If You Want to Keep Earning, You Need to Keep Learning (Self-Improvement Series)

So far in the"Four Ways to Improve Your Life and Achieve Greater Success as a Resume Writer" series, we've talked about "The Power of Goal Setting" and "How Positive Thinking Can Change Your Life."

Today's focus in this four-part self-improvement series is "How to Fit Education Into Your Busy Life."

Attendee map at the 2012 NRWA Conference in Charleston.

One of the biggest challenges we have as resume writers is that our field is constantly changing. Technology has had a significant impact on the resumes we write. I look back to when I started my business 17 years ago, and how much has changed. And it's still changing. Look at how we've had to adapt our resumes to meet Applicant Tracking System requirements. Thinking about the rise and fall of the job board. Or the impact of social media on our clients' job searches.

It's clear that if we want to keep earning, we need to keep learning.

Improving your education broadens your horizons in so many positive ways.  You not only learn new skills and material that you can use with clients, you may also meet new people and make new professional contacts (depending on the educational format you choose). Another benefit to continuing your education is that it shows you are a motivated and goal-oriented person. Your career industry colleagues and resume clients will take notice. In short, it can open up opportunities that you never imagined.

There are many opportunities for resume writers to continue our education. There is formal schooling — for example, pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree in human resources, psychology, communications, or a related field.

There are in-person workshops and seminars in your area – for example, training offered through the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and ASTD (dedicated to training and development) and their local chapters. (Both national organizations also offer online training.)

Two of the national resume writing associations offer in-person conferences. The National Resume Writer's Association's 16th annual conference is in September in Chicago. Career Directors International is holding its 2013 Global Career Empowerment Summit in Orlando in October.

There are online learning opportunities through the different career industry associations. In a world where time is money and we're all short on both, online education is in high demand. The benefits of online training are relatively apparent for anyone looking at furthering their education. By learning online, you not only save travel time, you are able to customize your education to fit your needs, time constraints, and financial priorities.

Because many courses are accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week, online education, trainings, and workshops allow you to learn when it is the most convenient for you. It makes life significantly easier for the busy resume writer.

In 2013, Career Thought Leaders held its first virtual conference, after several years of an in-person conference. You can access the recorded video sessions (each day had a specific "theme").

The National Resume Writer's Association offers affordable monthly teleseminars. They also offer a 10-part online training program about resume writing.

Wendy Enelow and Louise Kursmark offer quarterly E-Summits in addition to their flagship resume training and certification program, the Resume Writing Academy. You can also purchase recordings of the E-Summits. They also offer a 4-part Entrepreneurial Elegance program.

You can find links to most of these training opportunities -- as well as my own monthly free teleseminars on BeAResumeWriter.com. Bronze members of BeAResumeWriter.com also have access to all the recordings and transcripts of previous training sessions. (Many of these can also be purchased for $5 each.)

Also, check out my blog post about "Associations for Professional Resume Writers" for links to other organizations that might offer training and educational opportunities. You can also check out these Resources for Resume Writers.

There are also online training options that will help you become more proficient in Microsoft Word, for example. (YouTube videos also offer a number of free trainings on this topic, although the quality varies dramatically.)

Note: At some point, I'll have to put together a blog post on recommended books, special reports, and other resources. This blog post is by no means an exhaustive list of the training opportunities available for resume writers. Feel free to add other suggestions in the comments, and I'll work to incorporate them into the main post.

Check out the next post in this series: Leverage the Power of Groups for Success

How Positive Thinking Can Change Your Life (Self-Improvement Series)

This is the second in a series of four blog posts on self-improvement as part of "Four Ways to Improve Your Life and Achieve Greater Success as a Resume Writer." Check out yesterday's blog post on "The Power of Goal Setting."

I mentioned in yesterday's post that I've heard of a few resume writers struggling with burnout. Part of that can be attributed to overworking themselves, some of it is from PITA clients, but some of it is just the negativity that creeps up as we work to manage our business, keep our clients happy, and create some work/life balance.

How Positive Thinking Can Change Your Life.

With so many books out there highlighting the power of positive thinking, you would think that this doesn't need to be mentioned. But it does, because positive thinking really does change your life.

How does positive thinking change your life?
1. You become grateful and appreciative for what you have.
2. Others want to be around you, including those that have an affect on your personal success.
3. A positive attitude makes it easier to motivate yourself and achieve your goals.

So you know how a positive attitude can change your life — but knowing it, and doing it, are two different things. Sometimes it is just plain difficult to smile, especially when a client is challenging the strategy on their resume, or you're struggling to finish two resumes before you can call it a day.

So how do you stay positive?

Like goal setting, maintaining a positive attitude is a way of life and a learned behavior. You can't just flip a switch and never have another negative thought or emotion. What you can do is teach yourself to be more positive.  

Here are some steps to take to become more positive and optimistic:

• Every day, list five things that you are grateful for.
• You can teach yourself find the positive side of every situation by stepping back when you feel yourself getting negative, and finding something positive instead.
• Teach yourself to recognize negative thoughts and to let go of them and replace them with positive thoughts.
• When you have setbacks, view them as learning experiences and look to the future.
• Walk away from negative people, influences, and situations.
• Express gratitude verbally to those that you are grateful to.

I also recommend Gretchen Rubin's excellent book, "The Happiness Project: Or Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun," or read her blog of the same name.

When you take the steps to become a more positive person, it will become a way of life.  Soon you'll notice that negative thoughts and emotions rarely enter your brain. You'll feel better about your life, your business, your clients (most of them, anyway!) and yourself — and it will show. It will be easier, and more fun, to reach your personal and professional goals.

More than 100 books have been published on the subject of positive thinking, and motivational speakers spread the word daily about the importance of this topic. As you become a more positive person, you will draw into your life positive people and opportunities because "like attracts like."

Be sure to check out tomorrow's third post in this week's four-part series on self-improvement: "If You Want to Keep Earning, You Need to Keep Learning!"

