Career Industry Conference Update: 2024

This year (2024) marks the 25th anniversary of my first resume writing conference appearance (the 1999 NRWA Conference in New Orleans).

I’ll be attending the 2024 NRWA conference virtually (and you can too – link below).

This is an update to a post from September 2023 (which was an update to a November 2019 post (“Have You Ever Been to a Resume Writing Conference?”), which built on a post from August 2011 (“When Is the Omaha Conference?”)

The 2023 NRWA Conference was awesome — great content, fabulous friends, and an incredible destination (Colorado Springs, CO). 

Here’s the breakdown of where the national resume writing organizations have had their conferences in recent years. (I’ve bolded the ones I attended.)

The National Resume Writers' Association (NRWA):
2024 – Providence, RI (scheduled for Oct. 8-10, 2024 with virtual attendance available as well) 

2023 – Colorado Springs, CO

2022 - New Orleans, LA 

2021 – NRWA Virtual Conference

2020 – NRWA Virtual Conference
2019 - NRWA Conference at Sea (Cruise to the Bahamas)
2018 - Seattle, Washington
2017 - Chicago, Illinois
2016 - Annapolis, Maryland
2015 - Charlotte, North Carolina
2014 - Denver, Colorado
2013 - Chicago, Illinois
2012 - Charleston, South Carolina
2011 - Portland, Maine
2010 - Fort Worth, Texas
2009 - Annapolis, Maryland
2008 - San Diego, California
2007 - Savannah, Georgia
2006 - Phoenix, Arizona
2005 - Stamford, Connecticut
2004 - Nashville, Tennessee
2003 - Seattle, Washington
2002 - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
2001 - San Antonio, Texas
2000 - Las Vegas, Nevada
1999 - New Orleans, Louisiana
1998 - Chicago

This year (2024) will be my 14th NRWA conference (and third one I’m attending virtually).

Career Directors International:
2016 - Present: No conference
2015 - Entrepreneurial Success Secrets Live for Career Professionals: Orlando, Florida
2014 - Global Career Empowerment Summit: SOAR — Orlando, Florida
2013 - Global Career Empowerment Summit: Your Big Breakthrough — Orlando, Florida
2012 - Global Career Empowerment Summit: Blaze Your Trail — San Diego, California
2011 - Global Career Empowerment Summit: Jump On Board the Success Express — Savannah, Georgia
2010 - Global Career Empowerment Summit: You Selected & We Delivered: The Most Outrageously Power-Packed Career Conference Yet — San Diego, California
2009 - Global Career Empowerment Summit: Take Your Career to New Heights — Orlando, Florida
2008 - Annual Conference: Get Super with CDI — Seattle, Washington
2007 - Annual Conference: The Future is You! — San Antonio, Texas
2006 - Annual Conference: Live the Dream — Orlando, Florida (PRWRA)
2005 - Annual Conference: Play to Win — Las Vegas, Nevada (PRWRA)
2004 - Indianapolis, Indiana (PRWRA)
2003 - New Orleans (PRWRA)
2002 - Atlanta, Georgia (when the organization was still PRWRA)

(Thank you to Laura DeCarlo for help assembling the conference titles and locations!) I was never able to make a CDI conference (they were often in October and conflicted with my UNO Hockey obsession).

Career Management Alliance (no longer in business as of August 2011):
2011 - Las Vegas, Nevada
2010 - New Orleans, Louisiana
2009 - San Antonio, Texas
2008 - Minneapolis, Minnesota
2007 - Louisville, Kentucky
2006 - ??
2005 - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (when it was still Career Masters Institute)
2004 - Atlanta, Georgia (CMI)
2003 - Kansas City, Missouri (CMI)
2002 - San Diego, California (CMI)

Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches
2025 – Chicago, Illinois (Thrive 2025)

2024 – Orlando, Florida (Thrive Orlando 2024)

2023 – Orlando, Florida (Thrive Orlando 2023)

2022 – Clearwater, Florida (Thrive 2022)

2021 – Virtual Conference

2020 – No conference due to COVID

2019 - St. Pete Beach, Florida
2005-2018: No conference
2004 - St. Pete Beach, Florida
2003 - Las Vegas, Nevada
2002 - Dallas, Texas
2001 - Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida
2000 - Toronto, Canada
1999 - Colorado Springs, Colorado

PARW/CC held conferences from 1999-2004 but then discontinued conferences in 2004. The conferences returned in 2019. The 2025 one is the first conference for the organization being held outside of Florida since 2003.

