How to Write Strong Bullet Statements
Applying the What, How, Why Formula to Tell Your Story
Bullet statements describe what you learned or accomplished in an experience. They allow others to understand how past experiences relate to the one for which you are applying. Strong bullet statements incorporate transferable skills that are relevant across industries or job functions and answer the questions “What,” “How,” and “Why.”
Crafting Resume Bullet Statements Bullet Statement Brainstorm Bullet Statement Tips for Common Work Experiences Beginner's Guide to Using AI for Your Resume
Crafting Resume Bullet Statements
Using What, How and Why
WHAT
did you do?
HOW
did you do it?
WHY
did you do it?
Example:
Communicate with 100% customers
on the phone daily with personalized service
to resolve their concerns
Example transition works: by, through, using, with, utilizing, to, in otder to, as part of, so that, because of, due to.
Step 1: What did you do?
To start, brainstorm a list of every task you completed in your past experiences. Think about all the various aspects of the positions you have held. Perhaps you:
- Answered phones
- Worked as a team with co-workers and supervisors
- Take inventory of products
This list of tasks is the starting point of writing strong bullet statements. Each bullet statement should start with a strong action verb. If the experience is still occurring, the verb should be listed in the present tense. If the experience has ended, past tense should be used. Incorporating strong action verbs elevates your list of tasks further:
- Communicated with customers over the phone
- Collaborated with co-workers and supervisors
- Monitored product inventory
You should not stop with just this list of tasks though. To take your résumé to the next level, you will need to incorporate information regarding how and why you completed these tasks.
Step 2: How did you do it well?
Review your list of tasks and locate patterns in the types of responsibilities you had. One way to do this is to ask yourself: If I were to talk about this experience in a future interview, what would be the key skills I would want that employer to know that I learned or leveraged in this role?
Did you talk to customers, clients, or co-workers? This illustrates communication skills. Were you responsible for others? This is evidence of leadership or managerial skills. The patterns you identify or how you answer this question will demonstrate the skills gained from your previous experience.
Additionally, do not forget to look at the job description for the position to which you are applying and highlight the most desired skills. Did you develop or hone these skills in your past experiences, and are they clearly articulated in your bullet statement? As you communicate these skills, your bullet statements will continue to evolve:
- Communicated efectively over the phone with 100+ customers daily by addressing their needs and concerns
- Collaborated with 5 co-workers and 2 supervisors on a new campaign by conducting market research
- Monitored product inventory using Excel
Step 3: Why did you do it? How does it relate to the position?
After you demonstrate the skills you possess that make you a strong candidate, you need to include additional context so the person reading your résumé understands how your less related experiences can still add value to their organization. Consider the importance and result of your tasks, including how it connects to the big picture of the organization with whom you were employed.
- Communicated effectively over the phone with 100+ customers daily by addressing their needs and concerns to resolve problems and enhance their experience
- Collaborated with 5 co-workers and 2 supervisors on a new campaign by conducting market research to better reach target audiences and increase monthly sales, resulting in a 20% increase
- Monitored product inventory using Excel to guarantee adequate stock and save $1,000 each month on express shipping charges
Bullet Statement Brainstorm
Use the WHAT, HOW, WHY formula to craft strong résumé bullet statements that effectively communicate your skills.
How to Write a Bullet Statement
- Start with a strong action verb (avoid “-ing” endings). Use present tense for current jobs and past tense for past jobs (i.e., Coordinate/Coordinated)
- Describe WHAT you did, HOW you did those tasks well, and WHY those tasks were important
- Use numbers to quantify your results when possible
Transition Words
Connect your bullet statement pieces using transition words.
