Many HR professionals and the best resume professionals, agree that brevity is an essential ingredient in most decent resumes. Indeed, there’s an unwritten rule of recruitment that says your resume should rarely, if ever, surpass the two-page mark. As such, bullet points are a useful tool to help you deliver valuable, relevant info without any needless filler.
They’re especially useful for the “Experience” section of your resume, where you talk about your past jobs. However, you might wonder exactly how many bullet points to use per employer. Well, that’s what this guide is here to look at. Read on to learn how to make the best use of bullets on all your future resumes.
Do Employers Prefer Bullet Points or Paragraphs?
First, do employers want to see bullets on a resume, or would they prefer paragraphs? Well, this is a subjective question, and there will be some rare recruiters out there who are happy to see paragraphs. However, for the most part, recruiters prefer bullet points wherever possible, as it makes their job that much easier.
In fact, studies suggest that recruiters spend a matter of seconds scanning resumes to see which ones stand out and which ones aren’t worth pursuing any further. Sometimes, they have hundreds to look at, just for a single opening. They won’t want to waste time reading lengthy paragraphs when a simple, straightforward bullet point delivers the same info quickly.
What’s the Right Number of Bullets to Use?
So, bullets are evidently a good choice for writing your resume, but how many should you use per employer? Again, there’s no single answer to that question, as experts differ in their opinions. However, as a general rule, many people agree that four to six bullet points for each employer is a reasonable range to stick to.
Also, note that there’s no need to stick to the same number of bullets per role. In fact, you should vary the amount of bullets you use depending on the time you spent in each job, its relevance to the role you’re applying for, and how recent it was.
Your most recent role should be the most detailed, with a minimum of six bullets and potentially up to eight. You may also use additional bullet points under previous roles where you spent many years and accomplished a lot or roles that are very similar to the one you’re applying for. Meanwhile, for shorter job tenures or those that are less relevant, keep the bullets to a minimum – even just two may suffice for your oldest, shortest, or least relevant positions.
Remember, too, another golden rule of resume writing: stick to experiences from the last 10-15 years, maximum. There’s no need to list any jobs that you had more than 15 years ago, as they have little relevance and importance in the eyes of recruiters.
How Should I Start Each Bullet?
Next, let’s look a little closer at how to structure your bullet points, beginning with how to start them. The absolute best way to start each one is with an action verb. Action verbs are “doing” words – “implemented”, “created,” “engineered,” “organized,” “succeeded,” and so on. These words work best for bullets, as they build you up as a doer, an achiever, and someone who makes things happen.
For example, it’s much better to say that you “led a project” or “engineered a new way of working” rather than starting bullet points with tired phrases like “was responsible for…” With that in mind, try to use as many action verbs as you can, especially at the beginning of your bullet points, and mix them up to avoid needless repetition.
How Long Should the Bullets Be?
Lengthwise, you ideally want your bullets to be no longer than two lines unless demonstrating an achievement. After all, the whole point of using bullets is to save space on your resume and avoid cluttering it up with too many words. If your bullets run onto three or even four lines, they’re basically paragraphs.
It’s fine if some of them carry over to a second line, but not too many.
In terms of word count per bullet, aim for 35 words at an absolute maximum, with around 20-25 words as an average. That should give you enough room to convey important and valuable info in a logical, coherent way. If your bullets seem too long, read through each one and cut out filler words that don’t add any value.
Other Places to Use Bullets on Your Resume
The “Experience” or “Work History” section is one of the most obvious places to use bullets, but far from the only one. You can also use them in these sections:
Professional Summary: Use bullets to highlight your main achievements or skills and keep your summary as brief as possible.
Skills: Bullets are ideal for listing all your most valuable and relevant skills.
Education: You can use bullets to list your certificates, qualifications, etc.
Achievements/Projects: If you include a list of achievements or projects you’ve undertaken, bullets are great for delivering that info in a succinct and tidy manner.
Additional Tips for Using Bullets
Finally, a few more tips to help you get the most out of every bullet you write:
Tailor your bullet points to suit the role you’re applying for.
Avoid generic terms or clichés that add no value to your resume.
Start each set of bullets with the strongest one, such as your biggest accomplishment.
Use the active voice wherever possible.
Incorporate ATS-friendly keywords in your bullets, where appropriate
Be Smart with Bullets to Optimize Your Resume
By making the best use of bullets, in accordance with the tips and rules listed above, you can make your resume much more readable, engaging, and effective. That should give you a much better chance of making a positive first impression on future recruiters and, perhaps, landing the job of your dreams.
But remember, bullets are far from the be-all and end-all of your resume. There’s much more to think about, like the content of each section, the layout, the formatting, and so on. Whether you work with a top resume writing service in Colorado Springs or write your resume solo, be sure to put plenty of time and effort into making it the best it can be, every single time.
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