How to Project Relevant Work Experience in CV to Get Employers’ Attention

Every applicant fervently hopes for the day they’ll finally land a new job. But lots of jobs demand significant work experience. Work experience has become a necessity in today's job market, even for entry-level positions. How you project that work experience in your CV can be the difference between getting interviews and nothing.

You’ve done the heavy lifting by toiling hard to have some work experience under your belt. Use the following tips to gain some insight into how to write and organize a work experience section that wows employers reading your CV. 

1. Organize Your Experience Clearly and Logically

Structure your CV in reverse chronological order with designated job titles. 

Example

Marketing Manager | Success Tech Solutions, Abuja | Jan 2022 – Present

• Launched a product-led email campaign that increased qualified leads by 45%.
• Managed a $100K annual marketing budget, optimizing spend and reducing CPL by 20%.

Marketing Strategist | Oasis Digital Agency, Abuja | Nov 2020 –Dec 2021

• Supported digital ad campaigns for 18 clients, contributing to a 25% growth in revenue.
• Created monthly performance reports and led client review sessions.

Marketing Intern | Growth Media, Abuja | Jan 2020–Aug 2020

• Assisted in managing social media accounts and writing blog content.
• Conducted competitive analysis that informed content calendar improvements.

2. Include All Relevant Experience, Not Just Regular or Paid Jobs

No regular work experience? No problem. Freelance work, internships, volunteer roles, and even academic coursework are some examples of experience graduate job seekers can include in their CV. But use such experience options only if they demonstrate the competencies necessary for the particular role you are applying for.

Example

Freelance Web Developer–| Freelancer.com | Aug 2022–Present

• Designed and launched a mobile-responsive e-commerce site for a local bakery, boosting online sales by 40% within 3 months.

Volunteer Event Coordinator–|Community Youth Center, Abuja| Jan 2020–Feb 2021

• Planned and managed a 150-attendee youth leadership conference, coordinating 11 volunteers and 4 guest speakers.

3. Begin Descriptions with Powerful Action Verbs

Action verbs immediately convey desirable attributes such as leadership, energy and initiative.

Example

• Led a 4-person marketing team to launch a new social media campaign, increasing Instagram engagement by 70% within 6 weeks.
• Implemented a new CRM system that reduced manual data entry time by 35%.

4. Incorporate Job Description Keywords and Industry Buzzwords

Use keywords/phrases from job postings and your industry to get past ATS and appeal to hiring managers.

Example

If the job description says: “Looking for a customer success representative with strong communication skills, experience using CRM software, and a focus on customer retention and onboarding. Must be proactive in solving problems and maintaining high customer satisfaction.”

You can write:

• Led personalized onboarding sessions for 45 new clients, boosting customer retention by 25%.
• Used CRM tools (Salesforce, HubSpot) to track customer interactions and ensure high customer satisfaction.
• Proactively resolved client issues, resulting in a 99% satisfaction score over six months.

5. Include Testimonials or Endorsements When Possible

Where possible, include brief testimonials or endorsements from a mentor, boss, supervisor, client, or other relevant source. This will help boost your credibility and trustworthiness. If you did a great job as project manager, you can get a short written testimonial from your boss and include that underneath your “Project Manager” responsibilities.

Example

• “Jessica’s project management and leadership skills helped us meet our deadline two weeks earlier than scheduled—something we’d never achieved before.” – Peter Johnson, Former CEO, SkyTek Corp.

6. Differentiate Yourself From Other Candidates

Explain what makes you unique—certifications, creativity, and remarkable technical competencies, among others.

Example

• Certified in Google Analytics and HubSpot Inbound Marketing.
• Founded a podcast on sustainable fashion with over 5,000 monthly listeners.
• Developed a chatbot for customer support that cut response times by 50%.

7. Highlight Team and Collective Achievements

Show your collaborative spirit and your contribution to group successes.

Example

• Collaborated with cross-functional teams to roll out a new ERP system, reducing order processing time by 25%.
• Part of a product team that won the 2024 Innovation Award for best new B2B tool.

8. Be Specific in Your Descriptions

Avoid vague explanations – provide context and detail.

Example

Instead of: “Worked on financial reports every month,” say:

• Prepared monthly P&L statements for the accounts department and improved reconciliation processes.

9. Quantify Your Accomplishments With Numbers

As can be observed above, quantifying achievements with numbers shows scale and impact.

Example:

Instead of: “Hardworking project manager with over a year of experience”, say:

• Consistently managed up to 8 concurrent client projects while maintaining a 99% client satisfaction score over 12 months.

10. Benchmark Your Successes Against Competitors or Industry Standards

If you achieved spectacular results, comparing them against those from your industry or competitors can help you stand out.

Example

• Boosted client retention by 92%, exceeding the industry average of 80%.
• Reduced software bugs by 40%, outperforming the team-wide average by 15%.

11. Describe Challenges You’ve Overcome and How You Overcame Them 

Showcase your problem-solving ability and resilience.

Example

• Inherited a failing project that was 3 weeks behind schedule; restructured tasks, re-engaged the team, and delivered the product 2 days earlier than anticipated.
• Handled a customer crisis involving a $110K client; resolved the issue within 24 hours and retained the client account.

12. Mention Your Tangible Deliverables and Outcomes 

Point to specific items or changes you’ve created.

Example

• Developed a new onboarding manual now used by 3 company departments.
• Created automated reporting dashboards that cut reporting time by 50%.

13. Start or End Each Role Description With Your Strongest Achievements

Place your most outstanding achievements strategically.

Example (Start of Role):

• Promoted within 6 months due to high performance and client praise.

Example (End of Role):

• Recognized as employee of the month twice for exceeding performance metrics by over 30%.

14. Eliminate All Grammar, Spelling, and Formatting Errors

Even great content can be degraded if the presentation is sloppy. Use editing tools like Grammarly, and/or have a professional CV/resume builder look over and optimize your CV and other application documents.

Example

Incorrectly spelling “LinkedIn” as “Linkednl” can immediately undermine your credibility.

Final Thoughts

Work experience is a crucial CV requirement, even for entry-level jobs. It often attracts serious scrutiny from employers because they use it to assess your suitability for the tasks you’ll perform in their organizations if selected. Hence, work experience in CV needs to be written and formatted in a way that makes maximum impact. 

Not only will CVHack help provide you with an attention-grabbing work experience section for your CV, but it will also assist with all other sections as well, ensuring you beat competitors to your dream jobs.