Is it Resume, Resumé, or Résumé?

Did you spot the differences in these three spellings?

You’re not the only one who noticed - there’s a good chance the hiring manager reading your cover letter will notice as well. If you’re applying to a job that requires a lot of formal business communication, spelling this word incorrectly can cause them to doubt you as a candidate.

Words have an interesting way of transforming over years of use. Take thirsty, for example. Until recently, if you were thirsty, it meant that you needed water. And for most people, that’s still what it means.

But in recent years, thirsty has taken on a less-formal definition. As of April 2020, thirsty has a new, secondary definition in Merriam-Webster’s official dictionary: “feeling or showing a strong desire for attention, approval, or publicity (as on social media)”.

The official definition of thirsty has evolved because use of the word has changed so much in everyday communication. And this is exactly what has happened with resume.

Resume is a verb. Among its definitions is: “to return to or begin (something) again after interruption”. It’s a common English word. It sounds like “ri-ˈzüm”, and it is not usually confused for “ˈre-zə-ˌmā” when spoken.

But for some reason, when these words are written, things get confusing. Under Merriam-Webster’s definition for resume, there is a second definition for résumé with accent marks over both e’s. This word, pronounced “ˈre-zə-ˌmā”, means “a short account of one's career and qualifications”.

Put simply, the document you have with your work experience and contact information is a résumé! Résumé means “summary” in French, and it is only spelled correctly with accent marks over both e’s.

The forms resume and resumé have become more acceptable through common use in American English. They might pass spell-check, and they have even gained mentions in the official dictionary definition.

But if you want to really get it right, use résumé when describing your career-summary document. Some hiring managers won’t care or know the difference. But for those who do, you will gain bonus points and possibly earn yourself an interview by getting it right.

P.S. - working with résumé writing pros is the best way to impress that hiring manager.

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Résumé Writing