Should resume bullet points be complete sentences?

Keep it concise. Review your bullet points and remove any unnecessary words. It’s fine for bullet points to be sentence fragments rather than complete sentences to save space and keep the messaging clear.

Do you have to use complete sentences in a resume?

Don’t write in complete sentences. And don’t, for the love of God, include full paragraphs. Write in bullets and short, impactful sentence fragments that tell your story with a minimum of reading.

Do incomplete sentences need a period?

A period can also mark the end of an incomplete sentence (or sentence fragment). A period isn’t needed at the end of a sentence that already ends in a question mark or an exclamation point. In a list, periods are placed at the end of list items only if they are complete sentences.

Are sentence fragments OK in a resume?

Sentence fragments are not only acceptable, but standard. Resumes, however, should never read like a “story,” so they don’t play by the same rules. The phrase “Generated $5M in revenue to increase gross profits by 33\%” is perfectly acceptable for a resume, but it is indeed a fragment.

Do the looks of a resume matter?

One of the most popular misconceptions about resumes is that colorful paper or a flashy look will get your resume noticed above everyone else’s. The truth is that it is the content of your resume that matters more than anything else and those gimmicks do nothing but cause distractions.

Can a resume bullet have two sentences?

You can, but only where you have a lot of relevant and useful information. In this case, it’s better to do a small paragraph of 3 -4 sentences and then bullet points. You don’t want to go over 6 bullet points for a specific position, so including a small paragraph will help you trim it down.

Why do you not want to use complete sentences on a resume?

Writing in complete sentences will force you to be descriptive. The worst resumes are filled with boring, bland, 2-4 word descriptions like, “Cleaned tables,” “Wrote reports,” or “Dealt with customers.”

Do sentences in a list need periods?

Lists. Use a period after numbers or letters in an enumerated list. End each item in an enumerated list with a period if one or more items in the list are complete sentences.

Do you put period after initials?

A period ( . ) is a form of punctuation used to end a declarative sentence. Periods are frequently, but not always used, after initials and with two-letter abbreviations (U.S.). Periods should be placed inside closing quotation marks, except when followed by a parenthetical note.

Should resumes have periods at the end of sentences?

To Punctuate, or Not to Punctuate? There is some debate on whether or not bullet points should end in a period. However, the general consensus recommends including a period if you’ve phrased all your achievements as complete sentences. If not, it’s okay to opt out of the dot.

How Long Should sentences be on a resume?

For an effective resume format, it’s a good rule of thumb to use paragraphs, but use them sparingly, and never use one longer than three to five sentences. Once you’ve passed that five-sentence mark, it’s pretty much a guarantee that you’ve lost the reader’s attention.