EDITOR'S POST

What is the purpose of a resume?

Q. What is the purpose of a resume?

A. A resume is an advertisement that you hope will convince the persons reading it when you are not present to invite you for an interview. A good resume focuses the reader's attention on those aspects of your background which are most relevant to your current career goals; and distinguishes you from hundreds of other candidates, so you are invited for an interview and they are not. A resume does not get you a job, only a chance to come to the interview. If you screw up the interview, the resume won't help. If you don't describe your qualifications on the resume, hoping to tell about them during the interview, you probably won't get an interview.