2014 NRWA Conference Preview Call: Michelle Aikman

Thinking about attending the NRWA Conference in Denver this September? I attended the NRWA Conference Preview call on Friday, May 9, and here are some of the takeaways!

Michelle Aikman

Breakout Session Speaker – Friday, Sept. 19 (9:45 to 10:45 a.m.)

"Mind the Gap: Resume Strategies for People with Paid Work Gaps"

Michelle is originally from Denver, so she said she's interested in coming home to visit friends and family. As the spouse of an active duty military service member, Michelle has personal experience with a "very mobile lifestyle" as a military spouse -- one that lends itself to gaps in paid work employment.

She noted that employers do care about gaps -- they wonder about your client's motivation, fit with the job, and more... you want to help your clients avoid an employer thinking "You didn't do anything?"

Her strategies will apply for gaps due to any type of caregiving (for children, family, or aging parents), breaks due to "soul searching," personal medical issues, and more. She'll help you formulate the correct strategy to help clients -- whether it's appropriate to disclose the reason for the gap, the impact the gap will have on the candidate's selection, and when and how to disclose the information.

Questions to examine in developing the strategy are:

• Will it (the situation) happen again?
• Is it due to lifestyle?
• Is it an ongoing problem?
• Is any accommodation required?

Michelle will help you turn your client's "boo-boos" into "boo-yahs!"

Find out more about the NRWA Conference here.

2014 NRWA Conference Preview Call: Louise Kursmark

Thinking about attending the NRWA Conference in Denver this September? I attended the NRWA Conference Preview call on Friday, May 9, and here are some of the takeaways!

Louise Kursmark, MRW, CPRW, JCTC, CEIP, CCM

Opening Keynote Speaker – Wednesday, Sept. 17 (2:30 to 3:45 p.m.)

"The Future of Resumes"

This will be the sixth NRWA Conference Louise has attended. She is going to "break down what it means to write a resume." Louise identified four trends she will examine:

• Less is more. "Lean, clean, tight writing" that can be "skimmed and scanned." Kursmark says the first glance at a resume might get six seconds of the reader's attention.
• More is more. "Write leaner resumes with rich detail, but allow people with more interest to learn more" by linking to LinkedIn, media appearances, or a portfolio.
• Why resumes don't matter. Kursmark says the "resume is the second point of determination" nowadays with more people searching on LinkedIn for candidates.
• Why resumes are vitally important. The "resume is the foundation, the work, the story" she notes. The information comes from the work to develop the resume and flows through to the rest of the career communication documents, such as LinkedIn profiles. It requires clear differentiation of the candidate, and a strong message.

Kursmark said there's a quote that she particularly likes: It's something like, "It's dangerous not to keep moving forward, because if things keep changing -- but we don't -- we are falling behind."

Find out more about the NRWA Conference here.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to my resume-writing colleagues!

It's January -- and with the change to the New Year comes the hordes of job seekers, prompted by the promise of the new jobs that come with new fiscal budgets, and spurred by New Year's resolutions to get a job ... or a better job.

I was in Denver over the weekend to watch my alma mater's college hockey team (Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks) take on the hometown team (Denver University Pioneers) and was at a pre-game tailgate party at Chopper's Sports Grill when I noticed a neon sign lit up in the window across the street. My heart soared at the sight of the single, red-lit word: "Résumés."

Of course, it was New Year's Day, and the business was closed. I didn't have my laptop with me, so I couldn't look up and see if it was a colleague that I knew. But back in Omaha today, I pulled up Google and found the service I was looking for: Cherry Creek Resume Service. I checked and I don't have this particular resume company in my database (I will be adding it though) and I will be calling the owner to offer my congratulations on an attention-getting sign. I just wish I had brought my camera along ...