The Business Journals
Why women didn't apply: A primer on how not to write a help-wanted ad
Gina Hall

Job descriptions have keywords that can either recruit or repel you. A buzzword that has always cautioned me away from a job is "thick-skinned." Less because I'm sensitive and more because those are code words for "crazy boss." As it turns out, there are plenty more keywords in want ads that are turn-offs for women, which may keep them from applying for leadership positions.

According to a study out of the Technical University of Munich, women were less likely to apply for jobs which were described with "male-sounding" adjectives. Men, on the other hand, were not deterred by feminine words in a job ad.

The study asked 260 participants to look at job advertisements for upper-level positions. Male-associated words like "assertive," "independent," "aggressive," and "analytical" turned women away from job applications, whereas feminine-sounding words like "dedicated," "conscientious," and "sociable" had little effect on a man's interest in a position…

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