Four Ways to Improve Your Life and Achieve Greater Success as a Resume Writer

I saw a reminder yesterday that we're already one-fourth through 2013. Wow. This year has gone by quickly. So, this week, I'd like to tackle the topic of self-improvement in a four-part series, "Four Ways to Improve Your Life and Achieve Greater Success as a Resume Writer."

The quest for self-improvement can have a profound effect on your personal life, your resume writing business, and your overall success. There are several approaches that you can take to reinvigorate your life and career. (And there's been some mention on career association e-lists recently of burnout, so reinvigoration is an important benefit of self-improvement.)

This week, in a series of blog posts, I'm going to highlight four of the most powerful self-improvement tools available. The first is The Power of Effective Goal Setting.


Why Goal Setting?

Setting, and achieving, goals can give you a significant sense of pride and accomplishment. When you set goals, you are also establishing priorities — for yourself, your family, your clients, and your resume writing business.  Ideally, you will set both short and long term goals and a plan of action to achieve them.

Goal setting is a learned behavior. By this I mean that — like all behavior modifications, i.e. changing your diet, becoming more positive, increasing your income, etc., it is something that you have to practice and adopt into your daily life, not something that happens overnight.

Step One: Define the Goal
To achieve your goal, you must first set an appropriate goal. What is an appropriate goal, you might ask? Well, first your goal must be specific and quantifiable.  For example, "I want to serve more resume clients this month" isn't a quantifiable goal but "I want to work with 15 new clients this month" is. "I want to earn $24,000 this quarter." "I want to launch one new information product this month." If your goals aren't measurable, they are easier to dismiss. This is why so many New Year's resolutions fail.  Goals like "I want to lose weight this year" or "I want to earn more money" aren't strong enough to hold yourself accountable, nor do they give you a clear plan of action.

Step Two: Set Yourself Up for Easy Wins (Initially)
When learning to adopt a goal-setting mindset, you should begin with smaller, achievable goals.  Sounds silly, right? Why set a goal that is easy to achieve? Because you're establishing a pattern of achievement and success. If you set a goal of "$100,000 in sales for 2013" and your sales last year were $27,000, then you will be setting yourself up for failure, and that's the opposite of what you're trying to accomplish. If, on the other hand, you set your sales goals for $42,000 (or, even better, "Bill $900 in client work next week," then that's a more reasonable goal — and one that you're likely to achieve. (That's three $300 projects, or five $200 projects.)

Small goals = a pattern of success = bigger goals = more success.

Step Three: Put a Date On It
Make your goal time frame short. By this I mean, if it takes six months for you to accomplish your goals, the satisfaction will not be as strong. That's one of the reasons so many programs advertise "Lose 30 Pounds in 30 Days." or "Write a Book in a Month."  People desire instant gratification. While you are learning your goal-setting and achieving behavior, make the beginning goals happen quickly.  "I want 2 new clients this week,"or "I will send a 'how are you doing' email to 20 past clients today."

Step Four: Make Your Plan
Once you've set your goal, plan on how you're going to achieve it. Remember that the shortest point between two distances is a straight line. If you want 2 new customers this week, get on the phone and call 20 past clients or send out an email to your client base with a special promotion that must be redeemed ASAP.

Step Five: Reflect On Your Accomplishments
Lastly, once you've accomplished your goal, take a moment to pat yourself on the back. This is important! If you don't take time to relish the accomplishment, then you're missing a crucial motivator to reach your next goal. Once you've taken a moment to feel pride and accomplishment, set another goal.  Don't wait, don't procrastinate, do it while you're still glowing with success.

As you continue this process, you'll establish a pattern of behavior within yourself. You'll see success move into other areas of your life. Goals like, "I want to exercise 3 times this week for 15 minutes," will come naturally to you as your goal-setting behavior gets incorporated into all facets of your life, not just your resume writing business.

Like this topic? Check out our special report on goal-setting for resume writers: "Ready, Set, Goal: Business Planning and Goal Setting For Resume Writers."

SPECIAL OFFER: Purchase the "Ready, Set, Goal" workbook for just $7 from April 2-April 14, 2013. The 50% discount (off the regular price of $14) is automatically applied when you click the "BUY AND DOWNLOAD" button.)

And check out tomorrow's blog post, "How Positive Thinking Can Change Your Life," the second in this series on self-improvement.

Do You Want All the Business You Can Handle?

Strategic alliances and partnerships often start out with that promise: All the business you can handle. One individual or organization has connections with jobseekers, and they promise to send a flood of new clients your way...usually in exchange for a commission or profit-split.

But developing the wrong kind of relationships can put your resume writing business at significant risk. They can make promises to you about providing a volume of clients that can be enticing — but can they deliver? And at what cost (both in terms of finances and the commitment it will require from you)?

Going into these relationships armed with the right knowledge and information can help assure you pick the right recruiters to work with — and negotiate an agreement that works for you — and for them. Here are some guidelines for working with a third-party individual (recruiter) or organization, excerpted from the "Developing Strategic Alliances and Partnerships With Recruiters" special report. (These same principles apply no matter who is promising to send clients your way!)

Page 10: Developing Strategic Alliances and Partnerships With Recruiters

Questions you should ask before entering into a strategic alliance or partnership:

• Will you (the firm) be the “client” or will I be working with (and billing) the job seeker directly? 
• What kinds of clients do you work with? Any specialties? What salary ranges do you usually work with? Remember that “generalist” firms in particular might send you some clients you don’t usually work with. If this is the case, you might want to make arrangements ahead of time with a subcontract writer to handle those clients. 
• Do you anticipate these project to be resumes only, resumes and cover letters, or other types of materials (bios, portfolios, LinkedIn profiles, etc.). Would you be interested in offering any other services to your clients — i.e., career workshops, interview coaching, salary negotiation advising? 
• How many projects do you think you will be sending me (per week, or per month)?
• How do you anticipate the client management process being handled (how I normally conduct business, or do you have something else in mind — i.e., meeting the client at your offices, or representing myself as your agent?) 
• How will referrals be made? Online? Will you email me the client information and I make contact? Will you set up a formal affiliate page and/or link? Or will you give the client my contact information, and the client will contact me? 
• How will sales be tracked? Are you responsible for tracking leads and clients, or am I? 
• How will payment be handled? Will the client pay you, or me? 

