A Woman's World
According to the latest statistics from the Labor Department and the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, job growth was stronger for women in March. That month, women gained 38,000 jobs over the previous month, or one third of all positions added.
Jobs in health care, food service, and drinking establishments went mainly to women, and the ladies have regained one out of three of the total jobs lost since the recession began.
These numbers are not anything to jump up and down about, but when I go through the types of jobs available each week on Fox & Friends, there is a trend that cannot be ignored: many of the fields that are hiring are hiring women. Since I am a woman, and since I’ve been there, I thought I might gear this week’s column toward the ladies (and the men that love them).
What can women specifically bring to their resume? What can women specifically bring to the interview table? What industries are better suited for women? Some thoughts:
1) Health-care jobs: The majority of jobs we are seeing right now for are for registered nurses. The nursing shortage in this country continues, but if you have even basic skills and experience -- whether it be in a doctor’s office, hospital, or some form of military service -- you may be able to add some extra training and coursework to get the accreditation you need.
2) In-home Care Representative: This is also tied to the expansion of home health workers, but this is a position that you don’t need prior experience. Personal assistants or representatives are workers that come into the home to help the disabled or the elderly with basic needs and functions. Getting around the house, paying bills, groceries, trips outside in the car, walks, and laundry. It is certainly not a glamorous position, and you have to have patience and compassion for someone who can no longer function on their own. The upside to this job is that people are willing to pay you well. Drug screens, criminal background checks, and credit checks are standard screening mechanisms.
3) Food Service/Hospitality: The majority of jobs in this field have been food service and greeters, and mostly these jobs go to women. Many men are either uncomfortable working with food or dealing with restaurant clientele. This is also a field tailor-made for women, and Chipotle, Ruby Tuesday, and Subway have all been adding to their ranks. Another upside if you feel you are overqualified? Manager jobs! The number of management positions has grown substantially in food service, and many of these positions come with full health and retirement benefits.
4) Accounting: Study after study has shown that women are better at managing household finances than men. So why not get paid to do it? Accounting can be as simple as keeping the books in line for your neighborhood dry cleaner or coffee shop, all the way to working in an office environment for KPMG. For the latter you'll need a degree, but not necessarily for the neighborhood restaurant. It’s something to look at.
5) Sales: Women know how to smile even through the worst offenses! You know I’m right; we have a great ability to do what Mother told us to do and “grin and bear it.” This can be incredibly helpful doing sales. Also, women are not as threatening as men in a sales environment, and that softer “female touch” can be used to your advantage when trying to sell anything from advertisements to timeshares. Women should not be intimated by a sales position, they should embrace it.
I hope you’ll think about these fields a bit closer, and even if you don’t have experience in these areas, why not give it a try? Use your “girl power” ladies, because frankly, you rock!