New Resume Writers' Digest Special Report

I love attending careers industry professional conferences. I've been to more than a half-dozen over the years, and always came away with lots of great information. Whether you're new to the profession, or are a long-time resume writer, conferences provide networking opportunities, the chance to get away for a few days, and lots and lots of great ideas and techniques from the industry's biggest names.

One of the things the print version of Resume Writers' Digest was known for was our great conference coverage. From 2000-2005, we provided recaps (often with photos and handouts) from the conferences of the Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches (they discontinued holding an annual conference a few years ago), the National Resume Writers' Association, Career Masters Institute (now Career Management Alliance), and the Professional Resume Writing and Research Association (now Career Directors International).

As I read through some of these back issues, I realized how valuable this information is -- so I re-edited and re-designed the information into what will be two special reports. The first one -- available now -- is a 60+-page special report, "Best of the Conferences: 2000-2002." It includes the 2000 PARW Conference in Toronto, the 2001 NRWA Conference in San Antonio, the 2001 PARW Conference in St. Petersburg, Florida, the 2002 PRWRA Conference in Atlanta, the 2002 CMI Conference in San Diego, and two careers-related sessions from the 2002 AJST Conference in Orlando.

The second special report (release date TBA) will include 2003-2005 conference coverage.

You can download the 2000-2002 Special Report from www.tinyurl.com/2so87a and it will be delivered to you for immediate download as an Adobe Acrobat PDF.

To give you an idea of how valuable this information is, I've prepared a "Best of the Conferences" Preview newsletter, which you can download for free. It's sponsored by the National Resume Writers' Association and Career Directors International.

Speaking of the NRWA, you have less than a week to take advantage of the special early-bird pricing for the 11th Annual NRWA Conference, scheduled for Sept. 24-27, 2008 in San Diego. Until March 31, registration is just $325 (or available in three payments of $112). After April 1, the cost is $385 (or two payments of $198). Visit www.thenrwa.com for details.

Wendy Enelow Selected as "Top Conference Draw"

In compiling the results of the Industry Conference survey conducted by Resume Writers' Digest, Wendy Enelow was selected as the top vote-getter when survey respondents were asked, "Are there any speakers in particular that would draw you to a conference?"

Not surprisingly, resume writing/writing topics was the top reason respondents choose to attend a conference.

If you like Wendy -- and want to improve your resume writing expertise -- be sure to subscribe to receive the Resume Writers' Digest newsletter (see the top right-hand corner of this blog for the sign-up form). Wendy contributed a fabulous article for the May/June 2008 issue on how to "dig deep" to capture client accomplishments.

That issue will be released the first week of June; be sure you're subscribed (and have completed the double opt-in process -- you must click on the e-mail you receive from Vertical Response) in order to receive the newsletter.

That issue will contain the results of the industry survey. If you've ever attended a resume writing industry professional conference, you know how valuable the information is! Get timeless ideas and information from past careers industry conferences by ordering our "Best of the Conferences: 2000 to 2002" special report. It's 60 pages of ideas, information, and resources from the 2000 PARW Conference in Toronto; the 2001 NRWA Conference in San Antonio; the 2001 PARW Conference in St. Petersburg, Florida; the 2002 CMI Conference in San Diego, and two career-related sessions from the 2002 AJST conference in Orlando.

The tips and techniques are as relevant today as they were back then -- and all the articles have been formatted for easy reading. It includes dozens of photos and handouts.

If you'd like to see a preview of what's in the special report, download this 12-page issue of the newsletter that I call the "Best Of" Conference Preview, sponsored by the National Resume Writers' Association and Career Directors International.

Articles include:
-- "Making a Silk Purse From a Sow's Ear: Tips, Tricks, Ideas and Inspiration for Improved Resume Design" (Louise Kursmark presentation, NRWA 2001)
-- "R.O.I. Resumes -- Write Resumes That Deliver a Healthy Return on Investment" (Susan Britton Whitcomb presentation, CMI 2002)
-- "Bill Murdock: The 'Who, What, Where, When, Why and How' Con Man" (Bill Murdock presentation, PARW 2002)
-- "How to Add $100,000 To Your Career Transition Business Now" (John O'Connor presentation, PRWRA 2004)
-- "Adding the Wow! Factor" (Louise Kursmark presentation, PRWRA 2005)

Order the special report now and you'll have access to the PDF immediately! The cost is just $20 and you can purchase using Paypal (you do NOT need a PayPal account -- you can use PayPal to securely use your Visa, Mastercard, Discover, or American Express credit card, or electronic debit from your checking account.)

Or use this link:
www.tinyurl.com/2so87a

Lent Special: Best of the Conferences Special Report

During Lent, I'm offering a special bonus for any Resume Writers' Digest purchases made. You'll receive a free copy of my "Best of the Conferences: 2000 to 2002" special report.

Here's the description of the report:
60-page report; delivered electronically. Contains summaries of the sessions from the 2000 PARW Conference in Toronto, the 2001 NRWA Conference in San Antonio, the 2001 PARW Conference in St. Petersburg, the 2002 CMI Conference in San Diego, and two career-related sessions from the 2002 AJST conference in Orlando. Great information on marketing, pricing your services, add-on services, sales techqniues, and great resume writing tips from Jan Melnik, Louise Kursmark, Wendy Enelow, Susan Britton Whitcomb, and more.

See below for a half-dozen screen shots of the great (and timeless!) information included in the report:

This special offer is valid only until Saturday, April 23 at midnight. When the Easter Bunny arrives, this offer disappears.

Within 48 hours of your purchase, you'll receive a separate e-mail from Resume Writers' Digest with your gift.

You can view actual article samples in this 12-page "Best of the Conferences Preview" issue I had put together as a special bonus in 2008. 

Just want to buy the report, you can do that too! Here's the link.

It's on sale during Lent too -- just $8 for immediate electronic download.

Questions? E-mail editor(at)rwdigest.com.

