Chapman’s new resume-building tool

Photo Illustration by Samantha Rosinski

Chapman began the fall semester with the introduction of a new resume builder: VMock. With the help of artificial intelligence, VMock can transform your resume into a professional introduction for your career. 

For many students the search for spring and summer internships is right around the corner. Submitting applications can be a stressful time, especially for seniors as they prepare for their post graduate lives. For all students who are figuring out what their next steps are, having a tool that is efficient and effective is necessary. 

This year, Chapman launched a new partnership with VMock, an online resume building tool that uses artificial intelligence. Chapman students and alumni now have a free VMock membership that allows them to upload their resumes and get in-depth assistance with suggestions or with building an effective resume from scratch. 

The manager of career development for Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, Erin Berthon, introduced VMock to her students last semester in order to get some feedback before Chapman officially launched it this semester. 

“I think this is a good start for a student to build their resume and have the option to either follow the suggestions provided or not. They should definitely take advantage of the tool,” said Berthon in an interview with The Panther.

Berthon suggests that students use VMock for its resume feedback and editing tools, but then convert it to either Microsoft Word or Canva to create a better layout and make it your own. 

Students and alumni can access VMock through Handshake. To access the platform they have to log in with their Chapman credentials. When users upload their resume, VMock will thoroughly examine the document and give them a score. The score is determined with three categories; impact, presentation and competencies. Users can also input their career choices and VMock will optimize its feedback specifically to that career choice. 

Because VMock uses AI as a tool, it is important to understand Chapman’s AI policy, which states that students should be cautious when using AI generative tools.  

“Unlike ChatGPT, VMock does not write any content for you, and rather gives you recommendations. It is still the student’s responsibility to decide for themselves what they want to incorporate and take into consideration,” said career education manager Janelle Farkas in an interview with The Panther. 

Among the many different attributes VMock offers, students will also be able to proclaim skills that will benefit them throughout their careers, such as critical thinking skills. 

“Critical thinking is one of the top transferable skills that careers are looking for, so by utilizing VMock and taking the feedback into consideration and the advice that it gives, students are building different critical thinking skills and making a decision that makes sense for you,” said Farkas. 

By utilizing their membership through Handshake, Chapman urges students to upload their resume and efficiently organize their resume, setting themselves for a successful search for either an internship or job.