filtering larger companies might use to automatically screen candidates in their Applicant Tracking System (ATS) . Your work experience samples need to be scanned by the machines first.
• Tweak diverse experiences to focus on the most relevant experience for a particular job. For example if you’ve ever had a job “wearing many hats” unless you’re applying for another “many hats” position, this strategy gives you a chance to focus your work experience on the hats that are most relevant for the new role.

Restarting this process every time you apply for a new job may seem excessive. Ideally, the more time you put into tailoring your resume, the less jobs you’ll need to apply to.

• Ignited a fire under the management team to deliver an extra $950k sales.
• Scrutinized the market and doubled market share by launching a new product.
• Implemented a new software solution that shrunk build time by 34%
• Initiated a recruitment drive that hired fifteen people within three months.
• Minimized surgery wait times by 15 mins, increasing patient satisfaction by 25%

How far back should your resume work experience go?

Your resume work experience should contain every piece of information that is relevant to you securing the role. This will dictate the amount of work experience in a CV that you might include. 

If you have a 30-year career, you might choose simply to list the employers for the first 10-15 years and use your precious resume space to describe the most recent resume experiences. However, if your career is 15 years or less, you should definitely include resume work experience about everything. 

In terms of the amount of work experience on your resume, try to give more information on the more recent roles. Make use of bullet points and solid text after your have listed the employer and date details - as you can see in our many resume samples .

Including a list of roles that were more than 15 years old might be possible, but only include the headlines. It is interesting for some business leaders to see where a senior manager spent their early career, so while you may not be asked about this much during an interview, it does add a certain depth to your application.

Should I put seminars on my CV? Typically, a one or two-day seminar would not be included on work experience in a CV. If the training or educational event has a certain prestige or lasts more than a week, then you might consider including it in the education section, but as anyone can attend a seminar, it will not give a huge indication as to your individual level of suitability for the role. You will certainly have more important information to share.

Your transition out of the military requires a resume that expresses your talents in a way that civilian employers will understand. The blog below offers tips for making the most of your service in your post-military resume.

Key takeaways

• Focus on results of your job history in the past. Only list work experience on a resume that is relevant to the job you’re applying to.
• Stand out with strong action verbs
• Get specific: use numbers, facts, and figures
• Speak in the past tense when the job is complete, present when you’re still doing the work.
• Cut out unnecessary filler words or adjectives.
• Align your job history bullet points to match the job description.
• Make sure that the work experience in CV goes back an appropriate amount of time

Work experience on a great resume helps employers know in 10 seconds or less if you are qualified for the job. It should sound a lot like the description in the job post. If the work experience in CV doesn’t sound like the job description or follow these rules, be prepared to pull out some creativity to get noticed. For example, use a resume builder to build a perfect resume in the exact format potential employers are looking for.

30 Smart Answers: ‘Tell Me About Your Work Experience’

When an interviewer asks, “Tell me about your work experience,” it’s your opportunity to connect the dots between your past roles and the job you’re aiming for, showing how your skills and experiences make you the perfect fit.

I know from personal experience that having a few well-thought-out responses can boost our confidence and make a great impression. In this article, we’ll share some smart answers and strategies to help you tackle this common interview question.