Ideas for "Prospering Despite a Downturn Market"

As I mentioned last week in my post on Free Continuing Education, Career Directors International offers free monthly "Best Practices" teleclasses to help resume writers and career coaches brainstorm best practices.

Yesterday, I cleared my schedule for an hour to listen to the most recent one, "Best Practices in Prospering Despite a Downturn Market." There were some great ideas. I was particularly interested in some of the strategies shared by career coach Laura Drew, of Carolina Career Coach, Inc.

One of Laura Drew's best practices is quite attention-getting. She ordered double-sided business cards from VistaPrint. On the back side is a list of teleclasses she offers. She also ordered a baseball cap that has "JOB HUNTING?" in all capital letters. On the business cards, she wrote the word "Hat" in the corner. When she wears her hat out in public (while she's running her errands, she notes), people ask her about the hat, and she gives them her "elevator pitch" and business card.

In one recent outing, she took 50 business cards with her; by the time she got home, she had distributed 47 of them. Those 47 cards turned into 13 paying clients.

That's just one of the ideas from the teleclass. There were more. Members of Career Directors International can access the MP3 audio files from all previous calls, including:

• Background Investigations Mega Trends
• Best Practices in Career Services Pricing
• Best Practices in Coaching Clients Using SWOT Analysis
• Best Practices in Creating Resume USPs
• Best Practices in Millennial Resume Writing
• Media Strategies Tips Seminar
• New Trends in Interviewing
• Paperless Resumes Mega Trends Report
• Resume Fraud Mega Trends Report
• Selling Career Research Services to Clients
• Social Networking Mega Trends Report
• Toast of the Resume Industry (TORI) Q&A
• 2008 CDI Conference (Seattle, WA) Q&A
• World's Best Resume Writer Competition Q&A
  

And here are the upcoming free teleclasses from Career Directors International:

• July 22: Best Practices in Advertising Your Career Service Business
• Aug. 12: Best Practices in While Life/Office Organization
• Aug. 20: International Resume and Career Services Q&A
  
• Sept. 16: Best Practices in Resume Data Mining (Client Information Gathering)
  

Laura DeCarlo is offering a special CDI membership offer for Resume Writers' Digest readers: Join CDI by July 31 and save $25 off the regular membership. Use this link: JOIN CDI and type in "Resume Writers Digest" in the comments box. The cart will show $150, but your credit card will only be charged $125 (you save $25).

Here's another quote from a CDI member who also listened to the best practices audio:

"I just finished listening to the recording of the 'Prospering Despite a Downturn Market' teleseminar. WOW!!! An hour of my time well spent. Thanks, Laura, for giving us such an extensive list of great, mostly free, ways to market and build business. I'm glad I was keyboarding everything you said, so I didn't miss much. You offered a number of specific things to do and places to go to get them done -- things I can get moving on right away. Some are things already on my to-do list, some are new ideas to me. A terrific push to be proactive and work thorugh slow times. I'm all fired up and anxious to get started."
-- Meg Guiseppi, Executive Resume Branding

Getting the Most Out of Your CDI Conference Experience

I have promised Laura DeCarlo that someday I will make it to a Career Directors International Conference ("Career Empowerment Summit"). The 2010 CDI conference will be in San Diego from Oct. 14-16, 2010 — and, unfortunately for me, coincides once again with my other passion: UNO Maverick Hockey. (If all goes as planned, I’ll be in Minneapolis at that time.)

But for you lucky folks who get to be there, I want to share some ideas on how to get the most out of your experience. (These ideas are based on an article by columnist Robert Middleton in the Summer 2009 issue of Resume Writers’ Digest.)

• Remember that everyone you meet is a potential referral source. The best resume writers are specialists, not generalists. That means that you have the opportunity to gain referrals from your colleagues who don't work in the same areas you do. I am always looking for writers who are really good at what they do when I attend a conference. As a result, I’ve made referrals to writers who specialize in military transition resumes and federal resumes — all from contacts I've made at conferences.
• Collect business cards. Make sure you get cards from the resume writers you meet, so you can follow up with them when you get back home. (Conversely, make sure you bring plenty of your cards with you too!)
• Participate in the conference! Yes, I know conferences are often also vacations ... but you're missing out if you hit the beach instead of that afternoon session. The beach will still be there ... but you might learn that one most valuable piece of information you really needed for your business to succeed ... or you might be sitting next to your new top referral source! I agree with Robert Middleton: “Attend every session, every meal, every reception, and every event.” As a corollary to this: Do NOT expect to be able to work on client projects while you're at the conference. You won’t get the most out of your experience if you’re sitting in a session working on a client project. (Yes, I’ve seen this actually happen at a conference.)
• Participate in workshop sessions. Don’t be a wallflower — get involved! Ask questions. Approach the presenter after the session. Take part in the group activities.... even if you’re shy!!
• Follow up after the conference. Most conference organizers will give you a list of everyone who participated. E-mail these folks ... connect with them on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. These are great connections to continue in the virtual world!

Enjoy the conference ... and if you'd like to write up a session or two for a future issue of Resume Writers’ Digest, send me an e-mail! E-mail me at editor(at)rwdigest.com.

Associations for Professional Resume Writers (updated 2018)

I had previously written a blog post about professional resume writing associations, but that was several years ago, and it's out of date now!

Consequently, here's an update!

If you're looking for networking opportunities, certifications, industry research, information, and more, there are several associations devoted to the professional resume writing and careers industry.