Issues to address when structuring an agreement (these are addressed in detail in the special report, but here is an overview):

• Tracking referrals 
• Compensation 
• Scope of commissionable work 
• Reporting requirements 
• Pricing 
• Contact details 
• Clients you don’t/won’t work with 
• Client ownership and ownership of work (copyright) 
• Nondisclosure/confidentiality 
• Payment details 
• Expense reimbursement 
• Defining the nature of the relationship (“status”) – i.e., independent contractor, employee, or agent 
• Responsibilities of each party 
• How default/breeches are resolved 
• Limits of liability 
• Term of the contract 
• Contract termination 

The special report contains definitions of each of these items and how they may impact the contract you come up with (no matter how informal!) with your partner.

Excerpted from: “Developing Strategic Alliances and Partnerships With Recruiters” by Bridget (Weide) Brooks.

Procrastinator? [Guest Post]

Do you tend to put off the activities that you least like in your business?

Do you find a million other so-called 'urgent' items on your to-do list; like hanging the laundry or dusting the bookshelves?

Are you a bit of a procrastinator?

It was 9 a.m. and I had a deadline to get a proposal in. I had met with a pretty senior person in a great company and they were interested in a workshop and coaching program. It was an exciting project and I was itching to get the bones of it down and ready to send out.

No procrastination here. No hesitation at all. I was on a roll. It was flowing beautifully and I sent out the proposal out a day before it was due.

I hit 'enter' on my keyboard and stood up and stretched. As I reached out my arm I knocked over a pile of documents on my desk. It was the pile that had been sitting there for the last 6 weeks, waiting to be sorted through, dealt with and filed.

This was about the tenth time I had knocked over that pile. I was pretending that it wasn't there. It is the work that I least like to do. And I had gotten to the point of absolute desperation with it.

In fact what had happened was that I was telling myself an amazing story about how dreadful, long, tedious and unnecessary this type of work was.

And the truth is, the story was much worse than the reality. When I finally forced myself to deal with it, it was over in less than two hours. When I surrendered to the pile of papers, it was a lot less complicated or tedious than I had anticipated. In fact, there was quite a sense of satisfaction in actually dealing with the issues, and especially in the new space available on my desk.

I have to say, that story made me feel pretty stupid. I had procrastinated for 6 weeks over less than 2 hours of work! Where's the sense in that?

So here's what's interesting and important in this whole issue; we are constantly telling ourselves stories about everything in our lives. We define our reality by the stories we tell.

There are activities that we do that we call 'hard work' and other activities that we call 'play'. It's not the same for everyone. What I call 'hard work' could be 'play' for you. What is the best fun and enjoyment for you, I may be calling a chore.

The exciting thing is; you can change it. You can discover and decide which story will make your day feel like fun and ease rather than difficulty and challenge. It's all in the story you tell.

Your success in business is very much about the story you tell. Think about what you replied that last time someone asked you about your business. What story did you tell? Did it excite and inspire that person? Did it excite and inspire you?

If not, you are telling a dis-empowering story and that's your choice. But it won't bring you business success. Start telling more powerful stories that create buzz and excitement around what you do. You'll see an immediate shift. You'll experience a transformation in how you feel about your business and how it is being perceived externally.

Remember, it's all about the story! Where do you need a more powerful story?

LISA BLOOM is a Professional Storyteller who helps entrepreneurs and business owners beat overwhelm, stress and discomfort with marketing to find confidence, attract ideal clients and make more money by finding their success story. Lisa's Leadership Development & Coaching Programs and Speaking gigs have engaged, motivated and inspired people worldwide! She is delighted to offer you the complimentary ebook "Using Stories to Get Great Clients": http://www.story-coach.com

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."

What If You Could Catch the Attention of Top Hiring Managers?

Oooo...that got your attention, didn't it?

Strong headlines are important. Just like with a client's resume being reviewed by a hiring manager, you only have a few seconds to get the attention of the prospective client who visits your website.

Tammi Metzler

"Urge readers to take notice with an attention-grabbing headline."

This was Step #2 shared by Tammi Metzler of the Write Associate in her teleseminar last week for BeAResumeWriter.com, "Your Website Gold Mine: Discover 5 Crucial Elements of a Client-Attracting, Money-Making Website." This was one of her 5 steps in a roadmap for a website to connect you with interested prospects for your resume-writing services.

If your resume writing website isn't drawing enough visitors … or if you're getting traffic but they're not turning into clients … or they're the WRONG kind of clients, listen to the recording of Tammi's call.

You can listen to the streaming audio here — for free, no opt-in required.

One of the most powerful statements Tammi made can be summed up like this:
If you don't know what action you want visitors to take, neither will they!

What do you want visitors to your website to do — what action do you want them to take? Do you want them to call you? Submit their resume for a review? Purchase a consultation with you? Download a free job search guide? Attend a preview (teleseminar) call? Once you know what you want them to do, it's much easier to create a website that inspires that action!

Tammi also shared a secret of how your website can reduce price resistance among prospective clients – which has been a HOT topic recently on some of the resume writing association e-lists. Making this one simple change on your website can dramatically increase your client conversion rate (the number of prospective clients who visit your website and actually become clients)!

I also invite you to join me for Tammi's upcoming class, "Secrets of a Client-Attracting Home Page: Five Simple Steps for Creating a Home Page That Lets Your Website Connect Your Business With Dozens, Hundreds, or Even Thousands of Your Ideal Clients Online." In that training, Tammi is going to share 11 proven headline formulas to draw visitors into your website so that they'll stick around long enough to learn more about what you offer and how you can help them in their job search, plus nine engagement techniques you can use on your website, and more.

I've signed up and hope to "see" you on the live call on March 27!

P.S. – Finally, Tammy has a free report for you to enjoy -- "Five Ways to Turn Website Visitors Into Clients" (a $97 value). Click on the link to find out more.

So What? Make Me Care! Do It Fast!

I love this phrase: "So what? Make me care? Do it fast!"