30 Examples of Smart Answers: ‘Tell Me About Your Work Experience’

• 1. “I’ve been in digital marketing for the past five years, mainly working on social media campaigns and content creation. I love how your company is always at the forefront of marketing, and I’d be thrilled to bring some fresh ideas to the table.”
• 2. “I was a project manager at a construction company, making sure projects ran smoothly and stayed on budget. Your infrastructure projects sound really interesting, and I’d love to help keep things on track.”
• 3. “I spent three years in customer service, helping clients sort out their issues and making sure they had a good experience. I really admire your commitment to customer service and would love to contribute to that.”
• 4. “I’ve been a software developer for a while, mostly using JavaScript and Python to build web apps. Your focus on cutting-edge tech is exciting, and I’d love to work on some innovative projects with your team.”
• 5. “I worked as a sales associate in retail, learning about products and how to close a sale. I’m eager to help meet your sales goals and deliver great customer service.”
• 6. “For the past two years, I’ve been a graphic designer, creating visuals for both print and digital media. I’m excited about the chance to bring my creativity to your team and work on impactful designs.”
• 7. “I taught high school English and History for five years. Your organization’s focus on education and community outreach really resonates with me, and I’d love to help develop educational programs.”
• 8. “I worked in hospitality for several years, managing a team of servers and ensuring top-notch service. I’d love to bring my leadership and customer service skills to your restaurant.”
• 9. “I’ve been an administrative assistant, handling scheduling, correspondence, and office management. I’m looking forward to supporting your team and helping keep things running smoothly.”
• 10. “I spent three years as a financial analyst, analyzing market trends and giving investment advice. I’m excited about the chance to bring my analytical skills to your team and help make informed financial decisions.”
• 11. “I’ve been a registered nurse, providing patient care in a hospital. I’m passionate about continuing to make a positive impact on patients’ lives with your team.”
• 12. “I worked in quality assurance in the tech industry, testing software to make sure it was bug-free. I’m excited about helping maintain high-quality standards for your software products.”
• 13. “I’ve been in human resources, focusing on recruitment, employee relations, and benefits. I’m eager to help create a positive workplace environment for your team.”
• 14. “I worked as a journalist, writing and editing articles for a local newspaper. I’m excited about the chance to bring my writing skills to your team and help create engaging content.”
• 15. “I have experience in logistics, managing shipping and receiving for a large distribution center. I’m looking forward to using my organizational skills to ensure efficient operations.”
• 16. “I spent several years as a chef, creating and preparing dishes in a high-end restaurant. I’m excited about bringing my culinary skills to your kitchen and creating memorable dining experiences.”
• 17. “I’ve been a real estate agent, helping clients buy and sell properties. I’m looking forward to using my market knowledge and client service skills with your team.”
• 18. “I worked as a mechanical engineer, designing and testing machinery for manufacturing. I’m excited about contributing to your innovative engineering projects.”
• 19. “I’ve been in public relations, managing media relations and crafting press releases. I’m eager to help enhance your company’s public image.”
• 20. “I spent five years as a librarian, helping patrons find information and managing the library’s collection. I’m excited about contributing to your library’s mission of providing valuable resources to the community.”
• 21. “I worked in the automotive industry as a service technician, diagnosing and repairing vehicle issues. I’m looking forward to bringing my technical skills to your team and ensuring high-quality vehicle maintenance.”
• 22. “I’ve been a social worker, providing support and resources to individuals and families in need. I’m passionate about continuing to make a positive impact on people’s lives with your team.”
• 23. “I have experience in event planning, organizing corporate events, weddings, and other special occasions. I’m excited about bringing my organizational skills to your team and creating memorable events.”
• 24. “I spent several years working as a bartender, mixing drinks and providing excellent customer service. I’m looking forward to bringing my mixology skills and customer service experience to your establishment.”
• 25. “I worked in education as a school administrator, overseeing daily operations and supporting teachers and staff. I’m excited about contributing to your school’s success.”
• 26. “I’ve been a marketing analyst, analyzing data to help guide marketing strategies. I’m eager to bring my analytical skills to your team and help drive effective marketing campaigns.”
• 27. “I have experience as a paralegal, assisting attorneys with case preparation. I’m excited about supporting your legal team and contributing to your firm’s success.”
• 28. “I worked as a personal trainer, creating fitness plans and helping clients reach their health goals. I’m passionate about helping clients achieve their fitness objectives and lead healthier lives with your team.”
• 29. “I’ve been a web developer, building websites and ensuring they’re user-friendly. I’m excited about working on innovative web projects and enhancing user experiences for your clients.”
• 30. “I spent several years as a photographer, capturing images for events, portraits, and commercial projects. I’m eager to bring my creative eye and technical skills to your team to produce stunning visual content.”

How can you describe your work experience and its relevance to the position?

Focus on key roles and how they match the job you want. Mention specific tasks, responsibilities, and achievements – show how these experiences make you a strong candidate.

Example Answer:   “I used to work as a Marketing Coordinator at (…) Company. There, I handled social media campaigns, kept an eye on market trends, and organized events. These tasks needed me to be super organized and detail-oriented, which are key for the Project Manager job I’m applying for now. Plus, I often worked with different teams, which fits right in with the collaborative nature of this role.”

How to Answer “Could you provide an example of how your background has prepared you for this job?”

Think of a specific job or project. Explain what you did and learned, and connect those skills and experiences to the requirements of the new job.

Example Answer:   “In my last job as a Software Developer, I led a project to redesign our company’s website. I gathered requirements from different departments, designed the user interface, and coded the backend. This project helped me sharpen my project management, teamwork, and technical problem-solving skills, all of which are crucial for the Web Development Manager position at your company.”

What skills have you gained from your past jobs that will be beneficial in this role?

Highlight skills like teamwork, problem-solving, or communication. Give examples of how you used these skills in the past. Explain why these skills are important for the new role.

Example Answer:   “From my previous roles, I’ve gained strong communication skills, especially when it comes to explaining complex information in a simple way. For example, as a Data Analyst, I often presented my findings to people who weren’t tech-savvy, helping them make smart decisions. This skill will be useful in the Business Analyst role, where clear communication is key.”

How would you explain your work history to someone unfamiliar with your profession?

Use simple and clear language. (Avoid jargon.) Describe your jobs in basic terms, focusing on what you did and why it mattered – make it easy for anyone to understand.

Example Answer:  “I’ve spent the last five years working in digital marketing. Basically, my job is to promote products and services online. I create and manage online ads, check how they’re doing, and tweak things to get better results. In simple terms, I help companies reach more people through the internet.”

Can you discuss your work experience in a way that highlights your strengths?

Identify your top strengths. Share examples from your past work that show these strengths in action, and explain how these strengths will help you succeed in the new job.

Example Answer: “One of my main strengths is leading teams effectively. In my previous job as a Team Lead at (…) Corporation, I managed a team of 10 people, making sure projects were done on time and within budget. My leadership and organizational skills helped boost our team’s productivity by 20%. These strengths will definitely help me succeed in the Operations Manager position you’re offering.”

