How to write a resume that reflects your true potential.
When it comes to writing a resume, many women unknowingly downplay their accomplishments.
According to an article from 2023 in Forbes, 75% of executive women experience feelings of self-doubt of their professional life.
When applying for a position, many women tend to downplay their abilities, or consider that the many other skills they need to do (managing a home, child-rearing) don’t count.
Here is a quick guide on how to write a resume with confidence.
Start With A Strong Summary Statement
Start your resume with a compelling summary that highlights your expertise and unique value. Instead of a generic “Results-driven professional with experience in marketing,” say “Innovative marketing strategist with 10+ years of experience driving brand growth through data-driven campaigns.”
Use Impactful Language
Women often underplay their achievements with phrases like “assisted with,” “helped,” or “contributed to.” Instead, use strong action verbs that demonstrate leadership and ownership. For example, replace “helped with project management” with “led project management efforts,” or “contributed to marketing strategies” with “developed and implemented marketing strategies.”
Quantify Your Achievements
Numbers speak louder than words. Instead of stating that you “improved efficiency,” specify by how much: “Increased operational efficiency by 30%, reducing costs by $20,000 annually.” By quantifying your contributions, your impact is undeniable.
Highlight Leadership and Initiative
Even if you weren’t in a formal leadership role, emphasize situations where you took the lead, solved problems, or drove initiatives forward. Use statements like “spearheaded a new training program that increased employee retention by 15%.”
Eliminate Self-Diminishing Language
Phrases such as “I believe,” “I think,” or “I was lucky to…” can weaken your statements. Be direct and assertive. Instead of “I think I have strong leadership skills,” say “I have strong leadership skills, demonstrated by managing a team of 10 and increasing productivity by 40%.”
Don’t ‘Gloss Over’ Gaps In Your Career
Most women have had to take a break in their career, usually for pregnancy or family commitments.
If you took time off for caregiving, don’t feel pressured to leave a gap in your resume. Frame it as a period where you developed transferable skills. For example, “Managed household budgeting and logistics, coordinating multiple schedules and overseeing financial planning.” If you have taken a gap year, sabbatical or time out for personal or volunteering project describe what you did and how the skills learned during that period enhance your professional qualifications.
Returning to work? Be Up Front About It
Equally, mothers who are ready to reincorporate into the workforce, or segue from current part-time and self-employed to full-time positions, should be honest as to why. In the cover letter, explain the reasons such as ‘Now that my children are independent, I am confident I can re-enter my professional career with ease and self-assurance.
Play Up Soft Skills
Women are naturally better at soft skills like communication, collaboration, and problem-solving, and more and more companies are realising these talents are just as valuable as technical skills. Use sentences such as “Facilitated cross-functional collaboration between teams” or “ Brokered cross-cultural communication in the office” for the ocassions you have acted as an unofficial mediator in the workplace.
Make Your CV Visually Attractive
Most of employers expect employees to have basic graphic skills, even just for creating presentations. Showcase yours by making your CV stylish and visually attractive using an online layout tool such as Canva. Include a photo, but don’t feel obliged to include your birthdate unless it is specifically asked for.
Tailor Make and Constantly Revise
Sadly, one-size-fits-all resumes don’t work. Customise your resume to highlight the skills and experience most relevant to each role. Use keywords from the job description to increase the chances of passing applicant tracking systems (ATS). And do keep it up to date and you gather more skills and experience. It much easier working on it for 10 minutes at a time rather than spending hours rewriting it when a job opportunity arises.
Get Feedback
Have a mentor, coach, or trusted colleague review your resume. A second set of eyes can catch self-diminishing language and suggest stronger phrasing.
In the meantime, check out the current job openings from our clients at Juno Projects