Deb Dib uses it as the "mantra" for all the work she does for her career clients. It's a phrase she came up with a few years ago at a Career Thought Leaders conference in Baltimore. 

Earlier this week, I attended The Academies' Certified G3! Coaching preview call, where Deb and Susan Whitcomb shared some of the strategies used in the program (you can read some of my take-aways below).

G3, in case you're not aware of it, is "Get Clear, Get Found, Get Hired" and it's a 10-week program designed to teach resume writers and career coaches how to create branded career communications ("career-comm").

From The Academies' program description:

To land today, your clients need to build an organic web of influence across multiple channels — starting yesterday! To do this, most clients will need more than a resume writer or coach – they’ll need a leading edge go-to resource with the training and talent to position them for this uncommon new world of careering … with resumes, LinkedIn profiles, and more for the mobile marketplace.

You can watch the 54-minute preview video here:

G3! Coaching Preview

It's definitely worth your time, even if you're not ready to pursue the certification yet.

Here were some of my key take-aways:

• Social media (especially Twitter) and the increase in mobile devices have inspired a need for shorter, more focused career communication documents. That doesn't mean that there isn't a need for two-page resumes (and addendums), but you should also be creating short-form pieces. Mobile devices outnumber PCs by 3-to-1 worldwide, so we as resume writers need to consider how what we write is being consumed … and a lot of it is being read on smartphones and iPads.

• Deb pointed out that we are helping people navigate one of the most important transitions in their lives — so we need to be on top of our game in terms of knowing what's needed now and what's coming next. As Deb says, "We have a moral imperative to help our clients navigate change."

• Deb introduced the concept of "Why-Buy-ROI" as a way to express client's "branded value in the marketplace." The "Why-Buy-ROI" formula takes the idea of expressing accomplishments a step further. It says, very quickly, "I know what you need, I can do it, I can prove I can do it, and I can do it again." The formula is: WHO/HOW/WHAT —> Measurable result. (Deb and Susan provide specific examples of this in the video, including one for a support position — which, as you know, it can be hard for people in support roles to quantify their value.)

• Think in terms of mini-modules that can build upon each other when developing your client's career communications. Susan and Deb described the process as creating a "Parts Store" where you can "shop" to find pieces to meet the client's needs in the job search.

They also showcased the G3 Smart-Step System, and described the pieces that take you (and your clients) from "4 smart steps" to "4 awesome outcomes."

Finally, Deb and Susan talked about how the G3 system can be incorporated into a resume writing business to add additional revenue. Deb said in her first year, she made $750. Total. But she also pointed out that was 20 years ago. She provided a sample price chart that showcases packages that can be built using the G3 system, and the "Power Pitch Resume with Proof-Points™" is twice that alone. If you've been looking for a way to increase your prices — and revenues — this system provides the key.

If you ARE thinking about becoming a G3! coach, the next program starts April 15, 2013. As I mentioned, it's a 10-week training class. Deb Dib will be your instructor, and sessions are held from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Eastern time via teleseminar/webinar every Monday. When you complete the program, you'll have two certifications: The Academies' Certified Get Clear, Get Found, Get Hired! Coach plus the 360Reach Certification offered through Reach Personal Branding.

The Academies is offering a special offer if you sign up by Friday, March 8. 

The first five people who register by midnight on Friday (and note: Several spots have already been taken!) can register at a $300 discount ($2197 instead of the usual $2497 price, and that can be paid in four installments of $572), plus you'll receive a free coaching session with Susan (a $500 value), and a free iPad Mini ($400 value).

If you're interested in this special offer, register using this link:

March 8 Special Offer for G3

Eight Ways to Personalize Pass-Along Materials

One of the benefits of a Bronze membership in BeAResumeWriter.com is that each month, you get new, brandable careers content that you can use with your clients. But since each member gets the same content to start with, one of the biggest questions I get about Pass-Along Materials is how to make them unique.

A couple of resume writers have expressed concern about if a prospective client is looking for information to help them with their career, and they come across the same report on multiple resume writer websites. You can't control what anyone ELSE does with their content, but the easiest way to solve this for YOUR resume writing business is personalization.

Here are eight ways to personalize your Pass-Along Materials in just a few minutes.

1. Niche It!
The first way to personalize your content is to focus your content — if you can — on the specific audience you serve (or that you want to target with the guide). For example, "Jobseeker's Guide to Salary Negotiation" can become "The Graduate's Guide to Making The Most At Your First Job."

Identify the ideal client to read the content, and then target the content to that reader.

2. Name It!
The easiest way way to personalize your Pass-Along Materials is to come up with a unique name. I intentionally name the Pass-Along Content with very boring, pedestrian names, in hopes of forcing you to come up with something more exciting.

To come up with a unique, attention-getting title, use Jim Edwards' FREE "Profitable Title & Smokin' Hot Domain Name Wizard V2.1" Input four key items: topic, keyword phrase, main result/benefit, and target audience and it will generate dozens of ideas for you.

3. "Newspaper" It
Newspapers are written by different people but edited to sound like one "voice." Your Pass-Along Materials need to sound like they are written by you and are consistent with the other materials you share with clients. Read through the content and make sure it matches your voice and style (and that it agrees with advice you give your clients). Although I focus on "generally accepted" principles with the content, you may occasionally find something you don't necessarily agree with. Feel free to edit or remove that content, and add in your own advice! (And it's still easier than starting completely from scratch!)

And feel free to change the subheadings too. For example, something like "Conducting a Job Search While You're Still Employed" can be changed to "Four Tips for Looking For a Job When You've Already Got One."

You can often take the first sentence of the first paragraph of a section and make a subheading right from that by asking a question.

4. "Novel" It
One way to personalize the content to YOU specifically is to share a client story. You can also create a fictional story to lead into the purpose of the article. Sharing a personal example can also be a way to personalize the material. Stories help the reader relate to your content.

5. Give Readers "Navigation"
Consider adding a photo, graph, or chart to the Pass-Along Materials content to add visual interest,  personalize it, and make it easier to navigate the materials. You can find inexpensive photos on a site like Fotolia. (Make sure you purchase the correct rights for what you want to use your guide for. If you want to sell your content, choose a "Medium" size graphic or larger and that will give you the rights to use the graphic in a product you sell.)