In terms of customer service, what experiences do you have that make you a good fit for this job?

Describe specific customer service scenarios you’ve handled. Highlight your communication and problem-solving skills. Share positive outcomes or feedback you’ve received – show how your experience will benefit the company!

Example Answer: “I worked as a Customer Service Representative at (…) Inc., where I handled a lot of customer inquiries and resolved issues quickly. One time, I turned an unhappy customer into a loyal one by really listening to their concerns and offering a personalized solution. My strong communication and problem-solving skills, along with positive feedback from customers, make me a great fit for the Customer Service Manager position at your company.”

Crafting Your Response

Structuring your answer.

You can mention your role, the company, and the dates you worked there.

• “I was a manager at (…) Corp from 2020 to 2024.”
• “I worked as a software developer at (…) Inc. from 2018 to 2024.”
• “I served as a customer service representative at (…) Services for two years.”
• “I was a marketing intern at Cool Tech during the summer of 2024.”
• “My first job was as a sales associate at (…), where I worked for three years.”

Highlighting Key Responsibilities

Talk about what you did daily in your roles: you can mention tasks and responsibilities that were central to your position.

• “I managed a team of 10 sales reps.”
• “My duties included handling customer inquiries and resolving issues.”
• “I created social media content and tracked engagement metrics.”
• “Regular tasks involved inventory management and staff training.”

Emphasizing Achievements

Ideally, highlight specific accomplishments in your roles. If applicable, focus on measurable outcomes whenever you can, because it’s more impactful to mention what you achieved rather than just listing tasks.

• “I increased sales by 20% in one year.”
• “I developed an app used by over 50,000 users.”
• “I resolved 95% of customer complaints successfully.”
• “My marketing campaign boosted followers by 30%.”
• “I streamlined the inventory process, reducing errors by 15%.”

Illustrating Your Professional Growth

Describing career progression.

• Started as a marketing assistant, now a marketing manager.
• Began as an intern, promoted to project coordinator.
• Progressed from junior developer to senior developer.
• Shifts from sales trainee to sales executive.
• Moved from customer service rep to team lead.
• Upgraded from administrative assistant to office manager.
• Growth from teaching assistant to head teacher.
• Evolved from junior designer to art director.
• Transitioned from analyst to department head.
• Developed from barista to store manager.

Highlighting Leadership and Management Experience

• Managed a team of 10 employees.
• Led three major projects to success.
• Set and achieved quarterly sales goals.
• Improved team performance by providing training.
• Guided a team through a company merger.
• Handled budget planning for projects.
• Designed a new workflow for better efficiency.
• Developed leadership programs for new managers.
• Conducted performance evaluations and feedback sessions.
• Launched a successful new product line.

Reiterating Your Interest in the Role

Showing you’re excited about the job and explaining why you want it can help make a strong impression. Express why the role inspires you and state the specific reasons you applied:

• “I’ve always been passionate about helping customers, and this role allows me to do just that.”
• “I admire your company’s commitment to innovation and am thrilled by the opportunity to contribute.”
• “The team-oriented environment at your firm excites me because I thrive in collaborative settings.”
• “This position aligns perfectly with my desire to grow in the field of marketing.”
• “Your company’s dedication to community service is something I truly value and want to be a part of.”

Outlining Reasons for Wanting the Role

Explain why you’re interested in this role and how it fits with your career goals. Try to be specific about what attracts you to this job.

• “I am drawn to this position because it offers the chance to work with cutting-edge technology.”
• “The opportunity to advance within this company is a major reason I’m eager to join your team.”
• “I respect your company’s mission and believe this role will allow me to contribute meaningfully.”
• “This role matches my skills and gives me a platform to further develop my expertise.”
• “I am excited about the chance to work on diverse projects and expand my knowledge in the industry.”
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• Job Application Documents

How to Write a Job Application Essay

Last Updated: April 9, 2024 References

This article was co-authored by Shannon O'Brien, MA, EdM and by wikiHow staff writer, Jennifer Mueller, JD . Shannon O'Brien is the Founder and Principal Advisor of Whole U. (a career and life strategy consultancy based in Boston, MA). Through advising, workshops and e-learning Whole U. empowers people to pursue their life's work and live a balanced, purposeful life. Shannon has been ranked as the #1 Career Coach and #1 Life Coach in Boston, MA by Yelp reviewers. She has been featured on Boston.com, Boldfacers, and the UR Business Network. She received a Master's of Technology, Innovation, & Education from Harvard University. There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 202,327 times.

Many employers now require a writing sample, or job application essay , to accompany all applications or résumés — even if writing is not a significant part of the position. The goal of the job application essay is to ensure that applicants have the right communication skills for the position offered. Sometimes, potential employers will provide a specific topic or series of questions for your essay to respond to. However, you may also be asked to provide an essay with no guidance whatsoever. Either way, approach the essay seriously so that it highlights the skills and assets you could bring to the company. [1] X Research source

Outlining Your Essay

• If you don't know much about the company, do a little research on it before you start writing. You might look at their website or do a general internet search with the name of the company to see if any news articles or other reports come up. Go beyond the four corners of the job listing so that you understand who will likely be reading your essay.
• If there's anything in the job listing or essay requirements that you don't understand, contact the employer and ask about them. Employers are often impressed by applicants who clarify the employer's intent rather than making assumptions.

