Many people are engaged in resume writing right at this very moment trying to come up with suitable words and structure to attract the attention of employers. However, not everybody knows when the concept of writing a document like a resume was established to present one's skills and professional experience for employment or similar purposes. Today we would like to have a short history lesson on how resume evolved into what we have today. There is no person who could be identified as the inventor of a resume or CV. It has developed gradually as people started to look for ways of making their applications more effective. At the very beginning, resumes haven't even been called resumes, people usually used the word combination "application documents" to identify the piece of paper personal and professional information on it.
The Evolution of the Resume Concept
Most historians trace back the establishment of a resume concept to 1482 when Leonardo da Vinci drafted a letter in which he highlighted his qualifications and professional accomplishments. The letter was somewhat similar to what we call a cover letter today, but the concept was the that of a resume or CV. We don't think we can rightfully consider Leonardo da Vinci as the inventor of a resume based on what the information we have today. However, he is the first resume writer that we know of. Shortly after 1482, we are aware of the fact that an English Lord had compiled a handwritten list of his accomplishments and skills to offer to his acquaintances. Then we know nothing about the development and evolution of resumes up until the middle of the 1900s.
Somewhere in the 1930s they usually were written on scraps of paper often during the lunch with prospective employers (nothing was prepared in advance like today). Most of those papers included the information that we don't usually put on a CV today, such as weight, height, religion, etc. Several decades later so-called application forms have become something employers actually expected from candidates. The next step in the evolution of the resume concept was the establishment and advancement of a digital world. During the late 1980s-1990s word processing software has set a standard for resume for years to come. For a long time, people used fax machines to send resumes and CVs to potential employers. After 2000 there have been invented new ways of presenting career information - video and business card resumes, online profiles, blogs, etc. That's how we got to the stage when resumes are scanned by special software for keywords and information essential for employers.
Resume Remains the Most Powerful Marketing Tool
Despite new technologies, a resume still remains the most powerful. Most companies require candidates to submit a resume (CV) and cover letter. So no matter how hard "career experts" forecasted the death and replacement of old good resume it still helps job seekers get hired around the world. Our company provides professional resume writing services so if you are not sure about doing it on your own we will be happy to help. It only takes several minutes to order our services with the help of our friendly live support agents.
