How to Write Your Resume Bullets
Most people have heard of S.T.A.R. (Situation, Task, Action, Result) when it comes to writing, particularly for how to write resume bullets. You may also have heard of the C.A.R. (Challenge, Action, Result) style, which is very similar. Whichever one you choose, the main goal is to use a style that clearly and succinctly lets the hiring manager know both the situation and the result.
The difficult part is making it succinct (more on that below). Here are some examples of how to use this style to craft your resume bullets.
S.T.A.R. (Situation, Task, Action, Result)
Situation – Describe the context of a specific situation or challenge.
Example: “At a time when customer satisfaction scores were dropping at my company...”
Task – The responsibility or objective you were tasked with in response to the situation. This shows your role in addressing the challenge.
Example: “...I was tasked with improving our customer service response time.”
Action – The specific steps or actions you took to complete the task or solve the problem. Focus on what you did, highlighting your skills, decisions, and leadership.
Example: “I implemented a new ticketing system and trained the support team on handling inquiries more efficiently.”
Result – Describe the outcome or result of your actions. If you can quantify it, do so, but if not, a qualitative result is more than acceptable.
Example: “As a result, customer satisfaction improved by 30%, and average response time was cut in half.”
For a resume bullet, including all of this is too long, so you can reduce it to Task, Action, Result:
Implemented new ticketing system and trained support team, improving customer satisfaction by 30% and reducing average response time by 50%.
C.A.R. (Challenge, Action, Result)
Challenge – A specific problem, situation, or obstacle. This sets the context for the action and showcases your ability to handle tough situations.
Example: “Too much customer churn due to outdated product features...”
Action – The steps or actions taken to address the challenge. Focus on contributions and leadership in resolving the issue.
Example: “...led a cross-functional team to redesign the product and improve key features...”
Result – Highlight the outcome or impact of your actions, ideally with quantifiable metrics (e.g., percentages, revenue growth). Again, you can use a qualitative result.
Example: “...resulting in a 25% reduction in churn and a 15% increase in customer satisfaction.”
The resume bullet becomes:
Led cross-functional team to redesign product and improve key features, resulting in 25% reduction in churn and 15% increase in customer satisfaction.
Author: Kristal Alley, Career Valet
Photo Credit: João Ferrão