These include:

• Career Directors International (CDI). Originally founded as the Professional Resume Writing and Research Association (PRWRA), this association is run by Laura DeCarlo. Dues are $267/year or $25/month (first month is $97, then $25 thereafter). The organization offers several certifications, including the Certified Advanced Resume Writer (CARW), Certified Expert Resume Writer (CERW), Certified Resume Specialist (CRS), and Master Career Director (MCD) designations. It also offers an annual resume writing awards contest: the Toast of the Resume Industry (TORI) awards. There used to be an annual conference in Florida, but it's apparently on hiatus at the moment.
• Career Professionals of Canada. The pre-eminent organization for Canadian career professionals (including resume writers), CPC offers four credentials (Certified Resume Strategist, Certified Interview Strategist, Certified Employment Strategist, and Certified Career Strategist), a rigorous training program, and outstanding networking opportunities (including tele-networking as well as in-person meetups in Canada). Also offers CPC Award of Excellence, recognizing the accomplishments of professionals in the industry. One unique benefit for Canadian members is the opportunity to purchase group-rated liability insurance. Dues are $180/year (CAD).
• Career Thought Leaders (CTL). This organization, now owned by Marie Zimenoff, traces its roots to the Career Management Alliance (originally founded as the Career Masters Institute, or CMI). CMA was purchased by Kennedy Information (which became BNA Subsidiaries LLC), but they decided to close the organization. Wendy Enelow, the original owner of CMI, created CTL and the organization has regained the certifying authority for the Master Resume Writer (MRW) and Credentialed Career Manager (CCM) designations. The organization also offers certifications in personal branding, career transitions, resume and profile writing, the hidden job market, and social branding. The dues are different than most other professional organizations – a one-time fee of $399 earns you the title of "CTL Associate" with inclusion in a membership directory and discounts on CTL programs. The organization hosts an annual conference (symposium) -- the most recent one was in Spain in 2018. 
• CertifiedResumeWriters.com (part of The Career Experts). Not really an "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 -- some geared towards member education and others designed to help members get exposure to jobseekers. There is also an active private Facebook group (membership in CRW not required to participate).  There is a one-time (lifetime) membership fee of $427.
• The National Resume Writers' Association (NRWA). This is a member-driven organization, with a volunteer board of directors. The association offers an annual conference (the 2018 conference is in Seattle) and rigorous certification -- the Nationally Certified Resume Writer credential. It also offers one of the best resume writing training programs -- Writing Excellence -- available as both a live training and on-demand. Writers can receive recognition for their work with the annual ROAR awards (Recognizing Outstanding Achievement in Resumes). Dues are $175/year.
• Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches (PARW/CC). Founded and owned 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). The organization's newsletter, the PARW Spotlight, is the longest-running publication in the industry and its E-List is among the most comprehensive sources of information to get your questions about resume writing answered. The organization used to offer an annual conference, and it looks like it is coming back in 2019! Membership is $150/year (and has been since at least 2011).
• Resume Writing Academy (RWA). Not an association, really, the Academy is a training program originally developed by Louise Kursmark and Wendy Enelow, and now owned by Marie Zimenoff. Programs offered include E-Summits (webcasts) and a three-month resume writing training curriculum. Resume writers can earn the prestigious Academy Certified Resume Writer (ACRW) credential, which is a preferred certification for many resume contracting firms as well as a certification in federal resume writing (with a self-paced training program) and social media (including LinkedIn) profile development.
• Resume Writer's Council of Arizona (formerly the Arizona Resume Writers' Association). This small group maintains a website to market members' services collectively to prospects in its geographic area. Membership is open to resume writers in Arizona. Dues are $125 for new members (including website listing) and $75/year to renew.

And, of course, there is BeAResumeWriter.com, my membership site for professional resume writers, offering resources to help you be more effective in your work and in your work with clients. Bronze members receive access to done-for-you content you can use with jobseekers, a new special report each month, and a new Career Worksheet each month (part of Evelyn Salvador's Career Worksheets for All Professions), plus access to Expert Interviews (live and recorded teleseminars and webinars on resume writing and business development topics) and the entire archive of back issues of Resume Writers' Digest. Bronze membership is $13/month (recurring payment) or $144/year.  Join here.

Did I miss any organizations? Let me know!

TORI Awards Nominations Extended

The deadline for entering the "Toast of the Resume Industry" (TORI) awards has been extended by Career Directors International to Sunday, May 18.

2008 List of TORI categories include:

Best International Resume - encompasses resumes written for a non-US market.

Best Technical Resume - encompasses scientists, engineers, technicians, mechanics, etc.

Best Creative Resume - encompasses creative-style resumes in full-color, unusual layouts, artistic writing styles, etc. Very open to interpretation.

Best Executive Resume - encompasses any executive-level position in any industry.

Best Cover Letter - encompasses any discipline, industry, or career level.

Best Retiree/Second Career Resume - encompasses any discipline, industry, or career level as long as the focus is on a career change for a mature adult.

Best Sales & Marketing Resume - encompasses any level of sales and marketing professional who focuses on business development.

Best New Graduate Resume - encompasses any discipline, industry, or career level as long as the focus is on leveraging a recent degree as the career target.

Best Military Resume - encompasses any discipline or career level as long as the focus is on a military job seeker transitioning to the civilian sector.

Don't wait! The deadline to enter the TORIs is May 18, 2008!

The first entry in each category is free and each additional category is only $15 each.

Entry is extremely easy, requiring that you fictionalize your entries, gain approval from clients for their use, name resumes as directed in CDI instructions, and upload using our online PDF converter. As Gayle Howard says in the testimonial on the left, "It is little work for great rewards."

When you enter, the TORI Award Committee Director will ensure all submissions appear anonymous to the committee so that fair and equitable judging can take place.

The distinguished awards committee will select up to five (5) TORI nominations in each category. The CDI Leadership Team will then select the best of the best from the nominations in each category for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners.

Nominees are typically announced in late August and winners are recognized and awarded at our Annual Conference Banquet and Award Ceremony, which will take place in Downtown Seattle, Washington on Saturday, October 18, 2008. Attendance is not necessary to win.

Nominees will receive a special logo for print / web marketing as well as a certificate of recognition. Winners will receive a logo, certificate of recognition, and award medal (gold, silver, or bronze for 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place).

