The work experience section of your resume answers an employer or hiring manager's most pressing question:

Is this candidate qualified for this job?

In a best-case scenario, your job experience section will net you an interview or at least get you to the next step in the hiring process. Use these tips to add work experience to your resume to stand out and land a better job in 2022:

Use a simple format. The work experience section format typically includes:

• Job title, company name, location
• Month and year started and left position
• 3-6 bullet points demonstrating your impact in your role

Customize your resume for each job. Demonstrate you are a great fit for the role by using skill-related keywords from the job description to tailor your resume for each role. Customizing your resume is a great way to catch the attention of hiring managers or pass muster with computers scanning your resume for those same keywords! Although it takes extra effort to tailor your resume for each application, it may well save you time in the long run by decreasing the total number of applications you submit before receiving an offer.

Highlight relevant experience. Your resume should contain work experience from the last 10-15 years that is relevant to your desired position, highlights your strengths, and gives you an advantage for that particular role. In general, list your most recent experience first and work backward in chronological order.

Make it skimmable. Long paragraphs make your resume difficult to read. Use bullet points and white space strategically so potential employers can quickly skim to the most important information. When writing bullet points for your work experience, use:

• Action verbs. Strong action verbs stand out and catch the reader's attention.
• Quantifiable metrics. Numbers are proof that you had an impact on your organization and can back up your experience with results.
• Specific and relevant accomplishment statements. List your most important responsibilities first, and don't waste precious resume real estate on duties not relevant to the desired future role.

Here are a few strong job experience examples to consider:

Restaurant Manager, The Cakewalk, Cincinnati, OH

2018-2020

• Hired and trained over 40 new employees.
• Implemented a training program that increased efficiency by 20%.
• Decreased staff turnover by 50% in the first year.

Senior Content Manager, The Gab, Nashville, TN

2019-2021

• Designed and implemented a training program that improved staff productivity rates by 20% and led to a decrease in labor costs of 33%.
• Created fresh and unique content, including 50 blogs and 5 YouTube videos every month.
• Performed proofreading and copy edits on content for 30 staff members.

Looking for an awesome new job? PrideStaff can help! Our job network is full of unique opportunities, and our dedicated recruiters can match you with full-time, temporary, and temp-to-hire positions that match your skills and interests. We can even help you optimize your resume to help land your dream job. Get to work with PrideStaff today!