Behind the Resume

Abstract

This article provides an account of how presentational, or expressive, ways of knowing has been used in career planning classes in a community college located in large urban area. Career planning, and resume preparation, is often framed as a very instrumental process. However, as the inquiry described in this article demonstrates, developing a resume can be an opportunity for engaging in self-reflective practices. Using image drawing, poetry, metaphor, and similes challenged many students’ self-perceptions, brought into conscious awareness how their meaning schemes shaped their actions, and deepened their self-awareness.