To show promotions on a resume, use your work experience section. Stack your job entries under one company heading, or use separate listings. For the latter, you can either add your job titles under the same company heading, or you can use an entirely separate entry. Make sure your promotions are immediately clear to the reader—getting promoted is one of the strongest indicators of outstanding performance.
A promotion isn’t just about a new job title—it’s also about the expanded responsibilities that demonstrate your growth and potential to hiring managers.
There are a few different ways to show a promotion on a resume. This guide covers each approach, including what to write about and how to make sure your resume promotion format is ATS-friendly.
3 Different Examples of Showing a Promotion on a Resume
Here are the three different ways to show a promotion on a resume:
- Use a stacked job entry
- Add another job position entry under the same company heading
- Create an entirely separate entry in the resume work experience section
Below, I’ll show examples of all three, including when they work best.
Example 1: stacked job entry

This resume promotion format works best when:
- The responsibilities of your new role doesn’t differ too much from your previous role.
- You want to highlight your best achievements collectively during your time with the company.
- You want to be as space-efficient as possible.
Example 2: add another job position entry under the same company heading
Company A | New York, NY
Senior Corporate Recruiter (July 2023 - Present)
• Bullet point 1
• Bullet point 2
• Bullet point 3
Corporate Recruiter (July 2023 - Present)
• Bullet point 1
• Bullet point 2
• Bullet point 3
This resume promotion format works best when:
- You want to distinguish the job positions you held in the company alongside the different responsibilities you carried out.
- You have accomplishments to emphasize that are specific to the new or previous role.
Example 3: create an entirely separate entry in the work experience section

This resume promotion format works best when:
- You want to put extra emphasis on your career growth, professional development, and increasing responsibilities.
- You want your new job position to be clearly noticeable to recruiters and hiring managers.
How to Show a Promotion on a Resume Using a Stacked Job Entry
Here’s how to show a promotion on a resume using a stacked job entry:
- Add your job titles, including dates (for readability, you may add your job titles in separate lines).
- Include the company name and location.
- Write bullet points highlighting your contributions based on significance and relevance.
Why this works:
- Stacking job entries under one company immediately hints at your growth and impact.
- Saves space and organizes your resume efficiently with a simple format.
- Puts more emphasis on your contribution to the company as a whole and showcases achievements across roles without redundancy.
How to Show a Promotion on a Resume Using Separate Job Entries Under the Same Company Heading
Here’s how to show a promotion on a resume using separate job entries under the same company heading:
- Add the company name and location.
- Underneath, include your job title and dates of being in this position.
- Write bullet points on your contributions and achievements for the specific role.
- Underneath, add your previous job title and dates of being in this position.
- Write bullet points on your contributions and achievements for the previous role.
Why this works:
- Strong emphasis on role distinction, allowing you to clarify tasks and skills specific to the job position.
- Clear demonstration of career growth and increasing responsibilities.
- Provides detailed context of your impact, as separating roles allows you to tailor achievements and contributions.
How to Show a Promotion on a Resume Using Entirely Separate Job Entries
Here’s how to show a promotion on a resume using entirely separate job entries:
- Add your job title, company name, location, and dates of employment.
- Write bullet points detailing the specific role.
- Create a new job entry—add your job title, same company name, location, and dates of employment.
- Write bullet points detailing your accomplishments and duties for the specific role.
Why this works:
- It makes your new job title and position stand out in your work history.
- Showcases clear career advancement by listing the promoted position in its own separate entry and heading.
- Improves clarity for recruiters, as entirely separate entries makes it easy to see the progression of your expertise and how previous roles differ.
Alternative Ways to Show Promotions on a Resume
Depending on your goals and circumstances, you might need to:
- Emphasize your promotions through relevant bullet points.
- Highlight multiple promotions.
- Clarify job titles or promotions when responsibilities overlap or evolve.
We’ll go through each of these scenarios below.
Showing promotions through bullet points
You can add bullet points that directly mentions your promotion in the company. This is ideal when your promotions involve evolving responsibilities, as well as notable projects and accomplishments.
For instance, you could write, “Promoted to Sales Associate in 6 months due to consistently exceeding monthly sales targets by 30%.”
Highlighting multiple promotions
If you’ve been promoted multiple times within the same company, you can showcase this using stacked job entries or separate listings. However, it’s not always necessary to include every promotion, especially if you have several. Prioritize the roles most relevant to the job you’re applying for.
For older or less relevant positions, you can include them without detailed bullet points—especially if they go further back than 5–8 years. Instead, focus on highlighting experiences, contributions, and achievements that directly align with the job description.
Recommended read: How Far Back Should a Resume Go?
Clarifying your job title and level of responsibilities
You might be in one of two boats:
- Your role and set of responsibilities evolved, but your title stayed the same.
- Your job title has changed, but your responsibilities are still the same.
In the first scenario, focus on writing bullet points to highlight the progression of your responsibilities. Put your most advanced duties and achievements first, with the less significant yet relevant duties or achievements last. In the second scenario, stack the job titles under one company entry and highlight key accomplishments or projects that applied to both.
What to Write About When Showing Promotions on a Resume
Focus on what earned you the promotion. Next, use your resume to emphasize specific achievements in your new role and any new skills or expertise you developed.
Prove how your impact on the company increased by including tangible outcomes—use specific examples, numbers, and metrics. Highlight key tasks that demonstrate your individual efforts and any innovations you brought to the role.
