<p>That is the question...whether 'tis nobler to come prepared just in case I might need one or to take the fact that they did not explicitly ask me to bring it as a sign that they didn't want one. So, guys. Interview coming up for Harvard. Better to have resume in hand or not? She didn't ask for me to bring it.</p>
<p>Alumni interview or admission interview? DD mailed a resume in advance to an alumni interviewer (another university), but the guy had it all marked up and had questions ready for her when she arrived.</p>
<p>My son has had about 10 interviews this year, spread across colleges, scholarships, and summer programs. He has always taken a resume, and brought it home about half the time. Never hurts to be prepared.</p>
<p>Alumni interview. I’ll probably just take it just in case. The worst thing that happens is that it sits on the table unnoticed.</p>
<p>If you are interviewing at an office (DD met lawyer alum at his office), hand the office assistant the resume when you walk in. The nice thing about having the resume in the interviewer’s hands is that you know what is on it and any question that is asked based on resume info you should be ready to answer. Good luck.</p>
<p>My daughter went to six interviews, all of which were with Adcoms. She brought a resume, and once the interviewer thanked her and told her she would look at it later. The other five used it to varying degrees.</p>
<p>I’ve always been against it. My policy has been, the interviewer wants to meet me, not my stupid resume, which is just a horribly condensed, boring, and hardly representative version of me. Of my 4 interviews thus far, (two ivy, two less known but ranked in the top 100 nationally) no one has asked for a resume, and no one has seemed to care what was on it. That’s what my application was for. I was happy to share my personality and experiences without being HINDERED and LIMITED by that stupid resume.</p>
<p>Rant over.</p>
<p>Either way is perfectly acceptable, and it probably makes no difference to most interviewers whether you have one or not. The interview is meant to be a conversation between the two of you. If a resume helps with getting the conversation started, such as if something you mention on your resume sparks the person’s interest or if the two of you find out that you have something surprising in common, then that’s a plus. If you end up relying on the resume too much to speak on your behalf, then you’re better off not bringing one at all.</p>
<p>Bring it, and offer it at the beginning or wait for a natural space to ask. About 3/4 of my interviews thus far have appreciated it–they just look over it quickly to get an idea of your interests as a starting off point. It’s helpful to have.</p>