RESPONSE TO WOMEN@WORK NETWORK JOB POSTING CHECKLIST

SECTION I: Address All the Points in the Job Posting in Your Return E-MAIL

→ Look at the compensation. If you don’t like the number that you see, don’t assume that it will change dramatically. Employers are usually willing to negotiate a bit, but if the compensation is way out of your ballpark, move on to other opportunities. In the 11th hour many women tell us that they “can’t work for that level of compensation” – but that level of compensation was clearly stated in the job posting. Be honest with yourself (and us!) from the start.

→ Create a “cover note” that tells us why you are a particularly good match for the job. This does not need to be perfect prose—and it can even be a simple list of bullet points. We use this as the foundation for a WOMEN@WORK profile that brings your resume to life for the employer.

In your cover note, be sure to include…

→ Any specifically related industry experience – and when. It counts if the experience was early in your career or a volunteer position – employers like to know that you have a familiarity with their business. Pay attention to any "niche" expertise that the job posting states as a requirement. If, for example, a job posting states that a Director of Marketing job requires consumer packaged goods experience, women who do not have that experience often apply stating that their marketing experience qualifies them to market any product or service. This may be the case, but if our client is requiring a certain expertise that you don't have you should not apply.

→ An explanation of how you meet the clearly stated requirements of the job. If the job requires knowledge of three computer software programs, tell us if you know all three. If the job requires 10 different skill sets, tell us which ones you have and which ones you don’t have. This is not always obvious on your resume.

→ Specific details that elaborate on your experience. If one of your skills is marketing communications—tell us the type of communications you created and for which clients or companies. The more information the better. Remember, the less work that WOMEN@WORK and employers have to do to understand your fit, the faster you get to the “A list”.

→ “Metrics” about your accomplishments. It’s great that you chaired the school book fair or managed a new product launch, but that level of detail is woefully insufficient. Your resume should include the bottom line business results of your efforts—a 20% increase in sales, penetration into 15 major markets—all that meaty stuff that catches the attention of employers. If this is not on your resume, make sure it is in your cover note to us.

→ Your employee benefits requirements, if any. If you need health insurance, be sure to note if you are looking for coverage for just yourself or yourself and family. Generally, companies are not required to offer employee benefits if you work less than 30 hours per week. If we don’t say that employee benefits are included, don’t expect that they will suddenly be offered during the interview.

→ A confirmation that you are ready to work the stated number of hours (if the position is part-time) within the stated parameters of the job. We are strong advocates for flexibility—and if any exists in the job, it will be clearly stated in the job posting. If you are returning to work, don’t throw your hat in the ring unless you are truly ready to work the stated hours, you have a plan and a back-up plan for child care and your husband or family is on board with your decision to return. Please don’t exercise yourself, WOMEN@WORK or employers if you are truly not ready to dive back in. (But by the same token, realize that at some point it’s important to move off that diving board!)

→ An explanation of why you might be applying for a position that involves significantly less compensation or responsibility than your last full-time paid position (even if it was 100 years ago). We find that lots of former high-powered women are looking to get off – or never return to – the fast track, but employers will ask this question, so we need an answer.

→ An explanation of why you left your last position (employers never fail to ask this question).

→ If you had several positions that did not last more than two years, an explanation of why you moved around. When you have good reasons, employers are very forgiving. Without those reasons, they are very suspicious. All employers talk to us about their desire for employee longevity.

SECTION II: Provide a Current Resume If We Don’t Already Have One on File

→ Make sure that your resume begins with a summary paragraph (not an “objective”!) that is a clear and forthright snapshot of who you are and the skills and experience that you bring to an employer. This is the fastest way to our “A” list of candidates. If you know who you are, we know who you are and we can assess in minutes if you are right for the job. Without this summary, we put you aside until we have time to read between the lines, call you for explanations, etc.

→ Make sure that we have the most recent version of your resume. There’s no need to attach your resume every time you express interest in an opportunity. (If you’ve sent your resume to us it is saved in our database.) But if you have updated your resume, please tell us that it is a new version and we will replace the one we have in our database.

→ Send us only one version of your resume. Other recruiters may have a different opinion—but we feel that because you are only one person, you should have only one resume. You have a variety of skills that can be applied in different industries. Focus on those transferable skills.

→ Whenever you send us a resume, save it in this simple format: “Doe, Jane 10-1-04”. We get hundreds of resumes—if you use your name and the date as identifiers it will not get lost. So many women send us resume files that say “Jane’s resume”, “my resume” or “JD Resume”— all files that are at risk of mix-ups or loss.

→ Make sure that you spell check your resume! This seems obvious, but we find a large volume of typos in resumes. Although it is not a heinous crime, it does make us wonder if the candidate is cautious and detail-oriented. And after you’ve run spell check give your resume one last careful read. Remember if you’ve mistakenly typed “in” where you meant to say “on” spell check will not catch it!