The Resume of a Genius

The oldest surviving 'Resume' in history.
Leonardo da Vinci's pitch letter to the Duke of Milan 

The year : 1482

The place : Milan, Italy

A 30 year old Leonardo da Vinci (yes, the Mona Lisa guy), after working for 14 years in Florence, has just shifted to the city. He needs to find work, and so he decides to send a letter directly to the Duke of Milan, Ludovico Sforza, to ask for a job at the court. He pulls out his quill and fresh parchment, and starts :  "To My Most Illustrious Lord... ", which, I guess, is just a more elaborate way of saying "Dear Sir". 

This letter is perhaps, the oldest surviving resume in history. We will talk more about this later in this article, but first we need to rewind a bit to set the context.

The year : 1468

The place: Florence. Italy

With hardly any formal schooling, a 14 year Leonardo from the small town of Vinci, finds an apprenticeship in nearby Florence, at the workshop of master painter and goldsmith Andrea Verrochhio. Leonardo is talented, a keen observer, and a quick learner. It's therefore no surprise that, in a few more years, Leonardo is as good, if not better than, his master. From here, to introducing his own distinctive signature styles and innovations in art, are but a few quick steps for him.  Tick those off as done too. (As examples, Google for 'sfumato' or 'chiaroscuro').  The competitive painting scene of early Renaissance, clearly has a new name to contend with.

But Leonardo is not just an artist. He's versatile. He's a scientist, He's an engineer. He’s an architect. He's an innovator. He’s an inventor. He's a seeker of beauty. He seeks beauty in his art, in nature, in his imagination, and in his ideas. His notebooks are quickly filling up, with sketches of human anatomy made while dissecting human cadavers, perspective drawings, studies for his upcoming paintings, geometrical shapes, mechanical drawings of flying machines, quotes from Dante's 'Inferno', a description of the tongue of a woodpecker (no jokes, it's there), and even to-do-lists. All these mixed up together, very often on the same page. For Leonardo, art is connected   to engineering, which is connected to natural sciences. His genius lies in the harmonies and analogies that he finds between these seemingly disparate disciplines, even if such connections lie in the cusp between his imagination and reality. 

From this description, you may think that Leonardo is by now the toast of the culturally virile city of Florence. 

Well not quite. Yes certainly, by now he has produced some great paintings commissioned by wealthy families and by religious establishments, both independently as well as collaboratively with Verrochhio. But he has also left many of his works unfinished or undelivered to clients, to which he occasionally goes back, to improve, embellish or perfect them. This, as you may imagine, does nothing to build his reputation as a reliable artist. There are others, like Botticelli, who are able to develop much better relationships with wealthy patrons, like the Medici family, and are the talk of the town.

Leonardo is different from the crowd in other ways too. He is illegitimate, left handed, vegetarian and at times heretical. He is a homosexual (though to be fair, this isn't very  uncommon in Florence at this time), and is battling accusations of sodomy.  He is also battling his own demons, mental despair and depression. 

Time flies. Before he realises it, Leonardo is in his late twenties. Maybe it's just inertia, but he hangs on to working in Verrocchio's workshop, well after his co-apprentices have left. He finally does leave it to set up his own studio, but that too doesn't go anywhere either.

So he decides to leave the city to try his luck at building a career in Milan, a city three times bigger than Florence. Life in Milan can be expected to be quite different. While art thrives here as well, it's not in the same league as Florence. While Florence was the artistic capital Milan was intellectually diverse. Unlike Florence, which is a republic (though admittedly controlled behind the scenes by the wealthy Medici family), Milan has a hereditary ruler - the Duke. Succession intrigues and assassinations are to be expected. As are wars with other city-states (including Florence). 

Dear readers, this is where we must return back to Leonardo writing the letter to the Duke of Milan asking for work. In other words, his resume. Here I must pause and pose a question to you. 

You have now got some understanding, through my description, of Leonardo, his work so far, his  capabilities and his situation. If you really think about it, it's not a very different situation than what many of us face when we look at a mid career switch. Some of you may also be viewing yourselves as the under recognized or underpaid performers in your organization and are looking for a change. If not, you may face this situation sometime down the road in your careers. 

You may therefore find it relevant and interesting to think about the following :

How would you advise Leonardo to structure his resume? What should he highlight, include, or totally leave out?

1) The work that he produced during the last 14 years?

