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Resumes that get working moms noticed
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A recent Cornell University study indicated the existence of a hiring bias against working moms. In one blind study, hiring managers were given fake resumes from both men and women, all showing equitable skill sets, education levels, and community involvement. The results indicated that hiring managers were 100% less likely to call the working mother in for an interview. How did the prospective employers know the fake resumes belonged to parents? One of the study’s authors told Business Week that parental status was indicated in the mom’s resume in the form of PTA officer, whereas the child-free woman’s resume indicated HOA officer.
So what does this mean for working moms looking for new opportunities or stay-at-home moms seeking employment? Be discriminating about what you put on your resume.
It’s unfair, to be sure, but it’s important to remember that hiring managers don’t know you, your work ethic, or your level of commitment to your job. Because mothers are perceived to be less dedicated than child-free women, parenting indicators on your resume could cost you an interview. “A common thread I saw, especially from those women returning to work after staying at home to raise children, is an assortment of [jobs] that are child-centric,” says one former hiring manager who requested anonymity. “[Hiring managers] prefer to see well-rounded applicants who have a good work-life balance.”
Here are some tips to consider when updating your resume:
Objectives: Some people like to include an objective on their resume, as a sort of one-liner to sum up their ideal job. If you choose to write one, make sure it’s a balanced statement that expresses the kind of commitment you’re willing to make to your next employer – but realize that the objective is often overlooked altogether.
Education: Only include completed degrees, degrees that are nearly completed (with a projected graduation date), and certification relevant to the position for which you are applying and their respective dates. If you began an MBA program four years ago but didn’t go to classes for the last three and a half years, leave it off the resume. But if you began work towards your Bachelor’s degree and only have one or two terms left – even if it has taken seven years – you should definitely include it, provided you intend to complete it.
Experience: You can divide your experience between two headings (“Relevant” and “Related”) if you’re returning to a profession from which you’ve been absent for some time. The trick here is to make sure the positions you list under “Relevant”, whether paid or voluntary, are true to that heading – and make sure each of these are measurable. If you’re applying for a management position and chaired the annual fundraiser at your church for the past three years, be sure to include fundraising goals and year-over-year increases that can be attributed to your involvement. But leave out your tenure as Scout leader, no matter how well you managed the troop’s budget.
Skills: Include every skill you have that is relevant to the position for which you are applying. The caveat, of course, is that computer programs and technology change constantly, so you may need to update your skills. You can list your skills under three headings (“Proficient in”, “Working knowledge of”, and “Familiar with”), but be honest about the classifications. If you were working with Office 2000 at your previous job but haven’t touched Excel in the 2007suite, you’ll need to familiarize yourself with the new software before you can say you’re proficient.
References: These are always available on request. It’s best if you can include previous employers with whom you’ve stayed in close contact because they would be able to emphasize your skills and work ethic. And you can always include clients or coworkers with whom you worked closely as professional references. If you haven’t stayed in touch with former bosses and are unsure of what they might say, leave them off your list of references. After all, hiring managers only need to verify dates of employment with prior employers.
If there are large gaps of time between jobs on your resume, make sure you have included everything you’ve done, paid or voluntary. Remember that contract, freelance and voluntary work counts, too. And if you can’t find anything to fill those gaps on paper, prepare an explanation for any unaccounted time in the event an interviewer asks.
There are a number of Orlando businesses, like Superior Adminsistrative Solutions, that can help craft your resume. If you choose to use an outside service instead of writing your own resume, just make sure they are members of the Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches.
Moms have to tread lightly in today’s business landscape. While we should never apologize for taking care of our families, we also have to demonstrate our dedication to our paying jobs, too. And once in the workplace, working moms must maintain that delicate work-life balance, more so than their child-free counterparts. It is ultimately up to all mothers - working outside the home or not - to eliminate this hiring bias against working moms.
Right or wrong, as working moms, we have to be aware this bias exists. In lean times as these, when women are returning to the workforce to help support their families, it's important to know that appearing too child-centric in a resume could cost us an interview - and could cost companies valuable employees.
Related articles: The wage gap working moms need to question, Working moms versus their child-free coworkers, Temp agencies can help moms rejoin the workforce
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