D&I professionals are an important part of the human resources department. Their job is to ensure equality of opportunity and experience for all staff members of all backgrounds and identities. This position is becoming all the more important with the social conversations on identity taking center stage and the need for staff to be trained in the new cultural expectations when it comes to treating minorities.
For this position, you will work on training and educating staff, ensuring the recruitment process is diversity-friendly, and working with minority staff to ensure the workplace is safe and conducive for them to thrive. A strong background in HR and a specialization in diversity will be expected in both your educational background and your professional experience.
This guide comprises of some D&I titles, strong resume samples for each, some tips to help you bolster your resume further, and some useful skills and action verbs you can use.
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Also known as a diversity, equity, and inclusion specialist, this professional is a part of the larger HR department and concentrates their efforts on ensuring that people of all backgrounds and identities find their workplace comfortable and safe, and have equal opportunities throughout the company.
You may find yourself organizing diversity trainings, answering any relevant employee questions, and collecting internal data with surveys, concerning the state of diversity in the company. To qualify for this position you will be expected to at least have a bachelor’s degree preferably in an HR-related field. Beyond that, excellent communication and interpersonal skills will serve you well in this position. Take a look at this strong resume sample.
Any certification in the HR field would be beneficial to your application, but certification specifically in diversity would be particularly attractive to a recruiter. If you don’t have any certifications of this nature, consider working to get one to help you stand out.
Grab recruiters’ attention from the very beginning of your resume. Because they may not have time to scrutinize the hundreds of resumes they get, it’s advantageous to include impressive achievements and metrics in the introduction section as this applicant has done.
As a diversity and inclusion manager, you take a more senior role in this area of HR. You will be managing diversity and inclusion specialists and will focus more on creating initiatives and policies to ensure the company staff is diverse and that the company is inclusive to all. You will also be in charge of training HR personnel on diversity issues and may also address any diversity-related issues raised by staff members.
When looking at your resume, recruiters will want to see a long history in HR as well as proven experience developing successful diversity and equality policies. Being able to show expert knowledge in human rights law would also be a huge plus. Here is a successful resume sample.
Because this is a management position, it is important to show experience in a management or leadership position as you also show experience in diversity work. You can include stats like how big your teams were or the retention rates of minorities under your watch. This candidate has done this effectively.
In this position, you are going to be dealing with employees with diverse backgrounds who probably have different native languages. It would be very beneficial for you to be able to communicate in their native languages so it’s important for you to list all the languages you speak. Being multilingual is a big advantage in the D&I profession.
A Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) is the touchstone for enhancing inclusivity within an organization. They play a pivotal role in fostering a workspace that embraces diverse cultures, perspectives, and experiences. They're trendsetters, constantly keeping an eye on the evolving landscape of societal norms and adjusting company policies accordingly. When tailoring your resume, avoid a one-size-fits-all approach. Instead, focus on weaving a narrative that underscores your ability to usher in change and foster an environment of inclusivity and belonging.
Remember, the CDO role isn't just about having the right qualifications—it's about being an ambassador for diversity. You're expected to have a deep understanding of the complexities of equality, diversity, and inclusion. As such, your resume should reflect that you're not only able to envision a diverse and inclusive future but also inspire others to work towards it.
It's essential to emphasize your track record in leading diversity initiatives. Note any programs you've developed or led that have positively impacted a diverse group of employees, or fostered a more inclusive workplace culture.
A chief diversity officer (CDO) is a senior professional aiming to develop strategies and maximize workplace diversity and inclusion. You will be answerable to the chief HR officer or the CEO. The need for this role has grown drastically with the various social and identity issues in the public discourse, so this profession has seen a healthy growth rate in the recent past. In fact, the percentage of Fortune 500 companies with a CDO has more than doubled in the last 15 years from less than 20% in 2005 to over 50% today.
You will generally be expected to have at least a master’s degree in a related field, but some companies expect you to have a doctorate. Beyond your education, you will need to show at least 10 years of successful experience in the diversity field, so ensure your experience section is well structured. Use this resume sample as a template.
While recruiters will expect to see standard HR tools and skills in your skills section, they will also want to see D&I-specific tools listed. This candidate has listed specified tools like Blendoor and Gender Decoder.
This is an executive-level position, and as such your tasks will be of a more overseer or leadership nature. Action verbs can be useful in shaping your experience to highlight this. Some effective action verbs this candidate has used include ‘developed’, ‘supervised’, and ‘overhauled’ among others. There is an action verbs list below with additional effective action verbs for this position.
