curriculum vitae

curriculum vitae (CV), document that describes an individual’s qualifications and career history and typically constitutes the gateway to a job interview and potential employment. Derived from a Latin phrase that translates as “course of one’s life,” a curriculum vitae, or CV, highlights achievements such as certificates, diplomas, and degrees, awards received, articles and books published (publications), and presentations made to conferences or groups by the subject. A CV is generally two to four pages in length, depending on the context. Both curriculum and curricula are accepted as plural forms of the compound noun.

During the Middle Ages, skilled artisans provided potential employers with portfolios showcasing their work. In the Renaissance, Leonardo da Vinci created what can be considered a forerunner to the current CV when he wrote a letter to the duke of Milan detailing his expertise while offering his services as an artist. Similarly, surveyor and cartographer Ralph Agas described his skills in pamphlets that he distributed in Elizabethan England with the hope of alluring clients. More recently, the practice of writing a good “brief” was expounded upon by Napoleon Hill in 1937 in his book devoted to helping readers achieve success, Think and Grow Rich.

In the 1950s, as CVs became an essential part of the job application process, prospective employers requested personal information such as age, weight, and marital status as well as a professional photo. During the following decade, hobbies and interests were added to CVs. In the 1970s, videocassette components were sometimes added to printed CVs. The subsequent development of the Internet and business-oriented social networking websites such as LinkedIn fueled the spread of the digital CV, as online recruitment methods superseded postal submissions.

In the United States, a CV differs from a résumé (or resume) in terms of length and focus. From the French “to summarize,” a résumé consists of a shorter, concise account of one’s accomplishments (that is, education, work history, skills, and other credentials) and is often only one page long. In several countries, however, the term CV is often used interchangeably with résumé and thus refers to the concise version. In the United Kingdom, for instance, a CV typically does not exceed two pages in length. In the U.S., a résumé typically focuses specifically on the experience and skills required to perform the job that is sought and thus requires regular tailoring and editing, whereas a CV is more comprehensive. A résumé is primarily based on competency, while a CV focuses on credentials. In the U.S., CVs are generally used in scientific and academic circles, whereas résumés are used in other contexts.