Past or Present Tense on a Resume: Grammar Rules and Best Practices

Verb tense might seem like a minor detail, but it significantly affects how your resume reads and the impression it creates. Inconsistent or incorrect tense usage signals carelessness and can confuse readers about your employment timeline. Proper tense usage, on the other hand, creates a polished, professional document that’s easy to follow.

The good news is that resume tense rules are straightforward once you understand them. This comprehensive guide covers every scenario you’ll encounter, ensuring your resume demonstrates the attention to detail that employers value.

The Fundamental Rule: Past vs. Present Jobs

The basic principle is simple: use present tense for what you’re currently doing and past tense for what you’ve done before.

Current Position: Present Tense

For your current job, use present tense verbs to describe ongoing responsibilities and activities:

Present tense examples:

Manage a team of 12 sales representatives across three regions
Develop quarterly marketing strategies and oversee implementation
Collaborate with engineering teams to optimize product features
Lead weekly client meetings and maintain key account relationships
Analyze customer data to identify trends and opportunities

The present tense signals that these activities are part of your current role—things you’re still doing.

Previous Positions: Past Tense

For all previous jobs, use past tense to indicate these are completed experiences:

Past tense examples:

Managed a team of 8 customer service representatives
Developed and implemented new training curriculum
Collaborated with product teams on feature prioritization
Led company-wide initiative to improve employee retention
Analyzed sales data to identify growth opportunities

The past tense correctly indicates these experiences happened in roles you no longer hold.

Section-by-Section Tense Guidelines

Different resume sections have their own conventions.

Professional Summary

Professional summaries typically use present tense to describe who you are currently:

Example: “Results-driven marketing professional with 10+ years of experience. Specializes in digital marketing strategy and brand development. Known for building high-performing teams and driving measurable revenue growth.”

Note: Summaries often use a telegraphic style that omits subjects (“Specializes” rather than “I specialize”), which is standard resume convention.

Current Work Experience

Use present tense for ongoing responsibilities and activities:

Marketing Manager, ABC Company (2021-Present)

Direct team of 5 marketing specialists across digital and traditional channels
Manage annual marketing budget of $500,000
Develop quarterly campaign strategies aligned with business objectives
Partner with sales team to create effective lead generation programs
Report monthly on key performance indicators to executive team

Previous Work Experience

Use past tense for all completed roles:

Marketing Coordinator, XYZ Inc. (2018-2021)

Coordinated digital marketing campaigns across multiple platforms
Managed social media presence, growing following by 150%
Assisted in development of marketing collateral and presentations
Tracked campaign performance and prepared analytical reports
Supported event planning for annual customer conference

Education Section

Education is typically presented without action verbs, avoiding the tense question:

Preferred format:

Bachelor of Science in Marketing, State University, 2018
MBA, Business School, 2022

If describing educational activities: For completed education, use past tense:

Completed capstone project on digital marketing ROI
Served as president of Marketing Club

For ongoing education, use present tense:

Pursuing MBA with expected graduation May 2024
Currently completing professional certification program

Skills Section

Skills sections typically don’t require verb tenses since they list nouns or adjectives:

Standard format:

Technical Skills: Python, SQL, Tableau, Excel
Languages: English (Native), Spanish (Fluent)
Certifications: PMP, Scrum Master

Certifications and Training

Use past tense for completed certifications:

Obtained PMP certification, 2022
Completed Advanced Excel Training, 2021

Use present tense for ongoing:

Pursuing Google Analytics Certification (expected completion August 2024)

Handling Transitional Situations

Some scenarios require nuanced approaches to tense.

When You’ve Just Left a Position

If you’ve recently departed a job but it might still appear current based on dates:

Option 1: Update dates immediately Marketing Manager, ABC Company (2021-2024) [Use past tense since role is complete]

Option 2: Note the end Marketing Manager, ABC Company (2021-Present/May 2024) [Past tense is appropriate since you know the role has ended]

The key is accuracy—don’t use present tense for activities you’re no longer performing.

Positions With Clear Start/End During Current Role

Sometimes you complete a project or phase within your current job. If highlighting completed projects:

Marketing Manager, ABC Company (2021-Present)

Direct team of 5 marketing specialists (present—ongoing)
Manage annual marketing budget of $500,000 (present—ongoing)
Led successful rebranding initiative in 2023, increasing brand awareness by 40% (past—completed project)
Launched new customer loyalty program, achieving 25% enrollment rate in first quarter (past—completed project)

This mixed approach accurately reflects both ongoing responsibilities and completed achievements.

Contract or Project-Based Roles

For contract positions that had defined end dates:

Marketing Consultant, DEF Corp. (January 2023-June 2023)

Developed digital marketing strategy for product launch
Created content calendar and managed execution
Trained internal team on marketing automation tools
Delivered comprehensive performance report and recommendations

All past tense is appropriate for completed contracts.

