How to Use Bullet Points on a Resume Effectively + How Many

There are few shortcuts when it comes to writing an effective resume. Good formatting and layout plus careful targeting to each role you apply for is a must. But there is one simple addition that can benefit everyone. Good resume bullet points.

They’re a great way of giving your content maximum impact and building a solid, easy to read resume structure. And this guide will help you to learn all there is to know about the art of the resume bullet point. Here’s what we’ll cover, in bullet point form of course.

• How to write resume bullet points.
• How many bullet points you should include per job on your resume.
• Whether to include bullet points or paragraphs on a resume.

And you’ll also get examples so you know exactly what to do with your own resume.

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Office Manager Resume Bullet Points Example

Why Should You Use Bullet Points for Your Resume?

Using bullet points in your resume helps employers notice your skills and experience. Bullet points are particularly useful for explaining your professional achievements and responsibilities for the jobs in your work experience section. You can also use bullet points in your skills section and other parts of your resume where you need to organize information and make it easier to read.

When Can You Use Resume Bullet Points?

Every type of resume can benefit from bullet points. They’re a useful resume layout trick that’s equally applicable to chronological, combination or functional resumes. And bullet points can be used throughout your resume structure.

Read more: The Best Resume Format

How to Use Bullet Points in Your Resume

As you’ve just seen, bullet points are useful in every part of your resume. Strictly speaking, bullet points are simply symbols used in typography to introduce items in a list. But they actually do much more than that. In a resume, bullet points help break up blocks of text, add emphasis and divide information into neat portions.

That’s important, because recruiters and hiring managers want to be able to read fast and pick out the information they want easily. So bullet points divide everything up into easy to spot, bite size chunks. Perfect for information hungry employers.

Most advice you’ll find about resume bullet points focuses on your work experience section. And yes, that is the classic place to use them. But we’re going to show you how to put those helpful dots to use in every resume section along with some resume bullet points examples. 

1. Resume Header

Starting from the top, bullet points are a useful addition to your resume header. Use them to neatly pick out your contact information, so employers can see how to get in a touch at a glance.

Resume Bullet Points Example: Resume Header

2. Resume Profile

Yes, bullet points can be put to good use in your resume profile. That’s the brief, introductory section that kicks off your resume proper. You won’t see them in a standard resume objective or summary. But they come into their own if you choose to write a summary of qualifications. 

It’s essentially a brief guide to your relevant experience, skills, and professional achievements. And it’s intended to show your qualifications tailored to the job you’re applying for. That information is usually presented in bullet point form, like the following example.

Resume Bullet Points Example: Resume Profile

Read more: How to Write a Resume Introduction (Intro Paragraph Example)

3. Work Experience Section

This is the standard section to include resume bullet points. Here’s how to write it. 

• List your work history in reverse chronological order.
• Start off with the basic details about the position, your job title, employer’s name and location and dates of employment. 
• Then under each job write bullet points that describe your role.
• Don’t just say what you did, prove what you achieved in the role. Use accomplishment statements, the PAR (problem, action, result) formula and quantified achievements to prove your worth. Numbers help give more impact to your words.

Resume Bullet Points Example: Work Experience Section

How many bullet points per job on a resume?

Write between 3–6 bullet points per job in your work experience section. Make them 1–2 lines each. Use more bullet points for your most recent and relevant experience.

Read more: How to Write Your Resume Work Experience Section

4. Education Section

Another unexpected spot resume bullet points come in useful is in your education section. This is a useful addition to resumes for candidates with no experience, particularly students and new graduates. You can add a couple of bullet points immediately below your standard education info to highlight key skills and knowledge that are relevant to the job you’re targeting. Here are some ideas, followed by an example.

• Relevant coursework
• Extracurricular activities
• GPA (but only if it’s 3.5 or above)
• Dean’s list
• Latin honors

Resume Bullet Points Example: Education Section

5. Skills Section

Most people are also familiar with bullet points in their resume skills section. But to make it effective you can’t just choose a random list of abilities. As with the rest of your resume, you need to be targeted. Read the job ad, note the skills and requirements for the role and make sure your skills section matches it as closely as possible within your own abilities. Here are some more tips to improve your skills section bullet points.

• Write 5–10 relevant skills bullet points. The number will depend on the space you have available and the technical demands of the job.
• Use a mix of hard and soft skills and remember that some abilities are transferable skills that are desirable in almost every career. Good examples include communication skills, analytical skills and IT skills.

Resume Bullet Points Example: Skills Section

6. Additional Sections

Adding extra sections to a resume gives you the chance to add more proof of your abilities and experience. Good examples include volunteering, foreign languages, hobbies and personal interests, and projects. 

And all of these extra sections can make use of resume bullet points too. Here’s a couple of examples.

Resume Bullet Points Examples: Additional Sections

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How to Write Resume Bullet Points

You can’t just throw in bullet points and hope for the best. The spray and pray approach is a prime example of what not to put in a resume. You need to use the right tactics and create well-written bullet points that enhance your content and help to show off your writing skills. Here are some easy to implement ideas.

Tips for Writing Good Resume Bullet Points

• Start each bullet point off with a resume action word for extra impact.
• Link experience and skills with accomplishments. Don’t just write a laundry list of your abilities, use your resume bullet points to prove that you have the potential to be a productive employee.
• Quantify your achievements with numbers. Measurable results and metrics make for strong bullet points.
• Use active voice and simple language. 
• Use sentence fragments rather than whole sentences. E.g. “Generated $500k in profits to increase revenue by 30%.”
• Don’t save the best for last. Start your bullet point list with the most impressive/relevant skill, experience or accomplishment.
• Be consistent with your formatting. Circles, squares and diamonds all make effective bullet symbols, but stick to the same resume style throughout.
• Stay relevant and don’t be generic. Aim for a targeted resume by ensuring the information in your bullet points focuses on how you fulfil the key requirements for the job. 

Bullet Points or Paragraphs on a Resume: Which is Better?

There’s no contest. Bullet points are always better than paragraphs on a resume. They increase the amount of white space on the page and improve layout. In short, they improve readability, comprehension and user satisfaction.

What more could you want than a satisfied hiring manager who can easily understand why you’re the best candidate?

Should You Put Periods after Bullet Points on a Resume

It’s a contentious point, but the generally agreed rule is that you have to include a period if you’ve written your resume bullet points as complete sentences. If they’re fragments however you can leave it out. But consistency remains key, don’t have some bullet points in a list with periods and some without, it’ll just look messy.

Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:

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Key Takeaway

Putting bullet points on your resume is one of the simplest ways to make it more impactful and better at doing what it’s designed to do. Making your job hunt a success. Follow the tips you’ve just seen and you can be sure you’re getting the most out of this handy typographical tool.

Thanks for reading. If you need more advice on writing a resume with bullet points then please ask in the comments section and we’ll be happy to help.