The Curriculum Vitae - built on & defined by limit

In this post I am going to look at the traditional Curriculum Vitae (CV). I would argue that there needs to be a shift away from the CV. Why? Because it reinforces working systems and structures that are built on limit. 

How so? Well the idea is to go to university once you leave school to study something, something more than likely impressed upon you by your parents or society. Once you have received your degree you're then told to put your CV together to apply for jobs in your field of study. 

Here's what's limited about this ideology. You might be applying for a job that you really have no interest in but perhaps it's something you need to start earning a wage. So the CV serves as something that represents you, even though it may not be anything like who you really are. 

The traditional way of finding a job is to send your CV to a recruitment agency who then places you accordingly. Or, you do the leg work yourself and sift through online postings and send your CV to the postings that most match your qualifications and experience. 

This too is limited because it's like taking a shot in the dark or casting your fishing line into the ocean to see which companies 'bite.'

I would suggest that the future of the CV be made obsolete, or at least only introduced to the potential work partner (I dislike employee) once you have met with them a couple of times. 

What the CV does is also limit ones own potential. There's no intense focus that goes into the makeup of a CV - you simply write it up and get it out there. This is why the idea of mastery is now something that is almost extinct. 

If you want to be a master at something you have to identify something that you enjoy doing and match your skills accordingly. Then you have to spend hours honing your skills as an apprentice, learning from the masters that have gone before you. And then when you're really good at that skill you can branch off on your own or pair-up with an organisation who needs your unique talent. 

But the idea of the CV disregards this entirely. There's no concept of researching companies who you would like to work with or finding masters who you would like to learn from. 

If you want to be really good at something why should a CV be a barrier to achieving your dreams? A more expansive mindset would focus on having conversations with like-minded people who we can work with to achieve our goals. It's all about cooperation. 

A CV implies you're nothing more than a number. No personality, no passion, no unique interests or hidden talents and definitely no concept of wanting to master something. Rather than send your CV,  spend time finding out who you would like to work with. Then have conversations with those people. Show them your enthusiasm and excitement to want to learn what they know.