How Many Bullet Points per Job on Resume You Should Use

The process of writing an effective resume isn’t one that can be rushed. Having good formatting and layout as well as carefully targeting each job application is crucial. However, one simple feature can make a huge difference for everyone – excellent resume bullet points.

“If opportunity doesn’t knock build a door” – Milton Berle

A resume structure is a great way to give your content maximum impact and make it easy to read. In this guide, you will gain valuable insight into the art of using resume bullet points. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions people pose when writing their resumes:

• Resume bullet points: how to write them?
• How many bullet points per job should you include on your resume?
• Is it better to use resume bullet points or paragraphs?

Check out some additional topics related to resume writing here. Now, let’s get to answering these questions in detail.

Should I Use Bullet Points for Resume?

Which is better to use: Resume paragraph or bullet points? This is probably one of the questions resume writers often ask themselves. Employers are more likely to notice your skills and experience if your resume includes bullet points rather than paragraphs.

You can use bullet points to describe your professional achievements and responsibilities for all jobs listed in your work experience section. Bullets can also be used in the skills section as well as other parts of your resume that require organization and ease of reading.

You can use bullet points to highlight the skills and qualifications you have that relate to the open job position. When you want to highlight your responsibilities and accomplishments, you can, once again, use bullet points to show them.

What about sub-bullet points?

The experience section can include sub-bullets, but they should be reserved for a very specific situation in which additional information is required. An instance would be when the publication includes the certification number or the volume number.

The role of bullet points is to help a section look professional and concise. If you want to learn more about writing a resume you can get additional information here.

Thus, if you want to know how many bullet points on a resume are enough, it becomes evident that you should stick to three bullet points, and use a sub-bullet point only when information is provided to verify the claim. A section will appear messy if there are many sub-points.

Do you know how to use bullet-points on your LinkedIn profile? If you want to learn more, check our article on this topic here.

How Many Bullet Points per Job Resume Should Have?

It is best to have a similar number of bullet for each job in the experience section. If you are wondering how many bullet points on resume look good, there should be around four points per job. Although this number can increase if you do not have many jobs to list. In rare cases, sub-bullet points are used to provide additional information.

When thinking about a good resume how many bullets per job is a golden standard? You only need three to four bullet points per job and no more unless you have very little work experience. Try to include some of it in the skills section and avoid overcrowding in one section.

How many bullets on resume should you add? In general, it’s a good idea to use 3-4 bullet points per section that needs to be outlined, and definitely no more than 6-7. You want to make sure every bullet is relevant, thus don’t be tempted to make up things if you don’t know how many bullet points should be on a resume.

Analyze carefully which skills, accomplishments, and responsibilities you have in different aspects of your career. Briefly describe all of it in one sentence. When writing a strong resume how many bullet points do you think you need to list? The best way to approach bullet points is to keep them short and concise without going too far.

So, don’t worry too much about how many bullet points should a resume have, but rather make them worthwhile.

When Should You Use Bullet Points for Your Resume?

Bullet points are beneficial for all types of resumes, regardless of how many bullets per job resume has. This is a helpful resume formatting trick that can be used for either chronological resumes, or combination resumes.

An ideal resume should have many sections, including:

• Header & Profile
• Education
• Experience
• Skills
• Additional sections

The sections should therefore be short.

Resume Header and Profile

Your resume header can be enhanced by bullet points. Your contact information should be clearly displayed so hiring managers can see how to reach you easily. Also, bullet points are an excellent addition to your resume profile. That’s the section on your resume where you introduce yourself.

A standard resume summary or objective will not have bullets. But you can use them to write a summary of qualifications. In essence, it is an overview of relevant experience, skills, and professional achievements. It is designed to highlight your qualifications relevant to the job you’re applying for.

Education Section

Another place where resume bullet points come in handy is in your education section. Candidates with no experience can benefit from including this on their resumes, particularly new graduates and students. Add a couple of bullet points below your education information to emphasize skills and knowledge related to the job you’re applying for.

Here are a few ideas of how to achieve this:

1. Coursework that is relevant
2. The Dean’s List
3. Activities outside the classroom
4. Latin honors
5. Grade point average >3.5

Work Experience Section

The experience section on a resume is probably the most important since it summarizes years of experience. Though it is usually the longest section, you should not make it too long so that it does not leave space for other important sections. It is recommended to use no more than two pages.

People usually use bullet points in this section. You can write it this way:

Put your work experience in reverse chronological order

Provide basic information about the job, your title, company, location, and dates of employment.

Describe your role in bullet points under each of your jobs.

You can demonstrate your worth with accomplishment statements and quantifiable achievements

Skills Section

Bullet points are also common in resume skills sections. You cannot just select a random list of abilities and expect it to work. Be sure you read the job ad, note the requirements for the role, and ensure that your skills section exactly matches those requirements.

You can accomplish this by writing five to ten bullet points with relevant skills. It should depend on the space you have available and the technical requirements of the job.

Combine hard and soft skills when building a resume, and remember that some abilities are transferable and can be applied across a wide range of careers. Communicating, analyzing and even IT literacy/proficiency are good examples of skills.

Additional Sections

The inclusion of additional sections on a resume gives you the opportunity to emphasize more of your skills and experience. Voluntary work, foreign language study, hobbies, and interests, as well as projects, are excellent examples you can include. Even if bullet points can be used in all of these extra sections, don’t forget to check how many bullets should a resume have.

In addition to learning how many bullet points per job on resume you should add, discover what to add in this section of your resume by reading more about it here.

How to Use Bullet Points for Resume

Bullet points are helpful when you use a chronological or combination resume. These two resume types emphasize your work experience. Functional resumes that emphasize skills rather than experience are less likely to benefit from bullet points.

When composing a resume, how many bullets per job is acceptable? Create some bullet points to demonstrate you are a qualified and experienced candidate, then do the selection. Getting started is easy with the following tips:

• Describe the job
• Keep it short
• Provide specific details
• Prioritize the list
• Make your bullet points simple
• Use strong action verbs

Your resume’s work experience section can be bulleted. In this section of your resume, you list all your previous jobs relevant to the one you’re applying for. Your jobs should be listed in reverse chronological order, from the most recent to the least recent.

Under each job, outline any achievements or duties related to the position you’re applying for in two to four bullet points. Be specific about your accomplishments, citing specific outcomes and providing examples.

Bullet points can also be used to define your volunteer experience if you have any. You can include specifics about your roles and what you accomplished. List your skills and achievements using bullet points as well.

Examples of How to Use Them

You should keep in mind that employers spend just a few seconds reviewing each resume to find candidates who are suitable. Employers are more likely to pay attention to your qualifications if your resume format is easy to scan. This is why a resume without bullet points can look disorganized. To demonstrate your experience and skills clearly, it’s best to use bullet points.

Here are some of the examples of how to use them:

In Header:

Name Surname

Profession

* Address    *Link to LinkedIn Profile    *Phone number     *E-mail address 

In Work Experience:

Profession

Name of company, city/country 

Period of employment 

● Role

● Accomplishments and achievements of that position

● Acquired skillset

Education Section

Full name of the educational facility, including city and country

Years of studying

 ● Relevant coursework: ________________

● GPA: 3.4

Skill Section

● Good leadership skills

● Effective communication skills

● Detail-oriented

● Managing inventory

● Planning

● Report writing

● Providing customer service

● Managing business operations

Additional Skills

Hobbies & Interests

● Hobby: elaborate in one short sentence

Foreign Languages 

● Language and Proficiency Level

If you need help with writing your resume, then you should consider hiring a resume writing expert. How to find one? Check our list of the best ones.