Your Resume Bullets Are Weak. Here's How to Fix Them.

Most candidates get resumes wrong. They're often vague, generic, and land their application in the discard pile. A recruiter spends 6 seconds on a resume. If your bullet points don't immediately scream "hire me," you're out. This isn't about looking busy, it's about demonstrating value.

This guide is direct. I'll cut through the noise and show you how to write specific, data-driven content that gets you noticed. I'll cover what goes into an effective bullet, how to use keyword research to beat the ATS, and how to tailor your entire resume (or CV) for the job you want.

The Anatomy of a High-Impact Bullet Point

Forget "responsible for". That tells a recruiter nothing. A strong bullet point proves impact. It follows a simple, yet critical, formula:

Action Verb + Quantifiable Impact + Relevant Skill(s)

Let's break it down:

• Action Verbs: Start strong. Ditch passive language. Every bullet needs a verb that demonstrates initiative and results.
  • Examples: Developed, Engineered, Optimized, Implemented, Reduced, Increased, Managed, Designed, Built, Automated.
• Quantifiable Impact: This is non-negotiable for any role. Numbers show results. If you can't quantify, it's not strong enough. This includes percentages, dollar figures, number of users, latency improvements, or time saved. Estimate if you have to, but always include a metric.
• Relevant Skill(s): Name the technology, framework, language, or methodology. This is crucial for both the Applicant Tracking System (ATS) and the human reader. Show them you have the specific tools they're looking for.

How to Prioritize Your Bullet Points for Maximum Efficacy

Order matters. Assume a recruiter will only read the first bullet point under each experience, because they likely are. Make it count. Your best bullet point must always be your first.

Here's the hierarchy for ordering them:

1. Most Relevant to the Job Description: Your top bullet should mirror the top priority of the role you're targeting. If the job description emphasizes backend performance, lead with the bullet where you reduced database load by 40%. If it's about building UI, lead with the dashboard you built with React.
2. Highest Quantifiable Impact: If multiple bullets feel equally relevant, lead with the most impressive number. A 40% reduction is more impactful, at a glance, than a 20% improvement. Big, clear wins grab attention immediately.
3. Most Technically Complex: If relevance and impact are similar, default to the bullet that showcases a more advanced or in-demand technology. Demonstrating experience with Kubernetes or a complex cloud architecture is more valuable than a simple scripting task.

Keyword Research: How to Speak the Recruiter's Language

Your resume needs to pass the ATS resume scan before it even reaches a human. An ATS is software that filters applications based on keywords. If your resume doesn't match the job description, it gets binned. This isn't about gaming the system, it's about clear communication.

Here's the process:

1. Analyze Job Descriptions: Find 3-5 actual job postings for the role you want (e.g., Software Engineer Intern at Meta). Copy and paste the key "requirements" and "responsibilities" sections.
2. Identify Recurring Keywords: Look for technologies, methodologies, and specific skills that appear repeatedly. Are they asking for Python? C++? Distributed Systems? Agile? Machine Learning? These are your target keyword phrases. A simple keyword research tool (or even a word cloud generator) can help highlight these.
3. Integrate Naturally: Weave these keywords into your bullet points, your project descriptions, and your skills section. Don't just list them. Show how you used them.

Warning: Do not keyword stuff. A proper ATS friendly resume incorporates these terms organically. Listing "Python, Python, Python" five times without context signals desperation, not competence. The ATS can flag this, and a human will certainly reject it.

Tailoring the Rest of Your Resume

Every single detail on your resume needs to pull its weight. If it's not directly supporting your candidacy for this specific job, it's taking up valuable space.

• Coursework:
  • Do: List 2-3 advanced, relevant courses. For a Software Engineer, this means
    "Operating Systems," "Distributed Systems," "Machine Learning," "Algorithms & Data Structures." These validate your foundational knowledge.
  • Skip: "Intro to Computer Science" or "Calculus I." These are assumed.
• Skills:
  • Do: Create clear, organized categories. For example:
    • Programming Languages: Python, C++, Java, JavaScript
    • Frameworks/Libraries: React, Node.js, TensorFlow, PyTorch
    • Developer Tools: Git, Docker, Kubernetes, AWS, GCP
    • Databases: PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, Redis
  • Skip: "Communication," "Teamwork," "Problem-Solving." These are soft skills. They're important, but you prove them through your bullet points and projects, not by listing them in a skills section.
• Projects:
  • Do: Treat each project like a mini-job. Use the same high-impact bullet point formula. Explain the problem, your solution, the technologies used, and the impact. Link to your GitHub if it's clean and well-documented.
  • Skip: Projects that are irrelevant to the role. Your personal website built in high school is likely not relevant for a Meta SWE role. Prioritize technical complexity and impact.

Stop Wasting Applications

A generic resume is a wasted application. It's that simple. If you're serious about getting an interview, especially at a top-tier company, you need to treat making a resume as a strategic exercise. It's a marketing document.

Effective resume formatting and content isn't a one-time task. It's a per-application strategy. Before you hit "submit," spend 30 minutes ensuring every bullet, every skill, and every course listed is directly relevant to that specific job description. This is the difference between getting an interview and being ignored.

💡 Tip: Simplify has an online resume builder that will recommend keywords and grade your resume on its ATS parsability. You can also build out bullet points with AI trained on thousands of successful resumes. Check it out here!