6. Nationalize It.
If you're not in the U.S., adapt the advice to your country. Some resume advice is nation-specific, so make sure you've checked the content to make sure it applies to your readers.

7. Narrate it!
One of the most unique ways to change the Pass-Along Materials is to change the format to audio or video. Use the content as a script for a teleseminar or webinar, as the format for a live program, or an outline for a video or podcast.

8. Don't Neglect It!

The most important thing is to USE your Pass-Along Materials! They're not doing you any good on your computer hard drive — and, as you've seen in this article, it's so easy to personalize them!

Personalizing Pass-Along Materials takes only a couple minutes of your time — and it's also something a virtual assistant can do. It's a great way to receive maximum benefit from your Pass-Along Materials while also providing your readers with unique and valuable content. 

How Do I Get My Company Logo on My LinkedIn Profile?

Have you noticed that some resume writers have their company logo next to their business name in their LinkedIn profile? Are you wondering how they made that happen?

The answer is: Company Pages!

If you haven't yet set up a Company Page for your resume writing business, there are a couple of reasons why you should do it now:

• To get that logo to show up on your personal profile!
• To get additional visibility for your resume writing business on LinkedIn.
• Because it's easy!

Here is a step-by-step guide to setting up your Company Page on LinkedIn.

First, you must have a domain name for your resume writing business, and have an email address associated with that domain name that is on your LinkedIn profile. (You can add the email address if you don't have it already linked to your profile.) That domain name can only be associated with one company page. You must also have your resume business listed under the "Experience" section of your profile, and your profile must be complete ("Intermediate" or "All Star" status, with numerous connections.)

On the main menu bar, click on the "Companies" tab.

On the Companies page, click "Add a Company" in the upper right-hand corner.

This wil take to you a page to "Add a Company." Fill in your resume writing business name and your email address (remember, it has to be a domain name for your business name — it can't be a Gmail or other type of email address).

You must also verify that you are the official representative of the company by checking the box.

You'll be taken to a new page where you can edit your company profile.

When you are finished entering the information, click the blue "Publish" button in the upper right-hand corner.

Finally, click on the "Products" tab and add in information about the products and services you offer. Not only will this help you attract clients, it will also help your page get found, as the more content you add, the higher the Search Engine Optimization (SEO) value of your page.

..............

The LAST STEP you need to take is to edit your profile and select your Company Page when articulating your business name. Go into your LinkedIn profile and choose "Edit Profile." Then, go to your current position and click the "edit" tool. As you type your business name, you should be presented with a list of companies to choose from.

Select your Company Page from the list, and then save your profile.

You will see that the logo from your Company Page now shows up on your profile.

3 Resume Writers Using Podcasting for Profit and Publicity

Have you heard of podcasting? It's been around forever, it seems (at least 10 years now), but I've only recently thought about launching my own podcast.

In doing some research, I discovered there are only a handful of resume writers who are engaged in podcasting ... (mostly because most resume writers aren't familiar with the concept), but that the podcasts that are out there have a LONG shelf life. A simple Google search pulls up podcasts that are several years old, but are still driving significant website traffic. You know that I am a HUGE advocate of using content to generate both cash and clients for your resume writing business -- and although podcasts have been around for a while, they are still remarkably effective!

Here are three examples of resume writers who are succeeding in podcasting? 

• Sean Cook, the "Higher Ed Career Coach," has his own channel on BlogTalkRadio (which is another medium for distributing your podcasts) 
• Annemarie Cross leveraged her podcast on Career Success Radio into her own podcast, "The Ambitious Entrepreneur Show"
• Check out Jared Redick's guest spot on the "Enterprising Investor" podcast.

If you've ever wanted to be a guest on a radio program to promote your resume writing services, you'll love the idea of podcasting. Instead of working to try to get booked as a guest on someone else's show, you basically host your OWN radio show (your own podcast).

Here's a couple of questions to determine if podcasting might be for you:

• Do you want to be seen as an expert in the resume writing industry, and be recognized by the media (and therefore, prospective clients) as a leading source of information? 
•  Are you comfortable speaking (not to a crowd, necessarily, but either in an interview format, or just you speaking to a virtual audience?) 
•  Do you sell a high-dollar resume service package (minimum $500), and you want to attract a steady stream of well qualified prospective customers who are eager to buy from you? 
•  Are you prepared to handle a large volume of traffic to your website? (Bonus points if you already have a team of subcontractors!) 
•  Do you have ancillary information products (ebooks, paid teleseminars and webinars, coaching groups, training programs, membership sites) you can sell to folks who are interested in learning more about the topics you cover?

If your answer was "yes" to more than two of these questions, podcasting may be for you.

Your first question is probably: What is a podcast?

Podcasting is audio provided over the Internet. Simply put, it's a process by which you can subscribe to receive the audios automatically, with the expectation that you will listen to the audio from a portable device like Apple's iPod. It's a smaller segment of what's called "Internet Radio" -- which is simply audio provided to listeners over the Internet. There is a wide variety of music and talk radio available to listen to both as a live feed or as pre-recorded content available on demand. You can listen to podcasts while you work out, drive around in the car (you can load them on your iPod), or while you're fixing dinner.

Your second question is probably: How much does it cost? (Followed quickly by: How do I get started?)
You can get started podcasting for under $20 -- and you may have all the equipment you need already!! The absolute EASIEST way to get started is with Audio Acrobat (which you may recognize as the service I use to record my free teleseminars through BeAResumeWriter.com). You can call into your Audio Acrobat phone line to record your posts, or use an external microphone. (Shh...don't tell my husband, but I use the USB headset that came from one of his video games, a U.S. Navy Seal game, to record my audios and videos!) And Audio Acrobat enables auto-syndication to 15+ online podcast directories and allows you to submit your RSS feed URL to iTunes, which can help you grow your listening audience quickly! It also has an iPhone app that allows you to publish your audio and video recordings straight to your podcast. (Yes, I realize you may not have any idea what "syndicating" and "RSS feeds" are yet ... so read on!) And Audio Acrobat offers a free 30-day trial.

