Why Bullet Points Matter

by Christopher Jones


You'll probably spend more time reading this article than the average recruiter will spend reading your resume.

The majority of recruiters spend less than three minutes reviewing a resume, according to a survey conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management.

That's why resumes need good organization. A well-organized resume allows recruiters to quickly find what they're looking for. Bullet points help organize information into nuggets and make resumes more manageable.

Bullet Points That Go 'Bang'

While quite lengthy, this bullet point from the resume of an advertising industry veteran is still one of the best I've seen in years.

* Eleven days after script approval, had an abandoned runway cleared, an authentic-looking bus stop built, nine talent cast, a DC- 10 commandeered for taxi and takeoff, an off-hours pilot co-opted, and four spots transferred, edited, voiced and foleyed, all on time and under budget.

It makes sense that this bullet point comes from someone with a background in advertising; he does a fantastic job here of advertising himself.

I like this bullet because it clearly communicates that this person is capable of completing multiple projects in a high-stress environment; it seamlessly incorporates successes with the details of the job; and it has a perfect ending: The "on time and under budget" is icing on the cake.

Use Bullets Sparingly

Often people complain that they just can't summarize their jobs with less than five bullet points.

But, when I came across this resume for a cytotechnologist, I couldn't help but wonder: "If he can summarize his job in four bullet points, can't you do the same?"

Year-Year Anonymous Medical Center Anytown, USA

Cytotechnologist/Histotechnologist

* Responsible for the day-to-day operation of the cytopathology section of the laboratory.

* Conducted highly complex cytopathological testing of clinical specimens, quality control, and quality assurance in all aspects of anatomic pathology.

* Cross-trained as a histotechnologist and perfected special staining techniques to assist with the day-to-day operation of the histology section.

* Promoted hospital's FNAB service substantially increasing departmental revenues and visibility.

A cytotechnologist, by the way, studies human cells for signs of cancer or other diseases. And, this one seems to also be a good writer of resume bullet points.

Put Success Before the Rest

Prioritizing the order of your bullets is critical.

Why? It's called "the primacy effect" -- whatever people see first, they remember best. So for your resume to be truly memorable, your strongest qualifications and achievements should go in the top bullets.

Don't bury your best as this job seeker did:

Department Store, Anytown, USA Sales Clerk, March -- June, Year

* Assisted customers
* Put out inventory
* In charge of planogram/floor changes
* Recipient of "Top Twenty Salesperson of the Month" Award

The first thing I would do is move the award to the top of the list -- it's this candidate's most impressive (and unique) achievement.

Then, I would work on the other bullets, focusing more on specific achievements than day-to-day responsibilities. "Assisted customers" is not terribly informative. A sentence on how the job seeker "boosted sales 10 percent" -- or some other tangible example of success -- would be better.

The final result: A stronger resume.

Department Store, Anytown, USA Sales Clerk, March -- June, Year

* Recipient of "Top Twenty Salesperson of the Month" Award
* Boosted sales 10 percent within three months
* Coordinated and maintained 30 planograms/floor changes, all while continuing with daily customer assistance and presentation duties

Avoid Repetition

It can be hard to avoid repeating words in bullets, but consider what would happen if you didn't:

* Writing GUI-based documentation
* Writing conceptual, procedural and reference documents
* Writing Quick Reference Guides
* Writing documents for end users
* Writing documents for administrators

The resume writer sampled above could have condensed these into one bullet:

* Write GUI-based documentation; Quick Reference Guides; and conceptual, procedural and reference documents.

Or used words other than "writing."

* Write GUI-based documentation
* Develop conceptual, procedural and reference documents
* Create and implement Quick Reference Guides
* Produce documents for end users and administrators

If you're having a hard time finding alternative words, use a thesaurus, but carefully. Never use words that you cannot define.

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