Resources Guide: Common Weak vs. Strong Resume Statements

One of the easiest ways to improve your resume is to transform basic job duties into accomplishment-focused bullet points. The examples below show how you can take a simple task description and expand it into a stronger statement that highlights your skills, contributions, and impact.

  • Weak statements list the task only.
  • Strong statements follow the Action + Task + Result formula.

Common Categories

Administrative / Office Work

Weak:

  • Filed documents.
  • Entered data.
  • Did office work.

Strong:

  • Organized and filed student records, reducing document retrieval time by 30%.
  • Entered confidential data into tracking systems with 100% accuracy and attention to detail.
  • Managed appointment scheduling for two staff members, ensuring smooth office operations.

Campus Employment (Student Assistant, RA, Tutor)

Weak:

  • Helped with events.
  • Worked on the residence hall floor.
  • Tutored students.

Strong:

  • Coordinated logistics for 3–5 weekly student events, increasing attendance by 20% through targeted outreach.
  • Supported 30+ residents by providing guidance, enforcing policies, and fostering a safe community environment.
  • Tutored students in math fundamentals, improving average quiz scores by one letter grade.

Customer Service / Front Desk

Weak:

  • Worked at the front desk.
  • Helped students with questions.
  • Answered phones.

Strong:

  • Assisted 40+ students per shift with check-ins and questions, reducing wait times by 15%.
  • Resolved routine inquiries by providing clear guidance on campus resources, improving service satisfaction.
  • Managed phone and in-person communication to route students to appropriate departments efficiently and accurately.

Leadership and Initiative

Weak:

  • Led the group.
  • Solved problems.
  • Was in charge of tasks.

Strong:

  • Led weekly team meetings to delegate tasks and ensure all project deadlines were met.
  • Identified inefficiencies in workflow and recommended changes that improved productivity.
  • Initiated a new organization system for shared files, improving team access and reducing confusion.

Project Work (Academic, Class Projects, Personal Projects)

Weak:

  • Did a marketing project.
  • Worked on research.
  • Built a website.

Strong:

  • Developed a marketing strategy for a local business, leading to a 20% increase in online engagement.
  • Conducted research and analyzed survey data to identify trends for a semester-long project.
  • Built a fully functional website using HTML/CSS to showcase portfolio pieces and coursework.

Retail / Food Service

Weak:

  • Responsible for checking people out.
  • Stocked shelves.
  • Helped customers.

Strong:

  • Processed 100–150 transactions per shift with 98% accuracy, ensuring fast and friendly service.
  • Restocked merchandise and monitored inventory levels, preventing product shortages.
  • Provided customer support by answering product questions and resolving issues, contributing to positive store reviews.

Teamwork and Collaboration

Weak:

  • Worked with a team.
  • Helped group with project.
  • Participated in meetings.

Strong:

  • Collaborated with a team of 4 to create a class presentation, receiving top marks from faculty.
  • Contributed research and visual design elements to group projects, enhancing final presentation quality.
  • Supported teammates by sharing resources and coordinating tasks to meet project deadlines.

Technology / Digital Skills

Weak:

  • Worked with Excel.
  • Used Canva.
  • Did social media.

Strong:

  • Analyzed data using Excel formulas to create weekly reports for supervisors.
  • Designed promotional flyers in Canva, boosting event engagement by 25%.
  • Managed social media content calendar and posted updates, resulting in increased student interactions.
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