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Résumé
A résumé, sometimes spelled resume (or alternatively
resumé),[a][1] also called a curriculum vitae (CV), is a document
created and used by a person to present their background, skills,
and accomplishments. Résumés can be used for a variety of
reasons, but most often they are used to secure new
employment.[2]

A typical résumé contains a summary of relevant job experience

and education. The résumé is usually one of the first items, along
with a cover letter and sometimes an application for employment,
which a potential employer sees regarding the job seeker and is
typically used to screen applicants, often followed by an interview.

The curriculum vitae used for employment purposes in the UK

(and in other European countries) is more akin to the résumé—a
shorter, summary version of one's education and experience—
An example of a résumé with a
than to the longer and more detailed CV that is expected in U.S.
common format with the name John
academic circles.
Doe.
In South Asian countries such as India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh,
biodata is often used in place of a résumé.[3]

History
The word "résumé" comes from the French word résumer meaning 'to summarize'.[4] Leonardo da
Vinci is credited with the first résumé, though his "résumé" takes the form of a letter written about
1481–1482 to a potential employer, Ludovico Sforza.[5][6] For the next 450 years, the résumé
continued to be simply a description of a person, including abilities and past employment. In the early
1900s, résumés included information like weight, height, marital status, and religion. By 1950,
résumés were considered mandatory and started to include information like personal interests and
hobbies. It was not until the 1970s, the beginning of the Digital Age, that résumés took on a more
professional look in terms of presentation and content.[7] The start of the 21st century saw a further
evolution for résumés on the internet as social media helped people spread résumés faster. In 2003
LinkedIn was launched, which allowed users to post their resumes and skills online.[8] Other than
LinkedIn, several other SaaS companies are now helping job seekers with free online résumé builders.
These usually provide templates to insert credentials and experience and create a résumé to download

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or an online portfolio link to share via social media.[9] With the launch of YouTube in 2006, Video
résumés became common, and more and more high school students began to send them to different
colleges and universities.[10]

Description
In many contexts, a résumé is typically limited to one or two pages of size A4 or letter-size,
highlighting only those experiences and qualifications that the author considers most relevant to the
desired position. Many résumés contain keywords or skills that potential employers are looking for
via applicant tracking systems, make heavy use of active verbs, and display content in a flattering
manner. Acronyms and credentials after the applicant's name should be spelled out fully in the
appropriate section of the résumé to increase the likelihood they are found in a computerized keyword
scan.[11]

A résumé is a marketing document in which the content should be adapted to suit each individual job
application or applications aimed at a particular industry. In late 2002, job seekers and students
started making interactive résumés such as résumés having links, clickable phone numbers and email
addresses. With the launch of YouTube in 2006, job seekers and students also started to create
multimedia and video résumés.[12] Job seekers were able to circumvent the application for
employment process and reach employers through direct email contact and résumé blasting, a term
meaning the mass distribution of résumés to increase personal visibility within the job market.
However, the mass distribution of résumés to employers can often have a negative effect on the
applicant's chances of securing employment as the résumés tend not to be tailored for the specific
positions the applicant is applying for. It is usually, therefore, more sensible to optimize the résumé
for each position applied for and its keywords. In order to keep track of all experiences, keeping a
"master résumé" document is recommended, providing job seekers with the ability to customize a
tailored résumé while making sure extraneous information is easily accessible for future use if
needed.

The complexity or simplicity of various résumé formats tends to produce results varying from person
to person, for the occupation, and the industry. Résumés or CVs used by medical professionals,
professors, artists, and people in other specialized fields may be comparatively longer. For example,
an artist's résumé, typically excluding any non-art-related employment, may include extensive lists of
solo and group exhibitions.

Styles
Résumés may be organized in different ways. The following are some of the more common résumé
formats:

Reverse chronological résumé

A reverse chronological résumé lists a candidate's job experiences in chronological order (last thing
first), generally covering the previous 10 to 15 years. Positions are listed with starting and ending
dates. Current positions on a résumé typically list the starting date to the present. The reverse
chronological résumé format[13] is most commonly used by professionals who are making
advancements in the same vertical.[14] In using this format, the main body of the document becomes
the Professional Experience section, starting from the most recent experience and moving

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chronologically backward through a succession of previous experience. The reverse chronological

résumé works to build credibility through experience gained, while illustrating career growth over
time and filling all gaps in a career trajectory. A chronological résumé is not recommended to job
seekers with gaps in their career summaries. In the United Kingdom the chronological résumé tends
to extend only as far back as the applicant's GCSE/Standard Grade qualifications.

Functional résumé

A functional résumé lists work experience and skills sorted by skill area or job function.

