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West Virginia University John Chambers College ofBusiness and Economics
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Craft Compelling Bullets

Utilizing the CAR Method 

CAR stands for Context, Action, and Result. This format allows you to clearly highlight the impact of your work in a concise and results-driven way. Creating bullet points using CAR helps employers quickly understand the value you brought to past roles.  
 
Context: What problem, goal, or need were you addressing? 
Action: What steps did you take to meet the challenge?
Result: What happened as a result of your efforts? Quantify it if possible.
 
Example:
 
Context: Employee productivity was down 20% from the previous quarter. 
Action: Designed and led professional development sessions to train employees on new workflow strategies.
Result: Productivity increased by 15% in six months. 
 
Put all together, and a bullet point may look something like this: 
 
  • Improved team productivity by 15% in six months by leading professional development sessions and introducing more efficient workflow strategies.

Task vs. Accomplishment  

Focus on what you accomplished and how your actions added value. Avoid simply listing your duties or responsibilities.  

  • Before: 
    • Responsibilities included implementation of policies and procedures, training of new employees, and interfacing with subordinates and vendors.
  • After: 
    • Collaborated with vendors and colleagues (Action) to address inventory shortages (Context), resulting in a 15% increase in product turnover and 23% increase in sales (Result).
    • Trained 14 new employees (Action) to improve team performance (Context); 5 were promoted within one year (Result).
 

Open-ended vs. Measurable 

Whenever possible, use quantifiable results to give employers a clearer picture of your impact.
 
  • Before: 
    • Managed a team of people at the store.
  • After: 
    • Oversaw a team of 30 café employees (Action) to improve inventory control during peak seasons (Context), ensuring high-demand items remain in stock and customer satisfaction ratings increased 20% (Result).
 

Vague vs. Specific 

Avoid general language and be specific about what you did and how it helped the organization. 
 
  • Before: 
    • Answered customer questions.
  • After: 
    • Resolved customer inquiries (Action) related to product returns and order tracking (Context), reducing escalated service tickets by 35% (Result).
 

Subjective vs. Objective 

Avoid vague or overly personal claims like “experienced” or “skilled.” Instead, provide evidence through clear actions and results. 

  • Before: 
    • Experienced public speaker.
  • After: 
    • Delivered 45 presentations (Action) to groups of 50–60 prospective WVU students and families (Context), supporting enrollment and outreach efforts for the Chambers College (Result).