Tailoring Résumé Bullet Statements with Keywords
Customizing your résumé to specific position descriptions is crucial to increase your chances of getting hired, and one of the best ways to do this is by tailoring your bullet statements. When employers receive a large number of applications for a position, they often use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to filter out candidates who do not meet the job requirements. These systems scan résumés for keywords, and if a candidate’s materials do not have these words, they may be automatically rejected. To avoid the frustration of submitting a résumé to job after job and facing constant rejection, candidates should tailor their bullet statements to be more competitive.
How to Tailor Your Résumé
So, how do you do this? When trying to tailor your résumé, you will want to review the position description and highlight keywords. Then, list your qualifications and skills that match what you have seen. Be honest with yourself and check if you meet each qualification or skill. Next, connect the dots and outline which of your past experiences helped you develop the skill you have identified. And finally, revise your existing bullet statements so that you are effectively demonstrating the keywords, qualifications, and skills that the organization is seeking.
When revising your existing bullet statements, ask yourself the following questions:
- Do all of your bullet statements follow the What, How, Why formula?
- Could you start some of your bullet statements with better action verbs that are found in the position description?
- What keywords could be easily added to your existing bullet statements?
- Do you need to create a brand new bullet statement to showcase something you did, but did not write about before?
- Is your résumé ready for an ATS? Jobscan.co is a great resource to double check this.
Let’s look at the tailoring process in action:
Identify Keywords
Below is a sample position description. Words in bold are ones that could be keywords or qualifications that a candidate would want to highlight in their application materials.
We are seeking an energetic individual with excellent communication and organizational skills to join our customer service and sales team. Key components of the job include:
- Producing estimates for potential jobs
- Entering job specifications into project management software
- Managing the production and timelines of individual jobs
- Checking jobs to ensure they meet quality standards
- Guiding clients through the printing process with thorough communication and education
- Providing printing and marketing solutions in all client interactions
We’re looking for an individual that thrives in a fast-paced environment. A good day for you is one in which you have been rushing around, moving mountains. You laugh in the face of obstacles because you are always up for the challenge. And, let’s face it, you totally love it. You have mad skills in the detail department. Not just that run-of-the-mill, “I’m detail-oriented” blah, blah, blah... you do details on top of details, as if it’s nobody’s business, AND YOU LIKE IT.
Let’s talk customer service. As an account manager, you above-all recognize and are willing to go the extra mile to provide the very best customer service experience to our clients. Period.
Original Bullet Statements
Prior to tailoring their résumé, a candidate’s bullet statements might look like this:
Relevant Experience
Union Bank & Trust, Lincoln, NE
Teller, August 2023-Present
- Process customer transactions, including paying out and receiving cash, using effective customer service skills
- Promote products and services to customers to help meet clients' needs and support the branch
Department of Finance, Lincoln, NE
Finance Group Member, January 2023-May 2023
- Analyzed financial statements for Fortune 500 companies and made recommendations to minimize risk
Tailored Bullet Statements with Keywords
Here you can see how a candidate might revise their bullet statements, incorporating keywords directly from
the position description into their résumé:
Relevant Experience
Union Bank & Trust, Lincoln, NE
Teller, August 2023-Present
- Process customer transactions daily in a fast-paced environment using effective customer service, organization, and multi-tasking abilities to enhance the customer experience.
- Communicate with customers to educate them on various products and services, providing solutions to meet client needs and support the branch.
Department of Finance, Lincoln, NE
Finance Group Member, January 2023-May 2023
- Analyzed financial statements for Fortune 500 companies and made recommendations to minimize risk utilizing Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint.
- Collaborated with team members by following a timeline to manage the project and ensure quality standards were met.
Brainstorm Tailored Bullet Statements for Yourself
Once you have identified a position that sounds interesting, use the chart linked below to help you review the role and determine how you meet the qualifications and keywords you have pinpointed.
Adding Project Experiences to Your Résumé
Experiential learning, such as case competitions and project-based learning, are great opportunities for skill development and should be included in your résumé. Below are tips to help you incorporate project-based learning into your application materials.
How to Format Projects on your Résumé
Projects should be formatted like a regular work experience and be structured in the same way that you format your experience or additional sections.
Name of Program/Class/Department, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE
Title or Project Name, Month 20xx - Month 20xx
- Bullet Point - Summary Statement (provides program details)
- Bullet Point(s) - Project Phase or Task/Result (showcases relevant skills and/or knowledge)
Example:
Department of Actuarial Science, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE
Actuarial Applications in Practice - Lincoln Finance Group Project, Month 20xx - Month 20xx
- Bullet Point - Summary Statement (provides program details)
- Bullet Point(s) - Project Phase or Task/Result (showcases relevant skills and/or knowledge)
Where Does a Project Experience Section Go?
A project’s relevance to your career aspirations will dictate where you should add the experience on your résumé.
- Common résumé sections for project experience include: Relevant Experience, Project Experience, Relevant Coursework, and Activities
How to Write Summary Bullet Statements
Summary bullet statements provide background information so your other bullet statements will make sense to the reader.
Prompts to Write Strong Summary Statements:
- How would you summarize this project to a friend, family member, employer, or someone else?
- Review goals that you set for yourself during this experience; how can you rephrase those goals into one sentence?
Example Summary Statement:
- Consulted with a business to increase employee engagement and productivity by assessing the organization and its current needs
Time to Brainstorm
Jot down responses to the following prompts to help you outline your project experience.
What was the goal of your project?
What skills did you gain or strengthen?
Based on the ideas you listed above, what could be a summary statement to describe this project?
Writing Bullet Statements for Project Phases or Tasks/Results
When writing project bullet statements, it may be beneficial to step the reader through each phase to tell a story, or focus on each task/result to share specific skills. As with all bullet statements, you should use action verbs, quantify, and follow the “What + How + Why” formula when writing.
Bullet Statement Prompts:
- What transferable skills did you gain from creating and managing your own project?
- Write down all project phases; are there certain phases that stand out?
- What relevant skills or knowledge do you want your bullet statements to display based on your accomplishments?
- What results do you want to share?