Have You Ever Been to a Resume Writing Conference?

As we approach the end of the year, it’s time to start thinking about 2020 careers industry conferences!

I keep referencing this post from August 2011, “When Is the Omaha Conference?”, because it’s where I started tracking my conference attendance.

But since it’s 2019, it’s time to update the conference locations and my attendance!

Here’s the breakdown of where the national resume writing organizations have had their conferences in recent years. (I’ve bolded the ones I attended.)

The National Resume Writers' Association (NRWA):
2022 - New Orleans, LA (scheduled for Sept. 18-20, 2022 at the Royal Sonesta, 300 Bourbon St.)

2021 – NRWA Virtual Conference

2020 – NRWA Virtual Conference
2019 - NRWA Conference at Sea (Cruise to the Bahamas)
2018 - Seattle, Washington
2017 - Chicago, Illinois
2016 - Annapolis, Maryland
2015 - Charlotte, North Carolina
2014 - Denver, Colorado
2013 - Chicago, Illinois
2012 - Charleston, South Carolina
2011 - Portland, Maine
2010 - Fort Worth, Texas
2009 - Annapolis, Maryland
2008 - San Diego, California
2007 - Savannah, Georgia
2006 - Phoenix, Arizona
2005 - Stamford, Connecticut
2004 - Nashville, Tennessee
2003 - Seattle, Washington
2002 - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
2001 - San Antonio, Texas
2000 - Las Vegas, Nevada
1999 - New Orleans, Louisiana
1998 - Chicago

The NRWA is planning its 2020 conference in New Orleans, Louisiana, which I’m excited about, since the NRWA conference in New Orleans was my first industry conference 20 years ago! It’s scheduled for Sept. 13-15, 2020. Details here.

Career Directors International:
2016 - Present: N/A
2015 - Entrepreneurial Success Secrets Live for Career Professionals: Orlando, Florida
2014 - Global Career Empowerment Summit: SOAR — Orlando, Florida
2013 - Global Career Empowerment Summit: Your Big Breakthrough — Orlando, Florida
2012 - Global Career Empowerment Summit: Blaze Your Trail — San Diego, California
2011 - Global Career Empowerment Summit: Jump On Board the Success Express — Savannah, Georgia
2010 - Global Career Empowerment Summit: You Selected & We Delivered: The Most Outrageously Power-Packed Career Conference Yet — San Diego, California
2009 - Global Career Empowerment Summit: Take Your Career to New Heights — Orlando, Florida
2008 - Annual Conference: Get Super with CDI — Seattle, Washington
2007 - Annual Conference: The Future is You! — San Antonio, Texas
2006 - Annual Conference: Live the Dream — Orlando, Florida (PRWRA)
2005 - Annual Conference: Play to Win — Las Vegas, Nevada (PRWRA)
2004 - Indianapolis, Indiana (PRWRA)
2003 - New Orleans (PRWRA)
2002 - Atlanta, Georgia (when the organization was still PRWRA)

(Thank you to Laura DeCarlo for help assembling the conference titles and locations!) I was never able to make a CDI conference (they were often in October and conflicted with my UNO Hockey obsession).

Career Management Alliance (no longer in business as of August 2011):
2011 - Las Vegas, Nevada
2010 - New Orleans, Louisiana
2009 - San Antonio, Texas
2008 - Minneapolis, Minnesota
2007 - Louisville, Kentucky
2006 - ??
2005 - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (when it was still Career Masters Institute)
2004 - Atlanta, Georgia (CMI)
2003 - Kansas City, Missouri (CMI)
2002 - San Diego, California (CMI)

Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches
2019 - St. Pete Beach, Florida
2005-2018: N/A
2004 - St. Pete Beach, Florida
2003 - Las Vegas, Nevada
2002 - Dallas, Texas
2001 - Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida
2000 - Toronto, Canada
1999 - Colorado Springs, Colorado

PARW/CC held conferences from 1999-2004 but then discontinued conferences in 2004. The organization held a conference from April 28-May 1, 2019 in St. Pete Beach but it’s unclear as to whether there will be a 2020 conference.


