What is the correct term for the style of writing used on resumes that does not have a subject?

On resumes, I frequently see a style of writing like the following:

Acme Corp -- Contraption Designer

Designed systems for catching road runners. Coordinated with clients for delivery in remote locations. Collected statistics on system efficacy.

The writing here does not actually include a subject, instead the "I" is implied. This is similar to an imperative sentence but instead in the past tense.

I found one source that called this "first person implied", but the source does not seem to be very reputable.

Is there a term for this sort of writing? Are there any style guides for it?


Solution 1:

Linguistic sources call it a null subject, subject pronoun drop, or diary drop:

  • Subject pronoun drop in informal English
  • Diary Null Subjects: A relevance theory perspective
  • Adult Null Subjects in the non-pro-drop Languages

As the first source explains, “diary drop” is a more specific term used for this phenomenon in written language: “subject pronouns can frequently be dropped in certain registers of written English, such as diaries but also including text messages, emails, and other forms of informal communication”.