• For example, if you're applying for a position in sales, you might want to write an essay about your ability to tailor your pitch to specific clients and close the deal. If you have the ability to be more creative, you might tailor your essay to "sell" yourself directly to the employer.

• For each of your points, think of a specific example you can relate briefly that illustrates the point. For example, if you've described yourself as a "team player," you might include an example of how you came in on your day off to complete some of the more monotonous tasks that no one else wanted to do so a project could be completed ahead of schedule.
• It's a good idea to have more than one example in your outline for each point, even if you only end up using one. That way, if you start writing something and it ends up not working as well as you thought it would, you'll have a back-up handy.
• Brainstorming can be difficult. If you find yourself churning over the same thoughts, stand up and take a break for a few minutes. Step outside or go for a walk to clear your head, then come back to it.

• For example, if you want to describe how you increased sales in a specific quarter, you would want to state specifically how much you increased sales. Your former employer may have sales figures that you could ask them for. You might also have that information in your records.
• Wherever possible, use specific numbers and dates rather than making general statements. It's okay to estimate, but make sure your estimate is conservative. Saying you led your sales team to the highest sales in a quarter is impressive — but only if it's true.

Completing Your Rough Draft

• Think of this paragraph as telling the hiring manager what you're going to tell them in the essay. Outline the points you're going to elaborate on in the essay that back up your theme or thesis statement.
• Sometimes it's best to go back and write your introduction after you've written the body of your essay. That way, you can make sure the introduction provides an outline that matches the body.

• If the employer listed specifically what should be included in your essay, follow their order, since that's what they'll be looking for when they read the essay.
• Write in the first person and make yourself the star of any anecdote you include as an example. Use action verbs to focus on what you did rather than focusing on what happened and how you reacted to it. [7] X Trustworthy Source University of North Carolina Writing Center UNC's on-campus and online instructional service that provides assistance to students, faculty, and others during the writing process Go to source

• For example, if you're writing about your skills as a team player, you might note that you discuss doing routine work that others found monotonous so they had time to work on other parts of a project. You could use that detail to move on to a section describing how you're detail-oriented.

• For example, you might write "My business school education, skills as a team player, and focus on detail make me the best candidate to lead your sales team."

Finalizing Your Essay

• For example, you might start by looking solely at punctuation, then read through again focusing on spelling.
• If you find that you tend to repeat a particular error, go through your essay looking for that error specifically.
• If your grammar isn't particularly strong or you're writing in a language other than your native language, have someone else read over your essay as well.

• If you find that you stumble over a sentence while reading aloud, that's a sign that your writing could be clearer. Work with your text until you have something that you can read aloud with ease.

• If the prospective employer did not specify a length, try to keep your essay under 2 double-spaced pages. Remember that hiring managers are busy and don't have a lot of time to read a long, rambling essay.
• Eliminate all unnecessary words or sentences that aren't relevant to the subject of your essay. The majority of your sentences should be short, declarative sentences with action verbs.
• Apps such as Hemingway ( http://www.hemingwayapp.com/ ) or Grammarly ( https://app.grammarly.com/ ) can help you identify portions of your essay that are more difficult to read. Both of these apps have a free version that you can use to edit your text.

• Working backward is particularly helpful for noticing spelling mistakes, especially hard-to-catch homophone errors, because you're seeing the word out of context.

• It may also help to print your essay in a different font or font size than what you used to type it. This breaks your brain's familiarity with the text, which can make typos and other errors more noticeable. Just remember to change the font back after you print it.

Job Application Essay

Expert Q&A

• Give yourself plenty of time to work on your essay. Ideally, you should plan to work on it over the course of at least two days, so you have the time to set it aside after writing before you move to the editing and proofreading stage. [15] X Research source Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

• Unless you're applying for a position in a political or religious organization, avoid including anything in your essay that identifies your political or religious preferences or beliefs. [16] X Research source Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Avoid using humor, especially sarcasm or ironic humor, as it can be misconstrued in text. Additionally, humor may lead the hiring manager to believe that you aren't serious about the position. [17] X Research source Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.monster.com/career-advice/article/writing-sample-job-application
• ↑ https://www.insidehighered.com/advice/2012/04/30/essay-how-write-good-applications-jobs-or-grants
• ↑ Shannon O'Brien, MA, EdM. Life & Career Coach. Expert Interview. 25 May 2021.
• ↑ https://www.govloop.com/community/blog/government-job-application-essays-made-easy/
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/application-essays/
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/editing-and-proofreading/
• ↑ https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/proofreading-tips
• ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/career-transitions/200906/the-dreaded-writing-sample

About This Article

Job application essays can seem scary, but they’re really just an opportunity for you to highlight your skills and explain why you’re suitable for the role. Read the job listing to find out what traits and skills the company is looking for, like time management, working under pressure, and leadership. If you don’t know much about the company, read through its website and do an online search to find articles about its work. In your introduction, you’ll want to to describe yourself and introduce the main points you’ll be making. Then, write a paragraph for each trait or skill. Use real life examples from previous jobs, your recent studies, or extracurricular activities to support your points. For example, you could highlight your leadership skills by talking about a time you led a group project that exceeded your targets. For more tips, including how to write a compelling conclusion for your job application essay, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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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.

