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2 Effective Ways to Show Your Promotion on a Resume

Suppose you have been promoted at your job. In that case, it is a great idea to list it on your resume, so that when you seek an even better and higher position, your prospective employers get a chance to see how well you had done in your previous organization. It will help them recognize your potential and prove that you are capable of growth.

Promotions are not easy to come by in a competitive market, and it could take years for an employee to be even considered for a promotion. Waiting for a promotion could also prove frustrating when you put in hours of hard work and have nothing to show for it. And when the promotion finally comes in, it is one of the most rewarding experiences you could enjoy at your workplace.

It also paves the way for your future successes, as the recognition induces you to work harder and aim for something higher. Listing the promotion in your resume will have the desired effect as your new employers will be happy to work with someone who has a potential for growth.

How to List Promotions on Your Resume?

How to List Promotions on Your Resume?

There are multiple ways of listing your promotions on your resume. However, before you decide on how to list them, you need to consider some factors like; how many total entries you want to list on your resume. Likewise, you would want to list your promotion and other relevant information related to your professional experience. A stacked entry is the best option in such cases as it leaves ample opportunity to add other relevant information.

On the other hand, if you held multiple positions in your organization and handled different responsibilities, you could opt for separate entries. A stacked entry will not be a good idea here. To highlight each position in a better way making different entries is advisable.

Hence, an understanding between stacked and separate entries will help you decide how to showcase your promotions on the resume.

Where Should You List Your Promotions on the Resume?

Since your promotions are one of the most important milestones you would have attained in your career, you should mention them at a spot that makes it easy for the employer to notice them. The most common method of doing so is to include your promotions under the “Work Experience” section and your other job entries.

While writing about your work, you should follow the reverse-chronological format. In this format, you emphasize your most recent work experience. Applying this method ensures that the promotions are near the top of the resume, and the HR would find it easier to spot them.

Formatting Options for Listing Promotions

There are two principal ways of listing promotions on your resume. Stacked entry and Separate entry.

1. Stacked Entries

A stacked entry is one entry for one specific company. This method is applied when you list out all the various positions you have worked for in a particular company. Here, when you list the entries, you put the most recent and highest position on the top. Then, mention the previous position you held before the latest one and so on. This makes it easier for the hiring manager to see your most recent position just at a glance.

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2. Separate Entries

Separate entries can be very useful if you want to make a separate entry for every position you were holding in a particular company, rather than stacking them all together. You list the most recent position first and then chronologically list the other positions in descending order.

It would be best to remember that your entries should not be too detailed. Keep them precise and relevant, which will also help you with the overall organization of your resume.

Here are some points that might come in handy.

Stacked Entry

  • When writing a stacked entry, you should mention the dates for which you held the position.
  • The most recent position must come first.
  • It would be best to choose between including descriptions to explain the promotions or your responsibilities, roles, and accomplishments as a part of your work experience.

Here is an example:

Whole Foods, San Francisco, CA
Head Store Manager, June 2019 to Present
Assistant Store Manager, July 2018 to June 2019

  • Directed a staff of over 60 employees in day-to-day operations.
  • Increased customer satisfaction rating by 10 percent.

Separate Entry

  • Stacked entries save you space in the resume, but it only allows you to describe any position you are listing. On the other hand, separate entries help you describe each position for their descriptions.
  • Hence, even if you held multiple positions in the same company, you will get to describe each position with its own set of bullets, and all the positions would be written as a separate entry.
  • This allows you to make a more detailed resume and add a more detailed account of your promotions. In this case, too, your most recent position should be mentioned first.

Here is an example:

The Shedd Aquarium, Illinois
Communications Coordinator, February 2022  to Present

  • Organized and supervised social media campaigns to generate awareness about events hosted by the aquarium.
  • Connected with topmost magazines, like National Geographic, ensuring feature stories for the benefit of the aquarium.
  • Introduced innovative communication methods that increased staff productivity by 18 percent.

The Shedd Aquarium, Illinois
Ticket Attendant, February 2021 to January 2022

  • Assisted guests in purchasing aquarium tickets both in-person and online.
  • Made sure guests followed the correct health and sanitization protocols.
  • Conducted both card and cash payments using a Point of Sale system.

When Should You Use a Stacked Entry on Your Resume?

When Should You Use a Stacked Entry on Your Resume?

You should use stacked entries on your resume for the positions and promotions with similar job roles and responsibilities. So, if you have just been promoted to a higher position but with the same role and responsibilities, encompassing more comprehensive responsibilities, you do not have to mention them twice. Stack entry allows you to show all your promotions and saves space simultaneously under your work section. So, if you have any other previous work experience you would like to include, you can use that extra space for it.

When Should You Use Separate Entry on Your Resume?

Separate entries are great when you have remained in the same company for a long time. You have held multiple positions or worked in various departments, taking on new roles and responsibilities with each move that you would want to elaborate on. So, even if some of the responsibilities were common, there might be other responsibilities that were not, and listing separately will help you highlight both of them. It will show you are versatile and have been doing well in all the positions you held.

Is it Important to Make an Exclusive Section for Promotions on Your Resume?

Promotions usually go under the work experience section. However, you could dedicate an entire section for them if you have been working for several years and have had quite a few promotions over a long span, as in twelve years or more. So, although your promotions are from a long time ago, they could still be important, making a separate section would mean you would not have to devote much space to them under the main “work experience” section. They might not need an extensive description, yet you would get a chance to showcase them on your resume.

Key Takeaways

Since promotions are major achievements, finding a space for them on the resume is an excellent way of communicating to your prospective employer that you are capable of growth and can be an asset to your organization.

Here are some of the main ideas you can keep in mind while including promotions in your resume.

  • You must always list the most recent and highest position or promotion first, no matter which kind of entry you are using.
  • It would be best to use stacked entries in case the roles and responsibilities within the different positions are quite similar.
  • It would be best to use separate entries when the roles and responsibilities with the different positions are not the same.
  • While writing separate entries could help if you mentioned the position before the company name.

Conclusion

Listing your promotions ensures that your prospective employer notices your dedication and commitment to your work. Your previous employers had entrusted you with bigger responsibilities throughout your career. However, you would still need to do well in your interview and should also be ready to answer questions about your previous promotions. Taking on bigger roles and responsibilities also brings about a change in the work ethics of an employee as they become at time management and leadership roles. Enriching your answers and listing your promotions would help you immensely get your next big job.

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