Preparing for My 11th Resume Writing Conference

I'm speaking (two breakout sessions!) at the 2015 NRWA Conference in Charlotte, and it got me thinking about how many conferences I've attended! (The answer is 10 so far! Charlotte will be #11.)

Here's an updated list of resume writing conferences (dating back as far as I could remember or tell). The ones I've attended I've listed in BOLD.

The National Resume Writers' Association (NRWA):
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, Illinois

Career Directors International:
2015 - Orlando, Florida
2014 - Orlando, Florida
2013 - ??
2012 - ??
2011 - Savannah, Georgia
2010 - San Diego, California
2009 - Orlando, Florida
2008 - Seattle, Washington
2007 - San Antonio, Texas
2006 - Orlando, Florida (PRWRA)
2005 - Las Vegas, Nevada (PRWRA)
2004 - Indianapolis, Indiana (PRWRA)
2003 - New Orleans (PRWRA)
2002 - Atlanta, Georgia (when the organization was still PRWRA)

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
(discontinued conferences in 2004?)
2004 - St. Pete Beach, Florida
2003 - Las Vegas, Nevada
2002 - Dallas, Texas
2001 - Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida
2000 - Toronto, Canada
1999 - Colorado Springs, Colorado

Which Resume Writing Certification Do You Recommend?

Which resume writing certification do you recommend: NCRW or CPRW?

Jennifer asked this question on LinkedIn, and I realized I should share my answer on this blog too.

When choosing a certification, it's really up to you to decide what you want out of certification (in other words, WHY do you want to get certified)?

I've written a couple of blog posts on the topic, and this is another reminder that I need to update my guide to resume writing certifications (mentioned in this blog post -- http://rwdigest.blogspot.com/2013/02/to-get-certified-or-not-to-get.html), but I will tell you that the most common certification is the CPRW (it's also the easiest to obtain), but the CPRW won't "teach" you anything about resume writing. The NCRW and the ACRW are probably the two that are geared towards both assessing skill level AND teaching you concepts of resume writing. Gayle Howard also teaches a program for Career Directors International that leads to a CARW certification. (Gayle is amazing, by the way.)

Some questions to ask yourself:
1. Am I already a member of an association that offers a credential? (CPRW for PARW, NCRW for NRWA, CARW for CDI, etc.). If so, your cost of acquiring the credential is lower, as membership is required to apply for certification. PARW also requires ongoing membership to keep your credential "current."

2. Speaking of keeping your credential "current" -- look at what the standards are for renewing your credential. Does it require continuing education? How much? How likely am I to be able to achieve the continuing education standards and therefore renew my credential?

3. Do I just want to test my mastery of resume writing, or do I want to learn principles and concepts of great resumes along the way? Again, the CPRW would be a "minimum competency" credential, while the MRW (Master Resume Writer) offered by Career Thought Leaders would demonstrate an elite level of competency.

4. Why do I want to become certified? If, for example, you want to subcontract as a resume writer and certification is required by the contracting writer or organization, ASK which credential(s) they accept, and which they prefer. If you're getting certified as a way of attracting interest from resume prospects, be aware that the vast majority of consumers don't understand the difference between the credentials, so becoming a "certified resume writer" is good enough for them ... they can't tell them apart.

5. If you are looking for more clients, being listed in certain organizational directories as a certified writer can help you get business -- I don't have concrete figures, but I believe the PARW website gets more traffic than the NRWA or CDI websites, and therefore, being listed in their certification directory would probably yield more leads. And again, if you're using it for business development purposes, once you're certified, join CertifiedResumeWriters.com and be listed in their directory too.

What do you think of these questions? Which certification do you have -- and what do you think of it? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

The Fake CPRW Controversy

A few months ago, I wrote about "fake career associations" -- specifically, a bogus outfit called the "National Association of Career Professionals" that purported to offer a "Certified Professional Resume Writer" credential.

This issue has surfaced again -- this time, in response to a post by Marilyn Maslin, of The Maslin Group, on the Denver Jobing blog. Ms. Maslin wrote a blog post titled "How to Select a Resume Writing Service: Part I" in which she writes:

What are the Writers Credentials:
What is their writing experience and business background? Many résumé writing firms promote that they are staffed by certified résumé writers. The most common certification is the Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW). This certification is purchased online and allows companies to use the CPRW logo or seal to build credibility. In truth, this seal can simply be purchased without much hassle. To understand your writers credentials inquire into their business experience. Do they have expertise in resume writing, hiring, recruiting, human resources, or your specific industry? It is important to note that a good résumé writer must also be an experienced interviewer. The résumé writing process always begins with asking the right questions.

As the author of "Are You Certifiable?," an in-depth examination of the major certifications offered by the four largest legitimate professional resume writing associations, I feel qualified to offer an opinion on this issue.

Ms. Maslin is correct that the Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) credential is the most common certification -- but that's the CPRW offered by the Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches (PARW/CC) -- NOT the certification she purchased online approximately 16 months ago, according to her follow-up post.

I believe her CPRW came from the "National Association of Careers Professionals" -- NOT from the Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches...primarily because PARW/CC does not have a record of Ms. Maslin being awarded a CPRW from their organization.
Ms. Maslin does not reference the CPRW credential on her website. Individuals who receive their CPRW from the PARW/CC receive a logo they can display on their sites. Nor does her name come up when conducting a search of Certified Professional Resume Writers on the PARW website.

I've contacted Ms. Maslin and left her a message. I hope to talk to her directly and see what organization's name appears on her "CPRW" certificate. If it looks like this (below), she got scammed:


I can't find my CPRW certificate at the moment (we've moved offices twice since I received it in 2004), or I'd scan it in and show you what a real (earned) CPRW certificate looks like. (If someone wants to scan theirs in and e-mail it to me at rwdigest@aol.com, I'll be happy to post it.)