How to Show Promotions On a Resume

Knowing how to list your promotions in your resume’s work experience section can be confusing because you might have multiple job titles at a single company. 

Below, we’ll break down exactly how to put your promotions on your resume depending on your circumstances and provide examples for each situation.

1. If only your job title changed

If you were promoted and held multiple positions in the same company but your responsibilities remained the same (or were very similar), you should format your promotions by stacking your job titles on top of one other.

When listing your different promotions that had similar responsibilities, list the following information:

1. The company name on the first line
2. Your most current position with dates on the second line
3. The next most recent position with the dates on the third line (repeat as necessary in descending order)
4. Three to six work experience bullet points. Your first bullet point should explain why you were promoted, and the following bullets should describe your most relevant career accomplishments and responsibilities. 

Here’s an example of how to show multiple promotions on your resume that only required a job title change:

Putting your different job titles above one list of bullet points presents the hiring manager with an organized and easy-to-read list of your work experience and career progression. This layout also clearly indicates you’ve been promoted within your company.

2. If your job titles and responsibilities changed

If your promotions came with new job titles and responsibilities, list each position separately under the same company name. 

Using this method will present your promotions and work experience in an easy-to-read format to the hiring manager, while also giving you the room needed to describe the different roles and responsibilities you had while working at the same employer. 

Use the following five steps to display multiple promotions with different job titles and responsibilities  on your resume:

1. Add the company’s name and location first
2. Include your most recent job title and dates
3. Add work experience bullet points outlining each specific position’s responsibilities
4. In descending order, repeat this process by listing your second most recent job title and responsibilities. 
5. Keep going until you’ve listed all relevant promotions.

Here’s an example of how to add multiple promotions in the same company on a manager resume:

Separating your different positions is an excellent format to use because it shows career progression and dedication to a single company. Hiring managers care about your promotions, but they also want to know how often you switch employers. 

 

3. If you left the company and then returned

Sometimes you’ll end up leaving a company to work elsewhere and then be offered a promotion to return to your old employer. If this situation has happened to you, you’ll need to format your resume by displaying your work experience chronologically.

Here’s an example of how to include the promotions on your resume you received for returning to a company:

By displaying your work experience in a chronological format, you’ll show the hiring manager how you’ve progressed in your career and developed your hard and soft skills.

Separating your promotions like this on your resume allows the hiring manager to quickly see how your responsibilities, skills, and competencies have changed over time.