For the longest time, budding professionals had to sift through endless templates online to craft their own CVs. The choices were either generic templates or existing online formats, both of which left much to be desired. But the advent of <keyword id="19904566" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="artificial-intelligence" source="keywords">artificial intelligence</keyword> has changed the <keyword id="20823009" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="CV" source="keywords">CV</keyword> game, with <keyword id="4514704" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="AI-tools" source="Orion">AI tools</keyword> now capable of generating resumes in seconds. While this influx of options is exciting, it brings new challenges: How to make your CV stand out in a sea of AI-generated documents? More crucially, how do you ensure your CV feels uniquely yours and not just another generic product of artificial intelligence? Julia Gergelova, a Certified Professional CV Writer at Kickresume, suggests letting <keyword id="19899640" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="AI" source="keywords">AI</keyword> handle the initial grunt work. The key is to meticulously review and personalise the AI-generated CV, infusing it with your unique experiences and achievements. Julia, having reviewed hundreds of CVs, emphasises that the standout details are the ones only you can provide. Here are some expert tips on humanising your AI-generated CV—what to add, what to avoid, and how to utilise it to maximise your chances of securing that next job! <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Start with AI, then add your details" comment="subhead" text="Start with AI, then add your details">Start with AI, then add your details</cmsannotation> AI CV writing tools are a great starting point. They often need just your current job title to predict your skills and daily tasks. But AI can’t fill in everything. Begin by adding your contact details, like your phone number and email address. Depending on the role, include a link to your LinkedIn profile or an online portfolio. Julia stresses the importance of updating the professional summary. The AI tool will draft this for you, but make sure it accurately reflects your experience, key achievements, and career goals. This is your pitch—make it count. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Enhance the job descriptions" comment="subhead" text="Enhance the job descriptions">Enhance the job descriptions</cmsannotation> Your AI-generated CV will provide a basic job description based on your title. Add the company name, your tenure and specific, quantifiable achievements. This fleshed-out work experience section should follow with other relevant roles you have previously held. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Make your education and skills section more specific" comment="subhead" text="Make your education and skills section more specific">Make your education and skills section more specific</cmsannotation> The education section can be brief if you’re well into your career, listing just your degree and institution. For recent graduates, go into more detail about courses and grades. The skills section will be populated by the AI, but strengthen it by adding specific software proficiencies and soft skills that demonstrate your leadership and ability to work under pressure. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Showcase your personality and unique skills" comment="subhead" text="Showcase your personality and unique skills">Showcase your personality and unique skills</cmsannotation> Include sections for awards, certificates, hobbies and volunteering work to give a sense of your personality and priorities. Julia suggests adding an industry-specific section for recent projects, campaigns or collaborations relevant to your field. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Final touches: Proofread and format" comment="subhead" text="Final touches: Proofread and format">Final touches: Proofread and format</cmsannotation> After personalising your CV, proofread it thoroughly. Check the formatting to ensure it’s concise—ideally one to two pages. Adjust font size, formatting and margins if needed. Ensure all links work, and double-check for spelling and grammar errors. Your CV is the first impression a recruiter gets, so attention to detail is crucial. By following these expert tips, you can transform an AI-generated CV into a compelling, personalised document that highlights your unique qualifications and experiences.