Examples
- Connect WHAT + HOW: by, through, using, with, utilizing
- Connect HOW + WHY: to, in order to, resulting in, so that
| For which experience are you writing bullet statements: | |||
BRAINSTORM a list of every task you have completed within this experience: Think of projects that make you proud, programs you revamped/improved, money you saved the organization or customer, special projects you assisted with, anything designed or implemented, or | |||
WHAT (task/responsibility) | HOW (skill/process) | WHY (importance/impact/result) | FINAL PRODUCT Tie it all together by adding transitions and quantification. |
Example: Answered Phones | Example: Communication skills, worked 1:1 with customers | Example: Enhance customer experience | Example: Communicated with 100+ customers on the phone daily, providing individualized service to enhance the customer experience |
Bullet Statement Tips for Common Work Experiences
Bullet statements describe what you learned or accomplished in an experience. They allow others to understand how past experiences relate to the one for which you are applying. Strong bullet statements incorporate transferable skills that are relevant across industries or job functions and answer the questions “What,” “How,” and “Why.” Below you will find a few common work experiences held by high school and college students, the transferable skills that are often leveraged or developed in those roles, as well as some sample bullet statements.
Nanny/Babysitter
Transferable Skills: Time management, critical thinking, attention to detail, organization, active listening
Common Tasks: Supervise children; assist with homework; transport children to school, activities, and practices; communicate with parents and children
Sample Bullet Statements*:
- Supervised 3 children by closely monitoring their needs and adapting communication style appropriately to ensuring an engaging environment
- Advised children on their homework by answering questions and providing guidance to ensure their understanding of the material
- Coordinated a daily schedule to transport children effectively between activities through leveraging time management skills and clearly communicating with parents
- Prioritized responsibilities by identifying tasks in order of importance and communicating with parents daily to ensure their expectations were met
Cashier
Transferable Skills: Verbal communication, basic mathematics, knowledge of software, problem solving
Common Tasks: Receive and process payments; ring up products; communicate with customers; stock and sort inventory
Sample Bullet Statements*:
- Processed $2,000 worth of customer transactions daily in a quick and efficient manner while paying close attention to detail to maintain accurate financial records
- Sold 100+ customer goods daily by leveraging product knowledge and addressing individual needs to ensure customer satisfaction
- Tracked inventory by closely monitoring product levels while stocking and sorting merchandise to maintain an organized store
Detassler
Transferable Skills: Attention to detail, coordination, critical thinking, hard work ethic
Common Tasks: Remove tassels from corn; work independently; train others
Sample Bullet Statements*:
- Remove tassels from corn by carefully and systematically tending to all crops to aid in the cross-pollination process
- Trained a group of 10 new individuals by modeling the correct process and shadowing their work to ensure the task was completed correctly
Construction
Transferable Skills: Verbal communication, collaboration, problem solving, spatial awareness, hard work ethic
Common Tasks: Cut materials to specific dimensions; prepare tools and equipment; transport materials; collaborate with others; communicate with customers
Sample Bullet Statements:
- Operated machinery to accurately cut materials to fit specific dimensions by adhering to safety protocols
- Collaborated with 3 colleagues by following plans and delegating tasks to ensure jobs were completed to the highest quality standards
- Monitored and prepared equipment using organization and planning skills to ensure all workers had what they needed
*Note that you should not use these sample bullet statements word-for-word on your résumé, but rather as a way for you to brainstorm how you can effectively communicate your skills to others
Beginner’s Guide to Using AI for Your Résumé
In a competitive job market, embracing AI technology can provide you with a distinct advantage in your résumé writing process. With its advanced language processing capabilities, generative AI such as ChatGPT can offer personalized guidance, constructive feedback, and tips to tailor your résumé for specific job applications in real time. It is important to note, however, that while AI can provide helpful information, it is not meant to replace human interactions or advice from career coaches and professional mentors.
| Benefits | Challenges |
|---|---|
| Provides a foundation to be confident and help with a first draft | Output can sound too general, broad, and robotic if not personalized |
| Makes the editing and proofreading process go more quickly | If you take what it says at face value with few edits, you run the risk of having the same content as others |
| Can serve as a more advanced thesaurus to assist with word selection and skills | Provides misinformation and untrue facts that may be difficult to back up |
| Highlights necessary skills to showcase key points from job descriptions | Privacy concerns exist, as all our interactions (including the data we input about our work history and contact information) are considered fair game for its systems to ingest, store, and learn from |
How Can You Use AI to Aid in Résumé Development?
