Marketing Your Resume to Women

Last year, I was asked to participate in a radio interview with B104.7 Mike Evans (Allentown, PA) on how to market your resume towards women. The topic somewhat surprised me, however, the more I thought about it the more I pondered if there were, in fact, ways to develop a resume that catered specifically to, or minimally leaned towards, women who hire. After all, women are known to be emotionally driven when making decisions but statistical data falls short on telling us if that applies to decisions made in their offices. Do women let emotions affect their hiring practices?

It's clear that "women bosses" is still in infancy, and those currently in the role are treading within unchartered waters. On the surface, it might seem plausible that a resume, or any other career marketing material for that matter, could somehow be shifted to cater to a female audience. However, like their male counterparts, women with hiring power want to see the value in their interviewees and staff as well. Gender doesn't affect either party because both have the same goals in mind.

Here are 5 tips for writing a great resume for women, and males too:

1. In the newspaper industry, top stories are listed above the fold. The same concept applies when writing your resume. Ensure that all key points relevant to your careeer are listed prominently in your resume ... preferably above the fold, and on the first page.

2. Not only include quantitative achievements, but look for other types beyond the obvious. For example, list programs you integrated that transformed employee relationships ... possibly increasing productivity while saving resources. Everyone knows that a happy work environment is a productive one.

3. Avoid being redundant throughout the resume. When a woman has had many similar positions, with repeating tasks, it's challenging to write a clean resume. Think of a combination resume layout, which allows for one category or so to emphasize on your skill set, leaving only basic listings for your positions.

4. How about including time spent with non-profit organizations, women's networking or business groups, and your involvement with mentoring? Reflecting outside activities not only shows your dedication to helping others, it reflects as personable and caring.

5. Avoid listing everything about your career within the resume. Your resume shouldn't be a catchall for every position you've held since high school -- unless of course, you've been out of HS for only a couple of years. When the resume is completed, ask yourself a simple question. Am I telling too much? Weigh every sentence for relevance and ditch the details that will have no affect.