Using AI to create your CV? Here's how you can humanise it and make it stand out from the crowd

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Companies should ditch résumés to hire Gen Z talent, a recruiter says.</li><li>Biases in traditional hiring methods can hinder diversity and inclusivity at a company.</li></ul>When it comes to finding the right candidate, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hiring-tests-impact-on-resume-and-employment-2024-3">résumés may be on their way out</a>.Sophie O'Brien, the founder of the entry-level recruitment service Pollen Careers, told Business Insider that if companies want to hire the best-fitting Gen Z talent, they should ditch asking for a résumé.Gen Z are people aged 12 to 27. For young people entering the workforce applying for entry-level jobs, résumés often don't reveal more than schooling and internships. Categories where <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/unconscious-biases-in-hiring-decisions-2015-7">biases and privilege</a> can tip a hand. When O'Brien started her business in 2023, having previously worked as a director at a media agency, she was aware of the issues in job hunting. She knew <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/recruiter-explains-interview-habits-holding-gen-z-back-2024-7">young candidates</a> were getting ghosted and not receiving feedback on why they'd been passed over, which can be "soul-destroying," she said."I wanted to create something that addressed diversity, that could make job hunting more equitable, more inclusive, more positive for the candidate," O'Brien told BI.O'Brien found success in hiring Gen Z talent with less conventional methods. <h2 id="5badc1dd-2f27-4c54-9990-8568856961ff">Résumés may be a root cause of hiring bias</h2>Recruiters have hundreds of resumes to look at and tend to gravitate toward people like themselves, O'Brien said."I remember occasions in my old job where I'd be looking at CVs, and then somebody would look over my shoulder and be like, Oh, they're an Arsenal supporter, get them in," O'Brien said. "These things don't mean that they will be the best-suited person to the job."Sporting teams aren't the only social markers that may impact a candidate's odds. Hiring managers may have a subconscious or conscious <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/black-job-candidates-more-likely-to-face-discriminatory-questions-2022-9">racial bias</a>. This problem was demonstrated earlier this year when researchers sent more than 83,000 fake applications to big US companies, and candidates with <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/companies-display-race-gender-bias-when-hiring-resumes-names-jobs-2024-4">white-sounding names received more callbacks</a>.BI has also previously reported on a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fake-name-resume-hired-guilty-2024-5">struggling job seeker </a>who felt changing the name on his résumé to something more white-sounding may have helped him land a role.Ageism is also an issue, with about a third of hiring managers <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hiring-managers-biased-against-gen-z-older-workers-survey-says-2024-4">not wanting to hire older workers or Gen Zers</a>, according to a Resume Builder survey in March.O'Brien believes many of these issues can be traced to résumés. She tested her theory by hiring her interns based on how well they made mock-up social media posts for her company."In the job posting, I said I'm not going to look at a single CV," she said. "I don't care what your academic background is. I don't care about your work experience history." She told BI she wanted an intern who was reasonably competent at the job, had autonomy, and had a good attitude. It worked out great. The two interns she hired are now permanent employees.While helping out a fellow hiring manager at another company, O'Brien asked if she could test her method on the candidates he was screening to ensure they were inclusive and fair.The person who got the job was originally in the reject pile because his CV didn't stand out."I was like, OK, I'm onto something here," O'Brien said. "He was phenomenal, but you wouldn't have known that from his CV."The hiring manager wrongly assumed this candidate lacked soft skills and would struggle with client-facing work because their résumé was so technical."But the reality was the total opposite," said O'Brien. "You can't showcase in your CV what you are like as a human."<h2 id="626c8ae4-2140-4ad9-a3bf-ed385a65da39">Entry-level positions aren't so entry-level</h2>Many Gen Zers are looking for their first jobs where they may not have much relevant experience. Their chances of landing an interview can depend solely on their education or on whether they've been privileged enough to complete a sought-after internship.Those who didn't attend top colleges may find themselves in the reject pile simply by default. This is just a "lazy way of shortlisting," O'Brien said."It's alienating Gen Z," she said. "That massively hinders their confidence. They're thinking, well, what chance do I have? And employers are exacerbating that problem."Instead, O'Brien finds ways for employers to narrow their search to candidates with traits and skills that matter to them. Her approach mainly follows the principles of matching junior candidates based on their values and potential and not judging them on where they may have received their education."This is groundbreaking for Gen Z, they absolutely love it," O'Brien said. "For employers, we've been really lucky that a lot of them get it."<h2 id="0ad38497-3072-4c16-9163-38a47bdc9b8f">Employers are taking note</h2>Three employers, december19, Mobsta, and My Big Career, have stopped screening entry-level candidates based on their résumés. Majella Lavelle, a managing partner at the media planning and buying agency december19, told BI that traditional recruiting methods were "time-consuming and overwhelming" and led to a lack of diversity."We moved to blind CVs some time ago, and that definitely removed any unconscious bias," she said.Blind résumés can still be a good starting point, Lavelle added, but they needed a completely new approach.Laura Littlehales, the CEO of MyBigCareer, which provides disadvantaged children with career advice, said the résumé-free approach has helped the charity find junior talent and save money.She told BI she wanted to recruit young people but found it challenging to hire on potential rather than experience."Through this approach, we were able to reach a greater number of candidates, much less time was spent on recruitment, and the caliber of candidates was much higher than previous recruitment we had run ourselves," Littlehales said.David Graham, the head of customer success at the sustainable advertising agency Mobsta, said removing résumés has transformed the way the business hires candidates.He didn't realize that before he was exposed to such a small portion of young and found the hiring experience "refreshing." O'Brien said it's amazing to see candidates who were stacking shelves in a grocery store and or working at McDonald's starting new roles they may not have been considered for. "The longer they are trapped in lower-skilled jobs that don't offer longer-term career opportunities, the harder it is to break in," O'Brien said. "They're ready to go," she said. "They just needed a fair opportunity."

