General Resume Examples, Templates, & Guide

A general resume is a detailed document that covers all your skills and achievements. It’s a bank of all your professional information that you use to write resumes for specific jobs.

Using general resumes and general cover letters saves time and effort when you’re applying for multiple job opportunities. Instead of starting every resume from a blank Word document, you paste in your most relevant information and tweak the details for your target job.

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Entry-level general resume example

Here’s an example of a general resume written by a recent graduate with limited work experience:

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Mid-career general resume example

This example is a general resume for a mid-career digital marketing specialist:

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Highly experienced general resume example

Here’s an example of a general resume for an experienced teacher:

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General resume template

Here’s a blank resume template for you to customize:

How to write a general resume

Here’s how to make a general resume that still grabs the attention of employers:

1. Choose a simple resume design

The simpler and more generic the resume designs you pick, the better. Avoid creative templates with decorative fonts, images, or graphics, and stick to a simple layout.

More basic-looking resume templates are appropriate for a wide variety of jobs, from highly formal positions to more casual ones. Giving your resume a simple, minimalist look makes it easy to apply to any job, even if it’s at a more buttoned-up, traditional office.

The best resume templates for 2026

Fill out one of our free resume templates to quickly make your resume. Our templates are designed by experts and free to download for Microsoft Word or Google Docs.

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2. Use a general resume format

The most common resume format is the chronological resume, and it’s the standard for a general resume.

Chronological resumes list your jobs from most recent to least recent, giving you a clear overview of your work experience.

3. Add a general resume summary

Your resume summary should give a general overview of your top skills and achievements so anyone reading your resume can understand its contents at a glance.

For example, if you’re trying to land a job in retail, draw attention to your customer service skills, multitasking abilities, and persuasion skills. Here’s an example of a general resume summary:

This resume summary can easily be adjusted to match the specific requirements of different retail positions.

4. Write down your professional accomplishments

List your professional experience in reverse chronological order, starting with your most recent job and working backward.

For each role, include your job title, employer, the location of the job (or remote), and employment dates.

Follow each entry with bullet points outlining any noteworthy achievements or responsibilities. There’s no limit to how many bullet points you should write because you’re not writing your general resume for a specific role.

5. List your key skills

Write a simple list of the hard skills that you have already developed to a professional level.

There’s no limit to how many skills you should include on a general resume because you’re not targeting a specific job.

However, if you list more than ten skills, organize your skills section by category to make the section easy to browse:

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6. Add your education and training

The education section of a general resume should be detailed, especially if you’re a student or recent graduate.

Every entry should include the following information:

• School name
• Degree
• Graduation date

These additional details will add further value to your education section:

• Relevant classes
• Certifications
• Training programs
• Clubs and roles in student organizations

Here’s an example of an education section with a certification included:

When you list certifications on your general resume, remember to mention the date the certification was awarded as well as the name of the awarding institution.

7. Include additional sections

For some employers, finding someone who fits in with the company work culture is high up on the list of priorities when screening candidates. When applying to such companies, adding hobbies and interests can make your resume stand out.

In other cases, volunteer work, personal projects, professional affiliations, or publications can help strengthen your resume. But be sure to keep your resume within the recommended length of one page.