How to Show a Promotion on Your Résumé: Templates & Example

One of the most common questions I get asked about writing a résumé is “How do I show a promotion?”

And chances are that, considering you’re reading this article, you have the same question.

Well, there are a few different ways to list your promotions on your résumé, and they’re all quite straightforward.

In this article, I’ll guide you through the different methods so you can create an eye-catching résumé that effectively markets your top skills and achievements and clearly highlights your career progression. You’ll also find some free résumé templates and a custom example for inspiration to get started.

Why it’s important to show your promotion

First things first, let’s look at why you should highlight your promotions on your résumé.

When reviewing your résumé, hiring managers want to know whether you have the skills and experience to succeed in the job you’re applying for. And to get the information they need, they look at your accomplishments — including any promotions and lateral moves.

Your career progression tells potential employers two things: that you’re ambitious and that you deliver results. Which is precisely what employers look for in employees.

You might feel a little uncomfortable about tooting your own horn, but remember: that’s the whole point of your résumé. Your goal as a jobseeker is to sell yourself to potential employers. Besides, a little bragging never hurt anyone!

Ways to show a promotion

Now, to the reason you’re actually reading this article: how to present promotions on a résumé.

There are five main ways you can do this:

• Use the first bullet point of an experience entry
• Stack job titles under one company
• List duties separately under one company
• Create separate experience entries
• Build a separate section

Although they work for all résumé formats, each method should only be used in specific situations.

Let’s take a closer look at each one:

Method 1: Use the first bullet point of an experience entry

The easiest way to show a promotion on your résumé is to directly reference it in the very first bullet point of the relevant job’s entry. This is particularly useful if you’re short on space (remember: your résumé should typically be between one and two pages long). This is also a great option if you were promoted quickly and want to highlight an accelerated timeline.

For example, you could write something like: “Promoted to Store Manager within 8 months as Assistant Manager, due to consistent sales results and strong leadership skills.” (Make sure to explain why you were promoted, as illustrated in this bullet point.)

In this case, you’ll want to list your most recent position with the company (ie: Store Manager) in the relevant entry’s heading, along with the full range of employment dates (ie: your start date as an Assistant Manager and your end date, if applicable, as the Store Manager) — like so:

Method 2: Stack job titles under one company

If you want to make your promotion a little more obvious than simply mentioning it in a bullet point, you can use a stacked entry approach. This involves listing each position separately (along with relevant employment dates) under one company, followed by a combined list of your most notable responsibilities and achievements across all positions.

Stacked entries should generally be used only if the listed positions are similar in nature and share common skills and responsibilities.

Like the first method, you can reference your promotion in the first bullet point. That said, this isn’t necessary, as the separate job titles make it clear that a promotion occurred. What I advise here is to instead dedicate that first bullet point to another exceptional accomplishment.

This is what a stacked entry looks like:

Method 3: List duties separately under one company

If you held multiple positions with the same employer, but your title and responsibilities changed and you accomplished notably different achievements, then you should list your jobs separately under one company “umbrella”. This way, you can better show off your achievements for each position individually.

This approach is basically an extension of a stacked entry. You’ll follow the same structure, but instead of combining duties and achievements into a single bulleted list, you’ll create a list for each position — like so:

Method 4: Create separate experience entries

If you worked for one company, then got a job elsewhere, and later returned to the first company, then you might want to consider creating two separate experience entries for that company, which would sandwich the in-between job.

Essentially, you’ll create an entry for one position, noting your job title and dates, and the company’s information, followed by a list of your responsibilities and achievements. Then, you’ll do the same for any previous jobs, and again for the original company that you had left (tailored to that particular position, of course).

You can use this approach even if there was no break during your employment at the company (ie: you held multiple positions consecutively with the same employer) — but I recommend using the previous method, as this will help you save some space.

Here’s how to list your promotions in separate entries:

Method 5: Build a separate section

You’ll generally want to directly include your promotions in the main work experience section. However, you can list them in a separate section, but only if they relate to positions that date back more than 15 years. (As a rule of thumb, résumés should highlight only your most recent and relevant experience from the past 10–15 years.)

A separate section in this case allows you to showcase notable promotions at renowned companies that you would normally leave off your résumé. Indeed, although hiring managers don’t necessarily look at where you worked before, name-dropping a big company like Microsoft or Coca-Cola can add strength and credibility to your job application.

If creating a separate section, name it something like “Additional Experience” or “Relevant Experience” and place it immediately after the main experience section. Keep entries concise too by removing bullet points altogether, like this:

Tips for showing your promotions

Now that you know how to show a promotion on your résumé, here are some useful tips to keep in mind:

1. Show progression in your job titles

Make sure that the job titles you use provide a clear idea of your progression within a company. For example, if you started on the sales floor and moved up to a leadership role, you should use titles like “Sales Assistant” and “Sales Manager”.

2. Demonstrate increased responsibility with action words

When writing a résumé, action words are always your friend. Indeed, they make your résumé more impactful, and your achievements are more likely to stand out as a result. For promotions in particular, it’s a good idea to use action words that demonstrate increased responsibility, such as “led”, “spearheaded” and “drove”.

3. Use consistent formatting

Whichever method you use for showing promotions, make sure all other entries in your employment history section are formatted consistently. For example, if you use a stacked entry, you’ll list the company name (as opposed to, traditionally, your job title) as the entry heading — in this case, all other entry headings should follow the same structure. Otherwise, your résumé’s overall layout and presentation will look messy and complicated.

4. Keep applicant tracking systems in mind

Your résumé will likely be screened by an ATS before it’s read by a human recruiter, so it needs to be optimized accordingly if you want to beat the robots. This includes writing the month and year for each position (even if it makes employment gaps more obvious) and, as mentioned previously, using consistent formatting.

5. Be careful of résumé builders

Online résumé builders can be extremely helpful when putting your application together, but it’s important to keep in mind that they have their shortcomings. For example, some builders have limited functionality and won’t let you arrange your experience section with one of the methods we explored above.

Example résumé

Want to see a résumé showing a promotion in action? Check out this example of a promotion within the same department, created with one of our modern and professional résumé templates:

Get the Classic template

Key takeaways

Here’s a quick rundown of showing promotions or lateral moves on your résumé:

• Don’t be afraid to toot your own horn. Your promotions can vouch for your overall credibility as a candidate!
• Use the method that best suits your needs. For example, use a stacked entry if the positions are similar — not different — in nature.
• Be consistent with your résumé design and layout. If you use a company name as an entry heading to show a promotion, for example, then do the same for all other entries.

If you're still struggling, check out this video with the best résumé-writing tips: 

Got a question for me about listing promotions on your résumé? Let me know in the comments section below.