One way employers can attract Gen Z talent is by ditching résumés, recruiter says

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Gen Z may face hiring bias, with a third reporting age discrimination in a recent survey.</li><li>AI, portfolio careers, and stereotypes could make recruiters distrust Gen Z.</li></ul>Everyone is likely to face challenges early on in their career, but Gen Zers feel they're discriminated against — largely because of their age.And they have a point. In a survey from Resume Builder earlier this year, over a third (36%) of the 1,000 hiring managers polled said they had <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hiring-managers-biased-against-gen-z-older-workers-survey-says-2024-4">a bias against Gen Z candidates</a>.New research from Applied, an inclusivity and diversity-led recruitment software, also found that out of 2,000 respondents in the UK, 36% of Zoomer respondents believe they have experienced hiring bias.The survey results, shared with Business Insider in an email, showed that Gen Z respondents felt the top reason for this discrimination was their age — 21% of respondents aged 16-24 cited this. Age came above ethnicity (19%) and gender (15%).<h2 id="da53d663-333f-40f2-a0b6-ccaa0e3eacfa">AI and outdated methods</h2>Khyati Sundaram, the CEO of Applied, told BI there could be a couple of reasons behind this prejudice against Zoomers.Firstly, developments in AI have made recruiters "hypervigilant," Sundaram said. Gen Zers are seen as the cohort most likely to write their résumés and cover letters with the help of ChatGPT and other AI services."They're seeing more and more call mediocre applications or applications that resemble each other," Sundaram said. "So we've seen a spike in that where there's general distrust of the system."Secondly, Gen Zers are fans of "<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/leonardo-da-vinci-had-a-portfolio-career-2015-3">portfolio careers,</a>" Sundaram said, where they have multiple projects at one time and career gaps, which might seem erratic and random to a more traditional hiring manager."Employers don't really know how to judge that," Sundaram said. "People who are 50, 60, they've probably done one or two jobs in their lives. So if they are in managerial positions, that's what good looks like to them."When a CV comes in with four jobs in four years, it's unfamiliar, but it doesn't mean that candidate is a bad choice.Having a bias toward career paths similar to one's own can trip hiring managers up, according to Sundaram.<h2 id="c85075dd-4e2c-431f-9246-4d17ca9516cb">Stereotypes hold them back</h2>Gen Z suffers from being stereotyped. But it's not entirely without reason.Recruiters have noted them exhibiting strange behaviors, such as bringing <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gen-zers-bringing-parents-job-interviews-recruiters-not-happy-2024-6">their parents to interviews</a>, attending video calls at the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gen-z-worker-attends-remote-meeting-boss-hair-salon-tiktok-2024-3">salon</a>, driving, or wearing <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/recruiter-explains-interview-habits-holding-gen-z-back-2024-7">a bathrobe</a>.They are the generation known to champion <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gen-z-workers-want-flexibility-fair-pay-survey-2024-5">work-life balance and flexibility</a>. A Gen Z creator was the first to coin the term "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tiktok-anti-work-girl-boss-lazy-girl-jobs-2023-6">lazy-girl job."</a>Business Insider has previously reported that Gen Z employees <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gen-z-happy-job-hopping-quit-without-backup-oliver-wyman-2023-1">are more comfortable job-hopping</a> and have started <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gen-z-college-students-renege-job-offers-tech-rescinded-2024-7">reneging on job offers</a>, which frustrates the recruiters who work hard to place them.Overall, these generalizations aren't helpful, according to Sundaram, because they just exacerbate the problem. The workforce's expectations are shifting; it's not just the impact of "Gen Z particulars," she added."Five years ago, nobody would've thought that people sitting at home and working from their laptop in their garden were actually doing work," Sundaram said, adding now people agree that working from home is effective. "Times are just changing."