How to Write Resume Bullet Points That Don't Put Recruiters to Sleep
Published on April 7, 2026 • 4 min read
Most people copy and paste their job description into their resume and call it a day. "Attended daily meetings," "Handled customer complaints," "Wrote code."
Recruiters know what a software engineer or a sales rep does. They don't need a list of duties. They need to know how well you did those duties. If your bullet points read like an instruction manual, your resume is going in the trash.
The Google "XYZ" Formula
Google's recruiters famously recommend a specific formula for bullet points: "Accomplished [X] as measured by [Y], by doing [Z]."
It forces you to start with the impact rather than the task. Let's look at the evolution of a terrible bullet point:
- Level 1 (Terrible): "Managed the company database." (Vague, passive.)
- Level 2 (Okay): "Migrated the company database to AWS." (Shows the task, but lacks impact.)
- Level 3 (Excellent): "Decreased query latency by 45% by migrating the legacy SQL database to AWS RDS." (Impact [X/Y] + Method [Z].)
Start Strong, End Strong
Never start a bullet point with a weak word like "Helped," "Worked on," or "Responsible for." Always lead with a power verb: Spearheaded, Architected, Generated, Optimized, Directed.
Keep It Under Two Lines
A bullet point is not a paragraph. If it spills over onto a third line, it is too long. Recruiters skim. They look at the bold verb, look for a number, and move to the next line. Cut the fluff.
The "So What?" Test
After you write a bullet point, ask yourself: So what?
"I redesigned the checkout page." So what?
"It looks better now." So what?
"The cart abandonment rate dropped by 12%, resulting in $50k extra monthly revenue."
Now you have a bullet point. Write that on your resume.
Let Us Do the Writing
Writing impact-driven bullet points is exhausting. Staring at a blank screen trying to remember exactly what you did two years ago is a waste of time.