Should You Put Relevant Experience First on Your Resume?

Everyone · Explainer · Updated October 1, 2026 · LearnLife Editorial

What does it mean to put relevant experience first on a resume?

Putting relevant experience first means you arrange your work history so that the jobs or projects most related to the position you want appear at the top of your experience section, regardless of their chronological order. Instead of simply listing positions from newest to oldest, you prioritize the roles that best showcase your suitability for the role. For example, if you’re applying for a social media role but your most recent job was in retail, you might list a social media internship or freelance work above the retail job. This approach ensures recruiters see your strongest qualifications immediately, which is often crucial since they spend only moments reviewing each resume.

This does not mean you omit less relevant jobs, but you can position them further down or summarize them briefly. The goal is to highlight what makes you a great candidate for the specific job you want. This technique is especially useful if you are switching careers, have gaps in your employment history, or if your most recent job is unrelated to your target position.

How exactly does ordering relevant experience first work?

Consider a job seeker applying for a software development role who recently worked in customer service but did freelance coding projects before that. A chronological resume would list the retail job first, possibly causing the hiring manager to overlook the relevant programming experience. Instead, putting relevant experience first means listing the freelance software projects first, like this:

1. Freelance Software Developer (dates) Developed custom web applications using JavaScript and Python Collaborated with clients to gather requirements and deliver solutions on time

1. Customer Service Representative (dates) Managed customer inquiries and resolved billing issues

By prioritizing the freelance work, the candidate draws attention to their technical skills and relevant experience before unrelated roles. Hiring managers can quickly see that despite the retail job, the candidate has the skills needed. This strategy is a simple way to tailor your resume for each application.

Steps to reorder your experience effectively:

1. Review the job description carefully to identify key skills and responsibilities.
2. Select your past roles or projects that best match those requirements.
3. List those relevant positions first, including job title, dates, and detailed bullet points.
4. Place other, less relevant jobs after, summarized briefly if necessary.
5. Use formatting tools like bolding job titles or section headers to improve clarity.

This approach makes your resume targeted and easy to scan quickly.

Why does putting relevant experience first matter for job seekers?

Hiring managers and recruiters often skim resumes for just 6 to 10 seconds before deciding whether to continue reading. Leading with relevant experience puts your strongest case front and center, increasing your chances of passing this initial screen. It also shows that you understand the role’s needs and have tailored your application specifically, which employers appreciate.

For those changing careers or with diverse backgrounds, putting related experience first can alleviate concerns about a lack of direct industry history. It can also help if you have gaps in employment by focusing on what’s important to the employer instead of unrelated time periods.

For example, if you’re applying for a marketing position but recently worked in a temporary warehouse job, listing your marketing internship first—even if it was earlier—helps the employer see your potential. If you simply listed the warehouse job first, they might question your commitment or relevance.

This strategy also helps frame your story clearly. When your most relevant experience is front and center, your resume reads more like a focused narrative about your qualifications rather than a disconnected list of jobs.

What other resume sections might you prioritize besides relevant experience?

While relevant experience often takes precedence, depending on your background, you might consider putting other sections first to strengthen your resume:

• Skills Section: If you have a strong skill set but limited work experience, list your relevant skills near the top. This is common for recent graduates or career changers. For example, highlighting software skills, foreign languages, or technical certifications upfront can grab attention (Should You Put Skills First on Your Resume?).

• Education Section: For those just finishing school or with little work history, putting education before experience works well. You can include relevant courses, projects, or academic honors (Should You List Education First on Your Resume?).

• Career Objective or Summary: A brief statement of your professional goals or summary of qualifications can appear before experience to frame your resume (Should I Put a Career Objective on My Resume?).

• Certifications and Training: Specialized credentials or licenses important for the job might warrant a prominent position.

Choosing which section to prioritize depends on your unique situation and the job requirements. However, relevant experience remains one of the strongest parts to highlight for many applicants.

How do you determine which experience is relevant?

Determining relevance requires carefully reviewing the job posting and identifying the key skills, qualifications, and responsibilities the employer wants. Experience is relevant if it demonstrates your ability to perform those tasks or shows you have the needed skills.

Steps to identify relevant experience:

1. Highlight keywords and phrases in the job description (for example, “project management,” “customer service,” or “data analysis”).
2. List your past roles, projects, volunteer work, or freelance jobs that involved those skills or similar tasks.
3. Prioritize experiences where you had measurable achievements or responsibilities related to those keywords.
4. If a job involved transferable skills like leadership, communication, or problem-solving, include it if those skills are required.

For instance, if applying for a sales position requiring strong communication, even a tutoring role could be relevant if it involved explaining concepts clearly and managing client relationships.

You don’t need to list every job if it doesn’t add value. For older or unrelated roles, a brief mention is often enough or they can be omitted if your resume is lengthy.

What steps should you take after putting relevant experience first?

After reordering your experience, optimize each entry to maximize impact:

• Use strong action verbs like “managed,” “developed,” “led,” or “coordinated.”
• Quantify your achievements when possible (e.g., “Increased social media engagement by 30% over six months”).
• Tailor bullet points to reflect the language and requirements of the job description.
• Keep descriptions concise but informative—aim for 3 to 5 bullet points per relevant role.
• Make sure job titles and dates are clear and consistent.

Also, ensure your resume format supports your strategy. Use clear headings, consistent font styles, and readable layouts (Does Your Resume Format Matter for Job Applications). Avoid clutter or overly complex designs that distract from content.

Finally, write a complementary cover letter that expands on your relevant experience and explains why you’re a strong fit. Tailor it specifically for each application to reinforce your resume’s message.

How can you handle limited or no directly relevant experience?

If you have little or no directly related job experience, you still can highlight relevant skills and potential:

• Use a functional or combination resume format that emphasizes skills and accomplishments over chronological work history (Does Your Resume Format Matter for Job Applications).
• Include relevant coursework, academic projects, volunteer activities, internships, or freelance work. For example, a student applying for an accounting job might list accounting class projects or student organization leadership.
• Highlight transferable skills such as communication, organization, teamwork, or problem-solving.
• Add a strong summary or objective statement explaining your enthusiasm and ability to learn quickly.
• Consider including a “Projects” section to showcase relevant work outside of paid jobs.

For example, a candidate applying to a nonprofit might emphasize volunteer coordination experience or fundraising events even if unrelated to their paid jobs.

This approach demonstrates you have the qualities and motivation needed, even without traditional experience.

Frequently asked questions

Should I include all my jobs or only the relevant ones?

List all jobs if they show steady employment or transferable skills, but focus on detailing relevant roles. You can summarize or omit less relevant positions if you need space and they do not add value.

What if my most recent job isn’t relevant—should I still include it?

Yes, include recent jobs to show your current activity, but consider listing relevant experience first to highlight the skills employers want.

Can I reorder my resume experience differently for each job application?

Yes, tailoring your resume by reordering experience based on each job’s requirements is a key job search strategy.

Are freelance and volunteer experiences valid to put first?

Absolutely. Freelance projects and volunteer roles are often highly relevant and can demonstrate skills and initiative.

How detailed should my bullet points be under relevant experience?

Use concise bullet points with action verbs, focus on achievements, and quantify results when possible for maximum impact.