<h2 id="3afa887c-5254-488d-82a0-2c9207d13989">How to get noticed</h2>For Gen Zers still facing hiring discrimination, Sundaram's advice is to focus on their skills — identifying the precise ones outlined in job descriptions and demonstrating that you have them in job applications.Out of the 36% of hiring managers who admitted to bias against Gen Z workers, 77% stated their concern stemmed from a lack of experience, according to the ResumeBuilder.com study."Use real-world examples of times when you've solved relevant problems or showcased the attributes the company is looking for," she added. "Rather than straying into personal information or hobbies, try and focus specifically on the role at hand."While cutting and pasting cover letters and applications can be tempting, personalizing it for the dream roles "will pay dividends," Sundaram said.There's also no harm in casting your net more widely, she added."Don't let a lack of previous experience in a new sector or not having a related university degree hold you back," she said. "Role-relevant transferable skills are a far more accurate indicator of a candidate's ability to succeed."Sundaram recommends writing down a list of your strengths and to "think laterally about all the various sectors and roles they apply to."Lastly, don't be disheartened by rejection, Sundaram said."I applied to hundreds of roles before landing a job at Applied, which eventually led to my becoming CEO," she said. "Rejection might, therefore, be a sign that a particular job isn't quite right for you."

How Gen Zers can beat negative stereotypes in a tough job market

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Companies often want to signal they're growing or to let overworked employees think help is coming.</li><li>But three in 10 companies have fake job listings, according to a Resume Builder survey.</li></ul>That <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/this-method-may-help-resume-stand-out-recruiter-job-search-2024-5">job you applied for</a> might be a mirage.Companies often post bogus roles to ease employees' concerns about being overworked and signal that the organization is growing, said Resume Builder, which recently found three in 10 employers have fake job listings.Resume Builder, which offers résumé templates, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.resumebuilder.com/3-in-10-companies-currently-have-fake-job-posting-listed/">surveyed</a> nearly 650 hiring managers in May and found nearly seven in 10 said it was "morally acceptable" to post fake jobs. Hiring managers credited the move with increasing revenue, morale, and how much workers get done.Yet, Stacie Haller, Resume Builder's chief career advisor, told Business Insider that the practice could — no surprise — undermine confidence among existing and would-be employees."The last people you want to be sharing fake information to your staff is the HR people," she said.The prominence of sham listings highlights the challenges many people, particularly desk workers in industries like tech, face in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hiring-managers-biased-against-gen-z-older-workers-survey-says-2024-4">finding jobs</a>. The overall labor market remains strong, but it's not a game of workers' choice like it was a few years ago when more employers were fighting for people.<h2 id="3a0cfae6-63fd-4e4a-8aad-ebed188c0c8e">Everybody's doing it</h2>Haller said it's long been common for staffing firms to fish for talent with dummy listings. That way, when a client calls needing workers, the agency has people ready to go.But now, Haller said, companies beyond staffing firms appear to be adopting the practice, which can frustrate job seekers and erode trust with workers.The listings spanned entry-level positions to executive roles, according to the survey.The reasons for listing fake jobs included signaling that the employer was willing to hire from outside the organization. Yet about six in 10 respondents also said companies wanted to make overworked employees think help was on the way — and that they could be replaced."Some people are saying, 'Well, it increased productivity.' And I'm thinking, 'Well, does it do it out of fear?'" Haller said.She said it's a stretch to think that ghost listings would do a lot to boost morale among workers by making them believe the organization was growing.About six in 10 hiring managers said the intent was to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/simple-cover-letter-example-unemployed-job-search-never-hear-back-2024-1">scoop up résumés</a> for when a role opens. Haller said there's no issue collecting the information, provided employers are upfront about it."Why not be honest?" she said.Haller said employers that dangle fake listings risk hurting themselves by undermining their reputations.One reason is simply that companies often get caught. Two-thirds of hiring managers said those they meant to dupe, including workers, investors, and job seekers, figured out they were being hoodwinked.