When I was younger the word resume confused the hell out of me. To resume is to start something after stopping it, and I could never make the connection between that definition and job searching. Once I finally figured out the difference between the two, I came to realize that the French version of the word applies a whole lot more to my life than the English one. Building the perfect resume (that's how I'm going to represent the word because I don't know how to add accent marks on this computer) has become somewhat of an obsession in our busy, competition-driven world. There are far too many applicants applying for the same jobs, so managers need some way to differentiate the candidates they want from the ones they don't. This is why it has become crucial for us millennials to perfect our resumes down to the very last detail, regardless of how insignificant that detail may seem. Here's what we've been told (or at least what I've heard from my limited experience adulting): Your resume can only be one page, unless you have a ton of experience or you've been out of college for x amount of time, and it has to be a certain font (not too big but also not too small!), and the formatting has to be completely uniform with all of the bullet points perfectly lined up and maybe use a font different from Times New Roman but not too different because you don't want to get too fancy, which is also why you shouldn't put any special borders around the edges, and make certain that the information you put relates directly to the occupation in question but don't steal the exact wording of the job posting because that's lazy and unprofessional, which is also why its absolutely IMPERATIVE that you customize your resume to fit the specific posting you're responding to even if that means making micro-changes that don't really make a difference but are still necessary because it shows that you are adaptable and understand how to satisfy requirements, and don't use an objective statement, unless of course you take RWS 290 in which you are expressly informed to use an objective statement (???), but really in the end its most important to be genuine and honest about your accomplishments while still adding a little extra flare a.k.a. lie about what you've done but be subtle about it. I think you get my point. There are millions of conflicting views about millions of different requirements needed to make the ultimate resume, combining to form a thick stew of confusion and anxiety.
To combat the perplexing nature of the UR (ultimate resume)(I've been using parentheses too much and should probably attempt to integrate these parenthesized thoughts into my blog without using them so much, but its kinda becoming a theme so I'll keep doing it), it seems as though the best option is to follow basic suggestions and leave the rest up to trial and error. If I keep formatting my resume a certain way, and I'm not getting any call-backs, then that tells me one of two things: I'm not formatting it optimally, or I'm just not qualified for the job. Simple as that. Without personal, real-world experience, the reality is that nobody knows exactly how to create the UR. Every manager has different expectations when it comes to qualification and presentation, so the only way to find out what kind of resume works for you is to make one and put it out there.
The very first time I created a resume was in RWS 290 last year. The reason I hadn't previously created one was that the only position I had ever held was at Baskin Robbins, and that's because they were severely understaffed and my Dad knew one of the co-managers. No resume needed. Also, I was an 8th grade girls volleyball coach once but that's because nobody else wanted to do it and I needed some spending money. Anyway, since my resume is so new, I haven't really gone through the aforementioned trial and error necessary to determine whether or not I have a good resume. The way I see it, my resume is decent because I was given instruction from a professor that seemed to know what he was talking about (except for the part about the objective statement, I guess), but it certainly hasn't approached UR territory yet. The first semester of my junior year is about to come to a close, which means its time for me to start sending out some feelers to get a sense of where I stand. I will most definitely be looking to land an internship in San Diego for the summer, and I hope that with enough guidance and practice I can turn that thick stew into something more manageable.