As for how to get started ... well, that's why I wrote this email.

Last week, I signed up for Kelly McCausey's "Smart Podcasting Skills" program. And I wanted to tell you about it, because she has a special offer that expires at midnight tonight that makes it almost a "no brainer" for anyone who is interested in giving this a try in their resume writing business. It's a 6-part program that covers these lessons:

• Lesson One: How Podcasting is Good for Business 
• Lesson Two: Brainstorming Your New Podcast's Purpose & Format 
• Lesson Three: Planning Content For Your Podcast 
• Lesson Four: Making Money With Your Podcast 
• Lesson Five: Developing Your Hosting Skills 
• Lesson Six: Promoting Your Podcast 

I just bought the 6-part program myself last week, and I only had a chance to go through it over the weekend. And then I saw her reminder email last night about the special offer. (She also invited me to help promote her program, which I was happy to do, since I had bought it myself!). I thought that there would be at least a couple of folks — maybe you?? — who would find this beneficial to their resume writing business growth. (I also took Kelly's "Smart Blogging course," and I had more than 5,000 pageviews on this blog last month!)

If the idea of podcasting intrigues you, though, I've prepared a short special report, "Practical Guide to Podcasting" that will shed some more light on this topic. (There's no opt-in required — just click the link and you'll have access to the PDF file.) 

And I'll let you know when my first podcast is ready for YOU to listen to. I think 5- to 7-minute podcasts will be a great adjunct to my blog posts, videos, and teleseminars with ideas and information for resume writers just like you.

The cost of the program is $69. She offers a no-questions-asked 7-day money-back guarantee ... so if you buy the program and you decide it's not for you, you can get a full refund. But if you said "yes" to two or more of the questions I asked you at the beginning of this post, and you're committed to giving this a try, I think you'll find this program is just what you need.

Internet radio and podcasting are terrific ways to promote yourself and let your voice be heard. And I'll be learning right along with you ... so if you have any questions (as always!), feel free to ask me.

Using a VA In Your Resume Writing Business

Last month, Christine Edick of A Virtual Connection, delivered an excellent teleseminar on BeAResumeWriter.com on "Be More Organized, Efficient, Productive & Profitable (Using a Virtual Assistant)."

In talking with resume writers, I find more and more of them are using virtual assistants (VAs) or outsourcing key tasks.

Christine offered some great tips for getting started with virtual assistants, which include:

• Start with a small project or trial period. Identify one thing to turn over or outsource initially. (See below for the top five things to have a VA do for you.)
• Make sure you're a good match. Many VAs specialize in certain areas, so make sure what you need aligns with what the VA offers (or specializes in). 
• Have a contract — or some agreement — outlining the scope of work and rates.
• Give as much guidance as you can about the project and the work you do — if your VA understands your clients, services, and perspective, he/she will be more effective.
• Check-in regularly, especially in the early stages of a project. This will ensure your VA is on the "right track" with your expectations.
• Be flexible. If you give them one project, and it's not working out, don't be afraid to put an end to that project, and try delegating something else. Make sure you are working to your VA's strengths. What are they good at?

There are five main areas that a virtual assistant can do for you as a resume writer:

1. Website work. That can include updating information, adding plug-ins to a WordPress site, or keeping your calendar updated.
2. Social media. Virtual assistants can both write and schedule content for your social media (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn)
3. Database management. A VA can set up your customer relationship management (CRM) system, add in your autoresponder messages, and more.
4. Communications/outreach. Whether that's sending email newsletters oor managing speaking engagements, a VA can work as your virtual representative.
5. Appointment scheduling. This is one that many resume writers would love to do — but are probably wary — allowing your VA to schedule appointments for you and send out pre-meeting information (such as questionnaires) and follow up with prospects to set appointments.

Christine also outlined four key success factors for working with a VA:

• A strong desire to do it (a clear and compelling reason)
• Identify core actions your VA can do to produce results for your career services business
• Count the costs (is the time, energy, and risk worth it)
• Finally, ACT! Act on your commitments, not your feelings.

Take the time to listen to Christine's 60-minute call. Free Level members of BeAResumeWriter.com can find it on the Free Level Resources page (you must be logged in to the site to access it) for the next few weeks. Bronze Members have access to the MP3 and transcript in the Expert Interviews Series section (must be logged in as a Bronze member).

You can also purchase the MP3 recording and fully edited transcript (plus Christine's slides and two bonuses — a Resources and Tools guide, and a 23-page guide, "How to Systematize and Automate") for just $5. Find out more information here.

Find a VA here:

International Virtual Assistants Association

Outsource specific tasks:

• Elance

• Guru

• Odesk

• Fiverr.com

List of Possible Service Offerings for Resume Writers and Career Coaches

Here is a list of possible services resume writers and career coaches can offer their career services clients.

• Resume updates (consulting with a client to collect information necessary to update an existing resume)
• Resumes from scratch (development of a new resume through consultation with a client to collect information)
• Cover letters (to respond to ads, contact headhunters, thank someone for a job lead or information, or for networking purposes)
• Online research (conducting online research for clients to look for open positions or research companies and contacts before an interview)
• Targeted direct mail job search campaigns
• Posting of resumes to online job boards / resume distribution services
• Aptitude and skills testing
• Career counseling
• Interview training
• Job coaching services
• Job-related workshops and seminars
• Job search technique skill building
• Application preparation services
• Federal resume preparation
• Internship resume development (for college students)
• Curriculum vitae
• Supplemental career documents (references, salary history)
• Interview follow-up correspondence
• Thank you letter
• LinkedIn profile development

We are working to update this list. Please leave a comment with your suggestions!

Resume Preparers Have the "Write" Stuff for Spare Time Success

Editor's Note: This an article I wrote many years ago on how a resume writing business can be an ideal business to operate to earn income in your "spare time." Where necessary, I've updated the information to meet 2013 standards.

