Resume Bullet Points: A Simple Formula and 60 Action Verbs
Recruiters skim. Bullet points that start with a strong verb and end with a result are easier to read and far more convincing than a list of duties.
The formula
Action verb + what you did + result with a number.
| Duty | Achievement |
|---|---|
| Responsible for patient care | Provided care for 4 to 5 cardiac telemetry patients per shift on a 32-bed unit |
| Helped with reading groups | Led daily guided reading groups that raised grade-level reading from 58% to 81% |
| Answered customer calls | Resolved 60+ calls and chats a day with a 94% satisfaction score |
| Handled vendor contracts | Renegotiated three vendor contracts, cutting annual costs by 15% |
Examples with made-up numbers. Use your own.
Where to find your numbers
- Volume: patients per shift, students per class, calls per day, orders per week
- Money: budget managed, sales made, costs cut
- Time: hours saved, deadlines met, turnaround reduced
- Quality: satisfaction scores, accuracy rates, error rates
- People: team size, people trained, customers served
Estimates are fine if they're honest: "about 40 customers a day" is better than no number at all.
60 action verbs
Leading
Led, Managed, Directed, Coordinated, Supervised, Trained, Mentored, Delegated, Organized, Oversaw
Improving
Improved, Increased, Reduced, Streamlined, Redesigned, Upgraded, Simplified, Standardized, Automated, Strengthened
Creating
Built, Created, Designed, Developed, Launched, Introduced, Established, Wrote, Produced, Planned
Helping
Supported, Assisted, Advised, Educated, Guided, Resolved, Advocated, Cared for, Counseled, Served
Analyzing
Analyzed, Assessed, Evaluated, Measured, Tracked, Monitored, Audited, Forecasted, Researched, Identified
Selling and communicating
Sold, Negotiated, Presented, Persuaded, Pitched, Promoted, Secured, Won, Partnered, Represented
Quick rules
- Three or four bullets per job, most important first
- One or two lines each
- Past tense for past jobs, present tense for your current one
- Start with the verb: skip "Responsible for" and "Duties included"
- Aim for a number in at least a third of your bullets