When crafting a resume, one of the most critical components is providing detailed descriptions of your work experience, volunteer activities, projects, and relevant accomplishments. These descriptions should be concise, precise, and descriptive, offering potential employers a comprehensive understanding of your roles, skills, strengths, and achievements.

To create effective descriptions, begin each item with the name of the organization, location, dates of employment, and job title in reverse chronological order, starting with the most recent experience. Use succinct phrases led by strong verbs to highlight your responsibilities and focus on the skills and qualities that are most crucial to the industry in which you work. Incorporate industry-specific keywords to demonstrate your fit for the role you are applying for.

Utilize a variety of action words to keep your descriptions engaging and avoid repetition. Use present tense for current actions and past tense for previous engagements. Avoid personal pronouns, prepositions, and unnecessary words, focusing instead on quantifying your achievements with figures, values, and percentages when possible.

Ensure your descriptions emphasize your specific contributions and accomplishments rather than summarizing the activities of the organization as a whole. Highlight the most important aspects of your experience, limiting your description to three or four key points to draw the employer’s attention.

For example:

Summers 20XX-20XX Assistant Manager/Head Lifeguard Position at The Swim Club, Anywhere, Pennsylvania

Addressed customer concerns and maintained safety for patrons and visitors.
Supervised and trained six lifeguards on club rules and protocols.
Utilized Excel to manage lifeguard schedules, private swim lessons, and pool activities.
Assisted the manager in overall Swim Club operations.

To gain inspiration on how to effectively showcase your skills and accomplishments, review sample resumes provided by organizations like Steinbright.

Highlighting International Experience

Studying, working, or volunteering in a foreign country can enhance a variety of skills and attributes, including:

Adaptability to new environments, cultures, languages, and customs.
Communication skills in both verbal and written forms, as well as non-verbal cues.
Enhanced critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.
Independence, time management, financial literacy, confidence, global awareness, and cultural competency are also skills that may have been strengthened during your time abroad.

Utilize action verbs to convey these competencies on your resume, such as:

Adapted, awarded, constructed, collaborated, developed, nurtured, implemented, immersed, improved, lived, managed, organized, conquered, practiced, realized, represented, recognized, shared, traveled, translated, visited, and more.

By incorporating these strategies into your resume, you can effectively communicate your expertise, qualifications, and experiences to potential employers. Remember to tailor your descriptions to each specific job application and emphasize the skills and accomplishments most relevant to the position you are seeking. Your resume should serve as a compelling overview of your professional journey, showcasing your strengths and capabilities to prospective employers.