Resume writing is an ideal part-time (or "spare time") business. It's also one that can be operated from home. This combination of scheduling flexibility and low overhead can mean big spare time success.

Resume writing is ideal for any economic climate. In a hot economy, prospective clients are seeking jobs that will sell their skills and experience and help them advance their careers. In a recession, job searchers need a quality resume that will give them a competitive edge in landing scarce jobs.

Jobseekers search out resume writers to help them land their dream job. They may not have time to put together a resume themselves, or they may lack the writing skills necessary to accurately describe their current responsibilities and why they are qualified for a particular position. Others find it hard to "sell themselves" — describing their own skills and qualifications is hard for modest people.

In addition, a resume writing business can be operated in your spare time — early mornings, daytimes, evenings, Saturdays, and Sundays.

Jan Melnik, a Certified Professional Resume Writer and author of "How to Start a Home-Based Resume Service," started her resume career at home in her spare time.

"I worked in a traditional office environment from 8 a.m. until 5:30 p.m.," she says. "I scheduled my own client appointments from 7:30 p.m. until 9 or 9:30 p.m."

Melnik also met with clients on Saturdays and Sundays, which made her services popular with clients who were unable to get away from work during the day to have their resumes written.

Sue (Nowacki) Campbell, of 1st-writer.com in St. Augustine, Fla., agrees that after-hour services are popular, but cautions spare-timers that they may prefer not to accept walk-in clients, particularly if you are home-based. (Many spare-time resume writers nowadays choose to work with clients virtually and/or meet with clients in public places, like libraries and coffee shops.)

My clients know that I am willing to work weekends," Campbell says. "It's a selling point for many who are currently employed and job searching on the side, but I never see clients without appointments. Never."

Appointment-only scheduling allows the spare time resume writer to work precisely those days, and hours, desired.

Getting Started in Resume Writing
According to Melnik, a successful resume writer will have:

• Excellent writing skills
• Strong communication and speaking abilities
• Ability to compose original documents with ease
• Good word-processing abilities
• Excellent eye for design and layout of documents
• Ability to develop rapport with clients

Business management skills are also essential for success.

The largest expense for the resume writer is equipment. Any computer system, using any word processing program, will do — but you must use a laser printer for developing the final copies of a client's resume. Inkjet printers, even the very best ones, simply don't provide the quality of a laser printer. (However, many resume writers don't provide hard copies of resumes anymore; they simply provide a digital document that the client will print on their own.)

Services you can offer include anything from basic retypes of resumes already handwritten by clients to the complete development of a resume from scratch. Add-on services can include writing cover letters, developing materials for use during the interview process (including documentation of key accomplishments, salary history, and references), interview follow-up correspondence, and LinkedIn profile updates.

Marketing Your Services

When you are first getting started, it's not necessary to have a large ad in the Yellow Pages. A simple listing (your company name and telephone number) is helpful, but it is not always possible to start your spare-time business at the exact time the Yellow Page advertising representatives are selling ad space. (Nowadays, most resume writers acquire clients through through website and online marketing efforts as well as offline marketing methods that aren't centered on the Yellow Pages as they once were.)

To market your services, consider:

• Offering to write resumes for friends and family members for free or for a reduced price, if they will help your marketing efforts. When you finish with their resume, give them business cards and informational brochures to pass along to people they know. Practicing on friends will also help make you more comfortable with the interviewing and resume writing process.
• Taking out ads in local college newspapers and in weekly community newspapers. One ad a week in a large-circulation newspaper is sufficient and may be all you can afford. Sundays are usually your best bet.
• Posting fliers on student bulletin boards at university campuses or at local community sports (bulletin boards at laundromats, grocery stores, and libraries) to increase awareness of your services.
• Distributing brochures to local employment agencies, college counselors and mental health therapists who provide career counseling.
• Placing neon fliers advertising your services on the windshields of cars at shopping malls and office complexes to prompt telephone calls from prospects wanting to know more about your services or schedule an appointment.
• Writing and distributing news releases announcing the creation of your company to appropriate media.
• In 2013, market your services online using your website, blog, social media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn), write articles, and using paid online advertising (Facebook ads, LinkedIn ads, AdWords, etc.).

Your client base will also provide leads. Resume services have an excellent potential for repeat and referral business. The job search process truly never ends, and clients that start with a high dollar initial package ($100-$600) can be followed with annual updates at an hourly rate (bringing an additional $50-$200 in revenue per client per year).

Referrals also help the spare-time resume writer develop a steady, profitable business. One resume client can lead to referrals of friends, family members, co-workers, roommates, and classmates.

What To Charge

Setting a fee schedule is a critical component for success in your spare-time resume writing business. Fees generally vary by geographical regions (with higher fees charged on the East and West Coasts), and new resume writers generally charge less than experienced writers.

According to the 2011 Resume Writers' Digest Annual Industry Survey, hourly rates charged for resume production range from $50 to $250. Calling your prospective competitors will also give you an idea of the range of fees charged in your area. But make sure you are comparing apples to apples — resume providers typically charge less for straightforward updates versus resume writing and editorial consultation.

The rewards of establishing your own spare-time resume writing business — having clients come to you, pay you, to do what you enjoy, on your own terms — are apparent.

What Will Happen To Your Resume Writing Business?

© coramax - Fotolia.com

Every year, I hear about resume writers who have gone out of business. Some of these are due to the owners changing careers and leaving the profession; sometimes the health of the resume writer is a factor, and many times, the owner decides to retire.

Although there are four common ways to exit a resume writing business, in the vast majority of cases, one method is the most common: liquidation.

And that's too bad … because, in my opinion, simply closing your doors is the WORST thing you can do with your resume writing business. Your business is an asset — and just like many other assets, it has value, even if you are finished with it.

One thing that is sorely missing in the careers industry is a focus on business exit planning. Every business owner has to exit their business at some point. Some business owners exit their business through a calm and carefully planned exit. Others exit their business in an unplanned fashion when they hit hard times, or when they pass away. (I'd strongly recommend you consider preparing a professional will in case of a personal tragedy.)