Here are just a few ways to use generative AI to enhance your résumé:
- Identifying skills: When developing your résumé, you can use AI to identify or suggest skills that should be incorporated in your document to tailor it to a specific functional area, industry, or position. AI can also help you analyze your application materials for skill gaps between your résumé and the job description.
- Maximizing bullet statements: Generative AI can help you strengthen your bullet statements by incorporating keywords, demonstrating how to add quantification, adjusting the tone of your writing, or making your phrasing more concise.
Sample Prompts
As you learn to leverage AI for your application materials and search process, keep in mind that AI is only as useful as the prompts and input you provide. Here are some helpful prompts to get you started utilizing AI.
Identifying Skills
- Starter prompt: With interests in ______, ______, and ______ careers, what transferable skills and technical skills should be highlighted on my résumé? Please provide this information in a two-column table.
- Technical skills prompt: What computer software or certifications are most relevant for _____ positions?
- Job description analysis: I am interested in applying for a (Job Title) position in _____ industry. Based on the job description, what skills and keywords should be highlighted on my résumé? [“Shift + Enter” to separate lines]
Here is the job description: (Paste the job posting)
Maximizing Bullet Statements
Sometimes, you may want to provide generative AI with some initial input that it can analyze and use as foundational context for future prompts. In these situations, it is beneficial to task the chatbot with a specific role to play throughout the scenario.
Starter prompt: Act as an expert résumé writer and career coach with over 20 years of experience. Here are the bullet statements I currently have in my résumé: (Paste résumé bullet points from one of your experiences). [“Shift + Enter” to separate lines]
Do not provide any feedback yet; just reply “yes” to confirm understanding
From here, you can ask for additional advice and suggestions based on a variety of scenarios.
Getting Feedback on Existing Bullet Statements
- Prompt: In this experience, I was a (Role Title). If I hope to apply for ______ internships/jobs, what am I currently doing well and what can I improve on? Please provide feedback in a two-column table.
Adding Additional Quantification, Results, and/or Impact
- Prompt (focused on results): How can I make this bullet statement more result oriented? Provide 4 examples.
- Prompt (focused on quantification): How could I quantify considering how much, how many, or how frequently I did something?
Adjusting Phrasing Within Bullet Statements
- Prompt (focused on conciseness): Please reword each bullet statement to be # words. (Tip: 20-30 is typically a good range)
- Prompt (focused on tone): Please rephrase these bullet statements to be in a more (insert adjective) tone.
Making a Non-Related Experience Relevant
- Prompt: In this experience, I was a (Role Title). How can I make my bullet statements more relevant to _____ jobs and highlight _____ and _____ skills? Provide 4 examples.
Usage Considerations
As you continue to develop your materials, keep in mind the limitations of AI. While effective usage can enhance your résumé, using AI in an unethical or irresponsible manner can damage an employer’s perspective of you during the internship or job search process.
| DO use AI to... | DON'T use AI to... |
|---|---|
| Edit, revise, and provide word suggestions to enhance your existing résumé bullet statements | Write your entire résumé (or significant portions) from scratch |
| Generate multiple examples for how a bullet statement could be written and pull ideas from multiple rather than copying one | Generate information and then copy and paste the output word for word |
| Identify relevant skills and keywords that are missing from your résumé. Using every keyword in a job description can be a red flag to a recruiter, so carefully choose your focus and wording | Over represent your experiences or impact. Incorporating too many big words, overly quantified results, or inaccurate facts will come across as inauthentic and dishonest |
| Ask questions! Inquire about how to insert more emotion or personality, rephrase a bullet statement to be in a more professional tone, AI’s limitations for advice, etc. | Provide accurate or up-to-date information. AI will confidently present incorrect information as facts, and its source data ends in 2021 |
Need Assistance?
Visit with a career coach in the College of Business Career Center. Your coach can assist you in tailoring your résumé and enhancing your bullet statements.