The average employer spends just seconds searching over an applicant’s resume, so it’s vital to stand out quickly. To do this, some people use a bullet points in their resumes to elaborate past duties and achievements.

In bulleted form, each duty is listed as a separate bullet. This is different from a resume in which accomplishments are listed in paragraph form.

Bullet points permit you to mention your most relevant accomplishments.

This indicates the employer quickly and easily that you are a good fit for the job.

When to Use Bullet Points in a Resume

For any past work experience you list on a resume, you’ll need to include duties and accomplishments that relate to the job you’re applying for. You can list these in bulleted form.

You might also need to include bullet points when you list duties or achievements in volunteer or educational experiences. For example, when you list your education, you might include bullets that list awards, scholarships, and other achievements that relate to the job.

You can also use bullets in a resume summary, in which you list the skills and achievements that make you a good fit for the job.

How to involve Bullet Points in a Resume

Beneath the basic information for the job or volunteer experience (for a job, this often involves your job title, the company name, and years worked), include a bullet for each duty.

Each bullet point should involve a concise phrase or sentence that begins with an action word. You do not need to include a period at the end of each phrase. However, if you choose to use a period for one phrase, you have to use one for every bullet. This makes your resume look uniform.

Use simple bullets like circles, hyphens, or small squares.

Ignore other symbols that might look too confusing, or might download incorrectly. Keep things simple to avoid any formatting problems.

Tips for Writing Bullet Points

Make each bullet point distinctive for the job you are applying for. Select duties or achievements that match the qualifications for the job. Include 2-4 bullet points for each job or volunteer experience you list.

Once you’ve developed a resume with bullets, you can change the bullet points when you submit your resume to each new job. This is a quick and easy way to create a unique resume for each job application.