Part-Time or Concurrent Positions

For positions you currently hold:

Marketing Specialist, GHI Nonprofit (2022-Present, Part-Time)

Manage social media presence across four platforms
Create monthly newsletter reaching 5,000 subscribers
Coordinate volunteer communications for annual events

Present tense applies to any current role, regardless of hours.

Common Tense Mistakes to Avoid

These errors appear frequently on resumes.

Mistake 1: Mixing Tenses Within One Job

Incorrect: Marketing Manager, ABC Company (2019-2022)

Managed team of 8 marketing specialists
Develops quarterly campaign strategies
Created brand guidelines that improved consistency
Coordinates with sales team on lead generation

The mixing of “develops” and “coordinates” (present) with “managed” and “created” (past) is inconsistent and confusing.

Correct: Marketing Manager, ABC Company (2019-2022)

Managed team of 8 marketing specialists
Developed quarterly campaign strategies
Created brand guidelines that improved consistency
Coordinated with sales team on lead generation

Mistake 2: Using Past Tense for Current Job

Incorrect: Current Position (2022-Present)

Managed team of 5 analysts
Developed monthly reports
Presented findings to leadership

If this is your current job, “managed,” “developed,” and “presented” incorrectly suggest you no longer do these things.

Correct: Current Position (2022-Present)

Manage team of 5 analysts
Develop monthly reports
Present findings to leadership

Mistake 3: Using Future Tense

Incorrect:

Will manage team expansion in Q3
Will develop new customer acquisition strategy
Will lead implementation of new CRM system

Resumes describe what you have done or are doing, not what you will do.

Correct (if these are planned initiatives in current role):

Leading planned team expansion in Q3
Developing new customer acquisition strategy
Overseeing implementation of new CRM system

Mistake 4: Passive Voice Tense Confusion

Confusing:

Was responsible for managing team
Team was managed by me
Reports were developed monthly

Active and clear:

Managed team of 12
Developed monthly reports
Oversaw budget of $500K

Active voice is stronger and makes tense clearer.

Mistake 5: Inconsistent Within Bullet Points

Incorrect: “Developed marketing strategy and manage implementation across channels”

Correct (for past job): “Developed marketing strategy and managed implementation across channels”

Correct (for current job): “Develop marketing strategy and manage implementation across channels”

Style Considerations Beyond Tense

Verb tense works alongside other style choices.

First Person vs. Third Person

Resumes typically omit subject pronouns entirely:

Standard (no subject):

Manage team of 5 analysts
Developed new reporting framework
Increased sales by 20%

Avoid:

I manage team of 5 analysts
I developed new reporting framework
She increased sales by 20%

Active vs. Passive Voice

Prefer active voice regardless of tense:

Active (preferred):

Developed new training program
Managed $1M budget
Led team of 10 engineers

Passive (avoid):

New training program was developed
$1M budget was managed
Team of 10 engineers was led

Active voice is more dynamic and clearly shows your role.

Strong Action Verbs

Start bullets with strong action verbs in appropriate tense:

Strong present tense verbs: Lead, manage, develop, create, direct, oversee, coordinate, implement, analyze, execute, drive, build, deliver

Strong past tense verbs: Led, managed, developed, created, directed, oversaw, coordinated, implemented, analyzed, executed, drove, built, delivered

Avoid weak verb constructions like “was responsible for” or “helped with.”

Quick Reference: Tense by Scenario

Use this quick guide for common scenarios:

Scenario	Tense	Example
Current job, ongoing duty	Present	Manage team of 5
Current job, completed project	Past	Led 2023 rebrand initiative
Previous job, all content	Past	Managed customer accounts
Education, completed	Past	Graduated with honors
Education, in progress	Present	Pursuing MBA degree
Certification, completed	Past	Earned PMP certification
Certification, in progress	Present	Completing AWS certification
Professional summary	Present	Specializes in data analysis
Skills section	N/A (no verbs)	Python, SQL, Excel

International Considerations

Resume conventions vary globally.

American English

The guidelines in this article follow American English conventions, which are standard for U.S. job applications.

British English

British CVs follow similar tense rules, though some word choices differ (programme vs. program, organised vs. organized). Follow the conventions of your target country.

Tense in Translated Resumes

If translating your resume between languages, ensure tense usage follows conventions of the target language and country, which may differ from your original.

Proofreading for Tense Consistency

Systematic review catches tense errors.

Proofreading Strategy

Step 1: Review each job section independently Read through each position and verify all bullets use consistent tense appropriate to that job’s timeframe.

Step 2: Check current vs. previous Verify present tense appears only in current role sections.

