Why a “General Resume” Gets You “Generally Nothing,” and How to Make a Real Impact That Gets You a JOB!

Kyla Duffy
3 min readJul 30, 2024
How to reach a recruiter’s heart (hint: it’s not with keywords!)

I’m often contacted by multi-talented clients asking for a general resume they can use for various jobs.

I get it.

Choosing where you’ll be happiest is challenging if you can fulfill many roles.

Plus, by casting the largest net, you’ll catch the most opportunities, won’t you?

FACT: No, you won’t. It doesn’t work that way.

Any marketing professional will tell you this: you sell a brand by knowing your audience and speaking directly to them.

Your personal brand is no different. When it comes to resumes, nobody else in the world matters besides the person who will decide whether to give you an interview.

Write your resume as a love letter to them: specific, descriptive, and all about why you’re “the one.”

Almost everyone wants resumes that incorporate keywords.

The internet and social media have left people terrified by applicant tracking systems (ATS) by portraying them as fast-moving sewers flushing out all but the most keyword-aligned resumes.

Sites offering free resume ATS scans abound, generating horrifying scores that tell you that you will…

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Kyla Duffy

Energized by “A-ha!” moments, I’m a career coach and resume writer who helps people move toward happiness & fulfillment. Get help at https://kyladuffy.com.