How to show promotions on resume

Why showcase promotions on your resume

As an integral member of the HR team, an experienced hiring manager has likely participated in their fair share of promotions. Consequently, they understand that promotions typically go to loyal team members who consistently give their all and work hard to build new skills. Showing promotions on resumes communicates the same thing about job candidates.

Additionally, promotions demonstrate your commitment to career advancement in the field and your ability to handle increased responsibilities. They portray professional growth, ultimately showing the hiring manager that your career objectives aren’t just something you talk about but something you are highly likely to achieve.

Understanding the importance of promotions

Job promotions are about much more than just having more authority, a more attractive job title, or getting more money. Although those perks can be beneficial, your promotion is a recognition that you have achieved something significant in your career. Learning how to show promotion on resumes allows you to come across as a person who can set goals, take action, and get results.

Promotions also increase your value to employers. A promotion indicates that you are committed to continuous learning. Employers know that, over time, your skill set — and your contribution to the company — will grow, which gives the company an edge in achieving strategic goals. In addition, promoted employees typically value longevity, which reduces turnover and its associated expenses.

Finally, promotions show that you are committed to career growth. Including them in your resume and cover letter allows you to show hiring managers you have done the work to map out your career plan according to your career objectives and that you are well on your way to achieving them.

Format for displaying promotions

Figuring out how to show promotion on resumes is critical. The right format gives hiring managers insight into your career path and helps them clearly understand how you’ve progressed. Use these tips to help you display your promotions correctly and ensure your resume stands out amongst the rest.

Use a reverse chronological format

If you are using reverse chronological resume examples, feel free to show a promotion on resumes using the same format. This means that, under the same company name, your most recent (and therefore most senior) job title and responsibilities should go first, followed by your next most recent role and responsibilities. Using this format allows you to showcase your career progression within one company.

Clearly label each position

To ensure that the hiring manager understands that you have been promoted to a more senior role, you need to label each position with the title and the dates that you held each title. Doing this in reverse chronological order gives the hiring manager a glimpse into your trajectory at the company. If you have been promoted multiple times with one employer, it shows them approximately how long it takes you to learn and solidify new skills.

Highlighting achievements and accomplishments

Highlighting your achievements and accomplishments is important because it helps you market yourself as a candidate. This practice allows you to show off your contributions to your company and demonstrate evidence of prior success in a role. In turn, this excites hiring managers to think about how your expertise can produce the same results at their company. 

When it comes to placing achievements on your resume template, there are a few tips you should keep in mind.

Assess the relevance

Before you try to figure out how to show a promotion on resumes, make sure everything listed is relevant. If you’ve gotten good results in a career or role that’s totally unrelated to the position you’re going for, consider how it connects to the new role and highlight that connection on your resume. If needed, make sure to tweak your cover letter examples to provide more context.

Use quantifiable metrics

Make sure that you are quantifying your achievements using data from key performance metrics. This illustrates the impact of your career growth and promotions on concrete business goals and outcomes and shows the hiring manager what kind of results they can expect when they decide to bring you on board.

Avoid embellishment

In highlighting your achievements and accomplishments on your resume, you want to make sure that you avoid overstating what you have done for the company. The fact that you have been promoted already shows that you are good at what you do and have been effective in the role. This is often enough to ensure your resume lands in the pile of applicants who will be seriously considered for the position.

Addressing job title changes and responsibilities

As you’re learning how to show promotion on resumes, it’s important to include more than just your job titles. If your responsibilities have changed, you should also include bullet points that discuss those changes. 

Under a subheading with your new job title, make sure to list only the responsibilities that are different from those associated with your previous role. Not only does this help you avoid redundancy, but it's also a solid strategy for emphasizing the growth, development, and new skill acquisition that occurred in each role.

If you were promoted when you came back to a company after leaving for a number of years, you can treat your new job title and position the same way you would any other. If you’re using a reverse chronological resume, a hiring manager will be able to clearly see that you returned to your previous company and were granted a more senior role. 

If you feel the need to explain yourself, tweak your cover letter templates to include additional details there.

Strategies for including multiple promotions

Employees who have advanced more than once at the same company should pay special attention when it comes to how to list promotions on resumes. If you have achieved multiple promotions, you’ll want to make sure you clearly delineate each promotion and its associated responsibilities. 

Under a larger heading with the company name and the dates you worked there, include multiple subheadings that list each job title and the dates you held them. Under each of those subheadings, use bullet points to list your job tasks and accomplishments. This helps hiring managers see how your responsibilities and achievements have increased with each promotion.

Though there aren’t many resume articles that cover this situation, there may be cases where you have held a more senior job title in a company without a change in the responsibilities of your role. 

You can avoid including redundant information on your resume by simply listing the roles under the company name in reverse chronological order and then including only one set of bullet points to describe the responsibilities of both roles.

“Promotions demonstrate your commitment to career advancement in the field and your ability to handle increased responsibilities.”

Exhibit professional growth and commitment by properly displaying your promotions

Your resume is the perfect place to put a spotlight on promotions you have received in your career. Not only do these achievements show a hiring manager that you’re capable of great things, but they also illustrate your unique traits as someone committed to learning and longevity in your career.

When displaying your promotions on your resume, make sure to stick to reverse chronological format and include dates for each role. Don’t forget to include bullet points that explain the increasing responsibilities for each role and quantify the results you have achieved at every level.

If you need help with figuring out how to show a promotion on a resume, Jobseeker has a variety of cover letter articles, resume tools, and professional templates to help you get started. You can use these resources to ensure you begin your job search off on the right foot, show off your achievements, and land the job that’s right for you.