You’re not in a position to tailor your resume to a particular employer—the next best thing? Write a general resume that’ll give you the best possible chances. See how.
I had an interview yesterday and the first thing they said on the phone was: “Wow! I love your resume.” Patrick
I love the variety of templates. Good job guys, keep up the good work! Dylan
My previous resume was really weak and I used to spend hours adjusting it in Word. Now, I can introduce any changes within minutes. Absolutely wonderful! George
[Optional: Personal Website, Twitter, Other Relevant Links]
Summary
Entrepreneurial [job title] with [X] years’ experience working with [character of your job]. Helped [numbered achievement], increasing [numbered achievement] by [X]%. Seeking to leverage proven [type of skills] skills and [type of expertise] knowledge.
Experience
[Your Job Title]
[Company Name]
March 2019–present
[Job duties and accomplishments]
[Job duties and accomplishments]
[Job duties and accomplishments]
[Job duties and accomplishments]
[Your Job Title]
[Company Name]
January 2016–January 2019
[Job duties and accomplishments]
[Job duties and accomplishments]
[Job duties and accomplishments]
Education
[Degree], [major]
[Name of the college or university]
2011–2015
[Relevant courses]
[GPA, Latin honors, memberships]
Certifications
[List special certifications]
Awards
[List of awards]
Key Skills
[Soft skill]
[Communication skill]
[Hard skill]
[Technical skill]
[Computer skill]
Now here’s how to write a general resume that’s better than most:
1. Go With the Right General Resume Format
Your general resume is doomed to sometimes miss the mark when it comes to speaking to a given job ad’s requirements—
Make sure it at least always looks the part:
Choose a resume format that’s clean and sleek. One that recruiter’s are used to seeing and actively prefer. Here’s how:
Good Example
Entrepreneurial real estate broker with 5+ years’ experience working with both commercial and residential listings. Closed $17.35M in first year with KH Booker, increasing commercial lease revenue by 22%, and reducing closing time by 9% across the board. Seeking to leverage proven sales skills and market knowledge.Bad Example
Upbeat real estate broker with 5 years’ experience. Worked hard to sell properties and close leases. Seeking to leverage proven sales skills and market knowledge.
Big difference.
The first one is specific and concrete. It puts numbers to hard facts.
Great, but—
What if you don’t have any relevant work experience?
Write a resume objective and focus on relevant achievements from other lines of work, college, school, and volunteer work.
Good Example
Entrepreneurial, newly licensed real estate broker with demonstrable market knowledge. Finished Business Studies major with a 3.8 GPA, developed sales skills in retail sector. Seeking to leverage proven sales skills and market knowledge.Bad Example
Inexperienced, but ready to succeed in real estate. Looking for an agency that offers good advancement prospects.
Once again—
Concrete, focused on achievements, and backed by numbers.
Expert Hint: Leave writing your general resume objective or summary until last. You’ll have all the ingredients you need to write one after you’ve written your job descriptions and skills section.
3. Write the Perfect General Resume Job Descriptions and Skills
Convince them you can do the job—
By describing how you’ve done something similar.
Use resume achievements to accomplish this.
Make your resume work history section a non-stop showcase of accomplishments.
How to write a job description for a general resume:
Look through some relevant job ads ahead of time.
Pick out the most common skills and duties.
Think of times you’ve wowed past employers with those skills.
Write resume bullets that describe these achievements, with numbers.
These general resume examples show how:
General Resume Job Description
Good Example
Real Estate Agent
KH Booker
March 2019–present
Developed customized marketing plans for high-end listings, closing $17.35M in the first year.
Increased revenue from leased commercial properties by 22% from Q2 2019 to Q1 2020.
Educated other realtors at the agency by organizing at least two property tours per month.
Reduced closing time by 9% cloud syncing documentation to reduce slack time.
Bad Example
Real Estate Agent
KH Booker
2019–present
Developed customized marketing plans for high-end listings.
Increased revenue from leased commercial properties.
Educated other realtors at the agency.
Reduced closing time.
Who would you hire?
Employers know more or less what your duties were just based on your job title.
Impress them with what you achieved for prior employers.
Describe achievements from jobs that are only indirectly relevant, from volunteer work you’ve done, or from your college or school days (if you recently graduated).
When listing your skills, aim at a mix of 5-10 soft and technical skills. Don’t include those skills you don't feel confident about. You don’t want to get caught lying on a resume.
The ResumeLab builder is more than looks. Get specific content to boost your chances of getting the job. Add job descriptions, bullet points, and skills. Easy. Improve your resume in our resume builder now.
Nail it all with a splash of color, choose a clean font, and highlight your skills in just a few clicks. You're the perfect candidate, and we'll prove it. Use our resume builder now.
4. Make Your Education a Key Part of Your General Resume
You’ll need a cover letter to go with your general resume. It’s a great opportunity to target your application even when you’re not able to target your resume.
Double your impact with a matching resume and cover letter combo. Use our cover letter generator and make your application documents pop out.
Want to try a different look? There's 21 more. A single click will give your document a total makeover. Pick a cover letter template here.
Key Points
For a general resume that gets interviews:
Use the general resume template given up above. It’s about as effective as a general resume can be.
Put relevant achievementsin your summary or objective, work history, and education section to show you’ve got what it takes.
Choose the right skills to put in your general resume. Check many job ads and identify what skills they have in common.
Write a cover letter. Use it to show your passion for the role and target your application to the job ad at hand.
Got any questions on how to write a generic resume that gets results? Leave us a message down below and we’ll be sure to get back to you.
About ResumeLab’s Editorial Process
At ResumeLab, quality is at the crux of our values, supporting our commitment to delivering top-notch career resources. The editorial team of career experts carefully reviews every article in accordance with editorial guidelines, ensuring the high quality and reliability of our content. We actively conduct original research, shedding light on the job market's intricacies and earning recognition from numerous influential news outlets. Our dedication to delivering expert career advice attracts millions of readers to our blog each year.
Bart Turczynski’s career advice and commentary have been published by Glassdoor, The Chicago Tribune, Workopolis, The Financial Times, Hewlett-Packard, and CareerBuilder, among others. Bart’s mission is to promote the best, data-informed, and up-to-date career advice through numerous online communities and publications. Bart’s lifelong passion for politics and a strong background in psychology make all the advice he publishes unique and supported by detailed research.