Want to read articles from previous career industry conferences? Join BeAResumeWriter.com. 

 

2014 Toast of the Resume Industry Award Nominations Announced

2014 TORI Nominees

In no particular order: 

Best International Resume

  

Victoria McLean, City CV Ltd.
Rosa Vargas, Career Steering
Ashleyanne Spencer-Smith, Consilium Careers
Sandra Ingemansen, Résumé Strategies
Laura Smith-Proulx, An Expert Resume

Best New Graduate Resume

Tamara Dowling, SeekingSuccess.com
Sandra Ingemansen, Résumé Strategies
Adrienne Tom, Career Impressions
Sharon Williams, JobRockit
Rosa Vargas, Career Steering

Best Creative Resume

Ashleyanne Spencer-Smith, Consilium Careers
Laura Gonzalez, Masterwork Resumes
Rosa Vargas, Career Steering
Cheryl L. Simpson, Executive Resume Rescue
Marlene Cole, Pilbara Resumes

Best Accounting & Finance Resume 

  

Donald Burns, Donald Burns' Career Defense
Kimberly Robb Baker, Movin' On Up Resumes
Freddie Rohner, iHire, LLC
Laura Smith-Proulx, An Expert Resume
Michelle Dumas, Distinctive Career Services, LLC 

Best Information Technology (IT) Resume

Michelle Dumas, Distinctive Career Services, LLC
Adrienne Tom, Career Impressions
Ken Docherty, Docherty Career Management
Kimberly Robb Baker, Movin' On Up Resumes
Donald Burns, Donald Burns' Career Defense 

Best Executive Resume

Ken Docherty, Docherty Career Management
Sandra Ingemansen, Résumé Strategies
Kimberly Robb Baker, Movin' On Up Resumes
Rosa Vargas, Career Steering
Michelle Dumas, Distinctive Career Services, LLC 

Best Sales Resume

Karen D'Anna, Write On Resume Services
Cheryl L. Simpson, Executive Resume Rescue
Rosa Vargas, Career Steering
Leeza Byers, Byers Workforce Solutions
Donald Burns, Donald Burns' Career Defense 

    

Best Healthcare / Medical Resume

Kristin Johnson, Profession Direction
Sharon Williams, JobRockit
Kimberly Robb Baker, Movin' On Up Resumes
Rosa Vargas, Career Steering
Michelle Dumas, Distinctive Career Services, LLC 

Best Cover Letter

Barbara Safani, Career Solvers
Sharon Williams, JobRockit
Leeza Byers, Byers Workforce Solutions
Laura Gonzalez, Masterwork Resumes
Rosa Vargas, Career Steering

2014 TORI JUDGES & AWARD DIRECTOR    Special thanks to CDI's Director of Awards for coordinating the TORIs again this year: Robin Schlinger, Robin's Resumes ® Special thanks to 2014 tier one and tier two judges for their hard work this year:  Annemarie Cross - Advanced Employment Concepts Laurie Berenson - Sterling Career Concepts, LLC Erin Kennedy - Professional Resume Services Jeri Hird Dutcher - Workwrite Audrey Prenzel - Resume Resources Grant Cooper - CareerPro of New Orleans / Strategic Resumes Susan Guarneri - AssessmentGoddess.com Barb Poole - Hire Imaging, LLC Laura Labovich - The Career Strategy Group Marty Weitzman - Gilbert Resumes Michael Kranes - Resume Slayer Melissa Cooper - RezBiz, LLC Jill Kelly - Outplacement Australia / Career Edge

Career Directors International Global Career Empowerment Summit 2011

Just saw the e-mail from Laura DeCarlo announcing the lineup and speakers for the CDI annual conference ... ahem ... I mean the "Global Career Empowerment Summit 2011," scheduled for Oct. 20-22, 2011 in Savannah, Georgia!

Once again, CDI has put together an impressive lineup of topics and speakers. You can learn more here.

