How to write resume bullet points
Bullet points are where a resume is won or lost. A reader skims them in seconds, so each one has to say what you did and why it mattered. A good bullet is short, specific and true.
Reviewed
The pattern: did, scale, result
Start with a verb for what you did. Add the scale or method, so it is clear how big or hard it was. End with what changed, if you know.
- Did: "Rebuilt the onboarding emails"
- Scale or method: "for 12,000 monthly signups, using behaviour-based triggers"
- Result: "lifting week-one activation from 31% to 38%"
Weaker and stronger
These are made-up examples to show wording. Swap in your own facts, and leave a figure out where you do not have one.
Weaker
Responsible for customer support
Stronger
Handled 60 customer chats a day and kept first-response time under two minutes
Weaker
Worked on the reporting system
Stronger
Rebuilt the weekly sales report in SQL, replacing three spreadsheets and about four hours of manual work
Weaker
Helped improve the website
Stronger
Rewrote the pricing page copy and tested two layouts, which raised sign-ups from the page by 14%
Weaker
Led a team
Stronger
Led a team of five engineers through a six-month migration to a new payments provider, with no downtime
When you have no numbers
Not every job produces a figure, and an invented one is worse than none. You can still show weight in other ways.
- Scale: how many people, accounts, orders or systems
- Frequency: daily, weekly or at each release
- Scope: which teams or customers relied on it
- Outcome in words: "removed the manual step" or "cut the backlog to zero"
Keep each one tight
Keep to one idea per line and aim for one or two lines on the page. Use past tense for past jobs and present tense for your current one. Put three to five bullets under each role, and give your most recent roles the most space.
Words to drop
Phrases such as "responsible for", "duties included" and "helped with" describe the job, not you. Replace them with what you did.
Try it on your resume
Bullet point rewriter
Paste one line and get three clearer versions, without invented numbers. Free, no account needed.
Open the toolCommon questions
How many bullet points per job?
Three to five for recent roles, and fewer as you go back. Older roles can have one or two lines, or just a title and dates.
Do every bullet need a number?
No. Use a figure where you honestly have one. Otherwise show scale, frequency or outcome in words. Never make a number up.
Should I use past or present tense?
Past tense for jobs that are finished, present tense for your current role. Keep it consistent within each role.
How long should a bullet be?
One or two lines on the page, roughly 15 to 25 words. If it needs more, it is probably two points.