Entry is open to CDI members only.

Insights From Day 1 of INBOUND 23: An AI Drinking Game and How Technology Let Me Down

As I mentioned in my email last week to Resume Writers’ Digest subscribers, Jon and I decided not to attend HubSpot’s marketing conference, INBOUND 2023, this year. It’s an awesome conference, and we will miss being in Boston in September for the third time!

But we aren’t completely missing out, because HubSpot is live-streaming some of the daily sessions. Today was Day 1, and I wanted to share some key insights from the keynote session, and my thoughts.

There are approximately 12,000 in-person attendees in Boston, and Jon and I were among the estimated 100,000 people watching online.

First of all, looking at the livestream session descriptions, you’ll see it’s heavy on artificial intelligence (AI)-related topics. That was initially a little off-putting to me — but I was pleasantly surprised by the actual sessions themselves. I joked on a group text with our friend Jason (who is attending INBOUND in person) that we could make an AI “drinking game” where you have to take a drink every time they say, "AI."

His response was: “I’m not sure even I can survive that drinking game. Just reading the agenda for today is 14 shots.”

Since I drink Cherry Cokes, I’d survive … but to say that AI is THE topic of conversation this year would be an understatement.

And a nod to the “How Technology Let Me Down” part of the headline of this blog post: As I mentioned, the sessions are live-streamed. So I was taking notes as it went along. I’ve mentioned before that I absolutely LOVE Evernote … but today, Evernote failed me. In the opening session, there were three separate speakers. As I started to write the notes for the third speaker, I noticed that half of my notes from the second speaker had disappeared. I pay for the Premium version of Evernote, so I thought maybe I had overwritten part of the note accidentally, so I went back to check my version history to restore the note.

Nope. No luck. That wasn’t the issue. The content had just disappeared. 

Fortunately, it appears that I can go back and re-watch the second speaker of the first session and re-capture my notes. But UGH! After realizing that, I took the remainder of the day’s notes in Microsoft Word. Jon mentioned that there is an update for Evernote, and we’ll be updating it tonight to see if that fixes it. (In pasting in my notes from Microsoft Word after the last session, part of it didn't paste into Evernote either. So yeah, we’ll be doing the update to the app.)

One of my favorite things about attending conferences — whether that’s a resume writing conference or a marketing conference — is the inspiration. The content (especially actionable content) is important, but the ability to just step back from daily activities is such a critical thing for me.

Now, unfortunately for me, I couldn’t completely unplug from daily life. We’re getting new siding put on the house after a June 2022 hailstorm and I had to take my Honda Pilot in for an oil change (it was supposed to be yesterday, but my mechanic had to reschedule).

Ok, onto the highlights from the keynote session.

HubSpot Keynote

The first of the three speakers during the keynote was Yamini Rangan, CEO of HubSpot. 

Change is the theme. Technology is changing. The way customers buy is changing. How we connect with customers needs to change.

Artificial intelligence isn’t new — it’s been around for decades. But predictive AI — which predicts the future based on past data — has the potential to transform knowledge and creative work.

If you put the word “artificial” aside, focus on “intelligence.” That’s the shift happening with AI — going from acquiring information to acting on intelligence. What’s the best way to use this intelligence? Rangan says, “The intelligent way to use intelligence is to drive customer connection.” The power of acting on intelligence is to “connect deeply” with customers. That connection matters, she says, “because it drives growth.” She added that customers who focus on customer connection saw five times more growth than the average company. Companies who consistently connect with customers through every stage of the customer journey saw 19% more growth.

“No matter the segment or industry, the more you engage with your customers, the more you can grow,” Rangan said. “Customer connection drives growth. AI can drive connection at scale. Always start with the customer. Get deeply curious about your customer’s journey.” Getting to know customers on a granular level — understanding the whole person — is the key.

“Customer expectations are changing. We need to put ourselves in the shoes of our customers to understand this change — from how they discover and consider the product to how they buy and use these products,” she added.

The customer journey:

• Discover. This is changing from search to social. You use to be able to search and get links from all over the Internet. Now, customers are discovering products before they search — on social media. “Customers don’t want to search — they want to get social.”

• Consider. Customers want to learn more. How they learn is changing from “clicks” to “conversations.” Before, when your customer wanted information, they went to your website. They would click, filter, and sort through information. All that clicking is time-consuming and inefficient, especially in the world of ChatGPT. Now, they want to go to your website and chat. They want a one-to-one helpful conversation to find out exactly what they need. “They don’t want to convert on your website; they want to converse on your website.” Their expectations are going from being okay getting personalized information to getting personal insights. 

• Buy. Make it easy to buy. Don’t make them give you information they’ve already provided. Customers expect you to give them insights every time they connect with them, regardless of the channel. Personal is tailored. They expect insights that are specific to them.

• Use. “This is where the real work begins.” Rangan says that customer expectations have changed from being okay with reactive help to getting proactive help. They submit a ticket or call in or follow up with an email to get the answer they need — but, most of the time, they don’t get the answers they are looking for. She says 98% of customers find service interactions frustrating, but you can use AI to “delight them proactively.”

She ended by saying, “AI can be the most profound change to transform marketing, sales, and service.”

Next up in the keynote was Andy Pitre, Executive Vice President of the Product Team. He also talked about change, and how it can be hard.

“This is the age of intelligence,” he noted. “Work smarter, not harder.” He talked about how the HubSpot CRM centralizes your customer data in a connected ecosystem, giving you the tools to customize the customer experience.

His part of the presentation focused more on the integration of AI into the HubSpot product itself. (And this was the part of my notes that Evernote lost, so I’ll have to go back and rewatch his section.)

The final part of the keynote was Dharmesh Shah, founder of HubSpot and current Chief Technology Officer (CTO). He’s famous for his “dad jokes” in his speeches, and he didn’t disappoint. 

