A resume is a brief summary of your abilities, education, experience, and skills. Its main task is to convince prospective employers to contact you; i.e. the primary purpose of a resume is to get you a job interview.

Resumes must do their work quickly. Employers or personnel officers may look through hundreds of applications and may spend only a few seconds reviewing your resume. To get someone to look at it longer, your resume must quickly convey that you are capable and competent enough for a particular position to be worth interviewing. The more thoroughly you prepare your resume, the more likely someone is to read it.

The following is a useful process for developing an effective resume:

1. gather and check all necessary information
   
2. match your experience and skills with an employer's needs
   
3. highlight details that demonstrate your capabilities
   
4. organize the resume effectively
   
5. consider word choice carefully
   
6. ask other people to comment on your resume
   
7. make the final product look good
   
8. evaluate your resume
   
9. visit the Writing Center!

Now you're done! Just one more suggestion: If you are sending your resume to a prospective employer, you'll probably also have to include a separate cover letter.

The Writing Center and the Career Development Center can give you more information about effective cover letters and resumes.