The Resume Characteristics Determining Job Interviews for Middle-Aged Women Seeking Entry-Level Employment

Emily Johnson, The Texas Sunset Advisory Commission, and Joanna Lahey, Texas A&M University, published “The Resume Characteristics Determining Job Interviews for Middle-Aged Women Seeking Entry-Level Employment” in August 2011 issue of the Journal of Career Development.

The Abstract:

Obtaining an entry-level job can be critically important for women with little education, particularly those who have taken time out of the labor force. This article uses archival data from a field experiment, called a resume audit study, to examine the characteristics of entry-level resumes that are important to potential employers. In accordance with earlier theory, post–high school education and training, such as from a community college or a computer training program, are primary factors in determining whether a woman receives an interview. For example, vocational training more than doubles the chance of an interview. Other factors are not as important for entry-level jobs, unlike what resume manuals aimed at college graduates suggest.

This article was also highlighted in a press release on September 27th, entitled “What Employers Look for of Those Reentering the Workforce.”

Finding a job in today’s economy is difficult in the best of circumstances, but many women are facing an even bigger challenge: returning to the workforce after a long absence.  Researchers recently looked at the characteristics on older women’s resumes that received the most success in securing job interviews. The top characteristic that resulted in job interviews for middle-aged women seeking an entry level job was vocational or computer training.

To learn more about the Journal of Career Development, click here.

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