简历 (jiǎn lì) literally means 'brief history' — 简 (jiǎn) means 'simple' or 'concise', and 历 (lì) means 'history' or 'record'. Together, they refer to a concise written summary of a person’s education, work experience, skills, and qualifications — what English speakers call a résumé or CV. It is an essential document for job applications in Chinese-speaking contexts, often submitted digitally or printed on clean, professional paper.

In China and other Mandarin-speaking regions, a well-structured 简历 is expected to include personal information (name, contact details), educational background, work history (with dates and responsibilities), language and technical skills, and sometimes a photo. Unlike Western résumés, Chinese employers may expect inclusion of age, marital status, or even political affiliation (e.g., Communist Party membership) in certain formal sectors — though this is becoming less common in private companies.