A Short History Of The CV

When did people start using a Curriculum Vitae or CV as an introduction to a prospective employer? Before we discuss that, a quick clarification, for the purposes of this post the “curriculum vitae” or CV, and the “resume”, are one and the same thing.

The CV, in the UK, is a decidedly modern document which started life after the Second World War and gradually grew in importance, but only really took off, becoming the norm, from the mid 1980s. If one studies historical job ads from The Times Online, it is striking to note that the vast majority of employers do not request a CV even as late as 1982.

Going much further back in time; job ads from around 1800 ask the applicant to apply in person for more junior posts or perhaps by letter for professionals. By the start of the 20th century this still holds true although requests for letters of application are more common for more junior roles too. We have to move to the 1950s to see a kind of proto-CV request; by this time applicants are instructed to apply by letter but “including full details of experience”. This formula is still the norm in the 1960s when applicants are also commonly told to write including “full particulars” of experience.

In the 1970s one sees the arrival of application forms for many vacancies although many job ads still request a letter from candidates with no mention of a CV. A phone call is now also commonly requested. Only in the 1980s does one generally encounter job ads that ask candidates to send a curriculum vitae.

In the USA it is argued that the one page “resume” was seriously boosted by the arrival home from the Second World War of hundreds of thousands of servicemen. These soldiers, sailors and aircrew were demobbed from 1945, and many immediately began to seek work. Employers were overwhelmed with applications and so they encouraged applicants to write a one page resume so they could quickly assess the suitability of the job seeker.

In previous eras CVs were simply not used. In feudal Europe and later up to the early modern age, the travelling guild journeyman would carry a letter of introduction from his master. Widespread illiteracy meant that most people could not write a CV. Lack of job market flexibility meant that most people did not need a CV; people stayed where they were born on the whole and job “applications” – when people didn’t just do as their fathers had done – consisted of personal contacts. As Social Theorist Max Weber says in “The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism” (1905), workers in pre-capitalist institutions understood work in terms of personal relationships between master and journeyman in a guild; or between lord and peasant in a manor.

Even in the capitalist age there was a lack of job mobility until relatively recently in the later 20th century. CVs need a mobile, educated labour force to exist and, of course, the IT revolution has enabled and facilitated the growth of the CV.

My Career Advice company DJMRO offers senior, professional CV-writing as well as two unique careers packages for executive job-seekers; Individually-tailored CV Marketing Campaigns and DJMRO Career Boost. See my Linkedin profile and www.djmro.com for more info.

Contact me anytime to discuss how I can help boost your career.

DJMRO: Our International Customers

It really is a global village. Our customers at DJMRO come from nearly 40 countries.

They choose DJMRO to market them to their preferred sectors and geographies - or just to write them an excellent CV. Our customers are senior people with very impressive backgrounds; they want to take charge of their careers.

Here are our top ten countries by customer nationality:

1/ India
2/ Canada
3/ USA
4/ UK
5/ Egypt
6/ Jordan
7/ France
8/ Saudi Arabia
9/ Pakistan
10/South Africa

Plus, just missing out on the top 10 are: UAE, Turkey, Holland, Germany, Tunisia, Cote D'Ivoire, Mexico and Russia.

DJMRO offers proactive career advice and support mostly, but not exclusively, to international executives in the telecoms, technology and mining sectors. Our services include CV-writing, the Individually-tailored CV Marketing Campaign package and DJMRO Career Boost. Check out my Linkedin profile and the website - www.djmro.com - for more info. Contact me anytime to discuss how DJMRO's new and innovative career services can help you.

Customers who choose the Marketing Campaign or Career Boost packages receive the DJMRO promise: we will work with you until you find a new role.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Very best regards,

Darren Manning
+ 44 (0) 7772 101 364
+ 44 (0) 208 690 8117
Skype: darren.manning1969
www.djmro.com