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The Right Way to Include Your Work Experience on a Resume (With Examples)

We all know resumes are important. They’re your first impression. The highlight reel of your qualifications. The tool that you can use to land an interview (and ultimately a job).

Your past experience takes up the bulk of your resume and tells future employers what you’ve done up until now that qualifies you for your next job. So when it comes time to write about your experience on your resume, the pressure is admittedly a bit high. Determining what, exactly, belongs in there, let alone how to write about it and how to format it can be trickier than it sounds.

But fear not. As a recruiter and career coach, I can say—without exaggeration—that I’ve laid eyes on thousands (and thousands!) of resumes. So I know my way around an experience section. Allow me to answer all your questions:

What Belongs in My Experience Section?

When you think about which experience should be included on a resume, you usually think of past jobs. And rightfully so—your full-time work history will often be the primary source of material for your resume. But your experience can encompass so much more than the traditional jobs you’ve held. Internships , volunteer work , freelance assignments, temporary gigs , and part-time jobs all count as experience, too.

What types of experiences you include on your resume will depend on where you are in your career journey. More established job seekers who aren’t looking to make a significant career change can likely fill their experience section with their most recent full-time jobs. But if you’re new (or newer) to the workforce, looking to break into a new industry, or making a career pivot, it might make sense to incorporate less traditional experience. Before you include something on your resume, ask yourself: Is this relevant experience for the jobs I’m targeting?

OK, So How Do I Know What Experience Is Relevant?

Relevant experience is simply experience that’s applicable to the type of jobs you’re pursuing. For example, if you’re a software engineer, you’ll want to include your current and previous engineering jobs and internships, but you might decide to leave off your long-ago stint as a paralegal (unless you’re applying to work as a programmer at a law firm or legal services startup!) Or if you’re applying for a senior marketing role in publishing, you might decide to trim the first marketing job you had out of college in the beauty industry in order to make more space to highlight your publishing industry experience.

Besides which roles you’re listing, think about how to describe what you did and achieved. Suppose you currently work as a server in a restaurant, and you’re applying for receptionist jobs. In this case, you’d want to include experience interacting with customers, answering incoming phone calls, and managing schedules on your resume because those skills are highly transferable to the job you want. And you might skip less relevant job duties like busing tables because you probably won’t be needing those skills in a receptionist role.

If you aren’t making a big career pivot from one type of job or industry to another, chances are, most of your work history is relevant. But every job posting is a bit different, so you’ll need to be more discerning about which of your past responsibilities are most relevant.

To tailor your resume for each specific job, spend some time reading through the posting and take note of the skills and job duties it mentions. Then make a list of the responsibilities you have experience performing. And voilà! You’ve identified your most relevant experience.

When you write about this relevant experience on your resume, make sure you’re incorporating keywords from the specific job posting. This is essential for two key reasons. First, most applications will be scanned by an applicant tracking system or ATS, which helps recruiters search resumes for relevant keywords to find which applicants are the best match for an open role. Second, a well-tailored resume will make it easy for the recruiter reviewing it to understand why you’d be a good match for their open job.

How Should I Format the Experience Section of My Resume?

Every experience section should start with a clear section heading. You might simply call it “Experience” or “Work Experience” or “Relevant Experience.” Or maybe you’d prefer to highlight your specific role or industry with a header like “Accounting Experience” or “Entertainment Industry Experience.” The key is to make it easy to spot for anyone who may be quickly scanning your resume.

In some cases, you may want to showcase experience from a previous career or otherwise include experience that’s not directly related to the job you’re applying for. To do this, you can simply create another section with a header like “Additional Experience” or “Additional Professional Experience.” You can also pull out a section such as “Volunteer Experience” if it doesn’t make sense to include volunteer roles under your main experience section or if you prefer to list them separately

For most job seekers using a chronological or combination resume format, you should list your past jobs within your experience section (or sections) in reverse chronological order. For each item you list—full-time jobs or other types of experience—include the following:

• Position details: List your job title, company name, location, and employment dates (month and year) for every position on your resume. Here’s one way it might look:

Graphic Designer | Evergreen Industries | San Francisco, CA | May 2018 – April 2020

• Job duties and achievements : Aim to include three to seven bullet points under each position describing what you did there, starting with a high-level overview of your role and common responsibilities and then drilling down into more specifics. These bullets should highlight your most applicable experiences for the role you’re applying to. You can either include your most relevant achievements for each job alongside your job duties or you can create a dedicated subsection for “Key Achievements.” Quantifying everything you can will lend context to your work history and can be a great way to wow prospective employers. Use this magic formula to craft eye-catching bullet points:  Compelling verb + job duty = tangible number and/or result.  So you might say:  Redesigned new hire onboarding program to include welcome week, 1:1 mentoring, and interactive training, resulting in a 60% increase in 90-day retention.
• Promotions: If you were promoted during your tenure with an employer, you can either separate the two roles (if your job duties were distinct enough) or group them together into one entry that shares a set of bullet points. For example:

UX Designer | Caterpillar Collective | Kansas City, MO | July 2019 – Present Associate UX Designer | March 2018 – July 2019

• Collaborated with marketing team to create user-centric graphic designs for print and web that contributed to a 30% increase in customers over 2 years.
• Conducted 50+ IDIs and created and completed 12 surveys of 200+ users each; compiled and analyzed results to make recommendations to stakeholders.
• Led website redesign with a focus on accessibility, increasing retention rate of customers with visual impairments by 50%, per self-reported survey.

Is It Ever OK to Tweak My Job Titles?

While it’s never OK to straight-up lie about (or even embellish) your work history, there are cases when tweaking your job titles is permissible. Just remember: The key is to use your job title to clarify your role—not to mislead. Two situations where adjusting your job title is generally above board are:

• Your employer gave you a funky title . A startup might hire a “Data Guru” while an established e-commerce organization would employ a “Data Scientist” to perform the same duties. In this case, it’s probably safe to tweak that job title on your resume.
• You wear lots of different hats. If you’re in a role where you juggle lots of different responsibilities (like an office manager who also supports a marketing team), you might adjust your job title to give recruiters more context. For example, if said office manager wanted to pivot into a marketing assistant role, they might list “Office Manager - Marketing Support” as their job title.

If tweaking a title feels like a stretch, you can instead focus on crafting strong bullet points to clearly convey your responsibilities or use your summary to lend additional context to your qualifications.

How Far Back Should My Experience Section Go?

Keeping your focus on relevant experience means you probably won’t need to include all of your past jobs—and that’s a good thing. Recruiters and hiring managers are going to be most interested in your most relevant and recent experience. They also love a concise, single-page resume that’s easy to scan (they get a lot of applications and don’t have time to read through years and years of work experience). So it’s OK to keep your resume short and sweet.

As a general rule, you don’t need to include more than 10 to 15 years of experience on your resume (with some exceptions). Check out this guide for a detailed breakdown on how far back your resume should go depending on where you are in your career and any special situations.

What If I Have a Gap in Employment?

If you took time away from the workforce, know that you’re in good company. Plenty of successful people have gaps in their employment history for myriad reasons, like caring for a loved one, raising children , going back to school, or losing a job. If your employment gap is brief (less than six months or so), you probably don’t need to address it on your resume. But if it’s a bit longer (more than a year), you may want to add a bit of context in the form of an additional “experience” entry—no more than a line or two.

Here’s what it might look like:

Professional Sabbatical | June 2016 – August 2019

• Provided full-time care for a sick family member.
• Traveled throughout Southeast Asia, including Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia.
• Authored a memoir about growing up on a Christmas tree farm.

Whether or not you include an entry like this on your resume, you can use your cover letter to explain any special circumstances in more detail.

If you took time away to go back to school, listing your education (and including relevant projects or coursework) will also suffice to bridge the gap on your resume.

Can I See an Example Experience Section?

Below is an example of how a tailored, quantified experience section might look on a sample resume. This job seeker has already made a career change from accounting to writing (notice how they leveraged their transferable accounting expertise to write for financial publications, first as a volunteer and then a freelancer before landing a full-time writing job). Now, they’re hoping to find a new staff writing role covering different topics—ideally lifestyle or wellness.

The types of jobs this job seeker will be applying for require at least three years of experience pitching and producing SEO-focused articles, preferably with a lifestyle focus. Notice how this job seeker uses the “Key Achievements” subsections to highlight their most relevant project work. (They’d also include a link to their personal website on their resume so that potential employers can easily see their portfolio!)

Download sample resume experience section  

Essay on My Work Experience

Students are often asked to write an essay on My Work Experience in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on My Work Experience

Starting my job.

My first job was at a small bookstore. I was excited and nervous. My main tasks were to arrange the books, help customers, and keep the store tidy. I learned about different types of books and authors.

Working With Others

In my job, I had to work with other employees. We shared tasks and helped each other. We also had to deal with different types of customers. Some were nice, and others were not. It taught me patience and teamwork.

Learning New Skills

My work experience helped me learn new skills. I learned how to handle money, how to talk to customers, and how to manage my time. These skills are not only useful at work but also in my daily life.

Overcoming Challenges

At work, I faced many challenges. Sometimes, the store would get very busy, and it was hard to keep up. But I learned to stay calm and focus on my tasks. This helped me to overcome difficulties.

Value of Work

250 words essay on my work experience.

My work journey started when I was just out of college. I got a job as a junior programmer in a small software company. I was very excited and a little scared. But I was ready to learn new things.

Learning New Things

In the beginning, I had to learn a lot. I had to understand how to solve problems using code. I also had to learn how to work with a team. This was a new experience for me. But I was eager to learn and improve.