He started the presentation talking about how his son has been using GPT for the past couple of years. His son is now an advanced user, and built a role-play game that uses GPT. Shah said that English will become “the most popular programming language in the world” thanks to GPT. (Users will be able to program using English instead of code.)

He said advances in AI will address the frustrations that his son has experienced. 

Frustration 1: Static language models --> dynamic

Currently, GPT uses historical information. It doesn't know what has happened since September 2021. Shah said we will see learning models being augmented by real-time data.

Frustration 2: Text input --> Multi-Modal inputs

Currently, we use text as an input. In the future, we’ll be able to add images, audio, and code as prompts.

Frustration 3: Passive --> Active

Right now, GPT waits for you to enter a prompt. In the future, it will make suggestions. 

All of this will create to create “the next big wave in generative AI: AgentAI.”

Shah sees a future where AI-powered software will work mostly autonomously to pursue goals by working as an expert (working with large language models and other agents). He sees different “agents” tailored to your needs – search agent, web crawling agent, pricing analysis agent.

Shah asked the audience to consider two questions.

First, “How should I now be thinking about data in the age of AI?”

He said AI models are increasingly common, and data is the common denominator. The first generation of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software was increased more than 30 years ago. Cloud CRM came about 20 years ago. The new thing is “Smart CRM” — CRM with AI included.

Second, “Will AI take my job?”

Shah said that “AI will take your job…”

But then he added “…and give you one that’s better.”

He said it offers the promise of “less grind and more growth.”

He introduced the AIAIO framework:

• Awareness – discover what AI can do

• Investigation – explore use cases

• Adoption – get things done

• Integration – weave AI into workflows

• Optimization – look for leverage

He then shared a dad joke:

“I want to thank my wife for introducing me to the word ‘plethora’ — it means a lot.”

Okay, I thought that was funny.

He seemed pleased that the crowd laughed and thanked the crowd. He added, "When I try these jokes on Zoom, people don’t laugh. Maybe they’re not remotely funny.” 

He ended on a more philosophical note: “It’s not about believing in AI; it’s about believing in yourself.” 

The keynote started the day — and the conference — out on the right note. Change is inevitable. 

READ DAY 2 HERE:

Day 2 at INBOUND: I Took 24 Pages of Notes (and Someday AI Will Take Those Notes For Me)

NRWA Conference Early Registration Deadline Approaching

You have until March 31, 2008 to take advantage of $60 savings on your registration for the National Resume Writers' Association 11th Annual Conference. It will be held Sept. 24-27, 2008 in San Diego, California.

Early Bird Registration is just $325. Wait until April 1 or later and the price is $385. For more information, visit www.TheNRWA.com.

The conference will feature sessions on website marketing, interviewing clients, assessment tools, minority job seekers, client agreements and more.

On a related note, I'm still looking for careers industry professionals to take my brief survey on conference attendance. Be sure to sign up for the Resume Writers' Digest mailing list (use form in the top right-hand corner of the blog) to be notified of future surveys. You can also receive our FREE "Best Of" Conference Preview newsletter (12 pages).

Career Management Alliance Conference Preview

If I'd read my AOL e-mail earlier, I would have been able to tell you about this yesterday ... but better late than never!

The Career Management Alliance is giving careers professionals a free sneak peak at the lineup for their annual conference in Minneapolis later this month, through a free webinar.

DATE: Wednesday, April 9th, 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM Eastern

COST: Free

PROGRAM: 2008 Alliance Conference Preview

SPEAKERS:

--Rob Schultz of Audacious Audio on "Quick-Start Secrets to Passive Revenue
Success"

--Joseph Daniel McCool on "Looking to the Future: Employment, Hiring & Talent
Management Trends"

--Susan Britton Whitcomb of Career Coach Academy on "Tomorrow's Success
Strategies: Moving Into the Future"

--Ford Myers of Career Potential on "The Coaching System is the Solution!"

--Makini Theresa Harvey and Murray Mann on "A Career Mosaic: Successfully
Managing Your Multicultural Client Base"

--John Suarez of Success Stories INK on "Top 10 Secrets to Becoming An Expert
Resume Writer"

--Jim Dalbey of Ernst & Young on "Corporate Talent Acquisition and Career
Management From The Experts"

--Paul Forster of Indeed.com on "Building Your Business Worth: Powering Yourself
& Your Organization to Success"

Each presenter will explain his or her main takeaways, and we'll take questions
at the end.

To register for the webinar visit: http://www.careermanagementalliance.com/teleseminars.php

To register for the conference, visit: https://monkey.he.net/%7Ecareerma/reg-conf.php

If you haven't yet downloaded my "sneak peak" at the great information in the new "Best of the Conferences" special report, you can do so here:
http://www.rwdigest.com/RWDBestofConferencePreview.pdf

Day 2 at INBOUND: I Took 24 Pages of Notes (and Someday, AI Will Take Those Notes For Me)

 

What was the big takeaway from today (Day 2) at INBOUND 23?

That someday (probably today, actually), I won’t have to type furiously to capture everything I want to remember from a day’s worth of conference sessions. 

Mentioned prominently by several speakers today was how generative AI can eliminate the drudgery of work, allowing creative professionals to focus on the work that matters.

We already know that AI can transcribe videos pretty accurately — Teachable added that functionality to its course platform recently — so the fact that I spent most of my day watching sessions and virtually transcribing the speakers as they talked about how AI could take notes for us in the future and even — with “digital twins” — represent us in meetings … well, let’s just say the irony wasn’t lost on me.

But I’ve learned over the years that I learn best when I’m typing the information myself. So I’m not sure how that will work in the future, but for today, I got a LOT out of the sessions by watching the videos myself and doing the transcribing personally.

There were three sessions today that I found particularly impactful. I’ll try to give you a couple of key takeaways from each.

The Captain’s Playbook: Strategies for Success

The second day of INBOUND started an hour earlier than yesterday, but I didn’t want to miss this session, so I was up early. One of the neat things about INBOUND is the Spotlight sessions that bring in some big names to speak. In 2019, we got to hear from Jennifer Garner. Last year, former President Obama did the closing keynote.