Just a few of the notable subjects being covered:

• Magic Bullet to Six-Figure Success: Strategies in Packaging & Pricing (panel)
• Your Clients Are Leaving You! How to Win Over and Keep a Transient Audience (with Tim Tyrell-Smith!)
• The Bullet Train to Job Search Success: Best in Class Online Identity Model (with Susan Guarneri and Laura DeCarlo)

Plus, they offer 3-, 5-, and 7-month payment options (as low as $77/month!)

I have to say, I loved Savannah when I was there a few years ago. Be sure to come in a day early and head up to Hilton Head Island. It's gorgeous. You may also find cheaper fares by flying into Jacksonville, FL. That's what we did, and then just drove up to Savannah.

Associations for Professional Resume Writers

I'm leaving up the original post (below), but I've updated the association listing.
Check out the updated post by clicking here.

Looking for networking opportunities, certifications, information, and more? There are several associations devoted to the professional resume writing and careers industry.

These include:

• The Career Management Alliance. Originally founded as the Career Masters Institute (CMI) by Wendy Enelow, "The Alliance," as it is informally known, was purchased by Kennedy Information (which became BNA Subsidiaries LLC). Their annual conference is in Las Vegas in April 2011. The conferences are pricy, but well done. Memberships begin at $135/year.
• Career Directors International (CDI). Originally founded as the Professional Resume Writing and Research Association (PRWRA), this association is run by Laura DeCarlo. They offer one of the best annual conferences out there. Dues are $150/year. They offer several certifications, including the Certified Advanced Resume Writer (CARW), Certified Expert Resume Writer (CERW), Certified Resume Specialist (CRS), and Master Career Director (MRD) designations. They also offer an annual resume writing awards contest, the TORI (Toast of the Resume Industry) awards.
• Career Professionals of Canada. With a subscriber base of 250, three credentials that are widely recognized by Canadians, and a rigorous training program, CPC is a valuable resource for Canadian practitioners.
• Career Thought Leaders. The brainchild of Wendy Enelow, Career Thought Leaders Consortium bills itself as a "think tank" -- but is offering a conference and symposium in 2011 in Baltimore in March.
• CertifiedResumeWriters.com. Not really a true "association," this is an online directory for resume writers that has morphed into an "information resource site" for resume writers as well. Maria Hebda puts together an impressive line-up of teleseminars. There is a one-time (lifetime) membership fee of $497. (Multiple pay-payment options are available.)
• The National Resume Writers' Association (NRWA). This is a member-driven organization, with a volunteer board of directors. They offer an annual conference (the 2011 conference is in Maine) and a rigorous certification -- the Nationally Certified Resume Writer credential. Dues are $150/year (2-payment and 3-payment options available for new members).
• Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches (PARW/CC). Founded by Frank Fox, PARW was the "original" resume writing association, from which many other associations branched off. PARW offers the most common resume writing certification, the Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) credential. It also certifies individuals as Certified Employment Interview Professionals (CEIP) and Certified Professional Career Coaches (CPCC). Membership is $150/year.
• Resume Writing Academy (RWA). Not an association, really, the Academy is a training program offered by Louise Kursmark and Wendy Enelow. Resume writers can earn the prestigious ACRW (Academy Certified Resume Writer) credential, which is the preferred certification for many resume contracting firms.
• Arizona Resume Writers' Association. This small group maintains a website to market their services collectively to prospects in their geographic area.
• Association of Online Resume & Career Professionals (AORCP). It offers a Certified Master Resume Specialist (CMRS) credential. Membership is just $50/year.

Fake Career Associations

Well, I'm updating the Resume Writers' Digest database again, and my search for some of the careers professionals that have moved or left the business continues.

Along the way, I have come across some interesting things -- like a couple of associations for resume writers and career professionals which -- according to my research -- simply don't exist. Yet they issue membership certificates and apparently award a "Certified Professional Resume Writer" credential.



A search for "National Association of Career Professionals" on Google came up empty.



Likewise, a search for the "International Association of Professional Resume Writers" turned up no matches.

There are plenty of legitimate professional associations serving the careers industry out there, like:

• Career Directors International
• Career Management Alliance (formerly Career Masters Institute)
• Association of Online Resume and Career Professionals
  
• National Resume Writer's Association
• Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches

You'll find all of those associations using Google.

