What Is a Resume?

A resume is a formal document that provides an overview of your professional qualifications, including your relevant work experience, skills, education, and notable accomplishments. Usually paired with a cover letter, a resume helps you demonstrate your abilities and convince employers you’re qualified and hireable.

The spelling of “résumé” actually originates from French, and means “summary.” To this day, the purpose of a resume is still to provide employers with a summary of your relevant qualifications.

The Purpose of a Resume

Many job seekers assume that the purpose of a resume is to provide a full overview of their professional history.

Instead, the goal of your resume is to convince employers you’re worth interviewing. To that end, your resume is a valuable tool you can use to highlight your experience to prospective employers.

If your resume provides a concise summary of your relevant qualifications and skills in a format that makes your ability to handle the work as clear as possible, you will get more interviews.

Why Resumes Are Important for Job Seekers

Your resume, along with a cover letter, is an essential part of the hiring process, and is a base requirement to be considered for a position.

A good resume is the first part of your application any hiring manager will see, so it’s important that it conveys your qualifications accurately and convincingly.

Your resume should offer employers a digestible overview of your relevant skills, employment history, education background, and accomplishments. Based on this information, they can make an informed decision about whether or not they want to interview or hire you.