<h2 id="57e2ca17-533f-4907-aad0-10336f04b4a8">Fake listings can lead to real jobs</h2>About seven in 10 of the fake jobs were on a company website or LinkedIn, according to the survey. And, yet, despite all the shenanigans, many fake listings often lead to real interviews — and even employment.Four in 10 hiring managers said they always contacted workers who applied for made-up jobs. Forty-five percent said they sometimes contacted those job seekers. Among companies that contacted applicants, 85% report interviewing the person."A lot of them are getting contacted and interviewed at some point, so it's not necessarily a black box," Haller said.<h2 id="1c47819f-dd05-4a5c-8830-b583078af3cf">How you can spot a sham listing</h2>Haller said it's best to try to determine who posted a job. Going to the hiring manager on LinkedIn or to someone you know at the company is often a better route than applying cold, anyway, she said. And look when the job was listed."If it was five months ago, and it's still up there, it's fake," she said.Of course, not every unanswered job submission indicates that a listing isn't real. Sometimes, the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jobseeker-whose-resume-rejected-changed-format-to-help-search-2024-5">problem isn't the worker</a> but the CV, Haller said."It's easy to say, 'I sent out 500 résumés and got nothing.' And then I look at the résumé and they have an AOL address, and it's 20 pages, and I have no idea what they want to do. So, 'No, you're not getting a response,'" she said.Haller lamented fictional aspects to any part of the job equation."'People lie on their résumés. So what?' That's horrifying. Hiring managers lie to hire people. 'Oh, we have great benefits, and you'll get promoted.' And it's a lie. None of this is acceptable," she said.Haller is optimistic that Gen Z workers, who are expected to outnumber full-time boomers in the labor force in 2024, will demand change because surveys indicate many young people share an interest in preserving their <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/workforce-innovation-series-c-suite-worker-well-being-dei-2024-6">mental health</a> and in employers being open with their people."The new generation coming up isn't going to stand for this," she said.That's a good thing, Haller said. "Anytime I see the word 'fake' in any part of the hiring process, it's alarming."

It's wild how many job listings might be fake

<ul class="summary-list"><li>About one-third of hiring managers in a survey admitted bias against Gen Zers or older candidates.</li><li>Forty-two percent of managers consider job seekers' ages when <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/simple-cover-letter-example-unemployed-job-search-never-hear-back-2024-1">reviewing résumés</a>, per Resume Builder.</li></ul>If you're looking for a job and you're a Gen Zer or an <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/shocked-when-recruiter-said-too-old-tech-job-ageism-2024-3">older worker</a>, you might be out of luck — at least with some hiring managers.That's because, according to a survey from Resume Builder, 36% of hiring managers said they were biased against Gen Z candidates. And 34% admitted they had it in for older candidates.Oof. Ageism isn't new, of course, though the survey findings are a reminder that even in a strong job market, it can still be <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-hard-to-find-job-us-though-unemployment-low-2024-2">tough to land a new gig</a>. Having people <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/woman-seeking-vp-job-hr-told-her-appearance-not-good-2024-3">discount your abilities</a> because of how young or old you are doesn't help."You need to be aware of pitfalls like age bias," Stacie Haller, chief career advisor at Resume Builder, told Business Insider. "You have to know the landscape you're in."Resume Builder <a target="_blank" href="https://www.resumebuilder.com/1-in-3-hiring-managers-say-its-beneficial-to-avoid-hiring-gen-z-senior-candidates/">surveyed 1,000 hiring managers</a> in March and found that 42% consider the age of job seekers when going over résumés. To determine a candidate's age, hiring managers tally years of experience, look for the year someone graduated, and even look for a photo, according to the survey.<h2>Delete the year you graduated.