One of the most difficult parts in writing a resume is composing the descriptions of your jobs, volunteer work, projects, and other relevant experiences. Each description of your work history and volunteer experience should be clear and concise, yet descriptive. After reading your description, a prospective employer should know exactly what your responsibilities were, what skills you have developed, where your strengths lie, and what you have achieved.
Here are some tips to help you write a concise and informative description:
- Begin each item by stating the name of the place, location, dates, and job title (e.g. manager, volunteer) List experiences in reverse chronological order (most current experience first).
- Describe your responsibilities in concise statements led by strong verbs. Focus on those skills and strengths that you possess and that you have identified as being important to your field. Try to incorporate industry specific key words. Show potential employers exactly how you will fit their position and their company.
- Be sure to vary your action words. You do not want all your descriptions to sound the same. Use present tense for those activities which are ongoing and past tense for those with which you are no longer involved.
- Avoid using “I,” “and,” “the,” and the use of any pronouns and prepositions.
- Whenever possible, quantify your accomplishments and responsibilities.
- Avoid summarizing or describing what a company or organization you worked with did or does. Describe your responsibilities and accomplishments in relationship to the job/organization, not the job/organization itself.
- Limit your description to the three or four most important points.