Challenges in Work

Work was not always easy. There were times when I had to work late to meet deadlines. There were also problems that seemed too hard to solve. But I did not give up. I kept trying and learned from my mistakes.

Growth in My Job

As time went on, I became better at my job. I was able to solve problems faster and work well with my team. I even got a promotion! I was happy to see that my hard work was paying off.

Lessons from Work

Working has taught me many things. I learned that hard work and patience can help you achieve your goals. I also learned that it’s important to keep learning and improving.

500 Words Essay on My Work Experience

Starting my career.

My work journey started as a junior assistant in a local library. I was still in high school then. This was my first job and I was very excited. My main task was to arrange books and help visitors find what they were looking for. I also had to keep the library clean and tidy. My time at the library taught me the importance of being organized and helpful to others.

Working as a Tutor

After high school, I began tutoring younger students in their studies. I taught them subjects like English, Math, and Science. This job was more challenging than my library job. I had to prepare lesson plans, grade assignments, and help students understand difficult topics. This job taught me patience and the ability to explain things in a simple way. I also learned how to manage my time well.

Internship Experience

Starting my professional career.

After college, I started working as a project manager in a large company. This job was much more demanding than my previous jobs. I had to manage several projects at the same time, make sure they were completed on time, and within the budget. This job taught me how to lead a team, make important decisions, and solve problems quickly.

Learning from My Work Experience

Looking back at my work journey, I can see how each job has helped me grow as a person. I learned important skills like organization, patience, teamwork, and leadership. I also learned how to handle stress and meet deadlines. Each job was a stepping stone that prepared me for the next one.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

Happy studying!

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Job Interview Essay

Job interview essay generator.

As one would expect during a job interview, your employer may be asking you to write something . This would be in the form of an essay. This is usually about your experiences, your skills and all the basic information they need to know more about you. They do this to see and to understand you as a person. Here are some 7+ job interview essay examples you can check out for some tips on what to write and what to avoid.

7+ Job Interview Essay Examples

1. job interview essay template.

Size: 95 KB

2. Sample Job Interview Essay

Size: 430 KB

3. Basic Job Interview Essay

Size: 573 KB

4. Job Interview Question Database Essay

Size: 90 KB

5. Job Interview Essay in PDF

Size: 75 KB

6. Printable Job Interview Essay

Size: 66 KB

7. Job Interview Strategy Essay

Size: 150 KB

8. Formal Job Interview Essay

Size: 192 KB

Define Interview

An interview is a meeting face to face. It is usually a conventional conference . A conversation or a questioning for the purpose of getting information from the interviewee. 

Define Job Interview

A job interview is a dialogue between an employer and the applicant. In a job interview, the employer asks questions about the applicant’s work history, educational history, and skills. 

Things to Avoid in Writing a Job Interview Essay

Some of us get so excited when writing essays, like that of a job interview, but one thing we must remember is to summarize the job interview essay   We often forget that an essay is nothing but a short summary of what we wish to write. But that’s okay. It’s nothing different. But unlike some of the essays you may be used to, there are some things to avoid when writing for a job interview essay. Here are some of the things you need to avoid at all cost.

• Lying about your answers – when writing about what is asked, be careful. Interview questions in an essay may be tricky. Do not make up anything to make your essay sound nice. The interviewer would not be amazed one bit if you lied in your essay. Rather, there is a bigger chance they will not accept you.
• Flowery words – Most of us are guilty with this when writing the essay. It is best to avoid putting flowery words to make it sound like we did these things. Again, your employer has a way of knowing you are being truthful or lying. Avoid this at all costs.
• Too proud – this is often taken for granted but I want to put it right here. Do not boast about the experiences you may not have and write it off as yours. Do not boast about the experiences you have in your essay. You have to remain open and humble.

Things You Should Remember When Writing an Essay

• Voice – keep it professional. The tone in your essay has to be in a professional setting. If you write in a childish manner or as if you are angry at someone, your employer or anyone reading it will surely see that you are not fit for the job.
• Information – write what is asked in the essay. Do not put any other information that is not required nor needed. Example for this information is through a question that goes like this “why should we hire you?” This may sound easy but be very careful as to what you are going to write or say. Do not forget to introduce yourself in your essay.
• Explaining – In some questions in an essay, you are required to explain. Like the sample question above, you must give an explanation in your own words as to why they should hire you. However, avoid saying explanations like “because I am the best”, “I am better than anyone.” This will not only make you lose your opportunity, it is also very rude to tell that to your employer.
• Descriptive – keep your essay as  descriptive as possible . When you are to general in your writing, you are making the person reading confused. Put a little effort to what you are writing.
• Be prepared – when you are going to a job interview, always expect the unexpected. Answer questions as honest as possible.
• Reflect – reflect on what you have written . Understand what you have learned and done. A job interview essay is simply one of many essays you are going to go through.

I want to write about my experiences related to the job, should I write down everything?

Yes you may. As long as you remember that what you are writing is true and correct. As well as be careful on how you word it. Your tone in writing should be professional.

