Over the past decade, I’ve written scores of resumes for folks ranging from recent college graduates to IT wizards to top brass military agents to multinational venture capitalists to   fashion designers to nonprofit directors…. I could go on.

No matter the industry, years of experience, home location, political background or educational history in question, I’ve noticed one major difference between most male and female jobseekers. While men (male identifying) have no problem listing every single personal business win, I’ve had to drag awards, honors and achievements out of women (female identifying).

I understand why. Just about every woman I’ve ever known with drive and focus simply devote their attention to achieving a goal and get it accomplished. They don’t take the time to consider the impact and implications of that database they reorganized or the new service delivery process they developed. They just know it needed to be done and led the charge in doing just that.

No matter your gender, this LACK of popping your proverbial collars AKA praising yourself for a job wealth done MUST STOP.

Don’t be shy about following up on the outcomes of your hard work, especially if your organization is tracking metrics and performance on a regular basis. If you have improved a system or process, instituted a new policy that saved your organization time or money, trained half of the staff on the job or done anything else to make a positive difference, put it on your resume with pride. Please stop selling yourselves short—especially when you have done and are willing to do what others have and did not.

You rock.

If you need help with explaining how hard you rock, contact me.