Make it evident that you’re motivated, continuously growing, and capable of taking on new challenges while delivering measurable results.
How you earned the promotion
When writing about how you earned a promotion, focus on what set you apart. Use resume bullet points to highlight:
- Specific accomplishments that exceeded expectations (e.g., “Surpassed sales targets by 25%, leading to a promotion within 6 months”).
- Recognition for leadership, teamwork, or problem-solving skills (e.g., “Awarded 'Employee of the Month' for resolving client escalations, mentoring new team members, and improving customer satisfaction scores by 15%”).
- Contributions that directly impacted the company’s goals and success (e.g., “Implemented a new workflow that reduced processing time by 20%”).
Keep it concise and directly tie your achievements to why the promotion was awarded.
Job-specific projects, tasks, and outcomes
Showcase job-specific projects, tasks, and outcomes for your new role by:
- Highlighting key projects you led or contributed to (e.g., “Managed a $1M marketing campaign that increased brand awareness by 30%”).
- Detailing tasks that demonstrate your expanded responsibilities. Bonus points for emphasizing leadership skills and strategic tasks.
- Share measurable outcomes whenever possible (e.g., “Optimized team workflows, increasing efficiency by 15%”).
Focus on resume skills and achievements that align with the requirements of the target job.
New skills or areas of expertise
When writing about new skills or expertise gained in your role:
- Mention technical skills, certifications, or tools you mastered (e.g., “Certified in Google Analytics, improving data-driven decision-making”).
- Provide examples that indicate you have strong soft skills like leadership, communication, or adaptability.
- Make it clear that you’ve become more visible in the company in your new role (e.g., “Appointed as a representative on cross-departmental committees to drive strategic projects and lead quarterly company-wide presentations”).
Show how these new skills add value and make you a strong candidate.
How to Format Your Resume Promotions So That It’s ATS-Friendly
Before resumes reach the hiring manager, they first go through applicant tracking systems (ATS). The ATS relies on structured, easy-to-read text to parse information. So, missteps like overly creative formatting or inconsistent titles can cause your resume to be overlooked.
To make sure your resume promotions are ATS-friendly, use a clear and professional resume format.
When showing promotions on a resume, make job titles clear and include relevant dates for each role. Use bullet points to highlight information that aligns with the job description and avoid graphics, images, or overly styled templates that may confuse ATS software.
Technical formatting settings
Here are a few guidelines:
- Keep the resume font size and layout consistent. Job titles can be in slightly larger font sizes and in bold text, as well as company names, dates, and locations. However, keep bullet points between 10–12pt.
- List promotions with job titles on separate lines, or on the same line with a comma to make each clear.
- Steer away from graphics and tables. Avoid special characters that may not be readable.
- Unless stated otherwise in the job description, submit your resume as a .DOCX or .PDF file for compatibility.
Showcase career progression
Highlighting career progression is essential because ATS systems often take into account resumes that show upward professional growth. Illustrating your career path also gives hiring managers insight of your value and potential in a new role. This means you should emphasize growing responsibilities in your more recent roles.
Additionally, make sure to embed relevant resume keywords. Emphasize your proven track record of growth and show that you can address specific company needs.
Summary
Let’s recap on how to show promotions on a resume:
- The main ways to show resume promotions is by using stacked job entries, separate entries under the same company heading, or by entirely separating job entries.
- Emphasize what earned you the promotion by highlighting key contributions, recognition, and accomplishments.
- Mention significant projects and measurable outcomes that demonstrate your growth and impact.
- Include new skills or areas of expertise gained in your promoted role, aligning them with the target job position.
- Make sure your resume promotions format is ATS-friendly by using a clear, professional, and consistent layout.
By following these steps, you’ll effectively demonstrate your career growth, impact, and ability to take on new challenges. And if you ever need help building the perfect resume, you can try our AI resume builder for free.
FAQs
How do I show career progression on my resume?
The most effective way is to highlight your promotions, increasing responsibilities, and key achievements in the work experience section. Make it clear that you’re significantly contributing more for your latest and recent job positions. You may also use additional sections like the resume certifications or resume projects section to reiterate how your skills have developed over the course of your career.
Can I list the same job position twice under the same company heading on my resume?
It depends. If your responsibilities remained the same, and you stayed in the same location, it may not be necessary to list the same job position twice. Instead, focus on varying your bullet points to showcase your contributions and accomplishments, but aim to not exceed more than 6–8 resume bullet points. However, if your responsibilities changed, or you worked in a different location for the same company for a significant period, you could list the same position twice. In this case, make sure to specify the dates and locations to show the distinction. Use clear descriptions to showcase how your responsibilities changed and how you made a positive difference.
What should I highlight on a resume for a job position I was promoted into?
Focus on the skills, outcomes, and responsibilities unique to the role you were promoted to. Put extra emphasis on how you excelled in your previous position and detail the value you delivered. Clarify how you took on more responsibility and demonstrate leadership accomplishments.
What if I got promoted into a new job position but the responsibilities stayed the same?
If you got promoted but your tasks or responsibilities haven’t really changed, go for the stacked job entry approach and highlight why the promotion happened in the first place. It could be because of recognition for your leadership and communication skills, or your ability to consistently exceed monthly goals. Use metrics to emphasize your achievements and highlight the significance of your contributions.