This morning, Derek Jeter was the first speaker. Jeter isn’t just a former baseball player (and a good one, at that!). He’s a businessman, founder of a nonprofit, and father. His talk wove in elements of each of these. One of his key messages was about failure — and the resiliency required to survive it. “I played a sport where, if you fail for long enough, you go to the Hall of Fame. Baseball and the weatherman are the only two jobs where you can fail that much and still have a job,” Jeter said. “You have to get used to failure and try to find a positive in anytime you’ve done something wrong.”

He talked about creating a “winning culture.” He said, “You always hear people say they want ‘Everyone on the same page.’’ He said you need enough people on the same page, pulling in the same direction. “You have to make people feel they are part of the same team, that they are valuable.”

Listening to him made me want to watch his documentary, “The Captain” (which Jon looked up and it’s on ESPN+. We’ll definitely be checking it out.

Getting Candid: Lessons in Workplace Culture and Feedback

I had never heard of the concept of “Radical Candor” before this session, but I learned a lot about it — including that I want to try it in real life.

“Radical Candor is about caring and changing. It helps organizations become more collaborative,” says the book’s author, Kim Scott. Scott told the origin story of the concept. She and her dog were out for a walk and the dog was almost hit by a car. A man nearby said, “I can tell you really love that dog.” But, he added, you’re going to kill that dog if you don’t get her to sit. He pointed to the ground said “SIT” and the dog sat. He added, “It’s not mean, it’s clear.”

I like that: It’s not mean, it’s clear.

I got a sense of the Radical Candor framework from Scott’s presentation, but I’m looking forward to reading the book. 

One of the most important pieces of the concept was “It’s difficult to change personality vs. behavior.” Focus on what you observe.

Scott noted that “Some people have used Radical Candor to be obnoxious.” Someone told her, “It’s not a superpower if it can’t be used for evil.”

Preparing for the AI Boom: The Perspective of a Futurist

I’ve been in sessions with futurists before, but never one talking about the future of AI. This one was interesting. Sinead Bovell, the founder of Waye, first took us back to 1993. “The World Wide Web has just dropped. People are talking about it. They don’t fully understand it. We don’t know the industries that will be invented,” she said. “Explain to people from then how we live today: social media, apps, the creator economy. Imagine what has yet to be invented in a world where we co-exist with smart machines.”

With that in mind, where we are today with AI makes more sense. Bovell says we really haven’t seen anything yet when it comes to AI. She said right now, people are treating AI as a gadget. But, she adds, we haven’t invented the things that will exist on top of AI. She said it’s like the camera has been invented, but movies haven’t.

When it comes to the workforce, Bovell says employers are asking the wrong questions. They are asking “What roles can I replace with AI? Where can I leverage this for the bottom line?” She said they should be thinking about, “How can I add value with these systems?” She encourages attendees to be thinking “3, 5, 10 years down the road. If you’re only thinking 3-5 years down the road, things will look very different. If you were completely caught off guard by the breakthroughs in AI this year, you’re not looking far enough ahead.”

Bovell provided several “use cases” for how AI might impact us in the future. She talked about a chatbot as a part of a team — you can converse with it and it can answer your questions, create A/B tests, and execute a project. It’s still up to you to make the decision about how to move forward, but AI can add value and transform your team.

As I mentioned in yesterday’s Day 1 blog post, “change” and “artificial intelligence” are the two themes of this year’s conference. Today’s sessions really focused on both.

I can’t wait for day 3. Two words: “Reese Witherspoon.”

Did you miss yesterday’s blog post? Read it here:

Insights From Day 1 of INBOUND 23: An AI Drinking Game and How Technology Let Me Down

Read Day 3’s blog post here:

Day 3 at INBOUND: Two Words – Reese Witherspoon

World's Best Resume Writer (WBRW)

It's the ultimate bragging right: World's Best Resume Writer.

Career Directors International is launching a worldwide search for the "best of the best" -- the top three resume writers in the world with their new "World's Best Resume Writer" competition.

The contest is open to any English-writing resume writer in the world. You do not have to be a member of CDI to enter. The contest will be judged by a judges panel comprised of HR managers, senior recruiters, OD specialists, and several certified resume writers.

Unlike other resume writing contests -- including CDI's Toast of the Resume Industry (TORI) competition -- all entrants will be working from the same client information. You will receive a note file on a target client in the sales and sales management field.

Laura DeCarlo will be lead a free 30-minute Q&A call tomorrow, Tuesday, June 10 at Noon Eastern time. The conference dial in number is 651-715-3300. Your participant access code is 506334#.

The entry fee is $39.95 (one entry per person) and you'll receive a copy of the CDI Resume Writing Guide, a $39.95 value, with your entry.

Visit the CDI website for more information. The entry deadline is Nov. 1.

You can also read more information about this contest in the May/June issue of Resume Writers' Digest.

It's Emmy Night ... Speaking of Awards

My husband loves to watch awards shows -- mostly the Emmys and the Oscars. He has his favorite shows that we root for, and there's usually a surprise or two among the winners. (Yay, 30 Rock!)

Did you know the resume industry has its own awards? It's true! Career Directors International offers four separate awards:

• Toast of the Resume Industry™ (TORI) resume writing competition;

• President's Choice Award for Excellence in career services;

• Master Resume Writer™ Lifetime Achievement Award;

• Career Innovator™ Awards competition (new in 2007)
  

My favorite of these is the TORI award.

I love the idea of recognizing our peers for their work. I'm guessing there will be fewer political statements in the TORI acceptance speeches than at the Emmys, though.

Here are this year's nominees. Winners will be announced at the Career Directors International conference in Texas on October 20.

