The Google XYZ Formula: How to Write CV Bullet Points

The XYZ formula is a simple sentence pattern that turns CV bullet points from “my duties were” into “here is what I achieved”.

The formula was suggested by Laszlo Bock, then Google's senior vice president of people operations, in a post he published on LinkedIn. It is a writing tip, not an official Google hiring rule; employers may judge CVs by other criteria. [1][2]

What is the formula?

“Accomplished [X] as measured by [Y], by doing [Z].”

Letter	Meaning	Ask yourself
X	What did you achieve?	What changed or improved because of me?
Y	What shows it?	Is there a number, frequency, scale or concrete result?
Z	How did you do it?	Which method, tool or step did I use?

The order can change to sound natural, for example “Did [Z], which [X], resulting in [Y]”. What matters is that all three parts are there.

Before and after: examples from 8 jobs

The numbers and details below are examples only. On your own CV, write only facts that are true and that you can explain in an interview.

Job	Before (duty)	After (XYZ)
Sales assistant	Helped customers in the store.	Helped the store meet its monthly sales target in 5 of 6 months by preparing short weekly product notes for the team.
Nurse	Provided patient care.	Reduced follow-up calls about medication on our ward by giving patients and families a written care card before discharge.
Cook	Prepared food in the kitchen.	Made lunch service run more smoothly by moving prep lists to the morning shift; the head chef adopted the method for all shifts.
Courier	Delivered parcels.	Completed an average of 60 deliveries a day on time by planning my route street by street.
Teacher	Taught maths.	Raised end-of-term results for year 9 students compared with the previous term by using weekly short quizzes and individual feedback.
Software developer	Maintained the website.	Cut the homepage load time roughly in half by compressing images and removing unused code.
Call centre agent	Answered incoming calls.	Increased the number of requests my team solved on the first call by writing short answer scripts for frequent questions.
Warehouse operative	Put away stock.	Clearly reduced picking errors by reorganising shelf labels by product code.

No numbers? What to use instead of Y

Not every job has numbers, and inventing them is the fastest way to weaken a CV. For Y you can also use:

Frequency or scale: “lunch service for 40 guests a day”, “stock control for 3 branches”
Responsibility you were given: “asked by my manager to train new starters”
A concrete result: “the method was adopted on all shifts”
Feedback: “mentioned by name in positive customer reviews” (only if true)
Time: “became shift lead two months after joining”

The golden rule: real numbers only

An interviewer may ask “How did you calculate that 30%?”. If you don't know the exact figure, say “about” or write the concrete result instead. A number you can't explain does more harm than no number at all.

Step by step

List your duties: Write the 4–6 main things you did in each job.
Ask “What changed?”: For each duty, find what improved because of you. If nothing changed, keep that bullet short.
Add the evidence (Y): A number, frequency, scale or concrete result.
Add the method (Z): Say in a few words how you did it.
Start with a strong verb: Improved, reduced, organised, planned, built, trained, launched.
Cut it down: A bullet should usually fit on one or two lines.

Useful verbs

improved · reduced · increased · organised · planned · built · prepared · trained · managed · solved · developed · simplified · coordinated · completed

Copyable templates

Replace the square brackets with your own details.

With a number

[Result] by [method], measured by [number / time].

Without a number

[Result] by [method]; [concrete outcome or responsibility you were given].

Team version

As [your role] in a team of [size], helped [team result] by [method].

Common mistakes

Inventing or inflating numbers.
Forcing a number into every bullet; the CV starts to sound unnatural.
Presenting a team result as yours alone. “Helped” or “contributed to” is honest and enough.
Sharing a former employer's confidential data, such as revenue or client names.
Squeezing three achievements into one bullet.

Frequently asked questions

Is the XYZ formula an official Google hiring rule?

No. It is a CV-writing method suggested by Laszlo Bock, Google's head of people operations at the time. Employers judge CVs by different criteria.

Should every bullet use XYZ?

No. Using it for your 2–3 most important achievements is enough; other duties can stay short.

Nothing in my job is measurable. What should I do?

Use frequency, scale, responsibility you were given or a concrete result instead of Y. Don't invent numbers.

This is my first job. Can I still use it?

Yes. It works for internships, school projects, volunteering and club roles too.

Sources

Links checked on 13 October 2026.