Let me tell you a little story… Shortly after graduating from college, I took a position as an account manager with a company that produced resume databases for university MBA programs to sell to recruiters. We’re talking top notch programs — Harvard, Yale, and Cornell among them. Schools that turn down more applicants than they accept and command a hefty price tag for enrollment.
One of my responsibilities was to proof the scanned resumes of graduating students to ensure that the formatting was preserved during the conversion process. In doing so, I learned a great deal about what comprises an appealing resume, and I also learned a lot about what not to include — like details on your extensive baseball hat collection (true story).
But the one thing that I noticed that really bothered me was that the vast majority of the women in these programs, obviously brilliant, hardworking, and deserving women, used only their first and middle initials on their resumes. Because it’s a sad fact that even in this day and age, there are still recruiters that will automatically screen a woman out of the running for a position based solely on the fact that she’s female, without even considering her qualifications.
Though I wasn’t ready to have a family at that time, I remember thinking that there’s no way any future daughters I might have would ever have to hide behind their initials for any reason. And so when I did eventually have two girls, I gave them both names that are pretty gender neutral.
I don’t ever want them to be told that they can’t do whatever it is they want to achieve simply because they were born a female.
That’s why I adore the #GirlsCan campaign that Walmart and CoverGirl are collaborating on! If you haven’t seen the commercial, you can watch it above. It’s all about promoting the empowerment of women and is packed with strong women that I would totally encourage my girls to look up to as role models, women who have stood up in the face of adversity and said, “I can do that!” Together, we all need to encourage girls to break down barriers and turn “can’t” into “can.”
But the program is actually about more than that. Both Walmart and CoverGirl have committed to donating $50k each to Dress for Success, a not-for profit organization that promotes the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help. Since their start in 1997, Dress for Success has helped more than 775,000 women worldwide! Learn more about Dress for Success, at www.dressforsuccess.org.
So how can you help support this movement? Look for specially marked limited edition packages of COVERGIRL Flamed Out Mascara and Pro Mascara on the #GirlsCan tower at your local Walmart, and share your #GirlsCan moments on social media!
Has anyone ever told you that you couldn’t do something just because you’re a girl?