By J.M. Auron, Expert IT Resume Writer—The Best IT Resume Writing Services for More than 15 Years.
I hate all-bulleted resumes. I really do.
For a while, this ineffective, unclear, cluttered, unreadable approach to IT resume writing had become less common—though it had never completely disappeared, alas.
But, unfortunately, thanks to the "experts" on Reddit and the rest of social media, the all-bulleted format for IT resumes has made a major comeback—to the point where the majority of resumes I see are using this approach.
That's really unfortunate.
Because bulleting everything on your IT resume is one of the worst possible ways you can convey the details of your career to a hiring authority.
("JM, you've got to stop holding things in. It's not healthy. You've got to learn to express how you really feel. You've got to be more open about your opinions." "Yeah. I know. I'm working on it.")
Ok. So I'm again arguing that the common wisdom is, well, wrong. But anyone who reads this blog regularly will be used to that—and will, hopefully, have some belief that I have reasons for my unpopular and curmudgeonly opinions.
Why is an All-Bulleted IT Resume Ineffective?
There are several reasons. But here's the first and the most important.
If everything is bulleted, nothing is. It's like using bold or italics. It's useful in small doses, but if everything in a document is bolded the document is unreadable.
Whenever I get on this particular soapbox, I think of the great Pixar film "The Incredibles." In that film, Dash Parr says, "If everyone is special, then no one is."
Well, that's true of bullets, too.
Bullets in a document have one function. They're there to make the most critical information in an IT resume—or any other document, for that matter—jump out at the reader.
That can't happen if every sentence, every line, is bulleted.
As Dash Parr might say (were he a professional IT resume writer rather than an up and coming superhero), "If everything is bulleted, then nothing is."
Second, Not Everything Should be Bulleted
More heresy from JM! Of course everything should be bulleted!
No.
Not everything in your resume has the same level of impact—nor should they have the same impact.
It's like in a film. There are the leads, and there are the supporting characters. You need both.
Some aspects of the document give important background information. Some talk about duties and responsibilities. Some are accomplishments that will knock the reader's socks off.
Fundamentally, returning to the CAR approach to IT resume writing, the bulk of your resume is actions. That's as it should be. Those actions are important, and provide necessary information to recruiters and hiring managers.
But duties and actions—while important—are LESS important than accomplishments. You don't want to bullet that you worked with leadership on a gap analysis or that you leveraged a given tool in a given initiative or every other detail in your IT resume.
You really don't.
Because these bullets detract from the most critical information on your resume.
Your accomplishments.
Bullets Should Only Be Used for Accomplishments
This is really important. Really, really important.
Have I mentioned that it's really important to only bullet accomplishments?
I've talked often about the importance of making a clear distinction between duties and accomplishments.
One way you make that clear to the reader is by bulleting your accomplishments. And absolutely nothing else in the experience section of the resume.
Nothing
Else
At
All.
When you do this, when you only bullet accomplishments in your IT resume, you ensure that they stand out, that they pop, that they're clear, that the hiring authority sees, when he or she reviews your resume WHAT YOU'VE DELIVERED.
All Bullets Buries Your Real Accomplishments
The all-bulleted resume is something called an "accomplishment focused" resume. Now, I'm all for a focus on accomplishments.
But even if there were a resume with nothing but bullets—and every bullet a real accomplishment—it would make absolutely no sense. There would be no context. There would be no story tying the accomplishments together. No background on how you accomplished what you did accomplish.
But All-Bulleted Resumes Aren't Accomplishment Focused
Instead, all-bulleted resumes generally have few to no accomplishments. They simply have every line bulleted—as though putting a bullet in front of something less important makes it more important.
It doesn't.
Because bulleting a duty doesn't make it an accomplishment.
Why Does Bulleting Everything Make Your IT Resume Hard to Read?
The structure of your IT resume gives—or should give—important clues to the reader, to the hiring authority. That makes a recruiter's job easier. And when a recruiter can read your resume more easily, it's more likely that the recruiter will be able to determine if you are a fit.
With all bullets, that doesn't happen. It's as though every line is shouting for attention—which is damned distracting and damned hard to read.
Have I Made My Point?
I know. I know. Everything I've said goes against 95% of what the "experts"—most of whom have never served as hiring managers, read a resume, or written resumes professionally—are tellin' you.
What I'm saying, though, comes from more than 15 years as one of the best IT resume writing services globally—and that following a solid stint as a headhunter.
When I say all-bulleted resumes are hard to read? It's because I've read way more of them than I wish I had.
So, seriously. Increase your chances of getting a call back.
Make a clear distinction—in your mind and on your IT resume—between duties and accomplishments.
And only bullet your accomplishments.
If you'd like to learn more about my approach?
We should talk. Because I speak IT.