</h2>Some candidates might choose not to put the year they graduated on their CV, thanks to worries about recruiters doing the math. In the survey, six in 10 hiring managers said job seekers should "always" include the year they graduated, but about four in 10 said candidates sometimes shouldn't or should never include the year.Some TikTokers who focus on career advice encourage people to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-you-should-remove-graduation-year-from-resume-2023-8">delete their graduation year</a> so that young candidates avoid getting dinged for not having enough experience and older workers don't <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/job-search-romance-dating-similar-process-frustrating-2024-2">get dumped</a> for having too much.That's something Haller endorses. "It matters that you got the degree. Does it matter if you got it last year or 20 years ago? It shouldn't," she said.Haller added that recruiters determined to weed out groups they don't like can often still find a way, even when job applicants <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hiring-tests-impact-on-resume-and-employment-2024-3">strip their résumé</a> and LinkedIn profile of indicators like graduation dates. "If you're somebody who really is biased against folks, those people go to Facebook to check you out," she said.Of course, there are federal laws designed to protect workers over 40 from age discrimination; some states also have provisions meant to shield younger members of the workforce, according to the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, a federal agency. But <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="c-link" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cost-of-inequity-age-discrimination-costs-economy-billions-2021-6">proving bias based on age</a> can be difficult, as BI has previously reported.<h2>The Goldilocks generation.</h2>So why are some hiring managers not down with younger or older workers? One reason could be because those looking to bring on workers are often of a different generation, Haller said. More than six in 10 survey respondents were between 25 and 44 years old. It's an indication, she said, that these managers — perhaps in their first role leading others — "seem to be biased against everybody younger than them and older than them," Haller said.Among the hiring managers who admitted to bias against Gen Z job seekers, more than three-quarters cited younger workers' lack of experience. About six in 10 managers pointed to what they saw as a tendency among Gen Zers to job hop. And a similar proportion of respondents pointed to an unprofessional attitude among members of the youngest slice of the workforce.Among older workers, the indictments were likewise nothing new. Three-quarters of respondents were concerned an older worker might soon retire. Nearly two-thirds were worried older candidates would experience health problems, and almost half of all hiring managers identified worries that older workers didn't have sufficient experience with technology.Showing up to an interview and looking too old can also be a problem for job applicants. In the survey, four in 10 hiring managers said if a candidate has an "elderly" appearance, they would be less inclined to consider the applicant. And 36% of hiring managers said candidates over age 60 should take steps to look younger in interviews.That's advice that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/barbara-corcoran-said-older-workers-should-act-younger-in-interviews-2024-1">Shark Tank's Barbara Corcoran</a>, a septuagenarian, has given, according to BI's prior reporting.Some hiring managers surveyed also had advice for those with a youthful visage: Look older. A fresh-faced glow was a turnoff for 19% of hiring managers. More than one-third of hiring managers recommended that candidates aged 18 to 27 "try to appear older during interviews," according to the survey.Haller said while bias works against a range of job seekers, Gen Z has a specific challenge because many young people were sidelined early in their careers by the pandemic and were ill-prepared to enter the workplace. Some started their jobs remotely, making it harder to build skills and nail basics like how to dress for the office.Yet, she added, one generation dumping on another is nothing new."Every generation gets talked about. The millennials, at one point, were entitled. Nobody wanted to hire them," she said. "And now they're the age group that's biased against everybody else."Do you have something to share about your job search or what you're seeing in your workplace? Business Insider would like to hear from you. Email our workplace team from a nonwork device at <a target="_blank" href="mailto:thegrind@businessinsider.com">thegrind@businessinsider.com</a> with your story or to ask for one of our reporter's Signal numbers. Or check out <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/insider-guide-to-securely-sharing-whistleblower-information-about-powerful-institutions-2021-10">Business Insider's source guide</a> for tips on sharing information securely.