Best International Resume

Beverley Neil - d'Scriptive Words
Debbie Navara - www.resumesonline.com.au
Gayle Howard - Top Margin Resumes Online
Jennifer Rushton - Keraijen
Jill Kelly - Career Edge

Best New Graduate Resume

Laura Labovich - A & E Consulting, LLC
Erin Kennedy - Professional Resume Services
Sharon Williams - JobRockit
Jennifer Rushton - Keraijen
Gayle Howard - Top Margin Resumes Online

Best Creative Resume

Beth Stefani - Orison Professional Services, Inc.
Jill Kelly - Career Edge
Debra Mills - Pro-CV Writing Services
Barbara Safani - Career Solvers
Gayle Howard - Top Margin Resumes Online

Best Resume for Career Re-Entry

Erin Kennedy - Professional Resume Services
Freddie Cheek - Cheek & Associates, LLC
Barbara Safani - Career Solvers
Jennifer Rushton - Keraijen
Gayle Howard - Top Margin Resumes Online

Best Technical Resume

Karen Bartell - Best-In-Class Resumes
Laura Smith-Proulx - An Expert Resume
Jennifer Rushton - Keraijen
Jill Kelly - Career Edge
Barbara Safani - Career Solvers

Best Executive Resume

Annemarie Cross - Advanced Employment Concepts
Barbara Safani - Career Solvers
Gayle Howard - Top Margin Resumes Online
Jennifer Rushton - Keraijen
Jill Kelly - Career Edge

Best Professional Resume

Lisa Becker - CareerPro Global, Inc.
Laura Smith-Proulx - An Expert Resume
Jennifer Rushton - Keraijen
Gayle Howard - Top Margin Resumes Online
Freddie Cheek - Cheek & Associates, LLC
Barbara Safani - Career Solvers

Best Career Change Resume

Barb Poole - Hire Imaging
Sharon Williams - JobRockit
Freddie Cheek - Cheek & Associates, LLC
Jennifer Rushton - Keraijen
Jill Kelly - Career Edge

Best Cover Letter

Arnold Boldt - Arnold Smith Associates
Beverley Neil - d'Scriptive Words
Jennifer Rushton - Keraijen
Laura Smith-Proulx - An Expert Resume
Sharon Williams - JobRockit

Nominee selections were made by Louise Kursmark, Marty Weitzman, Darlene Dassy, and Robin Schlinger.

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.

10 Questions with Madelyn Mackie

Get to know other resume writers in our community with our “10 Questions” series! 

Our newest profile is Madelyn Mackie of Madelyn Mackie & Associates | Activate Your Career Dreams.  

Madelyn is the “career activator”! As a Certified Career Management Coach, member of the National Resume Writers’ Association, and former board member of the National Speakers Association, Madelyn offers conference keynotes, professional development trainings, and career coaching to help her clients design unique, job-getting documents, build successful career plans, and create lifelong success. She has been a professional resume writer for nine years. 

Madelyn draws on her experience of navigating four high-profile careers — the lab (as a published biochemistry researcher), the stage (as a stage and production administrator at four Tony Award-winning theaters), the C-suite (as an officer with the American Red Cross), and the owner’s box (CEO of Madelyn Mackie & Associates, a career management and professional development firm) — to help individuals activate their career dreams.

1. Why did you decide to become a professional resume writer?

I never set out to be a resume writer. My goal was to be a professional speaker. I speak on career transition and tell the story of how I went from the lab, to the stage, to the C-suite, and often, I would be approached by members of my audience asking me if I could help them do the same thing — which translated into career coaching and resume writing.

2. How did you get into the career industry? What did you do before?

In my first career, I was a public bio-chemistry researcher. After I wrote and published my first paper, I quickly realized I had no intention of doing that for the next 40 years. For my next career, I worked in professional theatre for 15 years on the production side — and I loved it! Eventually, I got burned out and turned my volunteer work at the American Red Cross into a full-time role as a Program Manager and External Relations Officer.

3. What do you typically wear when you’re working? 

Since the pandemic, it’s fuzzy slippers, leggings, a business top, and relentless red lipstick. Gotta look good on Zoom!

4. What is your best habit, and what is your worst? 

I try to always treat everyone the way I would want to be treated. I firmly believe you put good things out in the world, good things will come back to you.

My worst habit is the snooze button.

5. What is your favorite object in your office? Why? 

My business license from 2011. It reminds me to “take pride in how far I have come and faith in how far I can go.” When I applied for that license, I didn’t have a single client or speaking gig or even a business bank account. Now, 11 years later, I have all those things and so much more.

6. What is your “go to” technique or secret when you get stuck when you are writing a resume? How do you get unstuck? 

I immediately go work on another part of the resume that is easier — like education or older experience and work my way backwards on the resume. By the time I get to the value statement at the top, I have some motivation and inspiration to write it.

7. What is the best career advice you ever got? 

The best business advice I ever received is “Listen to your audience.”

8. How do you unplug? 

I love sitting on my balcony with some cheese and crackers, an apple cider, and a romance novel. It’s nice to get away into the land of “happily ever after” for a little while.

9. What ONE thing would you change about your business or the career industry if you could? 

Not a single thing. What I love best about our industry is that it is constantly changing and evolving. There is always something new to learn and my fellow resume writers never hesitate to share their knowledge and expertise.

Connect with Madelyn on LinkedIn: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/madelynmackie/

Find her company on Facebook: 

https://www.facebook.com/ActivateYourCareerDreams

Personal Branding: An Interview with Susan Chritton

What makes you stand out? How will people remember you?

Personal Branding for Dummies

These are important questions for resume writers to ask clients -- and ask ourselves! I had the opportunity to chat with/interview Susan Chritton, author of "Personal Branding for Dummies" in a Colleague-to-Colleague discussion series as part of the Career Thought Leaders Virtual Conference earlier this week, and I wanted to share some of her insights into personal branding, and how a few simple questions can help resume writers more easily create a theme for their clients' career communication documents.