The functional résumé is used to focus on skills that are specific to the type of position being sought.
This format directly emphasizes specific professional capabilities and utilizes experience summaries
as its primary means of communicating professional competency. In contrast, the chronological
résumé format will briefly highlight these competencies prior to presenting a comprehensive timeline
of career growth through reverse chronological listings, with the most recent experience listed first.
The functional résumé works well for those making a career change, having a varied work history or
with little work experience. A functional résumé is also preferred for applications to jobs that require
very specific skills or clearly defined personality traits. A functional résumé is a good method for
highlighting particular skills or experiences, especially when those particular skills or experiences may
have derived from a role which was held some time ago. Rather than focus on the length of time that
has passed, the functional résumé allows the reader to identify those skills quickly.

Online résumés

As the search for employment has become more electronic, it is common for employers to only accept
résumés electronically, either out of practicality or preference. This has changed much about the
manner in which résumés are written, read, and processed. Some career experts are pointing out that
today a paper-based résumé is an exception rather than the rule.[15]

Many employers and hiring managers now find candidates' résumés through search engines, which
makes it more important for candidates to use appropriate keywords when writing a résumé. Larger
employers use Applicant Tracking Systems to search, filter, and manage high volumes of résumés. Job
ads may direct applicants to email a résumé to a company or visit its website and submit a résumé in
an electronic format.

Many employers, and recruitment agencies working on their behalf, insist on receiving résumés in a
particular file format. Some require Microsoft Word documents, while others will only accept résumés
formatted in HTML, PDF, or plain ASCII text sometimes.

Another consideration for electronic résumé documents is that they are parsed with natural language
processors. Résumé parsers may correctly interpret some parts of the content of the résumé but not
other parts. The best résumé parsers capture a high percentage of information regarding location,
names, titles, but are less accurate with skills, industries and other less structured or rapidly changing
data. Résumés written in a standard format are more likely to be correctly interpreted by résumé
parsers, and thereby may make the candidate more findable.

One advantage for the employers to online résumés is the significant cost saving compared to
traditional hiring methods.[16] Another is that potential employers no longer have to sort through
massive stacks of paper.

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AI-tools can be used to test résumé template.[17]

Infographic, video and website résumés

As the Internet becomes more driven by multimedia, job-seekers have sought to take advantage of the
trend by moving their résumés away from the traditional paper and email media to website résumés
or e-résumés.[18]

Video, infographic, and even Vine résumés have gained popularity recently, though mainly in the
creative and media industries.[19]

This trend has attracted criticism from human resources management professionals, who warn that
this may be a passing fad and point out that multimedia-based résumés may be overlooked by
recruiters whose workflow is designed only to accommodate a traditional résumé format.[20]

Résumé evaluation
Many résumé development agencies offer résumé evaluation services wherein they evaluate the
résumé and suggest any necessary changes. Candidates are free to either do those changes themselves
or may take help of the agency. Some career fields include a special section listing the lifelong works
of the author: for computer-related fields, the softography; for musicians and composers, the
discography; for actors, a filmography.

Keeping résumés online has become increasingly common for people in professions that benefit from
the multimedia and rich detail that are offered by an HTML résumé, such as actors, photographers,
graphic designers, developers, dancers, etc.[21] Job seekers are finding an ever-increasing demand to
have an electronic version of their résumé available to employers and professionals who use Internet
recruiting.[22] Online résumé distribution services have emerged to allow job seekers to distribute
their résumés to numerous employers of their choice through email.[23]

Résumé as one part of a personal branding mix

In some sectors, particularly in the startup community, use of traditional résumé has seen a
consistent decline.[24] While standalone résumés are still used to apply for jobs, job seekers may also
view their résumés as one of a number of assets which form their personal brand and work together
to strengthen their job application. In this scenario, résumés are generally used to provide a potential
employer with factual information (e.g., achievements), while the social media platforms give insight
into the job seekers' motivations and personality in development.

See also
Background check
Europass European Standardized model
Federal resume
Résumé fraud
Curriculum vitae
Cover letter

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Résumé parsing
Video resume

Notes
a. US: /ˈrɛzʊmeɪ/ UK: /ˈrɛzjʊmeɪ/; French: [ʁezyme]

