How Many Bullet Points Should I Put Per Job on a Resume?

Creating a professional resume is a simple yet stressful task. Resumes have to convey a large amount of information about yourself in a short amount of space. It requires careful consideration of every word and phrase, ensuring that your professional achievements and skills are highlighted in the most effective way.

Well, by now you likely realize that writing a jumble of words is no good. If you suspect you should break down your sentences into bullet points then… your hunch is absolutely correct! This is because bullet points enhance clarity, readability, and the overall impact of your content.

But how many bullet points should you use per job on your resume? What kind of sentences should you use? How many jobs should you even list on your resume? You can find the answer to these questions in this article!

As mentioned earlier, bullet points are going to give your resume clarity, readability, and conciseness. They’re incredibly versatile tools. You can use bullet points to summarize what you accomplished in work, school, or any extracurricular activities such as volunteer work.

Bullet points bring a consistent and structured look to your resume. Keep them a similar length for easy reading. Start each with strong action verbs and align them to the left. This helps the reader smoothly go through your experiences and achievements.

Other stylistic choices, like ending your bullet points with a period or no punctuation, are a matter of preference. Considering that hiring managers often skim through resumes in a few seconds, formatting and aesthetics play a crucial role. Hence, you can optimize your resume for clarity and readability by utilizing a resume builder, ensuring a clean and polished presentation of your qualifications and experiences. 

The length of your resume

The length of your resume matters more than how many jobs you’ve listed on your resume. As a rule of thumb, your resume should be 1-2 pages. If you have a long, storied career or a robust number of awards and achievements in academia, perhaps you can fill in three pages. Otherwise, keep it short.

There is no hard rule on how many bullet points you should use per job on your resume. 3-4 is always a safe bet. If you feel that you can describe what you do adequately in two bullet points, then do not feel insecure and go for it. Remember, the key is to maintain clarity and relevance in showcasing your qualifications.

Customize your resume specifically for the job you’re applying for. It will feel like a lot of work to do this with all of your applications but it pays off. Crafting a personalized resume not only increases your chances of standing out but also demonstrates your commitment to the specific role, showcasing your suitability for the position.

You’ll want to analyze the job post you’re applying to. This will give you a good idea of how many jobs to list on your resume as you cut out irrelevant experience. Utilize the keywords from the job-ad can improve your performance with the Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS). Hiring managers will also be happy to see exactly what they are looking for.

Once you’ve cut out irrelevant jobs, you will list your work experience in reverse chronological order (most recent to least recent). However, do not overlook jobs that do not match the exact job description but demonstrate skills relevant to what you’re applying for.

Addressing the lack of relevant job experience

It’s possible that you are switching careers and have no relevant jobs or are fresh out of college. In such scenarios, it's advisable to leverage a functional resume format. This approach allows you to highlight your skills and competencies, effectively downplaying your lack of professional experience.

Bullet points function similarly in skill based format as they do in chronological resumes. They help organize your abilities in a clear, concise manner, making it easier for potential employers to see your strengths and how they apply to the position you’re targeting.

Identifying the sections that should have bullet points

Beyond considering  how many bullet points per job you should put on your resume, you’re likely contemplating if the other sections can benefit from bullet points. Yes they can! More clarity is better.

Feel free to elaborate on your certificates and skills with bullet points. If you have less than 5 years of work experience then adding bullet points that feature your academic achievements can compensate for your lack of professional background. Do not over do it of course. The point of bullet points is to summarize your accomplishments. 

This obviously means that you should leave them out of your summary and objectives section if you have one. The summary, by its definition, is already there to sum up information, so bullet points are redundant and will potentially result in an awkward appearance on your resume. Opting for a concise summary without bullet points ensures a more polished and effective presentation of your qualifications and achievements.

Determining what to include in your bullet points

Don’t start your bullet points with pronouns. Instead, initiate them with action verbs to enhance engagement and convey your achievements more effectively.

The latter is not only more dynamic and concise but also enhances the overall readability of your resume, making a stronger impression on the reader.

Starting your bullet points with pronouns makes your resume look repetitive as well. Let’s take a look below:

Simply remove the pronoun and you already have an action verb to start your sentence. You can utilize more engaging action verbs prioritize comprehension over an excessive use of a thesaurus. By incorporating dynamic verbs, you not only convey your skills more vividly but also capture the reader's attention more effectively. This approach fosters a clearer and more impactful communication style, contributing to a stronger and more engaging narrative.

Providing a compelling reason for the recruiting manager to continue reading 

The first bullet point will demonstrate your most impressive achievement. Continue in descending order from most to least impressive accomplishments for subsequent bullet points. This structure will engage your reader and maintain their interest to read more of your resume.

Supplement your accomplishments by using quantitative information. Numbers and percentages make your impact feel tangible and solidify your achievements.  

Adding quantitative details gives your resume a confident vibe, making it more impactful. By specifying achievements with numbers and metrics, you enable your future employer to vividly imagine the contributions you can make to their company. This approach not only showcases your past successes but also provides a tangible measure of your potential impact, helping you stand out in a competitive job market. 

Let’s use bullet points to sum this all up!

• Bullet points are brilliant tools to send bite sized chunks of information to your potential employer. 
• Readers can easily digest your skills, accomplishments, knowledge, and experience by scanning your resume. 
• Bullet points are a simple but efficient method of effortlessly communicating how effective you are. 
• Don’t stress about how many bullet points per job on your resume. Focus on delivering your message clearly!

— Originally Written by Christopher Grudge —