If a recent job loss has disrupted your life, and you're looking for a way to move ahead, this article has pointers that will help you build a job winning resume that will get you to that next job.

Recruiters and hiring managers are looking for a lot of different things based on the role they’re trying to fill. We’ve narrowed it down to four main subjects you should be aware of.

1. Your Skills and Experience

One of the first areas a hiring manager will review is whether you’re actually a good fit for the position. If you want your resume to actually make it to a hiring manager, you’ll first have to be cleared through the applicant tracking system also known as ATS.

Build that detail into one of your bullet points. Even if you don’t initially seem like a perfect fit, find areas where the skill sets overlap.

It can also be helpful to be aware of the difference between hard skills and soft skills when mapping this part of your resume out.

Hard skills are often gained through education or specific training. They include competencies like how to use a certain machine, software or another tool.

Soft skills are more often seen as personality traits you may have spent your whole life developing. They are called upon when you manage your time, communicate with other people or confront a difficult situation for the first time. Learn more about hard and soft skills here. 

2. Your Achievements

Your resume should not just contain a list of your previous job responsibilities. It's great if your responsibilities match those in the job description, but if you merely regurgitate the job responsibilities it won't be enough to land you the job. 

Without showing what you have accomplished, when completing those tasks it will be hard for recruiters and hiring managers to know if you are the right person to fill the opening. . 

Achievements, more than anything else are what is going to help set you apart from the other candidates and impress hiring managers.

Your accomplishments will help to prove that you had an impact in your former roles, which will help hiring managers be confident that you can do the same with the current opening. Unsure of how to do that?

Take a look at what you do, and how it improves something, the benefits you bring to your organization and anything that quantifies what you have do each day will help you stand out from the crowd. 

3. Consistent Formatting

If your formatting is inconsistent, hiring managers are going to assume your lack of attention to detail will be reflected in your work. It's important to double and triple check your resume to ensure that all of the dates and locations are in the same placement for each role. Have a third party proofread your resume before sending it out. 

We often focus so hard on ensuring that our bullet points, spelling, grammar and experience are strong. All those factors are extremely important, but they shouldn’t take away from the fact that everything on your resume matters and consistency is key. It's important to also focus on consistency in formatting. 

4. Career Progression

Hiring managers love to see growth. If you were consistently being promoted to new roles within the company or spent years gaining experience within a certain role or industry it shows that you are a loyal and committed employee.

On the other hand, if you’ve only ever held positions or stayed with one company for a few years at a time, that’s alright too. Sometimes it can take a while to find a company or a role that is a good fit for you, which is important for your professional well-being and your mental well-being.

If you’re running into this issue, your cover letter can be a great place to explain where you're at in your career.

4 Things You Should Avoid When Creating Your Resume

Now you have more insight into what hiring managers are looking for in your resume. But remember that every aspect of your resume matters, so be sure to check for these issues as well.

1. Grammatical Mistakes

According to a survey conducted by CareerBuilder, 60% of resumes have grammar mistakes. There are plenty of tools out there including Grammarly to help you catch some of these mistakes, but be sure to double-check even after using these tools.

2. Embellishments

The bottom line is... do not lie on your resume. This is a HUGE no-no. We cannot stress that enough. Hiring managers can see right through these types of resumes.

3. Bricks of Text

One of the things you want to avoid when formatting your resume is a huge brick of text, when trying to explain your job responsibilities. Keep it short, sweet and to the point using bullets, and short, succinct sentences.

You can use tools like ChatGPT to re-write the bullet points on your resume to match the job you're applying for. Use a prompt like the one shown below.

Keep in mind that ChatGPT lacks personal knowledge about you and your specific achievements in your previous roles—unless you provide the appropriate instructions called "prompts." It's important to also note that you should avoid simply copying + pasting the answers you get from ChatGPT.  Instead review them carefully and make necessary adjustments to answers before using them.

Before sharing any personal data or information with ChatGPT, make sure to review the privacy policy and ensure you're making an informed decision.

4. No Customization

One of the most common mistakes job seekers make is not taking the time to customize their resumes to the specific roles they are seeking.

Our first suggestion is to include relevant skills and experience. This is the thing that you should take away from this advice. Skipping this step means that you may not appear to be qualified for the job. 

While it can be time consuming to tailor your resume for each position, ensure that every resume you submit is as tailored to your desired position as much as you can possibly make it while avoiding embellishing any of your information.

Conclusion

Working hard to achieve career growth is important. When looking for a job, hard work should also be placed into crafting your resume. 

Your resume is one of your biggest assets, whether you're looking for your first job, making a career change or even when starting your own business.

If you've experienced a job loss, updating your resume quickly will refresh your confidence in the skills and talents you will bring to your new employer and help you land a job as soon as possible. 

Once you have a way to stop the bleeding, and you're able to get back on your feet, take a moment to access our skills review for inspiration that may motivate you to start a new side hustle or business venture.

Take the time needed to ensure that hiring managers, investors and partners are going to look at your resume and be amazed at your accomplishments. 

Also take a look at our additional resources for job seekers to gain insight on preparing for the interview, resume writing tips and more.