Resume bullet points
Resume bullet points: the formula, with examples by job
Your bullets say what you did. Interviewers ask what happened because of it. Here's a four-part formula, a builder that runs on this page, and 28 before and after examples for 14 jobs, with a blank wherever your real number belongs.
Updated
The resume bullet point formula
Action verb, what you did, how big it was, and the result. It's a version of the format Google's former head of people operations, Laszlo Bock, gave job seekers: accomplished X, as measured by Y, by doing Z.
RULE 1
One result per bullet
Two results in one line hide both. Split them.
RULE 2
One or two lines long
A reader skims. If it wraps past two lines, cut the how and keep the result.
RULE 3
Only what you can explain
Every bullet is a question in the interview. Write the ones you can tell as a story.
Resume bullet point builder
Fill in the four parts and copy the bullet. It doesn't write for you or invent a number: it puts your parts in the right order.
Fill in the four fields and your bullet appears here.
It joins your words in this browser. Nothing is sent or saved.
Resume bullet point examples by job
Examples made for this page, two per job. Every [number] marks where your real number goes. Never copy a number you can't back up.
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Project manager
WeakManaged projects for the marketing team.
StrongRan [number] marketing projects a quarter on a $[number] budget, [number]% delivered on time.
WeakResponsible for status reports.
StrongReplaced the weekly status meeting with a one-page report, saving the team [number] hours a week.
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Customer service
WeakAnswered customer calls.
StrongHandled [number] calls a day with a [number]% customer satisfaction score.
WeakHelped resolve complaints.
StrongResolved [number] escalated complaints a month, [number]% without passing them to a manager.
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Marketing manager
WeakRan social media accounts.
StrongGrew Instagram followers from [number] to [number] in [number] months with a weekly video series.
WeakWorked on email campaigns.
StrongRebuilt the welcome email series; the open rate rose from [number]% to [number]%.
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Nurse
WeakProvided patient care on a busy floor.
StrongCared for [number] patients a shift on a [number]-bed medical-surgical unit.
WeakTrained new nurses.
StrongPrecepted [number] new graduate nurses; [number] of them finished orientation on schedule.
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Teacher
WeakTaught 5th grade math.
StrongTaught math to [number] fifth graders; [number]% met the state benchmark, up from [number]%.
WeakCommunicated with parents.
StrongSent a weekly update to [number] families and held [number] parent conferences a term.
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Product manager
WeakLed product features.
StrongShipped [feature], used by [number]% of active users within [number] months of launch.
WeakGathered customer feedback.
StrongRan [number] customer interviews that changed [number] of the roadmap's top priorities.
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CNA
WeakAssisted residents with daily living.
StrongHelped [number] residents a shift with bathing, meals and moving safely.
WeakTook vital signs.
StrongTook and charted vitals for [number] residents a shift, reporting changes to the nurse within the hour.
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Medical assistant
WeakScheduled appointments.
StrongBooked [number] appointments a day for [number] providers; reminder calls cut no-shows [number]%.
WeakDid patient intake.
StrongRoomed [number] patients a day, with vitals, history and medication list ready before the provider came in.
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Sales
WeakSold software to businesses.
StrongClosed $[number] in new annual revenue, [number]% of quota, selling to [type of] companies.
WeakGenerated leads.
StrongBooked [number] first meetings a month from cold outreach, [number]% of the team's new pipeline.
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Data analyst
WeakCreated dashboards.
StrongBuilt [number] dashboards the sales team uses weekly, replacing [number] hours of manual reports.
WeakAnalyzed data.
StrongFound a [number]% drop-off in the signup flow; the fix raised sign-ups [number]%.
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Data scientist
WeakBuilt machine learning models.
StrongBuilt a churn model that flags [number]% of churning customers a month early; retention offers saved $[number].
WeakRan A/B tests.
StrongDesigned [number] A/B tests a quarter; [number] shipped, adding [number]% to revenue per user.
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Software engineer
WeakWorked on the backend.
StrongRewrote the [name] API; p95 response time fell from [number] ms to [number] ms.
WeakFixed bugs.
StrongCut open bug reports from [number] to [number] in [number] months by adding tests to [area].
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Financial analyst
WeakPrepared financial reports.
StrongBuilt the monthly forecast for a $[number] budget, landing within [number]% of actuals.
WeakHelped with budgeting.
StrongFound $[number] in duplicate vendor spend during the annual budget review.
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Manager
WeakManaged a team.
StrongLed a team of [number]; turnover fell from [number]% to [number]% in [number] months.
WeakHired new employees.
StrongHired [number] people in [number] months; [number] were still on the team a year later.
Action verbs for resume bullets
Pick the verb that says what you did, not the most impressive one. “Responsible for” and “Helped with” name a duty, not an action.
- You ledLed, ran, managed, directed, coordinated, owned
- You made somethingBuilt, launched, designed, wrote, created, set up
- You made it betterCut, raised, sped up, fixed, simplified, replaced
- You grew somethingGrew, expanded, won, opened, signed, added
- You helped peopleTrained, coached, mentored, supported, resolved, answered
- You found somethingFound, analyzed, measured, tested, forecast, audited
No number? Where to find one
Most jobs leave numbers behind: tickets closed, people trained, money saved, time cut. You just have to go and look.
Every bullet becomes an interview question
An interviewer reads a line and asks, “Tell me about that.” The result in your bullet is the end of the story you'll tell. Add your resume to your account, free, and the practice interviewer asks about your real bullets, out loud.
See which bullets are weakest: the free resume grade scores your resume for the job you want and quotes the 3 biggest problems. To rewrite the whole thing, see how to rewrite your resume.
How to answer the “Tell me about a time” questions your bullets lead to →
Questions about resume bullet points
How many bullet points per job on a resume?
Enough to show your best results for the job you want, often three to five for recent jobs and fewer for older ones. Cut any bullet that names a duty and no result.
Should resume bullet points have periods?
Either way works. Pick one and use it on every bullet.
What if I don't have numbers?
Look in old reports, your ticket or sales system, and reviews, or ask a former manager. Use “about” for an honest estimate, and leave [number] until you find the real one. Never invent one.
Is a resume bullet point generator worth using?
Only if it uses your facts. The builder on this page only orders your words. A generator that adds results you didn't give it writes claims you can't explain in the interview.
Should bullets start with a verb?
Usually. A strong verb in front says what you did before the reader reaches the result.
Practice the questions your bullets will get
Add your resume, free. The practice interviewer asks about your real jobs and results, out loud, and scores five skills.
Your free mocks show the score. The Interview-Ready plan shows you how to raise it.
- As many scored mocks as you want, in every round
- Why you lost points on each skill
- Your weakest answers rewritten, with why the new version scores higher
$29 a month if you join by October 31, and you keep it while you stay (regular $49). 14-day refund from your account. See the plan
More in resume
- Resume grader Your resume scored out of 100 for the job you want, with the 3 biggest problems quoted from your own lines.
- Resume rewriter What a resume writer costs, when one is worth it, and a worked before and after to rewrite it yourself.
- Tell me about yourself Your resume in about a minute: now, one highlight, and why this job is next.
- What is your greatest accomplishment? The best line on your resume, told as a story with a number in it.