Step 3: Read aloud Hearing your resume can reveal awkward tense shifts you might miss visually.

Step 4: Use grammar tools Word processors and dedicated tools can catch some tense inconsistencies.

Creating polished, grammatically correct application materials requires attention to details like verb tense. Resources like 0portfolio.com can help you develop professional documents that demonstrate the care and precision employers value.

Common Red Flags

Watch for these warning signs:

“-ed” endings in current job bullets
Mix of “-s” and “-ed” endings within one job section
Present tense in positions clearly dated as past
Inconsistency between first and last bullets in a section

Getting Outside Input

Fresh eyes often catch what you miss:

Ask someone to read specifically for tense consistency
Have them flag any confusion about whether jobs are current or past
Consider professional editing for important applications

Verb Tense and ATS Systems

Applicant tracking systems parse your resume differently than humans.

ATS and Tense

Most ATS systems focus on keywords rather than grammar, so tense choices don’t typically affect ATS screening directly. However:

Inconsistent formatting might confuse parsing
Clear, standard grammar helps accurate parsing
Human reviewers who see your resume after ATS care about tense

Keywords Across Tenses

When including keywords, remember they may need different tenses:

Current role: Manage project portfolios, lead cross-functional teams Previous role: Managed project portfolios, led cross-functional teams

The root words remain the same; just ensure tense matches the position.

Examples: Complete Experience Sections

See how tense works across full experience sections.

Example 1: Single Current Position

Senior Marketing Manager, Tech Startup Inc. (2022-Present)

Lead marketing team of 8 specialists across brand, content, and demand generation
Manage $2.5M annual marketing budget, consistently delivering under budget while exceeding targets
Develop integrated marketing strategies that have increased qualified leads by 150%
Partner with product team on go-to-market strategy for new product launches
Report directly to CMO on marketing performance and strategic initiatives
Launched successful rebrand in Q2 2023, increasing brand awareness by 45%
Built ABM program from scratch, generating $4M pipeline in first year

Note: The last two bullets use past tense for completed projects within the current role.

Example 2: Multiple Past Positions

Marketing Manager, Software Company (2019-2022)

Managed team of 5 marketing specialists
Developed content marketing strategy that increased organic traffic by 200%
Oversaw implementation of marketing automation platform
Partnered with sales team on lead scoring and nurturing programs
Created quarterly marketing reports for executive leadership
Reduced cost-per-lead by 35% through campaign optimization

Marketing Coordinator, Digital Agency (2017-2019)

Coordinated client marketing campaigns across digital channels
Managed social media presence for 8 client accounts
Assisted senior team with proposal development and client presentations
Tracked campaign performance and prepared monthly client reports
Supported event logistics for client conferences and trade shows

Both sections use consistent past tense throughout.

Example 3: Current Plus Previous

Director of Marketing, Enterprise Software Co. (2023-Present)

Direct global marketing organization of 25 professionals across 4 regions
Develop and execute global marketing strategy aligned with $500M revenue targets
Manage $15M marketing budget with accountability for ROI optimization
Lead brand evolution initiative to support company’s expansion into new markets
Partner with sales leadership on account-based marketing programs

Senior Marketing Manager, Tech Company (2020-2023)

Led North America marketing team of 8 professionals
Developed regional marketing strategies contributing to 40% revenue growth
Managed $5M budget with consistent delivery of marketing qualified leads
Launched customer advocacy program that generated 50+ case studies
Built partner marketing function, creating $10M in co-marketing pipeline

The transition from present (current role) to past (previous role) is clear and consistent.

Final Checklist: Verb Tense Review

Before submitting your resume, verify:

Current Position

All ongoing responsibilities in present tense
Completed projects within role may use past tense
Consistency throughout the section

Previous Positions

All content in past tense
No present tense slipping in
Consistency across all past roles

Other Sections

Professional summary in present tense
Education tense matches completion status
Certifications tense matches completion status

Overall

No mixed tenses within single job sections
Clear distinction between current and past
Active voice used throughout
Strong action verbs leading each bullet

Conclusion

Verb tense on your resume follows a simple principle: present tense for what you’re currently doing, past tense for what you’ve done before. Apply this rule consistently, and your resume will read smoothly and professionally.

The small effort required to maintain tense consistency signals attention to detail—a quality every employer values. It shows you take your professional presentation seriously and can produce polished work product.

Review each section independently, verify current versus previous job treatment, and don’t hesitate to have fresh eyes check your work. The grammatical polish of correct verb tense usage contributes to the overall impression of competence and professionalism that opens doors to opportunity.

Your resume represents your professional best. Consistent, correct verb tense is part of that presentation. Take the time to get it right, and let your carefully crafted achievements shine through clear, professional prose.

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