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How to Write Resume Job Descriptions (Tips and Examples)

Whether you’re writing a job description for a job posting or for your resume, follow our tips to write a powerful job description.

Maria Profile
By Maria 3 minute read

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Job description

A job description — whether it’s in an internship or job posting, a resume or your LinkedIn profile — is key to understanding a job’s requirements and responsibilities. As an employer putting together a job posting or a resume writer trying to capture your past job experiences, a solid job description is important to attract readers.

To help you put your best foot forward, this page will give you:

  • Expert tips for employers on how to write a job description.
  • Advice for resume writers on how to write a job description in their work history section.
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What is a resume job description?

The exact definition of a job description will depend on who is asking.

If you’re a recruiter or hiring manager putting together a job ad, a job description is a straightforward description of a specific job’s duties, responsibilities and functions. It provides the job seeker with detailed information about the job that they can use to decide whether they have the skills, qualifications and experience to handle it. The job description also serves as a guideline for job seekers to write their resumes.

On the other hand, if you’re a job seeker writing a resume, a job description is what goes under a job title in your work history section. Through a list of three to five bullet points, you explain each job position’s accomplishments and major responsibilities to show hiring managers that you have experience and know what you’re doing.

The most important things to list

Now that you know what a resume job description is, how do you create one? In your work experience section, you’re going to include the following information for each of your past jobs:

Resume Job Description Infographic

Here’s an example of how a job description might look for your resume:

Customer Service Representative
Company Name, Phoenix, AZ
Jan 2014 – Oct 2018

  • Talked to over 100 customers per day.
  • Increased customer satisfaction by over 24% overall through complaint management.
  • Reduced amount of customer returns by 11% over the first six months.
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Job seekers: How to write a job description

Now that you know what a resume job description is for an employer, it’s time for you as the job seeker to translate the job description in your work experience section. You should include:

  • Your job title
  • The name and location of the employer
  • Your dates of employment
  • Your job responsibilities
  • Soft skills and hard skills you used and developed
  • Measurable achievements and awards
  • Specific numbers that indicate how you helped the company

Here’s a sample of how a resume job description might look for a copywriter that stumbled upon the job posting example featured on this page during their job search:

Digital Copywriter / June 2020 – Aug 2022
Starlight POV, Tampa, FL

  • Conceptualized over eight campaigns that successfully ran on Instagram, garnering more than 10K followers.
  • Wrote original scripts for TikTok videos, following brand tone and guidelines.
  • Proofread and edited an average of 15 artworks per day before sending to client for approval.

Note that the sentences are short and snappy, utilizing action verbs as often as possible. Optimize your job descriptions so that they provide as much information in as little time as possible. You can also use this tactic for writing about internships.

For more help creating your work history section along with the rest of your resume, use our Resume Builder.

Employers: How to write a good job description

  • 1

    Job title

    Write the title of the position you’re looking to fill clearly and at the beginning of the job description. For example:

    Social Media Copywriter and Content Creator
    Bloom Agency | Bradenton, FL

  • 2

    Job summary

    Provide a short paragraph summarizing the job position and the company. Be enthusiastic and charismatic in your tone, after all, you want to make the job opening as interesting as possible to attract more candidates. For example:

    Are you good with words? Do you know social media platforms like the back of your hand? Then you might be the copywriter we’re looking for! Bloom Agency is a digital hub for young creatives and out-of-the-box thinkers who know how to create fun content while having fun. As a member of the creative team, you’ll work closely with your colleagues to develop innovative content, catchy wording and scripts, and work on various projects for our clients.

  • 3

    Job duties and responsibilities

    Create a specific section for the duties and responsibilities, and list them out using bullet points. Be as informative as possible because this section will help the job seeker know whether they can perform the job. For example:

    • Create digital campaign concepts, specifically for Instagram and TikTok.
    • Research and understand the client’s needs, audience and tone to accurately represent their vision online.
    • Write original copy and proofread content.
    • Collaborate with creative staff, as well as across departments, to develop strategic campaigns that deliver greatness.
    • Present concepts to internal team and to clients.
  • 4

    Required qualifications

    Does the candidate need to have a bachelor’s degree in a specific field? Do they need to have prior experience? Use bullet points to list the requirements they need to meet to get hired, such as:

    • Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, English, Communications or related field
    • Minimum of three years of professional experience in advertising agency and fast-paced environment
    • Experience in social media content creation is a must
    • Strong writing and editing skills
    • Ability to work independently
    • Exceptional time management and multitasking skills
    • A keen eye for detail
  • 5

    Preferred qualifications

    This section focuses on the nice-to-haves. The job seeker doesn’t need to have these qualifications to get considered but possessing them would definitely boost the job application. For example:

    • Basic understanding of Photoshop and Lightroom
    • Photography skills
    • Comfortable presenting and pitching to clients
  • 6

    Salary and benefits

    While adding this information to the job description can be considered optional, we encourage you to include the salary and benefits if they’re competitive. For some job seekers, the salary and benefits are a deciding factor on whether they’re interested in a job or not. You could write them like:

    Salary: $28.00 – $31.00 per hour
    Benefits

    • 401(k)
    • Dental insurance
    • Health insurance
    • Paid time off

Connecting your job descriptions to other elements of your resume

How do you ensure your job descriptions look like they fit in that section of your resume? First of all, use the same skill words that you see in the job description. These are resume keywords, and using them reflects an image that the recruiter is actually trying to see. Hiring managers want to know that your work history and general job application are full of the skills that they’re actually looking for. Plus, it’ll help you get through applicant tracking systems (ATS) that employers often use to scan resumes.

