Duties

How to Write Work Experience on a CV

To write work experience on a CV, list your previous employment in reverse-chronological order starting with your current or most recent job. For each entry, include your official job title, company name, location, dates of employment, and 3 to 6 bullet points detailing your primary responsibilities and key achievements. Use strong action verbs, incorporate keywords from the target job advertisement, and quantify your results with metrics whenever possible to demonstrate your measurable impact.

Essential Components of a CV Work Experience Entry

The work experience section forms the core of your CV and is often the first area hiring managers review. Every entry in this section must contain consistent structural details so recruiters can quickly assess your career path, skill level, and suitability for the role.

Job Title & Company Details

State your official job title clearly at the beginning of each entry. If your previous company used an unusual or internal title (such as “Growth Hacker” instead of “Marketing Specialist”), you can place a standard, industry-recognised title in parentheses to ensure immediate clarity for recruiters and automated Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS). Follow this with the official name of the company and a brief 1-sentence description if the company is not widely known or operates in a niche industry.

Employment Dates & Location

Include the month and year for both your start date and end date (e.g., March 2021 – Present or January 2018 – November 2020). Indicating months prevents the appearance of hidden employment gaps and provides an accurate timeline of your professional experience. Add the city and country or region where the job was located, or indicate “Remote” if applicable.

Key Responsibilities & Bullet Points

Avoid copying and pasting raw job descriptions. Instead, frame your responsibilities around core deliverables, tools used, and high-value tasks. Limit each role to 3 to 6 concise bullet points, placing the most impressive and relevant duties at the top of the list.

Quantifiable Achievements & Metrics

Distinguish yourself from other applicants by highlighting accomplishments rather than listing routine duties alone. Use concrete numbers, percentages, currency amounts, or time savings to validate your performance. For instance, replace “Managed a team and increased sales” with “Led a sales team of 6 representatives to achieve a 25% year-over-year revenue increase.”

Structuring Your Experience: Reverse-Chronological vs. Functional Formats

Selecting the appropriate format depends on your career history, level of experience, and long-term career goals.

The Reverse-Chronological Approach (Standard & Preferred)

The reverse-chronological format is preferred by over 90% of recruiters and hiring managers. In this format, your most recent job appears at the top, followed by earlier positions in descending order.

The Combination or Functional Approach

A combination CV blends a prominent skills summary with a streamlined work history section, while a functional CV focuses entirely on core skills and capabilities.

Step-by-Step: How to Write High-Impact Work Experience Bullet Points

Writing impactful work experience bullet points requires a structured formula that blends action, context, and tangible results.

Start with Strong Action Verbs

Begin every bullet point with a dynamic action verb in the correct tense—use present tense for current duties and past tense for past roles. Avoid passive phrases like “responsible for,” “duties included,” or “assisted with.

Use the Action + Context + Outcome (ACO) Formula

To build persuasive bullet points, structure each statement around three core elements:

  1. Action: What action did you take?
  2. Context: What was the scope, tool, or challenge involved?
  3. Outcome: What was the measurable result or positive business impact?

Formula Example:

[Action Verb] + [Specific Task & Context] + [Measurable Result]

“Implemented automated inventory tracking software across 3 warehouse sites, reducing dispatch errors by 30% and saving 15 hours of manual entry weekly.”

Tailor Responsibilities to the Target Job Description

Analyze the job advertisement for core keywords, required tools, and key duties. Match the phrasing on your CV to these terms without fabricating experience. Mirroring relevant terms helps your CV navigate Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) and proves direct alignment with the prospective employer’s needs.

Formatting Examples for Different Experience Levels

Review these practical examples to understand how to format work experience across various career stages.

Standard Professional Entry Example

Senior Operations Manager | Apex Logistics Solutions – Johannesburg, GP

February 2021 – Present

Entry-Level / Graduate CV Work Experience Example

Junior Marketing Assistant (Internship) | BrightMedia Communications – Cape Town, WC

January 2023 – November 2023

How to Group Promotions and Multiple Roles at the Same Company

If you have held multiple titles at a single company, stack the titles under the primary employer header to show rapid progression without repeating company background information.

TechCorp Solutions | Durban, KZN

Overall Employment: March 2019 – Present

Addressing Special Work History Situations

Not every career path follows a straight line. Here is how to present non-traditional employment histories effectively.

Handling Employment Gaps Professionally

If you have a gap in your employment history, account for it briefly and positively. Focus on constructive activities undertaken during that time, such as freelancing, completed certifications, university study, professional consulting, or family care.

Incorporating Freelance, Part-Time, and Volunteer Work

Contracting, freelancing, part-time jobs, and volunteer roles demonstrate initiative and ongoing skill refinement. Group freelance projects under a unified header such as “Freelance Consultant” or “Contract Specialist” with key client outcomes listed as bullet points.

Deciding How Far Back Your Work History Should Go

As a general rule, focus on the last 10 to 15 years of your employment history. Older roles can be summarized in a brief “Earlier Professional History” section without full bullet points to keep your CV concise, modern, and focused on current capabilities.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many years of work experience should I include on my CV?

You should generally include 10 to 15 years of relevant work experience. Positions held more than 15 years ago can usually be summarized into a brief section at the bottom of your experience section or omitted entirely unless they are uniquely relevant to the targeted role.

How do I list work experience if I have never had a formal job?

If you lack formal employment experience, create a section titled “Relevant Experience” or “Practical Experience.” Include internships, academic group projects, volunteer work, freelance work, student leadership positions, or extra-curricular involvement, focusing on transferable skills like communication, organization, and problem-solving.

Should I include duties or achievements on my CV?

Your CV should contain a balanced combination of both, but with a heavy emphasis on achievements. While listing core duties explains your scope of work, highlighting achievements demonstrates how effectively you performed those duties and the value you can bring to a prospective employer.

How do I explain employment gaps in my work experience section?

Address employment gaps transparently without over-explaining. List the period under a short title (such as “Career Break – Professional Development” or “Freelance / Independent Study”), and include 1 to 2 bullet points detailing skills acquired, courses completed, or project work undertaken during that timeframe.

Is it necessary to list month and year for employment dates?

Yes, listing both the month and year (e.g., May 2020 – August 2022) is standard professional practice. Listing years alone (e.g., 2020 – 2022) can make short-term employment appear vague and may raise concerns for recruiters regarding undisclosed gaps.

What action verbs work best for CV work experience bullets?

The best action verbs are strong, specific, and directly tied to accomplishments. Examples include spearheaded, implemented, negotiated, engineered, streamlined, optimized, directed, delivered, and transformed. Avoid weak, passive terms such as helped, handled, worked on, or was responsible for.

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