References
1. "résumé" (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/r%C3%A9sum%C3%A9). Merriam-
Webster Online.
2. "Resume | Define Resume at Dictionary.com" (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/resume).
Dictionary.reference.com. Retrieved 8 March 2017.
3. Sehgal, M. K. (2008). Business Communication. Excel Books. p. 392. ISBN 9788174465016.
4. "resume" (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/resume). Merriam-Webster. Retrieved
9 March 2015. "French résumé, from past participle of résumer to resume, summarize, from
Middle French resumer"
5. Pratt, Síofra. "3 Lessons Every Job Seeker Can Learn from the World's Oldest CV" (https://www.li
nkedin.com/pulse/20141015111116-2417166-3-lessons-every-job-seeker-can-learn-from-the-worl
d-s-oldest-cv). LinkedIn. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
6. "The Skills of Leonardo da Vinci" (http://www.lettersofnote.com/2012/03/skills-of-da-vinci.html).
Lettersofnote.com. 28 March 2012. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
7. "The 500-Year Evolution Of The Resume" (http://www.businessinsider.com/how-resumes-have-ev
olved-since-their-first-creation-in-1482-2011-2). Business Insider. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
8. "The History of the Resume" (https://www.davron.net/history-of-the-resume/). davron.net. 10
February 2016. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
9. "Best Resume Builders for a Professional & Eye Catching Look" (https://tech-vise.com/build-awes
ome-cvs-with-these-services/). tech-vise.com. 14 April 2021. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
10. "The 500-Year Evolution Of The Resume" (http://www.businessinsider.com/how-resumes-have-ev
olved-since-their-first-creation-in-1482-2011-2). Business Insider. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
11. "How to Write Powerful and Memorable HR Resumes" (https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/h
r-topics/organizational-and-employee-development/pages/how-to-create-an-hr-resume.aspx). 19
May 2021.
12. "The 500-Year Evolution Of The Resume" (http://www.businessinsider.com/how-resumes-have-ev
olved-since-their-first-creation-in-1482-2011-2). Business Insider. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
13. "Reverse Chronological Resume Format: Focusing on Work History, Growth - For Dummies" (htt
p://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/reverse-chronological-resume-format-focusing-on-w0.htm
l). Dummies.com. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
14. "What are the Types of Resume for Job [Applicable for all]" (https://www.readresume.com/2018/0
6/25/different-types-of-resume-for-job/). Read Resume. 25 June 2018. Retrieved 15 February
2019.
15. Garone, Liz (23 June 2014). "To Print Or Not To Print" (https://www.bbc.com/capital/story/2014062
0-to-print-or-not-to-print). bbc.com. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
16. "Career Advice, Find a Job & Salary Trends - Wall Street Journal" (http://www.careerjournal.com/h
rcenter/weddlesguide/19990405-weddle.html). Careerjournal.com. 3 October 2002. Retrieved
8 March 2017.

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17. Zwan, Gwen van der (11 June 2019). "Robots reviewed my resume and they were not impressed"
(https://thenextweb.com/news/ai-robots-reviewed-my-resume-unimpressed-work). TNW |
Work2030. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
18. "Importance of an E-resume | Online Resume" (https://www.resumemaster.in/blog/importance-of-a
n-e-resume/). Resume Master. 18 September 2018. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
19. Shontell, Alyson (27 February 2013). "10 Resumes That Got Worldwide Attention" (https://finance.
yahoo.com/news/11-resumes-that-got-worldwide-attention-194410148.html). finance.yahoo.com.
Retrieved 25 June 2014.
20. "Recruiters Tell Us: Do Résumé Fads Really Work?" (https://www.forbes.com/sites/dailymuse/201
2/05/18/recruiters-tell-us-do-resume-fads-really-work/). forbes.com. 18 May 2012. Retrieved
25 June 2014.
21. "How to Write an Actor's/Singer's CV" (https://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/cv/actorcv.htm). Kent
University.
22. Presely, Eric (8 May 2008). "An E-friendly Résumé in 5 Easy Steps" (http://edition.cnn.com/2008/L
IVING/worklife/05/07/cb.e.resume/index.html?iref=nextin). cnn.com.
23. Burdick, Cody (17 March 2016). "The Future of the Resume" (http://www.tampabay.com/news/bus
iness/workinglife/the-future-of-the-resume/2269763). Tampa Bay Times.
24. Lawrence, Daina (5 June 2014). "Is The Resume Dead?" (https://www.theglobeandmail.com/repor
t-on-business/economy/is-the-resume-dead/article18988834/). forbes.com. Retrieved 25 June
2014.

Bibliography
The dictionary definition of curriculum vitae at Wiktionary

Bennett, Scott A. The Elements of Résumé Style: Essential Rules and Eye-Opening Advice for
Writing Résumés and Cover Letters that Work. AMACOM, 2005 ISBN 0-8144-7280-X.
Whitcomb, Susan Britton. Resume Magic: Trade Secrets of a Professional Resume Writer, Third
Edition. JIST Publishing, 2006. ISBN 978-1-59357-311-9.
Thiollet, Jean-Pierre.Euro CV, Paris, Top Editions, 1997. ISBN 2-87731-131-7

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