Résumé Builder: The History Of The Résumé ~ From Da Vinci To Today~!!

As you may well know, a résumé is a document in which an individual lists their experience and skills for prospective job opportunities.  But did you realize that résumés have been around for over 500 years?  Da Vinci, the great inventor of yesteryear, was one of the first in recorded history to use a form of the résumé in order to acquire work.

The résumé was first used as a Letter of Introduction to employers and it didn't take long before the practice spread and others of importance began using the Letters of Introductions to further advance themselves.  During this time these letters influenced many a nation as it was easy to introduce people without the use of technology.

Over the years, however, the introductory letters took a downslide as their powers of persuasion were being abused.  Later, in the early 1900's they had become such a disgrace, that people were often seen jotting their history on scraps of paper as they sat over an interview with employers.

Sometime during the 1950's and 1960's it became important to have recorded all your vital information, including your age, weight, height, religion etc.  It wasn't unlike the profile pages we set up these days on our social media networking sites.  As the information became more prevalent, résumés began to take on a new light as employers began to insist that they be submitted when inquiring about employment.

Over the past century, the résumé has been shaped, sometimes including your hobbies and interests and with the advent of typewriters and their like, résumés began to take on a much more satisfying and professional quality about them.  Employers found them to be business like in quality and it became the standard practice to include one with your job proposal's.

With each new technological advance, it becomes easier to send résumés, whether it be via fax machine or the internet, employment possibilities now seem endless as the doorway to the world is opened, allowing potential employees to branch beyond their boundaries.

Today's résumés are taking on a high definition edge as job seekers are trying to stand out from the rest of the crowd by creating video resumes and using places like YouTube to advance their job options.  With many social media outlets, it is making networking your contacts easier to connect.

Employers now have the advantage of being able to do a more thorough background checks on their potential candidates with the advancement of programming and internet applications.  While the résumé appears to be shorter, the information an employer could glean from their contacts could be an added bonus on screening the right employee.

It is estimated that over 100 million résumés will be sent out this year and with data being optimized and analytics being observed and scintillated, the resume is about to take another change in its design.  While Da Vinci's Letter of Introductions may have taken a complete turn from its original intention, the letter is still being applied to today's résumé in the form of the cover letter.  The brief introduction meant to capture your intended employer's eye before digging further into your aptitudes has garnered many a job however, with the advances in media, the future of the cover letter may be at stake as more are turning to impressive, eye-catching strategies to stand above other candidates for the same position.

The creation of a résumé can be daunting for most people who are unsure how to sell themselves and that is what you are trying to accomplish by having a well-defined résumé to pass around.  Résumé builders are an excellent online source of information and they offer the  help individuals need to create a masterpiece in which to sell themselves. 

While the design and look of the résumé has changed over the years, a vast majority of employers still prefer the single sheet, black and white résumés without any of the extra flash. 

I am participating in a blogger campaign by Bucks2Blog for a resumebuilder company and was compensated. However, the views and opinions are my own.

Mad Moose Mama is an eclectic soul who loves to share her thoughts~!!