Resources for the Resume Writer

I came across some good resources in Susan Friedmann's book, 'Riches in Niches' and thought I'd share them with you!

Media Resources:
How to Give a Good Interview
Media Toolbox
Instant Media Training

Radio Resources:
Radio Locator
Radio-TV Interview Report
Radio Interview Performance Tips
Tips for Being Interviewed on the Radio
Public Relations and Publicity Articles
How to Be a Well-Dressed Guest on TV
Publicity Tips from the Experts (transcripts of expert teleclasses)
PR News & Tips

Marketing & Public Relations Resources:
Marcia Yudkin's Handpicked Resources for Marketing & PR
Marketing Using Tips Booklets
Tradeshow Resources
Book Marketing Articles
Niche Sites to Go
37 Ways to Promote Your Website
Affiliate and Web Marketing
Promoting Your Writing (Book Promotion)

Public Speaking:
Articles on Public Speaking
Tips for Speakers

Networking:
Find Associations
Associations & Societies
National Council of Nonprofits

Writing:
Writer's Weekly
Librarians' Internet Index
Collaborative Writing Software

Blogging and Podcasting:
Executive Blogger's Guide
Marketing Blog

Workshops & Seminars:
Preparing and Delivering a Seminar
What Makes a Good Workshop?

Online Learning:
Using Teleseminars to Boost Business
Selling Informational Products

Exit Strategies:
Exit Strategies for Your Business (Entrepreneur Magazine)
4D's of a Business Exit Strategy

Business Information:
Business Ideas
Resource Information for Entrepreneurs
SCORE Counselors to Small Business
Small Business Resources
High Growth Industries

The Importance of Writing Error-Free Resumes

How many typos does it take before the person reading the resume will put it down and move onto the next resume? One? Two? More than two?

A survey from Accountemps makes it clear. Three out of four (76 percent) of executives interviewed said just one or two typos in a resume would remove applicants from consideration for a job; 40 percent said it takes only one typo to rule candidates out.

The full survey results are in the Summer 2009 issue of Resume Writers' Digest.

Are You Digitally Distinct?

After reading Career Distinction by Kirsten Dixsen and William Arruda, I became interested in digital distinction and online branding. Then, on Kirsten's Facebook page earlier this week, she posted a link to an Online Identity Calculator.

The results of the calculator matched the results of my assessment when reading Career Distinction: I'm digitally distinct!

Digital distinction is a measure of your online profile at any given point in time. As Kirsten and William define it, "The online identity calculator measures the effectiveness of your online identity and places you on our digital scale. Knowing where you stand today will help you determine exactly how much work you have to do and your next steps."

They go on to say that, "Where you fall on the digital scale is based on a combination of volume and relevance. How many results do you get? How many of those webpages actually pertain to you? Do the references to you on the Web communicate a positive, negative or neutral image of you? How consistently do those results communicate what you want to be known for?"

Here are my results:

The majority of results that come up for me are aligned with my personal brand -- primarily my work with Resume Writers' Digest. This is the area of my business that I want to continue to focus on growing, so it's encouraging to me to see how my online brand profile appears.

Marketing Your Resume Writing Business

A steady stream of new clients ensures the success of your resume writing business. But how do you get new clients? How do you get your phone to ring?

There is no secret formula or magic bullet in marketing your business. The key to success is to select a few, simple, effective tactics and do them consistently.

One common mistake is to think that advertising and marketing are the same thing. They are not. Advertising will get you results, but it is not as effective as marketing your services.

In order to build your career services practice, you need to cultivate relationships -- with prospective clients, new clients, and referral sources (other resume writers, members of the media, career and life coaches, real estate agents, human resources professionals, etc.).

Tell people what you do -- over and over again. And get your message to the same people over and over again -- because consistency creates familiarity.

People do business with people they know, like, and trust.

And don't wait until things slow down before you market! It is better to be overbooked. You want to consistently cultivate a pipeline of prospective clients.

For more of this article, purchase the Spring 2009 issue of Resume Writers' Digest ($3).