You should always take a targeted approach for a resume. The “traditional” way of producing a resume here refers to a one-size-fits-all approach. That means, traditionally, people used to produce one resume that summed up their experience and used that same generic resume for every job that they applied to. Never do this! Instead, a targeted resume approach means that you tailor your resume to the job you’re applying for and only send that unique resume to that specific job. This is the way you should do it! This is the expectation employers and recruiters have. Every job requires slightly different skills, strengths or approaches. Using a generic resume won’t make you seem like a strong candidate. At best, it makes you seem like a middle-of-the-road one. So, if you want to stand out, target your resume. To do this, identify some of the key skills that an employer discusses in the job description or post. Try to echo back some of those key phrases that you possess on your document. This may serve you in several ways: By speaking directly to an employer's needsBy giving you an advantage over all the candidates who didn’t take this crucial stepBy helping you pass an applicant tracking system (ATS) if the company uses them. Using a blanket-approach resume will never give you an advantage. So always use a targeted resume! You can keep a general resume, but always tweak it. It should be customized to the job every time you send your resume out.