The Specialized CV/Resume and The General CV/Resume

The CV/Resume is more than likely your one shot at getting your foot in the door when it comes to being hired.

Although the world is coming out of a recession, recruitment is still something many firms are holding back on, slimming down many peoples chances at a job.

Getting hired could be easy if your the number one sales guy in Europe or America, this however is less than likely. You need to ensure your CV/Resume is up to scratch. Apparently, recruiters only spend 6 seconds glancing at your CV/Resume.

The Broad CV/Resume

If you're applying for many different types of jobs, you're going to want a broad CV/Resumes. Broad CV/Resumes are great because if you get it right, they need little editing per application and you should get a few phone calls back!

First, open it up with a paragraph on what you want to achieve throughout your career, do you enjoy leadership and taking charge? Write a line or two about it. Do you love being part of a large or small team? Tell them.

Next up is the skills section, you'll want to hit some broad terms, backed up with strong examples; showcasing how you learned and developed your skills. An example of broad skills could be: leadership, team work, content writing, administration etc.

If you have had a specialist education; eg. Software Development, but you want a job outside of that industry you must remember to diversify your education with opportunity. An example would be:

"Lancaster University: MSc. Software Development"

"Whilst studying this Masters in Software Development I broadened by learning experience through a variety of optional modules, such as HR for Software. Adding to my broader experiences I supplemented by Software Development course with extra curricular activity such as...."

If you are unsure what you want to do and are in need of a broad CV/Resume; remember to make yourself appear versatile, motivated and passionate about learning.

The Specialist CV/Resume:

A specialist CV/Resume is much different to that of the broad one discussed above. Within this particular CV/Resume you need to drill down on the core skills required for your particular job role. If you don't have some of the skills required you should make it your imperative to learn them and showcase examples of you going the extra mile to gain the skills necessary to progress in the job you've applied for.

If for example, you are writing a Documentum CV/Resume - you will have to have a broad understanding of all the specialist technologies involved within such a large software system. Therefore it is not only important to drill down on the technical skills you need for the job, but to also encompass this with a greater understanding of the work environment. You are the paintbrush, but you are painting a picture; do you know what the organisation is trying to achieve? Identify with core values expressed within your specialist field.

Conclusion:

If you are writing a general CV/Resume, remember to diversify any specialism you may have and keep your skill set broad, hitting key values most organisations have such as Leadership and Team Work.

When writing a specialized CV/Resume, remember to gain the core skills necessary to progress and excel in the job role you've applied for. It is also important to understand the bigger picture and connect with your specialist environment on a wider level than just your job (a good place to start is events, LinkedIn and forums).

Nima Samari is a writer, specializing in recruitment for technical fields. Currently working at Documentum City helping Documentum Specialists connect with forward thinking companies around the world.

Nima is also a keen blogger on topics of recruitment, technology and marketing.