A third of hiring managers don't want to hire Gen Z or older workers

<ul class="summary-list"><li>If you're job hunting in this shaky economy, your résumé needs to sparkle.</li><li>Your résumé should highlight your experience and showcase the skills that employers seek.</li></ul>When you're job hunting in a softening economy, having a terrific résumé becomes all the more important.Your résumé needs to tell your prospective employer who you are, what you've done, and what you can do in the future. Especially as data suggests there might be increased competition for jobs.Roughly two-thirds of American workers are considering <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/linkedin-workers-confident-job-market-change-jobs-2023-1">changing roles this year</a>, according a LinkedIn <a href="https://affiliate.insider.com/?postID=63c841a4a5f1ba536c034d42&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fpulse%2Fready-anything-jobs-come-go-your-career-here-stay-catherine-fisher%2F.&amp;amazonTrackingID=null&amp;platform=browser&amp;sc=false&amp;disabled=false" target="_blank" rel="noopener">survey</a> of more than 2,000 US employees conducted in December. And while the job market looks strong for now— as of November, there were 1.7 job openings per unemployed person — the overall economic picture remains hazy. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ceos-recession-global-economy-layoffs-inflation-davos-2023-1">Most CEOs are bracing for a downturn</a> amid <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-layoffs-worst-month-for-job-cuts-is-january-2023-1" rel="">layoffs in some industries</a>, while other <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/are-we-in-a-recession-now-2022-12" rel="">economic data</a>, like job growth, suggests the US <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-could-avoid-recession-2023-inflation-case-gathering-major-steam-2023-1" rel="">could avoid a recession in 2023</a>. Rebecca Pay has built a business — <a href="https://affiliate.insider.com?postID=62ed6d79ed6d0d3af8445635&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Ftoday%2Fauthor%2Fpayforprecision%2F">Pay for Precision</a> — helping people write their résumés. She said résumés today should have a touch of personality and tell a clear story about how your experience qualifies you for the position."Writing CVs can be tough. That's why I've got a business," Pay told Insider. "Writing about yourself is the hardest thing."Some advice may be intuitive, like brainstorming with colleagues and using concise language when describing your work, Pay said. Other advice is different from what it was five years ago: Pay said most people should keep their résumé formatting simple unless they're in graphic design or art.It's also become more normal to have a break in your résumé — a <a href="https://affiliate.insider.com?postID=62ed6d79ed6d0d3af8445635&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fbusiness%2Ftalent%2Fblog%2Fproduct-tips%2Flinkedin-members-spotlight-career-breaks-on-profiles%3Fsrc%3Daff-ref%26trk%3Daff-ir_progid%253D8005_partid%253D10078_sid%253D_adid%253D449670%26clickid%3D2oeR9m0HVxyNUyoSlPSheWVJUkD3KnwtuWsB0Y0%26mcid%3D6851962469594763264%26irgwc%3D1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LinkedIn survey</a> from last March found that nearly half of 7,000 employers considered candidates with career breaks to be an untapped talent pool. Insider spoke with career experts about their advice for résumé writing in this uncertain climate. <h2>1. Try some writing exercises </h2>Eli Joseph, a faculty member at Columbia University and New York University, takes an unusual approach to résumé writing. In his book, "<a href="https://www.drelijoseph.com/">The Perfect Rejection Résumé</a>," he helps people document how they failed and what they learned. While you shouldn't give this to a hiring manager, it's an exercise in thinking about your experience in a different light. Then, switch it up. Write a résumé where you completely praise yourself, jotting down all the personal, professional, and technical things you're proud of each week. After looking at your experience and skills from these opposite perspectives, you can incorporate lessons from both into the final product.<h2>2. Focus on a summary section</h2>Both Joseph and Pay said the summary section is one of the most critical parts of your résumé. This section, which typically sits at the top of your CV, should be between 100 and 150 words and written in the first person. Pay said this was a place to add your voice, instead of being overly formal. This is where you tell a story about how your qualifications equip you for the position you want."Work out what you uniquely offer," Pay said. "Why would they pick you for the job as opposed to someone else?"<h2>3. Update your skills</h2>The types of skills employers look for have changed in recent years. According to a <a href="https://zety.com/blog/skills-employers-look-for" target="_blank" rel="noopener">survey last year of 205 recruiters and hiring managers by Zety</a>, an online résumé builder app and career website, soft skills are increasingly important to hiring managers. Teamwork, communication, and time management were among the most in-demand soft skills.Be specific about how you've used your skills in the past, said Joseph. For instance, perhaps you've showcased and honed your communication skills with speaking gigs and presentations. Technical skills are also important to employers. And artistic skills like writing or design can be worth highlighting to show that you're well rounded, he said."It brightens up your résumé and it lets employers know that you're productive in an organization," Joseph said.<h2>4. Tailor your résumé to each posting </h2>Pay and Joseph agreed that you should change your résumé for each job application. These are often small tweaks in the skills section and the summary, that speak to how your experience would lend itself to the job."No application should be the same because no opportunity is the same," Joseph said. "We need to add some flavor, and the best way to do that is to come up with as many ideas as possible so that you can make changes on the résumé for opportunities in the future." This story originally published on August 9, 2022.

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