I just returned from the National Resume Writers’ Association annual conference where I heard career professionals Murray Mann and Makini Harvey speak about multicultural recruiting. There is a great opportunity for multicultural candidates to embrace their diversity and showcase their differences to hiring managers in an effort to build a strong diversity brand and be found for current openings. Here are some of my key takeaways from the presentation.

1. The Federal government requires companies to use diversity job boards to source multicultural candidates, so it makes sense to be there.
2. More than 90% of companies with 10,000 employees or more are actively recruiting diversity candidates on campus.
3. Displaying your multicultural identity on LinkedIn can make it easier for employers to find you. Consider using both a married and maiden name and keeping your real name as opposed to an abbreviated American name on your LinkedIn profile to highlight diversity.
4. If all of your work experience has been outside the U.S. and you are seeking a U.S. position, be sure to state on your resume that you are authorized to work in the U.S.
5. Be sure to include your name in your email address to leverage your diversity brand.
6. Include information on diversity-centric professional associations you belong to on your resume.
7. Hiring authorities are doing keyword searches on diversity fraternities so it makes sense to include these on your resume as well.
8. Be sure to discuss minority affiliations in the cover letter to build your brand, show diversity, and leverage minority-based relationships.
9. Check out Weddles Directory of Employment-Related Internet Sites to source diversity job boards; find diversity recruiters to make it past the red tape of huge company websites/career portals.
10. Engage in an online diversity community such as A Mighty River, Asian Life, Disaboom, iHispano, IMDiversity, LGBT Career Link, Workforce 50, and W2WLink.