Next, it’s a good idea to use your job descriptions to prove your skill set. If you say that you have great communication skills in your skill section, you want to also show that you’ve used those communication skills in previous jobs. Otherwise, the recruiter has nothing to go on as evidence you’re actually using those skills.

Lastly, tie your cover letter and your resume together. If you mention specific percentages in your resume, you can point to those percentages in your cover letter as well. It always pays to be consistent in your job application.

Resume job descriptions

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3 major tips for writing a job description

  • 1

    Focus on resume keywords.

    When writing your resume, use skill words and key phrases from the job description to present yourself as the type of candidate the recruiter is trying to find. Hiring managers want to know that your work history and general job application are full of the skills they’re actually looking for. Plus, it’ll help you get through applicant tracking systems (ATS) that employers often use to scan resumes.

  • 2

    Show off your most relevant skills.

    It’s incredibly important to keep your resume directly related to the job, so only highlight the resume skills that will impress prospective employers.

  • 3

    Expand on your work experience in a cover letter.

    The resume work experience section isn’t the only place to discuss your work experience. Through a cover letter, you can further discuss any job experiences and achievements mentioned in your resume and market yourself as the best candidate. For more, check out our How to Write a Cover Letter article to learn how and use our Cover Letter Builder.

More resume tips

ResumeHelp has dozens of articles and expert resources on how to put together a professional resume, as well as career advice. From templates to examples, we have everything you need to make your job application shine.

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FAQ: Resume Job Descriptions

Have questions? We’re here to help.

What’s the difference between a resume job description and a corporate job description?

In simpler terms, a resume job description showcases what you did for a company, while a corporate job description showcases what a company wants. A resume job description will be located in the work history section of your resume. Each job title will have three to five bullet points, detailing your accomplishments and major job responsibilities.

What is an example of a job description?

Some examples of a job description for a resume will look like this:

  • Managed distribution of email blasts to 200,000 subscribers that contributed to 50% of quarterly sales targets.
  • Led team of 11 content creators that produced 500 new product listings each week.

Note in these examples how the job seeker uses active verbs (“managed”, “led”) along with specific numbers (“produced 500 new product listings each week”) to show how effective she is in the role.

How much resume job experience should I list?

You should typically list up to the last 10 years of experience in your resume. Experience that dates back longer than that is less likely to matter to employers unless they’re seeking someone with extensive experience. Usually, you should submit a one-page resume but it’s OK to have a resume that’s two pages long if you have a wide range of important work experiences to highlight.

Remember to list your relevant experience in reverse chronological order so that a potential employer sees the most recent, most relevant job experience first.

How do I use a resume job description to connect seemingly non-relevant work experience?

Even if you were in a completely different field, you may have a transferable skill set that applies to the new job.

Connect your past work experience, and the duties and responsibilities written in the potential employer’s job description. If they’re looking for a project manager with strong communication skills, include bullet points in your work experience that show the recruiter or hiring manager how great you are at managing others and what you’ve done in the past that showcases good communication.

The key is to tailor your resume to the job posting. Use the listed responsibilities and key requirements as a map to create a resume that speaks to your ability to work well.

How do I describe my duties on a resume?

The best way to describe your duties on a resume is to:

  • Include three to five bullet points per job.
  • Focus on major achievements and responsibilities instead of daily tasks.
  • Use numbers to portray your work accomplishments better. So instead of writing, “Served customers,” you would write, “Served an average of 10 customers per hour.”
  • Begin each statement with action words, not personal pronouns like I, me or my.
  • Tailor your job duties to the job description.

What should I include in my job description?

What you include in your job description will depend on the situation. If you’re a hiring manager creating a job posting to fill out an open role, your job description should have a plainly written description of the job responsibilities and duties, a list of the key requirements and information on any benefits the candidate will have should they get hired.

If you’re a job seeker writing a resume, your job description should include major work achievements and responsibilities, quantifiable metrics that show how good you are at your job and keywords from the job description.

How do I describe my achievements?

The best way to describe your work achievements is by using numbers. Did you exceed sales goals at your customer service job? Are you a graphic designer that worked on successful marketing campaigns? Whatever the case may be, use quantifiable metrics and percentages to express these achievements.

For example, a customer service representative might write, “Exceed monthly sales by 18%, increasing department revenue and budget” or “Increased customer satisfaction by 20% using company policy and following protocols.”

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Maria Profile
WRITTEN BY Maria

Maria is a Puerto Rico-based Content Writer with ample background in digital marketing and copywriting. She graduated from the University of Puerto Rico with a B.A. in English and enjoys making information accessible to others.

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