2) The new painting styles that he developed and adopted?

3) All his skills? His talents? His achievements?

4) Client testimonials/references? 

5)  Ideas scribbled in your diary but which have just remained there? 

Once you have answered this for yourself, you may like to read the English translation of Leonardo's actual letter here  (or see the Annexure below) and compare it with your advice to him. 

Did your thoughts match with that of Leonardo? What do you think are the learnings that you can draw from Leonardo's approach? Do you believe Leonardo was being truthful? What are the pitfalls of this approach? Does/Did your actual mid career resume (if there is one) match your answers here? 

I would love to see your comments here or on the post on LinkedIn.

PS : For those who didn't actually bother reading Leonardo's resume here are the key points.

• Almost the entire resume is about the client and not about his own past achievements. It’s not about how great he is but about how useful he can be. He anticipates needs of the client and describes precise solutions for those needs. Many of these pertain to military equipment and situations. He has obviously researched what they may want.
• Almost the entire resume is about specific ideas which are bound to arouse interest. The ideas are presented directly, clearly and confidently. He even says "if you don't believe me I'll demonstrate them to you" (Actually, at the time of his application, he had only sketchy plans for these solutions).
• His painting skills get only a small mention and that too near the end of the letter. 
• There is no mention about Florence. Possibly Milan didn't care much about Florence.
• The resume is meant only for this client. It is not templatised or generic letter.

Incidentally, he got the job - but as a designer of stage props for pageants. Almost all the ideas in his resume were not tried till much later, and anyway most of them didn't work. 

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Annexure : English Translation of Leonardo's actual letter to the Duke of Milan

My Most Illustrious Lord,

Having now sufficiently seen and considered the achievements of all those who count themselves masters and artificers of instruments of war, and having noted that the invention and performance of the said instruments is in no way different from that in common usage, I shall endeavour, while intending no discredit to anyone else, to make myself understood to Your Excellency for the purpose of unfolding to you my secrets, and thereafter offering them at your complete disposal, and when the time is right bringing into effective operation all those things which are in part briefly listed below:

1. I have plans for very light, strong and easily portable bridges with which to pursue and, on some occasions, flee the enemy, and others, sturdy and indestructible either by fire or in battle, easy and convenient to lift and place in position. Also means of burning and destroying those of the enemy.

2. I know how, in the course of the siege of a terrain, to remove water from the moats and how to make an infinite number of bridges, mantlets and scaling ladders and other instruments necessary to such an enterprise.

3. Also, if one cannot, when besieging a terrain, proceed by bombardment either because of the height of the glacis or the strength of its situation and location, I have methods for destroying every fortress or other stranglehold unless it has been founded upon a rock or so forth.

4. I have also types of cannon, most convenient and easily portable, with which to hurl small stones almost like a hail-storm; and the smoke from the cannon will instil a great fear in the enemy on account of the grave damage and confusion.

5. Also, I have means of arriving at a designated spot through mines and secret winding passages constructed completely without noise, even if it should be necessary to pass underneath moats or any river.

6. Also, I will make covered vehicles, safe and unassailable, which will penetrate the enemy and their artillery, and there is no host of armed men so great that they would not break through it. And behind these the infantry will be able to follow, quite uninjured and unimpeded.

7. Also, should the need arise, I will make cannon, mortar and light ordinance of very beautiful and functional design that are quite out of the ordinary.

8. Where the use of cannon is impracticable, I will assemble catapults, mangonels, trebuckets and other instruments of wonderful efficiency not in general use. In short, as the variety of circumstances dictate, I will make an infinite number of items for attack and defence.

9. And should a sea battle be occasioned, I have examples of many instruments which are highly suitable either in attack or defence, and craft which will resist the fire of all the heaviest cannon and powder and smoke.

10. In time of peace I believe I can give as complete satisfaction as any other in the field of architecture, and the construction of both public and private buildings, and in conducting water from one place to another.

Also I can execute sculpture in marble, bronze and clay. Likewise in painting, I can do everything possible as well as any other, whosoever he may be.

Moreover, work could be undertaken on the bronze horse which will be to the immortal glory and eternal honour of the auspicious memory of His Lordship your father, and of the illustrious house of Sforza.

And if any of the above-mentioned things seem impossible or impracticable to anyone, I am most readily disposed to demonstrate them in your park or in whatsoever place shall please Your Excellency, to whom I commend myself with all possible humility.