CPC Awards of Excellence Deadline is July 1

The Career Professionals of Canada Awards of Excellence Program nomination deadline is July 1, 2011.

Nomination categories include:

• Outstanding Canadian Career Leader
• Outstanding Volunteer Contributor to the Organization
• Outstanding New Canadian Career Professional
• Outstanding Canadian Online Profile Developer 
• Outstanding Canadian Resume - New Graduate
• Outstanding Canadian Resume - Career Change
• Outstanding Canadian Resume - Technical
• Outstanding Canadian Resume - Executive
• Outstanding Canadian Resume - Creative 

Both non-members and members may nominate PROFESSIONAL MEMBERS, and PROFESSIONAL MEMBERS may also nominate themselves for awards. Award recipients will be formally recognized on the CPC Recipients page, CPC News and Views, and in the Career Connections Newsletter, which is received by more than 2800 subscribers. Award plaques will be delivered directly to recipients.

For more information, visit the Awards of Excellence page. And get those nominations in by July 1!

Best of luck to all nominees!

Converting Voice Mails to Voice Files

Okay, so this blog post isn't 100% directly related to resume writing ... but it is something that you might need someday, so I'm sharing it anyway.

I've had my current (nonsmartphone) for about 4 years now, and it's time to upgrade. (Actually, it's long past upgrade time...), but I have about a half-dozen voice mails on the existing phone that I don't want to lose when I transition it over. I've heard enough "horror stories" from friends and colleagues who have lost voicemails, photos, and videos when switching over their phones that I want to be proactive about it.

So I've been investigating services that will preserve the voice mails by turning them into digital files -- either MP3s or CDs. I use Google Voice with my cell phone (which automatically creates recordings of my voice mail messages), but the calls I want to save were ones that came into my regular cell phone line, not my Google Voice number (which also rings my cell phone), so I don't have them as a digital recording ... only as a regular voice mail message.

I'm looking at two services in particular -- each with different costs and different features.

The first is voicemailsaved.com, which charges $34.99 for preserving voice mails (up to 30 minutes of voicemails included). They'll send an audio CD for $12.50 ($5 each for extra CDs), or send a link to download the recordings at no additional charge.

The second -- a much less expensive option, but one that requires more "me work" -- is savethatcall.com. For just $.50 plus $.05 per minute, you can use third party conferencing to record your voice mails (or any calls, for that matter -- which may actually be useful to resume writers conducting phone-based interviews of clients to collect information on their resume development).

You can also try CBW Productions, which charges approximately $5/message. You can receive files via MP3 download or CD or cassette. They also provide notary services, should you have a message that requires legal verification. [This is the service I used; I paid approximately $30 to have six messages saved, including shipping. I am a previous Alltel Communications subscriber, so I used promo code ALLTEL and saved 10% (thru 12/11). I'll let you know how it went when I receive the CD in the mail.]

Anybody have any experience with either of these services -- or another service they can recommend?

BestResumeWriters.net: Legitimate Promotion or Fraud?

I received the following e-mail from a resume writing colleague:

As you have probably already heard, BestResumeWriters.Net is a new online directory that has professional resume writers listed for free.

Our editorial team thought your free profile on BestResumeWriters.net will be a win-win solution to you and your potential customers.

Our data entry team had gathered some information about you, publically available on the Web.

Your profile is ready and live on the website now.

With this mail we invite you to visit www.bestresumewriters.net and type your name / last name into the search field, find your profile and verify you are fine with this listing on BestResumeWriters.NET.

Please see your profile with us, and let us know if you are fine with being listed as the Best Resume Writer on our website, and if your profile composed by us meets your expectations.

If we do not get your permission by May 30th, we will delete your profile until you request to have it recovered.

If you fail locating your profile on our website but you wish to be listed on BestResumeWriters.net please notify us with the email sent to support@bestresumewriters.net

From our side we commit for the online directory transparency and marketing:

* the messages/inquiries sent to you will be routed to your email in a timely manner,

* the information acquired from the messages we receive will not be used for any other purpose but relaying to the resume writer needed,

* the online directory will be marketed in terms of Search Engine Optimization and so called cost-per-click traffic to bring the best resume writers listed on our website more and more clients,

* we will be working next on the website functionality improvement, aiming to provide convenient and effective search tool to the job seekers in need for the resume writing help.

