The Benefits of a Résumé

The Résumé has become an essential part of the work search process. A Résumé is:

• A systematic assessment of your skills in terms of a specific work objective

• A marketing device used to gain an interview

The purpose of the Résumé is to get an interview. It is like an advertisement: it should attract attention, create interest, describe accomplishments and invite a person to contact you. The average amount of time an employer takes to initially scan a Résumé is 30 seconds. It is very important that the Résumé be brief, one page if possible and two pages the limit. The Résumé tells a potential employer what you can do and have done, who you are, and what you know. It also states what kind of work you seek. The key is that the Résumé must provide enough information for the employer to evaluate your qualifications and interest the employer enough to invite you for an interview.

The Résumé is a more concise presentation of credential than a curriculum vita (CV), which is prepared for a teaching/research position in a university or for inclusion in an application package for graduate school. If you need help writing a CV, contact Career Services.

Life is a mirror and gives back to us the reflection of our own self. ~ Joseph Batten

The Steps to Writing Your Résumé

1. Make detailed self-assessment notes and keep them together in a file.

2. Obtain detailed job description information for the type(s) of work you want to do.

3. Prepare a draft of a Chronological, Modified Chronological, or Functional Résumé.

4. Organize major sections in order of importance, with Job Objective or Career Goal first and Summary of Qualifications or Skills Summary second.

5. Have someone else proofread a draft of your Résumé.