Practice
Resume writing tips: describe skills and experience in clear English
A resume has little space. A reader should be able to see what you did, what you can do and when you did it without decoding long sentences.
Write clear, accurate English for the main parts of a resume by using specific job language, consistent dates and concise experience bullets.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
resume, experience, responsibilities /ˈrez.juː.meɪ/, /ɪkˈspɪə.ri.əns/, /rɪˌspɒn.səˈbɪl.ə.tiz/
The short answer
Use short, specific phrases for a resume. Name the task, tool, subject or result where you can support it. Keep verb tense and date style consistent, and match your skills to the job you are applying for.
Prepared weekly sales reports in Excel for the branch manager.
Why it works: The sentence names the task, the tool and the reader of the reports.
4 more examples
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Answered customer questions by phone and email.
This names a past task and the two communication channels.
Not this:
Responsible forcustomer service. What changes: This is broad. It does not show what customer-service work the person actually did. -
Trained two new reception staff on the booking system.
The sentence identifies the people trained and the work system they learned.
Not this:
Helpednew workers. What changes: Helped is possible in ordinary conversation, but it leaves the type of support unclear in a resume. -
Manage appointment changes and update client records each day.
Present-tense verbs show duties in a current role.
Not this:
Managedappointment changes and update client records each day. What changes: The mixed verb forms make it unclear whether the job is current or finished. -
2023 to present: Office assistant, Greenway Clinic.
A current role has a clear start date and a label showing that it continues.
Not this:Office assistant, Greenway Clinic,
2023-now. What changes: Now is informal and can look inconsistent beside formal date ranges. Present is a clearer resume label.
Read the full guide
Start with accuracy, then make each line easy to scan. A resume is not the place for every task you have ever done. Choose details that show the work you handled and the skills needed for the next role. Do not claim a result you cannot explain in an interview.
Choose details that show your work
Read the job description before you select experience bullets. Look for tasks, tools and skills that you have actually used. Then choose accurate evidence from your own work, study, volunteering or training. A short relevant bullet is stronger than a long list of unrelated tasks.
Answered customer questions by phone and email.
This tells the reader what customer support involved. Responsible for customer service gives far less detail.
Which wording gives a reader a clearer picture of the task?
Answered customer questions by phone and email is clearer because it names the action and the channels.
Build a useful experience bullet
A practical pattern is action plus task plus helpful detail. The detail may be a tool, a regular schedule, a group of people or a supported result. Use only details you can verify. You do not need to force a number into every bullet.
Prepared weekly sales reports in Excel for the branch manager.
Prepared is a specific past-tense action. Weekly sales reports, Excel and branch manager explain the work more clearly than Did reports every week.
Trained two new reception staff on the booking system.
The bullet shows training responsibility and names the system. It is more informative than Helped new workers.
Keep tense and grammar consistent
Use past tense for completed roles and present tense for duties you still perform. Within one role, keep comparable bullets in the same tense. Start bullets with a verb where possible. This makes the page easier to scan and reduces grammar errors.
Manage appointment changes and update client records each day.
Both verbs are present tense because the job is current. Managed appointment changes and update client records mixes forms and confuses the timeline.
What tense would you use for duties in a job that ended last year?
Use past tense, such as processed invoices, scheduled meetings or trained staff, because those duties belong to a finished role.
Make dates and headings easy to scan
Use one date style throughout the document. For example, use month and year for every role, or use years only when that is enough. Put the employer, role and dates in a predictable order. Use present for a job that continues rather than an informal word such as now.
2023 to present: Office assistant, Greenway Clinic.
The range tells the reader when the role began and that it continues. Office assistant, Greenway Clinic, 2023-now is less formal and may clash with other date styles.
A heading such as Work experience, Education or Skills should describe the section. Keep the order useful for the role. A recent graduate may lead with education. Someone with relevant work experience may lead with experience.
Review for accuracy before sending
Read each bullet aloud slowly. Check the verb, spelling, employer name, dates and contact details. Ask whether every claim is accurate and whether you could give a real example if asked. Tailor the wording to the role without copying claims you have not earned.
Created a weekly rota for a team of six volunteers.
This is a concrete claim you can explain. Improved team performance is too vague unless you can describe what changed and how you know.
What should you remove if you cannot explain or support it in an interview?
Remove or rewrite the claim. Your resume should describe your real experience in words you can support.
Before you go
Remember this
Write a resume line that a busy reader can understand on its own. Use a specific action verb, name the task or tool, keep dates and tense consistent, and save only the skills that matter for the role.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "Resume writing tips: describe skills and experience in clear English"
What should I include in a resume experience bullet?
Start with an accurate action and name the task. Add a useful detail when you can support it, such as a tool, schedule or people served. Prepared weekly sales reports in Excel for the branch manager tells the reader more than Did reports every week.
Answered customer questions by phone and email.
Should a resume use past tense or present tense?
Use past tense for a job that has ended and present tense for duties you still do. For a current role, Manage appointment changes and update client records each day keeps both verbs in the present tense.
Responsible for customer service.
How can I make my resume wording more specific?
Replace broad labels with the action you performed. Answered customer questions by phone and email gives more useful information than Responsible for customer service because it names the work and the channels.
Prepared weekly sales reports in Excel for the branch manager.
How should I write dates for a current job?
Use one date style throughout the document and mark a continuing role clearly. 2023 to present gives a reader the start year and shows that the position continues. Check the employer's requested format if one is provided.
Did reports every week.
Can I include every task I have done on my resume?
Choose the tasks that are relevant to the role and that you can explain honestly. A line such as Trained two new reception staff on the booking system is more useful than a long list of unrelated duties.
Trained two new reception staff on the booking system.
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