Job Hunting Tips for Women

By Diana Carpenter

I have interviewed too many men in my 13 years of recruiting experience. Of course, that's mostly because of the industry I worked in for a majority of those interviews: security. After the first five years, I recruited for positions that attracted more women. I will say that I feel the job search process is pretty much the same no matter who you are, but let's have a little fun and just talk about us!

So, here are a few job hunting tips for the girls:

Send the kids to Grandma's I've noticed that sometimes the job search is more difficult for women. Why? They keep the kids home with them while they do their job search. Because your job search should be a part-time job, you need to take the time to do it right. You can’t always do that with the kids around. My suggestion: send them to grandma care, friend-from-church care, teenager-down-the-street care, or whatever you can do to give yourself a little time each week to do what you need to do.

Take your time to do it right Look at one posting at a time, read the entire posting, and apply for one job, one company at a time. Customize your resume; use the job posting to highlight key skills and experiences that the company is looking for. If the company asks you to put the job title in the subject line, please do so. A lot of companies use instructions in their job postings to screen out candidates, answering the question - Can you follow directions?

Women want to help other women You have to get out there and meet other women. Find an event or networking opportunity in your area. Try to go to one of these at least once a month, this will get you out of the house, put you in a room full of other women, and give you the opportunity to meet a lot of people that will be willing to help you. A very large percentage of jobs are never posted. By getting yourself out there and meeting more people you are more likely to get into that hidden job market, the new people you meet will tell you about job openings.

 
One of Diana's Joy of Connecting networking groups

Take advantage of networking opportunities There are many opportunities for this in your area. Do a little research and you will see. Joy of Connecting meetings are all over the country, it is a networking meeting for women. There's no membership required, just a fee for the event and food. They do meet monthly, but for what you are looking for, a visit would be a great introduction. Check out www.thejoyofconnecting.com for more information. There are other groups, just check your local papers or search online for your town events. Or, call a friend that owns her own business, she probably goes to networking events all the time.

The call Now that you have taken the time you need to search for a job and you have met the right people, let’s get ready for your interviews. You and your family need to be ready for the call you'll get from the recruiter. If you are home with your children, you may want to let calls goes to voicemail so that you can call back when you have a quiet few minutes.

Dressing for the interview Get yourself ready by being a 16 year old girl again, go through your closet and try things on. Separate your everyday clothes from your interview clothes. Try on outfits, make sure they fit, that they look good, and most importantly, you feel comfortable. Put them to one side of your closet and have them waiting and ready. The last thing you need is to be stressed on the day of your interview! By separating your clothes ahead of time it will allow you to simply get ready and relax before your interview.

And, remember Once in the interview, show your gratitude for both the interview and the recruiter’s time. Thank you emails and handwritten cards are always appreciated. 

We all know that the job search process can take its toll. If you follow these tips, it is my hope that this time consuming and sometime self-esteem killing process, will be a little easier on you.

Good luck in your job search!  

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