Did you know the “resume” is 500+ years old? The word resume derives from the French word résumé meaning “summary”. The history of the resume started in 1482. In 1482 Leonardo De Vinci’s original use of the resume was a letter of introduction; although that still rings true today, it is now the most vital document in the recruitment and hiring process. Since its introduction, the resume has changed and evolved significantly with time. The most significant changes took place in the 1900’s to present time.
1930’s – The resume didn’t reemerge from 1482 until the 1930’s when resumes were just a formality. Most resumes were written on scrap paper over lunch with other employers.
1940’s – Article written in the 1940’s recommend that women not write a resume, and that men include a photo, marital status, age, social background, height and weight on their resumes.
1950’s – Resumes are now expected, instead of it being a formality the previous years.
1960’s – Resumes started to include personal hobbies such as clubs, sports, etc.
1970’s – Advancements in technologies are now being seen with digital typesetting and word processing. Resumes are starting to look more professional.
1980’s – Books on resumes and career counseling start to emerge. The fax machine is also entered into the mix in 1987, this is the “cool” new way of sending resumes.
1990’s – The internet and World Wide Web go live. E-mail is new, and the fastest way to send resumes.
2000’s – The 2000’s brought a different kind of resume than ever before, the interactive resume. This new type of resume shows personality and creativity while showing skills off to potential employers. Video resumes hit YouTube and became a hit among high school and recent college graduates. Resume objective is now a thing of the past, and summary and position statements are the new “thing”. Social Media hits big with LinkedIn dominating the employment/networking world.
Today – Resumes now contain social media links, visuals and multimedia. Digital CVs and Infographic resumes are also trending.
Over the last 500+ years the resumes have come a long way, but specifically in the last 100 years! Thanks to the help of technology, resumes are now fun to view and create using your own personal touch.
