CVs have been with us for over 500 years. The first known version was penned by none other than Leonardo da Vinci in 1482 — a bold letter to the Duke of Milan, laying out his skills, inventions, and credentials in the hopes of securing work.
Half a millennium later, not much has changed.
We still ask young people — many of whom have limited work experience — to sum up their lives, strengths, and potential on a single page and hope it opens doors. But here’s the uncomfortable truth:
CVs often tell us very little. And they prove even less.
A Tradition Built on Assumptions
Somehow, the CV has become a fixed part of growing up. Schools teach it. Employers ask for it. Young people, nervously, write it. But if we take a step back and ask what a CV is actually for — or what it really shows — the answers become vague.
Educators and employers alike say they want to understand a young person’s skills, interests, and potential.
But the traditional CV is rarely the best way to uncover any of that. Why?
- CVs are self-reported — anyone can write anything
- They often measure writing skills, not practical ability
- Young people often have limited experience to draw on
- They’re inconsistent — some pupils get help writing them, others don’t
- They can be influenced by confidence, not capability
So why do we still lean so heavily on a format that tells us so little?
Familiar, Not Effective
The CV doesn’t survive because it works. It survives because it’s comfortable.
We know what a CV looks like. It feels official. It fits into folders. It’s neat, structured, and assessable — even if that assessment is largely guesswork.
In an age where we talk more than ever about soft skills, creative thinking, digital confidence, and emotional intelligence, it’s ironic that we still rely on a document that reveals none of those things.
For young people — particularly school leavers without much formal experience — the CV can feel more like a performance than a representation. It’s a ritual. A hoop to jump through. A template filled in to tick a box.
And for some, it can be actively disheartening.
So What Should We Be Using Instead?
If CVs no longer reflect the world we live or work in, maybe it’s time to shift the goalposts.
Rather than asking teenagers to draft formal job applications for roles they’ve never had, we should be helping them build evidence of who they are and what they can do — in formats that feel more authentic and useful.
That might look like:
- Digital profiles that capture projects, creative work, and feedback from others
- Skills passports that show experiences of teamwork, problem solving, and communication
- Guided reflections, co-created with mentors or teachers, that highlight how a pupil has grown
- Platforms like Startingpoint, which help young people express their interests, motivations, and potential beyond just qualifications
This isn’t about banning the CV altogether. For some roles and sectors, it still has relevance. But it’s time we stopped treating it as the gold standard — especially when it does so little to support or celebrate the full breadth of a young person’s development.
Building Confidence Through Evidence
When young people can see — and show — what they’ve actually done, confidence grows.
A digital portfolio, a feedback log, or a personal profile built over time gives them a more accurate sense of what they’re capable of. And when they start connecting those experiences to real-world skills, they become more self-aware, more motivated, and better prepared for whatever comes next.
We’re not just helping them write about their future — we’re helping them build it.
The Bottom Line?
CVs have had a good run. Over five centuries, in fact.
But as we look to the future — one that values adaptability, collaboration, creativity, and digital fluency — we need tools that keep up. Not relics from the past.
It’s time to stop asking young people to prove themselves on paper — and start giving them platforms that capture who they really are.
