Business Professionals' Rankings of Applicants' Résumés: Updated Considerations For Résumé Instruction

Abstract

The standard recommendations for the design and content of an effective
résumé have held mostly constant since the mid-1990s. Within these standard
guidelines, this study investigates which aspects of effective résumés influence
hiring professionals’ evaluations of equally qualified candidates in order to update
and strengthen business professors’ résumé instruction in order to improve business
students’ résumés. Based on an analysis of 45 business professionals’ rankings of
ten sample résumés and 21 interviews, this study finds that targeted internships and
chronological organization positively influence a résumé reviewer’s evaluation.