NRWA Returns to an E-List

The National Resume Writer's Association experimented with changing to a secure bulletin board format for facilitating member-to-member communication, but announced a change to a traditional E-List format (hosted by YahooGroups) last week.

Although bulletin boards can be a very effective way to encourage interaction, they require that a member seek out the forum ... while e-mail lists deliver the messages to your e-mailbox immediately.

The Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches, Career Directors International, and the Career Management Alliance all use e-lists for member-t0-member communication.

Are You a Superhero in Training?

I'm delighted that some of my ideas were selected to help shape the theme of the 2008 Career Directors International Conference in Seattle.

Career Directors International Announces 2008 Conference: Seattle

I just received an e-mail from Laura DeCarlo this morning announcing that the 2008 Career Directors International conference will be in Seattle from Oct. 15-18, 2008!

CDI puts on an amazing conference, but I've never been able to make one, due to prior conflicts with my favorite local passion, college hockey. I haven't seen the 2008-09 UNO Hockey schedule yet (and probably won't know until Spring), but I'm hopeful that I'll be able to make the Seattle conference, as the hotel looks amazing.

You can check out photos from the 2007 conference in San Antonio here. The conference featured presentations by Don Straits, Louise Kursmark, Deb James, Marty Weitzman, Joelle Silva, Cory Edwards, Grant Cooper, Sharon Pierce-Williams, Heather Wieshlow, Nona Pratz, Judy Ware, Susan Guarneri, and more!

If you are interested in being considered as a speaker for the "Reach for the Stars...Capture Success" 2008 conference, contact Laura!

Joelle Silva, Grant Cooper, Sharon Williams, Barbara Adams, and Lisa Becker take a break at the reception. (Photo by Laura DeCarlo)

Ideas + Action = Prosperity

One of the best things about publishing Resume Writers' Digest, I think, is the opportunity to bring the "best practices" of our industry's best and brightest to light, so that we can all share in the rewards.

But sometimes you may be thinking to yourself as you read the newsletter, "That would never work for me."

Author Mark H. McCormack gives a tip for how to put some of those seemingly unworkable ideas into practice in his book, "Never Wrestle With a Pig":

"An "idea" has to be more than a suggestion that someone else can pick up and run with. At the minimum in business, an idea must be a clever recombination of two seemingly disparate concepts into a larger concept that no one else has considered before."

If you can't make that idea into something "no one else has considered before" -- you can certainly think of a way to implement it to your advantage and have it work for YOU in a way YOU had never considered before.

Take a look at this six-page special section on the 2001 PARW Conference in St. Petersburg, Florida. Then find ONE idea you can adapt and put into practice for yourself -- and DO IT!

Conferences are great inspiration. It's not too late to register for the Career Directors International Conference next month (Oct. 18-20) in San Antonio, Texas.

September is Update Your Resume Month

September is International Update Your Resume Month!

Visit the Career Directors International web site to download promotional materials for your website!

The message to job seekers is:

What we think of as a 'life print,' or guideline for career development, will provide a proactive approach toward meeting unforeseen market and company changes, in reevaluating personal worth and in preparing to obtain the next step in career growth. Too often job seekers avoid taking this crucial step until the last minute, when they need their resume yesterday. However, by declaring September as the official update month, people will have the opportunity to better control and champion their own futures.

During Update Your Resume Month, every member of CDI will be dedicated to alerting their clients to the value of taking this crucial step in their career development. CDI members will educate clients on one service per week in September, including the Resume Update, Cover Letter Development, Interview Preparation and Job Search Strategy.

Upcoming Careers Industry Conference

Back in the day of the Resume Writers' Digest print publication, we often provided gavel-to-gavel conference coverage. We're a big proponent of attending conferences -- they provide much more than information ... there's networking, subcontracting opportunities, referral relationship-building, and of course, a vacation!

I want to personally encourage you to attend the Career Directors International conference. I won't be able to attend it due to a prior conflict, but the lineup of speakers is incredible!

Oct. 18-20, 2007
Career Directors International
5th Annual Conference
www.careerdirectors.com
San Antonio, Texas

Have a training opportunity to promote? E-mail me at RWDigest@aol.com.