Resume Writing Tips: Bullets That Get You Hired
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A recruiter gives your resume about six seconds, and at most large employers a system parses and stores it before anyone reads it. The gap between a resume that gets shortlisted and one that does not is usually the bullet points. This page shows you how to write bullets that survive both the search and the skim, with the formula, before-and-after rewrites, and a free cheat-sheet .docx, no signup.
If you have the layout sorted, this is the wording that fills it. For the format itself, see the resume format guide; for a full resume you can copy, see the teacher resume example; and for a first resume with no work history, the first resume guide. This page is about what each line actually says.
The bullet formula
Every strong bullet follows one pattern:
[Strong action verb] + [what you did] + [measurable result].
A duty describes your job. A bullet describes what changed because you did it. "Responsible for customer service" is a duty; "Handled 60-plus calls a day and kept satisfaction above 90 percent" is a bullet. The second one tells a recruiter your scale and your result in one line they can read in seconds.
Start with a strong verb
Lead with a verb that says what you did, and cut the weak openers that start most resumes: "responsible for," "worked on," "helped with," "duties included." They waste the most valuable spot on the line. Reach for verbs that carry a result instead:
- Leading: Led, Managed, Directed, Coordinated, Supervised, Mentored.
- Improving: Improved, Increased, Reduced, Cut, Streamlined, Optimized.
- Building: Built, Launched, Created, Designed, Implemented, Automated.
- Winning: Generated, Sold, Negotiated, Secured, Won, Grew.
Put a number on it
Numbers are what a reader remembers. Aim to attach a figure to most of your bullets: how many, how much, how fast, how often. A team size, a budget, a percentage, a count of customers, a time saved. If you do not have the exact figure, estimate conservatively and say so, as in "about 30 percent faster." A rough number still beats none.
Before and after
These are the rewrites in the cheat-sheet above.
After: Handled 60-plus customer calls a day and kept satisfaction above 90 percent.
Before: Worked on the company website.
After: Redesigned the checkout page and cut cart abandonment 18 percent.
Before: Helped with training new staff.
After: Trained 12 new hires and cut onboarding time from three weeks to two.
Before: Responsible for social media.
After: Grew the Instagram following from 2,000 to 15,000 in a year through weekly campaigns.
Match the job posting
Most mid-size and large employers store resumes in a system recruiters search by keyword, and a resume that matches the posting's terms ranks higher and is far more likely to be seen. A weak keyword match usually means you sit low in the list, not that a robot deletes you. Read the posting and use its wording for the skills and tools you actually have: if it says "Python," write "Python," not "Python scripting." Cover the majority of the posting's relevant keywords, and tailor a little for each job rather than sending one resume everywhere.
What screeners rank and recruiters read
Two readers act on your resume. The software ranks it by how well your keywords match the posting, so the wording of your skills and results decides where you land in the search. The recruiter who then opens it skims for verb-plus-result lines and skips plain task descriptions, which is one more reason the formula above matters. Formatting sits under both: a single-column, reverse-chronological layout parses and reads cleanly, while tables, columns, and graphics do not. The format guide covers that side in full.
Put your strongest bullets first
A recruiter reads top to bottom and rarely reaches the last bullet under a job. So lead each role with its biggest, most quantified result, not with whatever came first in time. If one line proves you can do the work, it should be the first line the reader sees. Cut the weak bullets rather than padding: three strong lines beat six average ones. Treat the resume as an argument and put your best evidence at the top, under each job and on the page as a whole.
Replace the objective with a summary
The objective statement ("seeking a challenging role that utilizes my skills") is dead weight; it tells the reader what you want, not what you offer. Replace it with a two-line professional summary at the top: your role and level in the first line, the result you would most want remembered in the second. "Payroll administrator, four years across two systems. Rebuilt the timesheet checks and cut month-end corrections from about thirty a cycle to under five." That gives the reader a reason to keep going.
What to leave off
- Salary history or expectations. Raise pay at or after the interview, not on the page.
- Photo, date of birth, marital status. Leave them off for US and UK applications, where employers may not ask. Some countries expect them; match where you apply.
- Reasons for leaving past jobs. Handle those in the interview if asked.
- "References available on request." It is assumed. Use the space for a result instead.
A marketing bullet needs the budget beside the percentage, or a reader assumes the number came from somewhere else. The marketing manager letter explains what makes a claim survive the follow-up question.
Finance bullets carry a second requirement: the size of what you were responsible for, next to what changed. A percentage with no scope behind it reads as noise to anyone who forecasts for a living, and the financial analyst application letter shows the pairing in a full letter.
Rewriting bullets around the tasks you want more of, rather than the ones you happen to be good at, changes which roles you get offered. The task audit is how you work out which those are.
Management bullets need one thing ordinary bullets do not: your span. Seven direct reports and two supervisors beneath them sizes the achievement that follows, and the manager application letter sets out which numbers a reader looks for.
Frequently asked questions
How do I write a good resume bullet point?
Start with a strong action verb, say what you did, and end with a measurable result: verb plus task plus number. "Rewrote the returns email templates and cut repeat contacts on the same order by a third" beats "responsible for customer correspondence."
How many bullet points should have numbers?
Most of them, roughly two-thirds. If you do not have an exact figure, estimate conservatively and note it. A number gives the reader proof that a duty description cannot.
What action verbs should I use on a resume?
Verbs that carry a result: Led, Reduced, Launched, Automated, Negotiated, Grew, Streamlined. Avoid "responsible for," "worked on," and "helped with," which waste the start of the line.
How do I get my resume past an ATS?
Use a single-column, reverse-chronological layout with standard headings, and match the job posting's exact keywords for the skills you have. Avoid tables, graphics, and text boxes, which parsers drop.
Do I still need an objective statement?
No. It reads as dated, and it opens with what you want rather than what you offer. Put two lines in its place: your role and level, then the single result you would most want a recruiter to carry into the next screen.
Sources
- Indeed Career Guide: resume action verbs, quantifying achievements, and how recruiters read resumes.
- Jobscan: how applicant tracking systems rank resumes by keyword match against the job description.