What is the purpose of a resume?

Some might say the purpose of a resume is to "get a job", but they would be wrong.

If you Google it, most answers talk about "showing your qualifications and experience" to potential employers.

Both of these are missing the point. While a resume should convey your experience and highlight the most impressive parts of your background and skillset, the true, most important purpose of a resume is to get you a conversation.

Nobody has ever been hired just from a resume. Nobody has ever been hired just because they met every job "requirement" based on a laundry list of their past experiences. Again, the purpose of a resume is to get you a conversation.