Resume Advice Women Need to Hear

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Last week we ran across an article in Forbes magazine addressing a common problem with women and resumes. It turns out the way men and women approach their resume is very different. Women aren’t presenting themselves as well as they could. As a result, they’re often not getting the job they want or the salary they expect.

Where women go wrong with their resume

While women tend to be much better communicators than men – and generally more interested in conversing – they are more reluctant to promote themselves in a positive light. Paul Dean from thinkSMARTresumes sees this firsthand.

And that’s where the trouble begins. If two people are equally qualified for a role, one man and one woman, chances are the man is going to describe himself as more qualified. But that’s not where it ends. According to Paul, even when candidates are not equals, a man is more likely to promote his skills and qualifications more favourably.

Get your Gaga on

It’s important to remember the job search is a competition. You’re pitting yourself against other qualified candidates and you need to paint yourself in the best light. You wouldn’t hold back in a foot race because you were afraid people would think poorly of you when you came in first. A job search is the same way. It’s imperative to accurately present yourself. Forget the advice you’ve heard about being ladylike. When you’re hunting for a job, you need to channel your inner Lady Gaga.

Men and women do express themselves differently but the hard truth is hiring decisions are based on the best candidate. Male and female resumes are judged side-by-side. The hiring manager can only make a decision to interview based on the information in front of them. If you’re modest when you write your resume, you can bet the other people applying for the same job won’t be.

Additional advice for creating a powerful resume

1. Don’t use cute formatting, icons or feminine colours in your resume. It makes you look less serious.
2. Use both your first and last name as the file name of your resume. Employers can easily spot it in their online folders.
3. Paul Dean also has sound advice on what format to use for our resume, “As for format, follow the instructions on the application exactly. In the absence of instructions, ring ahead and see what format the employer would like to receive the resume. A lot of resume scanning software only works with Word documents. If the employer has no preference, send it in .pdf format. “

Your resume is possibly one of the most important documents you will ever produce. It could mean the difference between getting your dream job and or settling for a career that doesn’t interest you. If you need help presenting yourself in the best possible light, we offer a Resume Writing Service designed for people wanting mining jobs, work at oil companies or energy jobs.

Visit our Resume Help section of the Careers and Industry Guide for more information on how to produce an excellent resume.

Are you ready to get your Gaga on?

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