Why am I not allowed to show off my skills in my essay?

Employers are interested in what you have, but they are not interested in the way you talk about it. They prefer to see someone professional talking about their experiences in the same professional tone. Rather than being too cocky.

Is it necessary to know your skills? What if I don’t?

It is better to know what you are good at. When your employer may state you need to write your skills in the essay, you have to be prepared to do so. Ask yourself what you are good at and write it down.

Is there a time limit to writing the essay?

Most companies give a certain amount of time for the applicant to finish the job interview essay. This is so that neither of the two parties are wasting time. Be prepared to write a good essay within a limited amount of time.

Writing a job interview essay can be difficult. It can also be rewarding knowing you did a good job and you have done what you were told to do. Though a job interview essay may not give you the outcome of getting that job, but it is good practice on showing off your skills. Once you find out how to write a good essay for a job interview, all you need to do is to remember the guidelines.

To remember not to be too cocky when writing about your experiences. Do not be too shy either, rather be professional about it. Employers do read your essay, so be careful what you write. Watch your grammar and how you word things as well. This can affect the opportunity of getting that job. With all that being said, I wish you luck.

Text prompt

• Instructive
• Professional

Describe your preparation process for a job interview in your Job Interview Essay.

Reflect on a successful job interview experience in your Job Interview Essay.

The hidden struggles of skilled immigrants:Bridging the gap between potential and integration

THE reality of migration often involves a complex struggle to restart careers in a new country. Despite the promise of opportunity, migrants frequently encounter significant barriers that prevent them from fully utilizing their qualifications and experience. When individuals migrate to another country, they often bring impressive resumes with qualifications, knowledge and skills. However, transitioning to a new country frequently presents significant challenges, particularly in the professional realm. Despite their credentials, many migrants face the harsh reality of underemployment, where they work in jobs far below their qualifications, or they may struggle to gain recognition for their skills and experience in the new job market. Immigrants bring a wealth of skills, knowledge and ambition. Beneath their impressive resumes lies a harsh reality: the struggle to restart their careers. Yet, their resilience and determination as they navigate underemployment and their lack of recognition highlight the stark disparities between the promise of opportunity and their challenges.

Many mid- or late-career professionals start over due to the non-recognition of their foreign credentials, lack of local work experience, and industry-specific requirements in target countries. This discrepancy, commonly called "brain waste," results in underutilizing immigrants' skills in their new homelands, underscoring the significant gap between policy and practice. Despite holding advanced degrees and extensive experience, many must pursue additional education or retraining to meet local standards. It delays their career progression and imposes significant financial burdens, leading to frustration and demoralization. Employers abroad often prioritize candidates with local work experience, presenting a substantial hurdle for skilled immigrants. Consequently, many resort to lower-skilled jobs or positions that do not align with their qualifications, resulting in underemployment. The inability to secure suitable roles can diminish job satisfaction and self-esteem, further complicating their integration and invoking a sense of sympathy in us. Language proficiency is another critical barrier. Even if highly competent immigrants are fluent in English or the dominant local language, subtle differences in communication styles and idiomatic expressions can hinder effective interaction in professional and social settings. Focusing on cultural fluency can help bridge these communication gaps and improve integration. Networking, essential for career growth, presents additional challenges for competent immigrants who often need more local professionals' established connections and social capital. Professional networks can help bridge this gap, making these networks more dynamic and beneficial for all members.

Multifaceted solutions are necessary to address the discrepancies and underemployment among highly competent immigrants. Governments, regulatory bodies and employers must recognize the urgency of this issue and collaborate. By working together, they can streamline credential recognition processes, offer bridge programs to help immigrants adapt to local requirements, and prioritize integrating skilled immigrants into the workforce. Mentorship programs, workshops and support networks are crucial in assisting immigrants in navigating the job market and rebuilding their professional identities. It benefits potential immigrants and enriches the networks, bringing new perspectives and experiences that can help all members.

Comprehensive integration of the promise of opportunity for highly competent immigrants and the reality of their career restart highlights a significant challenge that demands immediate attention. It is essential to recognize highly skilled immigrants' unique needs and struggles and implement measures to facilitate their integration into the workforce abroad. By doing so, destination countries can ensure that their immigration policies truly harness the talents and expertise of skilled newcomers, benefiting the nation's economy and society. They are not just valuable assets; they often embody the global pursuit of opportunity. We can unlock their full potential and harness their talents to enrich societies, foster innovation, and strengthen economies. It is time to recognize that the success of highly competent immigrants is a testament to their resilience and a reflection of our collective capacity for inclusivity and progress and ultimately redound the benefits to our country. Removing the hurdles they face opens the door to a brighter future for all. The struggles of skilled immigrants are often hidden, but they are real. The gap between their potential and integration is a significant issue that needs to be addressed by supporting the integration, valuing their contributions, and paving the way for a future where the full spectrum of human talent is recognized and celebrated and a win for the originating country through remittances and returning their learned expertise and experience home.

Ernesto O. Cordero, PhD, Hon DLitt, is a post-doctorate research scholar at Saint Paul University- Ottawa/University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

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