Resume Bullets That Win Interviews: The XYZ Formula + 120 Action Verbs
How to write resume bullet points using Google’s XYZ formula, with before/after rewrites, a metric cheat-sheet for non-quantitative roles, and a categorized list of 120 strong action verbs.
8 min read · Updated August 2026 · By Resume Smashers
Recruiters spend an average of about six seconds on the first scan of a resume. Bullets decide the scan. The formula Google popularized in its own recruiting guidance is still the most reliable: "Accomplished [X], as measured by [Y], by doing [Z]." This article turns that formula into a repeatable workflow.
The XYZ formula, applied
| Weak bullet | XYZ rewrite |
|---|---|
| Responsible for backend services | Cut API p99 latency 42% (Y) by redesigning the caching layer in Rust (Z), saving $12k/month in compute (X) |
| Helped with the company blog | Grew organic traffic 3.2× in 6 months (Y) by building a topic-cluster SEO strategy (X) and shipping 40 technical articles (Z) |
| Worked on mobile app | Shipped offline-first mobile checkout used by 200k monthly users (Y), lifting conversion 11% (X) |
| Managed a team | Led 6 engineers across 3 time zones (Z) to deliver a SOC 2 audit (X) two weeks early (Y) |
No numbers? A metric cheat-sheet
Every role has measurable output if you look for volume, time, money, quality, or people:
- Volume: tickets/week, customers served, documents processed, students taught.
- Time: cycle time cut, deadline beaten, hours saved per week (× 52 = annualized).
- Money: revenue influenced, cost avoided, budget owned.
- Quality: error rate down, satisfaction up, audit passed, uptime maintained.
- People: team size, stakeholders coordinated, mentees promoted.
120 action verbs, categorized
Engineering & building
Architected, Automated, Built, Compiled, Debugged, Deployed, Designed, Developed, Engineered, Implemented, Integrated, Migrated, Optimized, Programmed, Refactored, Scaled, Shipped, Tested
Leadership & strategy
Aligned, Chaired, Coached, Directed, Drove, Established, Founded, Guided, Headed, Led, Mentored, Owned, Pioneered, Recruited, Scaled, Sponsored, Steered, Transformed
Analysis & improvement
Audited, Benchmarked, Centralized, Consolidated, Diagnosed, Eliminated, Forecasted, Identified, Investigated, Measured, Modeled, Reduced, Resolved, Restructured, Simplified, Standardized, Streamlined, Troubleshot
Communication & creation
Authored, Briefed, Communicated, Drafted, Edited, Presented, Produced, Published, Secured, Sold, Spearheaded, Trained, Translated, Wrote
Formatting rules for bullets
- 1–2 lines each; if it wraps to 3, split or cut it.
- No pronouns, no articles where they can be dropped ("Led team" beats "I led the team").
- Past tense for past roles, present tense for current role.
- 3–5 bullets for recent roles, 2–3 for older ones.
- One idea per bullet — two achievements deserve two bullets.
Frequently asked questions
What is the XYZ formula for resumes?
Google’s recommended bullet structure: "Accomplished [X] as measured by [Y] by doing [Z]." Example: "Reduced build times 65% (Y) by parallelizing the CI pipeline (Z), unlocking daily releases (X)."
How many bullet points per job on a resume?
3–5 for your most recent and relevant roles, 2–3 for older ones. Every bullet must contain an achievement, not a duty.
What are the best action verbs for a resume?
Specific, outcome-oriented verbs: Architected, Reduced, Led, Automated, Grew, Shipped, Eliminated, Negotiated. Avoid weak openers like "Helped", "Worked on", or "Responsible for".
Put it into practice
IhateLaTeX applies everything in this article automatically: ATS-safe templates, XYZ-bullet scoring, and pixel-perfect LaTeX — free, private, and compiled in your browser.
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