Career Services

Describing Work Experience

Tips for Describing Your Work Experiences

• Describe the nature of the organization's business to help employers understand the context in which you performed your work.
• Use positive action words (see list), rather than passive phrases such as "responsibilities included. . ." or "duties involved. . ."
• Cite your key accomplishments and major responsibilities.
• Note what you have achieved while in the job. Quantify achievements by using
  numbers or percentages whenever possible. To an employer, the best evidence of your future performance is how you have performed in the past.
• Use terms, jargon and acronyms specific to your industry. These keywords should reflect your abilities, experience, training, special awards, licenses, and certifications. Good sources for keywords: job listings, trade journals, professionals in your field, and employer information.
• For more information on resumé writing, see Damn Good Resumé Guide, located in the Career Resource Center.

For help, ask yourself these questions:

1. What problems did my organization have?
   How did I supply the answers?
   What were the results?
2. How did I help the organization operate more efficiently and productively?
3. How did I improve things?
4. What did my duties/projects result in?
5. What was the scope of my responsibility?
   How many people did I supervise?
   How much money was I responsible for?
6. What can I offer a prospective employer?
7. Did I increase sales?
   By how much, and over what period of time?
   What was my quota?
   How often did I achieve it?
8. How did I help cut expenses?
   By how much?