July 31, 2002

Sexual differences in job-hunting
Six ways men, women can learn from the other's style

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Faced with unemployment, men and women both rally initiative and patience to find work. But the job-search methods they employ are often different.

Men and women can adopt more effective job-hunting strategies by studying the nuances of how the opposite sex approaches the process.
When it comes to networking, men appear to be more comfortable hitting up friends and relatives for job leads while women are more likely to put the word out to people they don't know.

Eighteen percent of men shook the family tree compared with 15 percent of women in the second quarter, according to the U.S. Labor Department. Still, women are closing the gap. The spread was twice as big coming out of the last recession, when 26 percent of men tapped career avenues closer to home vs. 20 percent of women in 1992.

What's more, a greater percentage of females said they sent out resumes and filled out applications both times around, but more males reported directly approaching an employer for work.

Men also had a slight edge in answering or placing ads this year, flip-flopping the trend of a decade ago. Both sexes used about two job search methods on average, a number that's unchanged in 10 years.

Of course, individual differences, age and experience and even given industries' varying social norms can affect how people approach job-hunting. But career counselors say men and women can learn from each other's general strengths and weaknesses.

1) Getting out and shmoozing
Men often are more selective about who they let into their job searches, a factor that holds them back, said Karen Yasgoor, an organizational psychologist in La Jolla, Calif.

"It usually takes men longer to open up and kick themselves in the rear and look for a job," she said. "There's this ego that they're afraid to tell people 'I'm not working now.'"

Men are more likely stick to the traditional route of keeping costly memberships in professional organizations and business clubs, even if they don't attend, said Linda Tiffan, a regional director of H.R. Solutions, an Atlanta search and consulting firm.

Women, on the other hand, often go to job fairs, join free networking groups and talk more openly about their situations.

"They tend to spread the word wider and further. They'll talk to their hairdresser and banker and as a result they surface more leads," she said. "Their antennas are up more for these social outlets that can become job search outlets."

Where women come up short is enlisting their business colleagues and acquaintances, said Karen Bloom, a principal with Chicago executive search firm Bloom, Gross & Associates.

"They're a little afraid to go the extra mile and ask for help and impose themselves, as they see it, on other people," she said. "I don't think men have the same hang-ups about asking their buddies to open doors for them. That's something women can learn from them."

2) Considering the possibilities
While men are keen on setting a job search strategy, they're less likely to ponder the road less traveled when they come across job leads that interest them but don't fit what they're looking for in terms of salary or rank, said Smooch Reynolds, president of executive search firm Repovich-Reynolds in Pasadena, Calif.

"Women tend to explore more and be more open to possibilities whereas men are more on a linear track," she said.

3) Using online job sites
Despite the convenience of job portals such as Monster.com and HotJobs.com, men post their resumes in higher numbers than women because of security concerns, said Mark Mehler, co-author of CareerXRoads.com.

"Women feel that their security and privacy are highly prized," he said. "A higher proportion register their email and skills at sites that have agents or they will post their resume privately" so as not to give employers access to personal information.

Women also are becoming savvier about reading sites' privacy policies and setting up screens such as free Hotmail accounts or post office boxes so they can remain competitive among online recruiters, Mehler said.

4) Scoring points in the interview
Generally speaking, men tend to be more aggressive when it comes to tooting their own horns, a factor that can pay off if used in the right measure, Bloom said. "Some women are not as good, when they get in the door, of articulating and selling themselves."

Men often take the lead when under duress, such as explaining the loss of the last job, Tiffan said. "They can be very task-oriented," she said. "They can still put on a good face and present well and sell themselves in an interview. That's something women could use more practice with."

To be sure, some men overdo the self-promotion to their own detriment, Bloom said.

"They come across as the hero that solved every problem the company ever had and generally are met with some skepticism," she said. "Learning to have a dialogue with the recruiter is a skill some men need to work on."

5) Negotiating terms
Talking about salary and benefits can lead to the end of a job search, but agreeing to a pay package too quickly can undermine long-term goals.

Men are less likely to accept an offer that doesn't fit their needs just to close the deal, Reynolds said. "They will negotiate more compensation and hold out longer. Women can tend to allow their excitement about the opportunity cloud their thinking about compensation."

6) Following up
While some men excel at staying in touch with prospective employers, many could take a lesson from women, who are often aces at sending timely thank-you notes after interviews, finding reasons to get back to people and putting themselves in front of decision-makers, Tiffan said.

"Women tend to be better trained in manners and business etiquette and doing the follow-up," she said. "Men struggle with the note - what to say and how to say it."

By Kristen Gerencher