Thank you for being the Best Resume Writer!

--

Thanks,

Regards,

BestResumeWriters.net Team

She was asking for feedback about this "opportunity" -- in particular, she was concerned because there is no "name" associated with the website. When I clicked on the contact page, I tried the links for both Twitter and LinkedIn, and neither worked.

Resume writing colleague Roleta Fowler Vasquez, CPRW/CEIP, Owner of Wordbusters Resume and Writing Services wrote about BestResumeWriters.net on a "fraud alert" page on her website.

Roleta reported that there is some confusion as to whether the "contact this writer" inquiries are forwarded to the resume writer or not. I will investigate this further.

Do you have any information on this site? I will update this post with new information as I receive it.

Tips for Starting Your Home-Based Resume Service

I've been writing this blog for a long time -- and I need to review "the basics" every once in a while, because not all of the folks who are tuning into this blog are resume writers...yet! So here's a blog post about getting started ... and, in particular, how to start a home-based resume writing business.

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Honestly, when I started my resume business 15 years ago, I didn't give a thought to operating my resume writing business from my home. Of course, I was in my early 20s at the time, so I thought a business office gave me more credibility. It did. But after 7-8 years in a business office, my now-husband and I decided to get married -- and, as part of the process, we moved our business into our new home.

If I were starting a resume writing business today, I wouldn't hesitate to start -- and operate -- it from home. Technology has evolved to where you don't need to meet with clients in person. 

The current trend is towards more home-based businesses. They require lower overhead and startup money, making them easier for entrepreneurs with limited funds. If you are thinking about starting a home-based resume writing business, here are a few tips for getting started on the right foot.

Benefits of a home-based resume writing business
There are several benefits to running a home-based resume writing business. First of all, you can run the business from your home. Since you already pay a mortgage, utilities and car payments, the only thing you need spend money on now is the equipment for your business. To start a resume writing business, you basically need a computer with word processing software -- although you could use Google Docs (although I don't recommend it).

Secondly, a home-based resume writing business requires low overhead and startup costs. We alluded to the startup costs above and the low overhead means no employees but you. The key to keeping the overhead low is taking on only as many projects as you can safely and efficiently handle by yourself.

In fact, you could be a subcontract resume writer and never see clients. You could work entirely with a contracting writer and do that from home, working in your pajamas. (Check out the "Making Money as a Resume Subcontractor" Special Report for a step-by-step guide to working as a subcontract writer.)

Getting started tips

There are considerations before beginning any type of business even a home-based one.

1. Check out the local laws for registering and zoning a home business. Most home businesses require no zoning issues unless you will be meeting clients in your home and posting signs in the yard. (As we talked about with today's technology, you can have a home-based resume writing business without ever meeting with clients in person.)

2. Small business tax laws. Now that you are a business, you are subject to different tax exemptions, deductions and payments. Sites like www.irs.gov can give you the information you need.

3. Set up a separate work space at home. This could be as simple as using a spare bedroom or den with a door to keep your work separate. If you rely on the telephone, a separate phone line can be added. (Although you can use VOIP services or your cell phone, to reduce your expenses.)

4. Use on and offline marketing methods to find clients. This includes: viral marketing, newspaper and Yellow Pages ads, flyers and direct mailings, email marketing, article marketing, setting up a website, etc. (I recommend my "Online Business Manifesto" Special Report for details on marketing your home-based resume writing business.)

5. Create a schedule to divide time between work and family. Balancing both is hard. Scheduling time and sticking to it means more gets done and no one is slighted. (People always ask me about working from home -- they say, "Oh, I'd have a hard time working from home. I'd be too distracted by the laundry, or TV." I actually find the opposite is the case -- I'm often still working at midnight ... sometimes while I've got a load of laundry in the dryer and I'm catching up on Tivo!)

A home-based resume writing business is an alternative for people who want to work for themselves without spending a lot in upfront costs. If you have the ability to interview clients, write succinctly, and understand personal branding, consider a home-based resume writing business.