In this profession, you will be in charge of championing D&I programs and developing D&I strategies and goals for the company. You will also be in charge of overseeing the implementation of all D&I programs and will represent the company on D&I matters. This is an executive-level position, and your management and leadership skills will need to be proven in your resume as much as your D&I experience.
Recruiters will expect to see a master’s or doctorate in HR, preferably with a specialization in D&I, and will want to see at least 8-10 years of experience in the field. Here is a recruiter-approved resume sample.
Show recruiters that you are a dedicated HR professional and a hardworking and successful employee by showing a long history of promotions in your HR career. This applicant started as a human resources recruiter and moved their way up to a VP of D&I position.
It's more powerful if you quantify your successes so include as many numbers and metrics as you can so recruiters can get a clear picture of what you have accomplished.
As a D&I coordinator, you will essentially have two functions. One function will be to coordinate D&I programs and events. This will require excellent project management skills as well as strong communication skills. The other function will be to be the liaison between the company and stakeholders like the government, local community, etc. This requires excellent interpersonal skills and a strong understanding of D&I regulations and social issues at the forefront of social discourse. Take a look at this strong resume sample.
By reading your resume, recruiters should be able to tell that you are highly knowledgeable and skilled. An effective way to do this is to litter your resume with industry and job-specific keywords. For this position, relevant keywords for this position may include stereotypes, equity, and cultural diversity.
Stand out from the crowd by going the extra step to get certifications in the D&I field. It shows recruiters your dedication to the profession and also shows your capabilities. This candidate has two impressive certifications.
We spoke with hiring managers from top companies known for their diverse and inclusive workplaces, such as Accenture, Microsoft, and Google, to gather their insights on what makes a strong diversity and inclusion resume. Based on their recommendations and our expertise, we've compiled a list of actionable tips to help you craft a compelling resume that showcases your commitment to fostering an inclusive work environment.
Employers value candidates who have invested in their own education and development related to diversity and inclusion. If you have completed any relevant training or earned certifications, make sure to include them on your resume.
Examples of diversity and inclusion training and certifications:
A resume summary for a diversity and inclusion role is your chance to highlight your most relevant skills and experiences at the top of your resume. While summaries are optional, they can be particularly useful if you're making a career change or have a lot of experience to summarize. Avoid using an objective statement, as they are outdated and focus on your needs rather than the employer's. Instead, use your summary to provide context and showcase your unique value proposition.
When crafting your summary, be sure to tailor it to the specific diversity and inclusion role you're targeting. Highlight your relevant skills, such as cultural competence, program management, and data analysis. Mention any notable achievements or initiatives you've led that demonstrate your ability to drive diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Keep your summary concise and impactful, aiming for no more than a few sentences or a short paragraph.
The work experience section is the heart of your resume. It's where you highlight your most relevant and impressive experiences that relate to diversity and inclusion roles. In this section, focus on accomplishments over responsibilities. Provide specific examples using numbers, metrics, and tools to illustrate your impact.
When writing about your work experiences, think about how they relate to key diversity and inclusion initiatives, such as developing training programs, analyzing HR data, or partnering with employee resource groups. Use strong action verbs to describe what you did.
Your education section should show hiring managers that you have the relevant knowledge and training for a diversity and inclusion role. It's also a chance to highlight any specialized coursework or projects that relate to D&I initiatives. Here are some key tips for writing a strong education section on your diversity and inclusion resume:
Action verbs are an effective way to shape your experience section
The action verbs used in a D&I professional’s guide should highlight the professional’s experience in all steps of the HR recruiting cycle, as well as the implementation of diversity programs. If the professional is in a management or executive-level position, you will also need to use leadership action verbs like ‘designed’ and ‘supervised’.
The right action verbs make your successes and experience stand out and help showcase your most relevant skills in a few words.
For a full list of effective resume action verbs, visit Resume Action Verbs.
When looking at the skills section of a D&I professional’s resume, recruiters will need to see competency in your assessment of the organization’s diversity needs, your development of training plans, and your ability to effect successful diversity programs. Useful skills for this are diversity awareness and diversity management. You will also need to show industry-standard HR skills like recruiting, onboarding, and interviewing, so ensure your skills list also reflects this function.
We have compiled a list of recruiter-approved skills you would expect to see in a D&I professional’s resume. Use some of these to strengthen the skills section of your resume.
You can include the above skills in a dedicated Skills section on your resume, or weave them in your experience. Here's how you might create your dedicated skills section:
This word cloud highlights the important keywords that appear on Diversity and Inclusion job descriptions and resumes. The bigger the word, the more frequently it appears on job postings, and the more 'important' it is.
Thank you for the checklist! I realized I was making so many mistakes on my resume that I've now fixed. I'm much more confident in my resume now.
