Your resume bullet points are make-or-break. They're where you prove you can actually do the job. So why do most people write them like grocery lists?
The Problem with Most Resume Bullets
Look familiar?
- • Responsible for managing social media accounts
- • Assisted with customer service inquiries
- • Worked on various projects
- • Collaborated with team members
These bullets tell me you showed up to work. They don't tell me what you accomplished, how well you did it, or why I should care. Hiring managers read hundreds of these. Yours needs to stand out.
The XYZ Formula (Google's Secret)
Google's recruiters use a simple formula to evaluate resume bullets:
Accomplished [X] as measured by [Y] by doing [Z]
Let's break this down:
- [X] = What you did (the achievement)
- [Y] = The measurable impact (numbers, percentages, dollars)
- [Z] = How you did it (the skills/tools you used)
Before & After Examples
❌ Vague:
• Managed social media accounts
✅ Specific:
• Grew Instagram following by 340% (5K to 22K followers) in 6 months by implementing data-driven content strategy and daily engagement campaigns
❌ Vague:
• Improved customer satisfaction
✅ Specific:
• Increased customer satisfaction scores from 3.2 to 4.7/5.0 (47% improvement) by redesigning support workflow and implementing 24-hour response SLA
❌ Vague:
• Worked on website redesign project
✅ Specific:
• Led website redesign using Figma and React, resulting in 62% faster page load times and 28% increase in conversion rate (generated $430K additional revenue)
The 7 Types of Metrics That Matter
If you're thinking "But I don't have numbers!"—yes, you do. You're just not looking hard enough. Here are the metrics hiring managers care about:
1. Revenue Impact
Money talks. If you influenced revenue, say so.
"Closed $2.3M in new business across 12 enterprise accounts in Q4 2025"
2. Cost Savings
Saving money is as valuable as making it.
"Renegotiated vendor contracts, reducing annual software costs by $180K (23% savings)"
3. Time Savings
Efficiency improvements show you optimize processes.
"Automated monthly reporting using Python, reducing manual work from 40 hours to 2 hours per month"
4. Growth Metrics
Percentages show scale of impact.
"Increased email open rates by 47% and click-through rates by 31% through A/B testing and segmentation"
5. Team/Project Size
Scope shows responsibility level.
"Managed team of 8 developers and $1.2M budget to deliver enterprise CRM system for 500+ users"
6. Quality Improvements
Error reduction, accuracy, uptime all count.
"Reduced production bugs by 65% by implementing automated testing framework with 92% code coverage"
7. Speed to Market
How fast you delivered matters.
"Launched MVP in 6 weeks (vs. 12-week timeline) by prioritizing core features and using agile sprints"
Power Verbs That Command Attention
Weak verbs make your accomplishments sound passive. Strong verbs show ownership and initiative.
❌ Weak Verbs to Avoid:
- • Responsible for
- • Helped with
- • Worked on
- • Assisted in
- • Involved in
- • Participated in
✅ Power Verbs to Use:
- • Spearheaded
- • Architected
- • Accelerated
- • Streamlined
- • Orchestrated
- • Pioneered
Pro tip: Your verb choice signals seniority. "Helped" sounds junior. "Led" sounds senior. "Spearheaded" sounds executive. Choose accordingly.
The STAR Method for Complex Achievements
For bigger accomplishments that need more context, use STAR:
- Situation: What was the challenge?
- Task: What needed to be done?
- Action: What did you do specifically?
- Result: What was the measurable outcome?
STAR in Action:
"When customer churn rate hit 15% (Situation), led initiative to improve retention (Task) by implementing automated check-in system and personalized onboarding (Action), reducing churn to 6% and saving $400K in annual recurring revenue (Result)"
Common Bullet Point Mistakes
Writing Paragraphs, Not Bullets
Keep it to 1-2 lines max. If it's longer, split it or cut fluff.
Leading with "Responsible for..."
This is passive. Jump straight to the action verb.
No Metrics Whatsoever
Even estimates work. "Managed 10+ accounts" beats "Managed accounts."
Repeating the Same Verb
If every bullet starts with "Managed," it's boring. Vary your verbs.
How Many Bullets Per Job?
Here's the rule of thumb:
- Current/most recent role: 5-7 bullets
- Previous 2-3 roles: 3-5 bullets each
- Older roles: 2-3 bullets (or remove entirely if 10+ years old)
Quality > quantity. Five killer bullets beat ten mediocre ones.
Your Bullet Point Checklist
Before you call your resume done, verify every bullet passes this test:
- ☐Starts with a strong action verb (not "responsible for")
- ☐Includes at least one quantifiable metric or outcome
- ☐Shows HOW you achieved the result (tools, methods, skills)
- ☐Relevant to the job you're applying for
- ☐Fits on 1-2 lines maximum
- ☐Contains keywords from the target job description
The Bottom Line
Your resume bullets are where you prove you can do the job. Every bullet should answer: "So what?" If you can't articulate the impact of what you did, cut it or rewrite it.
Remember: hiring managers spend 6 seconds scanning your resume. Make those bullets count.
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