How to write impact bullets when you don't have metrics

Not every job comes with neat percentages. Here's how to write resume bullets that read as impactful even when you don't have a single number to point to.

The Resumeely TeamMarch 22, 20266 min read

Every resume guide tells you to quantify your bullets. Useful advice for sales reps and growth marketers. Less useful for legal assistants, social workers, librarians, or anyone whose job doesn't get measured in revenue or conversion. The good news: there are four other axes of impact you can use, and recruiters care about all of them.

Axis 1 — Volume

Volume answers "how much." It works in any role where you handled stuff. Number of cases per month. Number of clients managed at once. Number of people you trained. Number of documents you reviewed in a quarter. Volume signals capacity and reliability.

Weak: "Managed client cases."
Strong: "Managed a rolling caseload of 35-45 clients across two regional offices."

Axis 2 — Scope

Scope answers "how broad." It works when the work itself isn't easily counted but the surface area is impressive. Number of teams you partnered with. Number of departments your initiative touched. Geographic or organizational reach. Scope signals seniority and influence.

Weak: "Led training initiatives."
Strong: "Led the rollout of the new onboarding curriculum across 6 offices and 4 functional teams."

Axis 3 — Comparison

Comparison answers "better than what." Even without a percentage, you can describe the before-and-after qualitatively. The thing went from broken to working. The team went from reactive to proactive. The process took two weeks; now it takes two days. Comparison signals improvement.

Weak: "Improved the documentation system."
Strong: "Rebuilt the team's case-note system from a sprawling shared drive into a searchable knowledge base used daily by all five caseworkers."

Axis 4 — Recognition

Recognition answers "who noticed." If your work earned external acknowledgement — an award, a speaking invitation, being asked to mentor others, being chosen to represent the team — that's a credible substitute for a hard metric. Recognition is itself a measurement, just by other humans.

Weak: "Strong client communication skills."
Strong: "Selected as the team's mentor for incoming caseworkers (3 cohorts, 11 people through the program)."

Putting it together

Take any bullet you've written that doesn't have a metric in it and ask: can I add volume, scope, comparison, or recognition? Almost always at least one applies. Use the strongest one for that bullet, then move to the next.

Resume readers don't actually need percentages. They need evidence that you'll bring real, observable improvement to their team. Numbers are one form of evidence; they're not the only one.

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Axis 1 — Volume

Weak: "Managed client cases."

Strong: "Managed a rolling caseload of 35-45 clients across two regional offices."

Axis 2 — Scope

Weak: "Led training initiatives."

Strong: "Led the rollout of the new onboarding curriculum across 6 offices and 4 functional teams."

Axis 3 — Comparison

Weak: "Improved the documentation system."

Strong: "Rebuilt the team's case-note system from a sprawling shared drive into a searchable knowledge base used daily by all five caseworkers."

Axis 4 — Recognition

Weak: "Strong client communication skills."

Strong: "Selected as the team's mentor for incoming caseworkers (3 cohorts, 11 people through the program)."

Putting it together

Resume readers don't actually need percentages. They need evidence that you'll bring real, observable improvement to their team. Numbers are one form of evidence; they're not the only one.