Chritton is an Executive Career Coach and branding strategist who was mentored by the "godfather" of personal branding, William Arruda. She says her personal mission is to "educate and empower others to use their gifts in the world." I am confident she will reach this goal, as the information she shared during her presentation at the CTL conference — and her willingness to share her ideas with me during this call — was both informational and inspirational.

Question: As a resume writer, I don't often have a lot of time to explore a client's personal brand like a career coach would. How can a resume writer quickly ascertain a client's personal brand?

Chritton: Personal branding can be distilled into two concepts: "What do I think of me?" and "What do they think of me?" So one way to get to someone's personal brand is to ask them this: "Give me five words to describe yourself," and then "What are 2-3 words someone else might describe you as?" People are generally harder on themselves than others would be, so this gives insight into how they want to be seen (by others).

Chritton noted that if clients are receptive to this kind of work, you can give them homework (or a self-study assignment). In chapter 4 of the book, there is a personal brand profile worksheet (pictured) that they can use to develop their personal brand statement. You can then incorporate that into the documents you create.

She also said that one key is getting the client to "get out of themselves" and get a different perspective on how to articulate their brand. Two good questions for this, Chritton said, are: "Who are your competitors (for the job) and describe the qualities they possess." And then follow up with, "Which of those qualities do you have?" Chritton finds that often what clients say in response to these two questions "describes (the client) at their best."

Question: You talk about being authentic in personal branding. How might we get to someone's authenticity (again, quickly!)?

Chritton: Get people to "light up" and talk about themselves. Ask them, "What do you do that is different than others (who do what you do) — maybe something that people don't know about you, or that doesn't seem relevant."

She shared the story of a recent client, a business analyst who, she discovered, is also an accomplished drummer. Once she discovered that fact, she was able to use more colorful words to describe the client. The patterns in music mirrored the patterns the individual was able to see in data analysis. This was a key component of the client's personal brand.

Chritton said resume writers can use their "B.S. meter" to make sure that the client's brand that they are articulating is authentic to them. She shared the story of one young client, in his mid-twenties, who had crafted a personal brand that wasn't authentic. This became clear when the candidate would land interviews, but no job offers. Hiring managers quickly saw through the "style" of his brand and found there was no "substance" to back it up. "If you haven't been completely honest (in developing your personal brand), you won't get the response you're seeking," Chritton noted.

Question: Where do you see personal branding going next?

Chritton: "I hope more and more people use personal branding, because it humanizes people, and helps companies find the right people."

More and more companies are using personal branding, which gives her "a lot of hope" because "personal branding is the ultimate diversity" tool.

Half of the work Chritton is currently doing involves corporate coaching and personal branding consulting within organizations — she is often hired by the company itself, but sometimes by executives directly to work with them. She says the hardest part of this work is the diverse skill set it requires. "In working with corporate clients, you have to be a good coach, a good writer, you have to be social media savvy, and you have to have experience with video," she noted. (Video is an emerging area. She sees more and more of personal branding moving to video.) Chritton points to the video on her LinkedIn profile as an example of this in action.

No matter what the format — resume, LinkedIn profile, video — Chritton says the essence of personal branding work is "representing the client in the best, most honest way."

"Crossing the Generational Divide"

Last week, I helped out at a three-day conference for insurance and financial professionals. One of the sessions I was most looking forward to sitting in on was "Crossing the Generational Divide," with Preston Swincher of The Center for Generational Kinetics.

I had watched a video on YouTube of Swincher presenting on the topic of generational differences, and I thought he was both insightful and hilarious. (I've also included the video at the end of this post ... see if you agree.)

Swincher helps people understand how generational differences affect the workplace and specifically, communication issues. He started with an exercise where he asked the participants in the room (approximately 100 insurance agents and financial professionals -- most of whom were between the ages of 40 and 70) to think about the most menial job they ever had, how old they were when they started that job, and how much they earned at that job (by the hour). This being Nebraska, the "best" response was $.12/hour or a penny a cow for milking cows. Both of those respondents would surely be breaking child labor laws if they were doing it today, of course.

He pointed out, however, that even if the individuals made 75 cents or less an hour in that first job, "you still saved (part of that) money." Audience members nodded. They laughed when he said, "I'm part of Generation Y. If we earn $30,000 a year, we spend $50,000. It's the new math."

Swincher pointed out that — on average — Generation Y workers go to work at 3-5 years older than every other generation started working. He said, "That changes things. It changes how you look at work, and how you look at responsibility." He pointed out that Gen Y workers are entering the "work" stage at a different "life" stage compared to other generations.

He drew another knowing laugh when he said, "It's our very first job ... so we're probably ... 27."

Swincher asked audience members to think back to all the things they learned from that first job. He asked, "If you could offer one sentence of advice for that generation (Gen Y), what would that advice be?"

The answers included:

• Hard work never hurt anybody.
• Remember who are customers are … they are the people who actually pay you.
• Take pride in what you are doing.
• Show up and be on time.
• Act on your commitments, not your feelings.
• Be different in order to be superior.
• Be willing to pay the price; get over this feeling of entitlement.

© antonbrand - Fotolia.com

Swincher said the best piece of advice he's heard so far, from an audience in Dallas, was from an older gentleman who contributed, "Pull up your pants."

Swincher noted that people want to be motivated — they want to be led from their personal life experiences.

When they look at this generation of workers, older generations don't see what's in front of them — instead, they see themselves when they were the same age. The young worker sees his parents, "who may or may not need help restarting a computer." More laughs from the audience.

That separation of perspective is a huge challenge for some people.

Swincher noted that for the first time ever in this country, we have four generations working side by side all at the same time.

Swincher's employer, The Center for Generational Kinetics, looks at what shapes people and how it influences behavior in the marketplace and how we can forecast that.

You can find out more about what Swincher had to say in the next issue of Resume Writers' Digest.

Check out this video with Preston Swincher -- and let me know what you think in the comments: