Leonardo da Vinci created the first recorded resume in 1482 through a letter to the Duke of Milan requesting patronage and support. This fact might surprise many who consider resumes a modern invention.
The resume's progress from its Italian origins to modern digital formats tells an incredible story. The concept we recognize today emerged during the Great Depression of the 1930s when job competition reached its peak. Written resumes became essential for interview consideration by 1950.
Job advertisements started consistently requesting resumes in the early 1950s. Resume work history remains vital today, though its format has changed significantly. The rise of online job boards has transformed how job seekers share their credentials.
The story of resumes reveals surprising origins and a remarkable digital transformation that shapes today's job search landscape.
The Origins of the Resume
The word résumé originates from the French word résumer meaning 'to summarize'. Let me tell you how this simple job-seeking tool first came to be.
Leonardo da Vinci's letter to the Duke of Milan
A 30-year-old Leonardo da Vinci created what historians now call the first formal résumé in 1482. He had just finished his apprenticeship with Master Andre del Verrochchio and started working as a freelance painter when he looked for opportunities beyond Florence.
The Codex Atlanticus at the Biblioteca Ambrosiana preserves his handwritten letter to Ludovico Sforza, Duke of Milan (nicknamed "Il Moro") - the earliest known curriculum vitae. The sort of thing I love about this document is da Vinci's clever approach. He presented himself first as a military engineer who could design war machines and innovative defensive systems. His artistic talents came last in the letter.
Leonardo's letter showcased these skills:
- Designing lightweight, portable bridges
- Creating defensive systems and fortifications
- Manufacturing artillery and weapons
- Sculpting in marble, bronze, and clay
- Painting and architectural abilities
His strategy worked perfectly, he spent nearly twenty years serving at the Milanese court.
Guilds and skill-based introductions in the Middle Ages
Medieval guilds shaped the development of resume-like documents before Leonardo's famous letter. These groups of artisans and merchants controlled craft practices in specific areas.
English guilds brought together people with specific skills and expertise. Craftspeople used resume-like documents to showcase their experience to wealthy patrons. These guilds existed somewhere between professional associations, trade unions, and secret societies.
Early examples of resume-like documents
The résumé kept evolving after Leonardo's trailblazing effort. It remained "a description of a person, including abilities and past employment" for centuries.
English land surveyor Ralph Agas created advertisements in the late 1500s that described his skills, expertise, and projects. He claimed 40 years of experience in land surveying in one ad, making him possibly the first person to advertise his resume through media.
Résumés served as personal summaries of skills and experience for 450 years after Leonardo. People called them "application letters" or "letters of application" throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The Resume in the 20th Century
The 20th century saw resumes become vital job-seeking tools after a 300-year gap in documented history between 1600 and 1900. Economic changes and world events altered the map of resume standards.
Resumes in the 1930s: A response to the Great Depression
The Great Depression changed everything about job hunting. Job seekers needed ways to stand out as competition for scarce positions became fierce. Modern resumes emerged as the solution and became common practice by the early 1930s. These early documents would shock today's job seekers with their content - they included height, weight, marital status, and even religion. People called them data sheets back then, and employers didn't always expect them with applications.
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