Resume

A résumé (also spelled resume or resumé) is a document that individuals create to showcase their background, skills, and accomplishments, primarily when applying for a job—either within their current organization or elsewhere. It is often one of the first materials, alongside a cover letter and job application, that a potential employer reviews before deciding whether to interview the candidate.

The term comes from the French word *résumer*, meaning 'to summarize.' Leonardo da Vinci is sometimes credited with the first résumé, which was actually a letter written around 1481–1482 to a potential employer, Ludovico Sforza. For the next 450 years, the résumé remained a simple description of a person, including their abilities and past jobs. By the early 1900s, résumés included personal details like weight, height, marital status, and religion. In the 1950s, they became mandatory and often began with personal interests and hobbies. The 1970s, marking the start of the Digital Age, saw résumés adopt a more professional look in both presentation and content. The 21st century brought further evolution, as the internet and social media allowed for much faster distribution. LinkedIn launched in 2003, enabling users to post résumés and skills online. Since then, many SaaS companies have offered free online résumé builders, typically providing templates for users to insert credentials and experience, then download a résumé or share a portfolio link via social media. With YouTube’s 2005 launch, video résumés became more common, especially among high school students applying to colleges and universities.

In many contexts, a résumé is limited to one or two pages (A4 or letter-size), highlighting only experiences and qualifications that match an employer’s job description. Many résumés include keywords or skills that employers seek, identified by applicant tracking systems (ATS). Effective résumés also use action verbs to describe duties and accomplishments favorably. Acronyms and credentials after the applicant’s name should be spelled out fully in the relevant section to improve chances of being found in a computerized keyword scan. Today, a résumé is seen as a marketing tool, with content adapted for each job posting or industry. By late 2002, job seekers and students began creating interactive résumés, which might include links, clickable phone numbers, and email addresses. After YouTube’s 2006 launch, multimedia and video résumés also emerged. Job seekers started bypassing standard application processes by directly emailing employers or using “résumé blasting”—mass distribution to increase visibility. However, this often hurt their chances, as untailored résumés didn’t match specific employer needs. Consequently, résumés have become narrowly focused on the skills, keywords, and personal characteristics requested by employers. To manage all experiences, individuals now often keep a “master résumé”—a living document with no page limit, containing bulleted statements about education, work, internships, volunteer roles, groups, certifications, honors, awards, and even small projects that may hold transferable skills.

The complexity or simplicity of résumé formats varies by occupation and industry. Medical professionals, professors, artists, and others in specialized fields may use longer résumés or CVs. For instance, an artist’s résumé often focuses on artistic experience and achievements, including extensive lists of solo and group exhibitions, and is typically accompanied by a portfolio.

Résumés can be organized in different ways. One common format is the reverse chronological résumé, which lists employment history in reverse chronological order, starting with the most recent position. It includes employer names, job titles, and employment dates (with current positions listed as continuing). This format emphasizes recent work experience and career progression and is often used by applicants with a relatively continuous employment history or clear advancement.

In the EMEA and Asian countries, a curriculum vitae (CV) serves a similar purpose. This international CV is more like a résumé—a summary of education and experience—than the longer, more detailed CV expected in U.S. academic circles. However, international CVs vary by country. Many Middle East and African countries, as well as some parts of Asia, require personal data such as a photograph, gender, marital status, and children, which is not accepted in the UK, U.S., and some European countries. In South Asian countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh, a biodata document is often used instead of a résumé.