There are great ways to exit a business and there are poor ways. A great exit will leave you with the maximum cashout possible with minimal hassles. A poor exit will result in your "asset" (your business) not realizing the value possible, while causing you a lot of stress.

Here are four common ways to exit a business, along with a brief analysis of each method.

Outright Sale
This is the most common kind of exit, and it works very well. You value the company being purchased, then the seller makes the purchase with either cash, stock, bonds or a combination of the above. This kind of sale usually allows the owner to realize a lot of value. Unfortunately, a very small number of resume businesses are sold, because the resume writer does not realize the value of the customer list they've acquired, and because prospective buyers don't have access to a list of resume writers who are thinking about exiting the industry (and, consequently, can't make an offer to purchase the business assets).

Mergers
Mergers are when two companies combine their strengths for a better win-win scenario. For example, when Disney acquired Pixar, that was more of a merger than an acquisition. Steve Jobs immediately became the largest shareholder of Disney and Pixar continued to produce the most important films in Disney's array of films. Mergers work a lot like acquisitions and are also a great way to realize value. However, I can't think of any mergers within the careers industry, perhaps because mergers are much more common in large companies than small ones.

Taking the Company Public
Another way to cash out of a company is to take the company public. If you're large enough, that means using an IPO. If you're a small company but want to go public anyway, a common tactic is to use a reverse merger. It's a very expensive process. I don't know of anyone in the careers industry who has taken their resume writing business public.

Management Buyout
Instead of selling to an outside party, with a management buyout the company is sold to the managers and employees instead. It can be sold for cash, or there can be some sort of owner financing involved. Because most resume writing businesses are sole proprietorships (single owner businesses), there often aren't managers or employees to sell the business to. However, I have heard of a couple of resume writing businesses where an employee buys the business. (The most high profile one is probably Susan Ireland, who took over Yana Parker's "Damn Good" business, which is now run by Beth Brown.) This is often an emotional decision rather than a financial one (and the selling resume writer often provides financing to the buyer).

Liquidation
This is the worst option of all — and, unfortunately, the most common in the resume writing industry. This is when you simply throw out any value the business has as an operation and liquidate the business for just its asset values. The assets are often computer equipment (which is converted to personal use, usually), business and career books and materials, and a customer list and files.

The business and careers books have value — although, often they are discarded (if they are more than a few years old, they can contain out-of-date information) or donated. Newer books can — and should — be sold to recoup some of the value.

But the biggest asset of the business is often the most undervalued — customer files and the customer list. These are individuals who have purchased a professionally written resume. There is value in that list of buyers. If you have significant traffic to your website or blog (you can check your PageRank – a measure of the importance of your website), selling your website also has value. A domain name may also have value — resume.com, for example, is an obvious one, but your domain may also appeal to a specific buyer.

So if you are thinking about closing your business, don't just liquidate. Put out the word that you're looking for a buyer. Or approach another resume writer who works with a similar clientele. Or contact me, and I'll try and help you find an alternative to simply shutting your doors.

Crowdfunding As a Way To Achieve Certification

Jeffrey Metzger, YourResumeConsultant.com

You may have heard of crowdfunding because of campaigns on Kickstarter for things like the Pebble wristwatch. I participated in a crowdfunding campaign for my nephew's school film project (which reminds me — I still haven't received the DVD I should have received for my pledge), and a friend's desire to bring encouragement to those diagnosed with cancer raised $35,000 just as her mom died from lung cancer.

But I came across a first in the resume writing industry yesterday…a resume writer who is using crowdfunding to raise money for certification as an Academy Certified Resume Writer (ACRW) through the Resume Writing Academy.

Crowdfunding is defined as an effort that pools money from individuals — usually via the Internet — to support the effort of an individual, organization, or business. Through small contributions from many people and organizations, a larger goal can be accomplished.

Jeffrey Metzger, of YourResumeConsultant.com, has launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise money for him to pursue ACRW certification. You can find his crowdfunding campaign here.

I reached out to Jeffrey to learn more about his initiative.

Bridget: How did you get the idea to do a crowdfunding campaign to raise money for your certification? Is there a crowdfunding campaign that inspired you?

Jeffrey: As with many new writers [Editor's note: Jeffrey notes that Feb. 11 is the one-year anniversary of him operating his business full-time], cash flow is one of my biggest challenges. I've made some excellent progress in building my business, but I can never seem to get far enough ahead to make meaningful investments in myself. Becoming certified continues to be at the top of my wish list and I feel that the ACRW will give me the right combination of training and, ultimately, certification, that will be a huge boost to my business and personal potential. Crowdfunding is very visible, and I kept coming back to it as an option. I found Indiegogo to be the right fit for what I'm trying to accomplish. In researching the concept, I found many small businesses looking for funding to buy equipment and inventory, but very few (if any), service companies looking for funding. I'm sure it's being done, but maybe I'm blazing a bit of a trail.

Bridget: How are you planning on promoting the campaign?

Jeffrey: Currently, I'm only promoting the campaign (with poor results) via social media. I need to personally get past the idea that I'm looking for a handout, and believe in myself and this traditionally unconventional method of raising money. I know I need to do a much better job in this area.

Bridget: Have you received any feedback from anyone about your campaign?

Jeffrey: I've received a few "atta boys" from friends and family, but nothing more than that.

Bridget: Did you consider any other "creative" ways to come up with the money for certification?

Jeffrey: My main goal was to pay for certification the old-fashioned way — by earning it! But then the bills continue to roll in…

Bridget: Do Wendy and Louise (from the Resume Writing Academy) know you're doing this?

Jeffrey: I did have the pleasure of meeting Louise briefly at the NRWA conference in Maine a couple of years ago (2011), but have not been in touch with either (of them) since I kicked off this endeavor.

What do you think, resume writers? Would you be interested in supporting Jeffrey's goal of certification? I will "match" any donations made by resume writers in the next 7 days (until Feb. 18, 2013) with products from Resume Writers' Digest. That is, if you donate $25 to Jeffrey, I will give you $25 in free Resume Writers' Digest products. Forward your receipt to me at editor (at) rwdigest (dot-com) and I will contact you to arrange your free products!