How to Add Bullet Points in a Resume

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Strong and relevant bullet points can be the driving factor when hiring managers are reading your resume. This is why you should ensure each bullet point is valuable, informational and detailed when necessary. In this article, learn more about what resume bullet points are, how to feature them on a resume and view templates and examples of effective bullet points listed on a resume.

What is a resume bullet point?

Resume bullet points are featured pieces of information that briefly describe your responsibilities, skills, education or other important elements that make you qualified for the position you’re applying for. These are often featured on chronological resumes and can be used in various sections throughout the resume. Your bullet points should be brief, concise and show why your skills and experience are best suited for the responsibilities of the job you’re applying for. 

How to add bullet points in a resume

Follow the steps below to learn how to add bullet points to your resume: 

1. First, find relevant information from job postings

Before creating your resume, you should conduct online research to find job postings that may interest you. As you review these job postings, note the skills and experience stated in the job description. This can help you better understand what you should list in bullet points on your own resume. 

2. Second, detail duties and responsibilities in your work experience section 

Once you’ve found job postings that interest you, you can begin making your resume. You can write your work experience section by including your previous and current job positions. Underneath each job title, you should include three to five bullet points listing your job duties and responsibilities. Try to make each bullet point detailed and specific with information relevant to the experience and skills mentioned in the job posting. 

Your first bullet point beneath your work experience should be the most relevant to the position. For example, if you’re applying for a social media specialist role, you should list responsibilities related to social media skills, like mentioning that you created social media posts to publish on various outlets. Try to explain the results each work responsibility brought in, if possible.

3. Third, highlight all relevant skills 

You should mention your skills throughout your resume, especially in the work experience section. You can use the job posting to find skills the hiring manager prefers and highlight those within your resume to show that you’re a good fit for the position. Explain how you used each skill throughout your previous duties and responsibilities and how they provided value to enhance the company’s performance during your time in this role. 

Any skills you haven’t mentioned can be placed in their own specific section in your resume. You can list each skill in bullet points to efficiently explain the skills you’ve gained from your previous positions or educational experience. 

4. Fourth, feature your education and academic achievements

You can now use bullet points to list your education and any achievements you may have received from this experience. Underneath your institution name, location and date, use bullet points to explain any achievements or scholarships you won. You can also mention clubs or organizations you were a member of, other extracurricular activities you were involved in and any leadership roles you held in these organizations. 

5. Finally, ensure your bullet points are formatted properly

Once you have finished inputting your resume bullet points, you should make sure you format your bullet points in a way that is simple for hiring managers to read. Make sure each one contains a brief sentence and features action verbs to make the point strong and meaningful. Use simple symbols to act as bullet points including squares, circles and dots to keep it easy to read and free of distraction. 

Tips for writing resume bullet points

Each bullet point you write should be simple and concise. As you build your resume, make sure each bullet point is relevant to the position you’re applying for and provides value. Try to avoid including periods at the end of your bullet points. If you decide to keep periods, make sure they are consistently used after every bullet point. 

Resume bullet points template

Here is a template you can use as a guide to help you list clear and concise bullet points throughout your resume: 

Work Experience 

[Job Title]

[Company Name]

[Dates of Employment] 

  • [Detail job duties and responsibilities and the results they provided 1] 
  • [Detail job duties and responsibilities and the results they provided 2]
  • [Detail job duties and responsibilities and the results they provided 3]

Skills 

  • [Relevant skill 1]
  • [Relevant skill 2]
  • [Relevant skill 3] 

Education Experience 

[Degree Received]

[Institution Attended]

[Dates of Attendance or Graduation Date] 

  • [Achievement or scholarship awarded], [Date you received this award] 
  • [Organization you were involved in], [Leadership role, if applicable], [Dates you were an active member]

Resume bullet points example

Use the example below to properly display your resume information using bullet points: 

Work Experience 

Marketing Coordinator

Tyler Media Group

April 2015 – Present

  • Develop ongoing online marketing campaigns that build awareness and consistently increase conversions by 20% 
  • Apply analytical skills to track campaign results and brainstorm more successful campaigns 
  • Create engaging content for target audiences including three blogs per week, two white papers per month and one eBook every quarter 

Skills 

  • Effective organizational and time-management abilities
  • Advanced teamwork and collaboration skills
  • Impressive content research abilities 

Education Experience 

Bachelor of Arts in Business Management

University of Kansas

August 2010 – December 2014

  • Business Management Books and Tuition Scholarship recipient, August 2010
  • KU Marketing Club, Vice President, August 2012 – December 2014