A bullet without a number is a claim. A bullet with a number is evidence. Recruiters skim in seconds — the resumes that stick have measurable wins in the first two bullets of every role.
Use the XYZ formula: 'Accomplished X, as measured by Y, by doing Z.' Example: 'Cut customer support response time by 42% (Y) by automating tier-1 tickets with a self-serve knowledge base (Z).'
You have more numbers than you think. Team size, budget, users, revenue, time saved, error rate, adoption rate, NPS, retention, downloads, page speed, deploys per week. Pick the one that would matter to someone hiring for the role you want.
When you don't have hard numbers, use proxies: 'top 5% of the team', 'first hire on the platform', 'shipped in one quarter vs. the previous team's two years'. Relative comparisons work.
One rule: never make numbers up. Recruiters check. Rough estimates are fine, fabricated ones are career-ending.