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Reader question: Please explain “proven track record” in this sentence: He is highly experienced in the IT industry with a proven track record in marketing, sales and general management. My comments: In other words, he’s had an illustrious career in the IT industry, and was particularly successful in marketing, sales and general management. Proven track record means, literally, that his past experiences prove that he has been successful. Track record is a cliché meaning one’s past experiences. Track, as in track and fields, refers to the running track. “Record” refers to the record book, a list of all the times an athlete clocks in running certain distances. When not addressing athletes, track record then metaphorically refers to all the roads (tracks) people have trekked or travelled, hence their past experiences in various fields of activity. Proven? That means it’s a good track record, proving that the person has been successful. Whenever a company looks to hire someone, they check his/her CV to see what they have accomplished in the past. CV, of course, is short for curriculum vitae, a Latin expression for “course of (my) life”, i.e. a straightforward overview of one’s qualifications and experience. One who’s previously been successful in sales, for instance, is often described as having a proven track record in sales. Generally speaking, people with successful past experiences are favored with potential new employers, who tend to believe that if they can do it once, they can do it again. | 
