Reader Question: I’m a well-educated woman who is applying for jobs in a competitive market. How do I market myself to be competitive with my male equivalents? – Jasmin
Jasmin,
I hate that you even need to ask this question. I wish that in 2013 we as women were able to just apply for a job and not have to think about our sex but the fact still remains that men will get jobs over women more times than not. We as women have to out more effort into marketing ourselves in order to get hired. Here are a few tips that may help you land the job over your male competition.
Have a great resume and killer cover letter!
Your resume gets you the interview, you get yourself the job!
I am a firm believer in good resumes and cover letters. I pride myself in writing pretty convincing cover letters. I must be doing something right since I’ve landed at least an interview for almost every job I have ever applied to.
In order to accomplish this, make sure you precisely address everything they job is detailing in your cover letter. Employers don’t have the time or patience to read through pages upon pages of cover letters. If you can’t hook them within the first few sentences you’re already done.
The cover letter should be concise (two paragraphs, max) and to the point (your resume can elaborate details). Make them want to talk to you. Make yourself interesting and make yourself look like the employee they want and need. If you’ve never had a proper cover letter or resume made, get help. There are professionals out there who can help with this.
Another great resource is university resource centers. They often have people to help in their career resource centers. If you don’t have a good resume or cover letter and need to pay someone to help you, it may be money well spent if it lands you the interview!
Market Yourself
If and when you land the interview, come prepared. Make sure you’ve done your homework and know exactly what they want and need in an employee. Don’t show up knowing nothing about the company or details of the job position. Highlight your strengths and never point out weaknesses.
Instead of admitting you may not know the software program they use, highlight how keen you are and how fast of a learner you are. I once applied for a job I wanted and was not in the least bit qualified for, and I got it. I went into the store almost every day and made sure the manager knew I was serious. I made sure she granted me an interview so I would have an opportunity to explain how badly I wanted the job, and how hard I was willing to work to get it. I made sure I pointed out exactly what was going to be expected of me and had a plan in place for how and when I was going to learn everything. Even though I had zero experience, that summer-only job turned into a five-year venture that propelled me into the career I have now.
Be diligent with applying
Apply for everything. Even if they’re jobs you know you won’t necessarily love, its interview practice and that can go a long way when you finally land your dream job interview.
One of the best interviews I ever had was for a job I didn’t get. I learned a lot about myself and the interview process through that one interview early in my life. It prepared me so much better for my next interview, an interview I nailed since I got the job.
Don’t be too hard on yourself
If you beat yourself up or live in a mental state of ”I’m a woman, I won’t get the job” then you won’t get the job! Nor do you deserve the job. You have to be strong and stand out. There isn’t room for weakness. Learn from mistakes, learn everything you can about jobs you don’t land (call and find out why, get details) and prove that you were the right choice when you do get that job!
Ladies, what tips do you have for Jasmin?
[Featured image courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/charlesonflickr/]
