Showing posts sorted by relevance for query Best of Conference. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query Best of Conference. Sort by date Show all posts

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Finally, Success!

Well, it finally happened. One of my more "needier" clients landed his dream job today. It was a long time coming. I first started working with him last summer, developing the resume in anticipation of a December graduation. The resume itself was stellar. (I can say this with some confidence because it was reviewed favorably by the volunteers working the NRWA Certification session at the National Resume Writer's Association conference in Savannah in September.)

But the client was picky ... and somewhat resistant to my suggestions. The resume would land interviews, but the interviews were ... shall we say, weird. You know how it is -- the client is giving you feedback, and you're not sure if it matched the reality of the situation or not. For example, he'd have a first and second interview ... things would be moving along ... and all of a sudden, they decided he didn't have enough experience. That seemed strange to me, but what could I do? I couldn't send in a hidden camera to see what really happened. (The brief interview coaching I did with him didn't identify any red flags -- other than the typical "new graduate" attitude that expects to be making $50K with a bachelor's degree and a couple summers worth of job experience.)

I used ALL of my skills with this client. Creative ways to follow-up for the 45th time (without looking like a stalker). My best Nick Corcodilas "do the job before you get the job advice" (for one job in marketing for a mall-based retail store chain, I suggested he conduct an analysis of customer demographics by sitting outside the store at the food court and collecting data. Despite calling me every other day to tell me how "bored" he was by not working, I STILL could not convince him that this was a worthwhile use of his time.)

But it all paid off when I got the e-mail from him telling me he'd accepted an offer for his new job. That's what makes it all so worthwhile, right? (Well, that and the couple hundred dollars paid by his mom for my services as a graduation present...)

Now let's hope he KEEPS that job for a very long time...like until he's ready to retire. I can dream, right?

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

A Cinderella Story

Wow, what a story of persistence. As I wrote in yesterday's post, the Georgia Bulldogs took on the Fresno State Bulldogs in game three of the College World Series, college baseball's national championship. Down 5-0 in last night's game, the Fresno State team battled back to win 19-10, evening the series to 1 win apiece.


So it all came down to tonight's game. Fresno State took a 6-0 lead and never looked back, winning the national championship 6-1. This was a true team effort -- pitching by committee, no first round MLB draft picks (although Georgia had 2 on their side, including ace closer Josh Fields), two of their best players battered and bruised (two playing with serious hand injuries) -- and their star pitcher had been injured earlier in the year and didn't even make the trip to Omaha.

Called one of the "greatest sports stories in recent years," the unseeded Fresno State team was an unlikely national champion. But they gutted it out.

"Fresno State was forecast to be a Top 25 team coming into the season, but the Bulldogs lost 12 of their first 20 games. They needed to win the Western Athletic Conference tournament just to make the NCAA field of 64, fought off elimination in regionals and super regionals, and became the first No. 4 regional seed to reach the CWS since the tournament expanded in 1999."

I tell you this story because it's an inspirational tale. Sure, your client may not have the qualifications on paper, but if they can just get the chance to do the job, they can "hit one out of the ballpark." In the end, the one that wins is not the one with all the credentials, but with the guts.

Congratulations to the Fresno State Bulldogs...



(The 2008 College World Series theme song -- with some great shots of Omaha -- oh, and cornfields...)

Monday, January 28, 2013

Resume Writers: Work Smarter, Not Harder

Every day, I correspond with (and talk to) resume writers who are working hard. They're working long hours, serving anywhere from a handful to a dozen clients each day, slaving over their keyboards as they work to deliver perfect prose that will win interviews and job offers for their deserving clients.


On the surface, they look like the swan paddling serenely across the pond. But underneath the surface, they are paddling frantically just to keep their forward momentum. Some of them are making big money — high five figures, even six figures. But it's coming at the expense of time with their family and friends, the constant stress of keeping up with client deadlines ... and, sometimes, their health.

One of the best ways to stop struggling with the "trading time for dollars" trap is to introduce passive income and recurring revenue systems into your career services business.

Although most clients find their resume writers online nowadays, the career services industry is unlike many online businesses. For most Internet businesses, working one-on-one with the business owner comes much later in the process, after the client has taken a series of smaller steps — for example, participating in a free or paid teleseminar, purchasing a low-price information product (under $50), or signing up for a group coaching or membership program. Instead, most resume writers go straight to what is typically a "back end" piece for most online marketers — "high dollar" one-on-one service. (That can be anywhere from $100 to $2000 for personal resume development services.)

One of the things I want to encourage you to think about is how you can work with prospects who come your way who aren't yet ready to work with you one-on-one. The answer can be incorporated into your business with passive income and recurring revenue products and services. Create products once and sell them over and over again … and, in the process, introduce prospective clients to you, and showcase your expertise.

If you think you'll "get around" to making these things, or that you don't have the time (or money) to make changes now, let me encourage you to start small. I saw this graphic yesterday on Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter's Facebook page, and it's perfect:

http://www.facebook.com/marymaninmorrissey

If you haven't yet had a chance to watch the "How to Create Passive Income and Recurring Revenue For Your Career Services Business" video, do it today! I recorded my presentation of the same name from the NRWA Conference in Charleston in September 2012! You can access it here for free until Feb. 1. (After that, it will only be available within the Bronze membership area of BeAResumeWriter.com.)

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Get More Prospects Into Your Pipeline

I'm taking the "Get Clients Now"™ program with Joan Friedlander and am really enjoying getting back to the basics of marketing by following the steps of the program. I first learned about C.J. Hayden's program in 2003 at the Career Masters Institute conference in Kansas City (now the Career Management Alliance) and always had an interest in applying the program to my business. I'm enrolled in it as part of my training to become a facilitator for C.J.'s "Get Hired Now!™" program.

One of the keys to the Get Clients Now program is filling your pipeline with prospects. I came across a neat little free 5-minute video, "List Building" with Stu McLaren, hosted by David Frey as part of his Small Business Marketing Best Practices video newsletter.

As David notes, "The money is in the list" -- whether an e-mail or snail mail list, having a defined way to contact prospective clients is vital to building your business. This should be an opt-in list, and the individuals should have given you specific permission to communicate with them. David even uses terminology familiar to those of you who know the Get Clients Now! system -- mentioned that these are people who already "like and trust" you ("CJ's system mentions the value of creating relationships for people to "know, like, and trust" you).

David and Stu share the three keys to building your list, and three ideas to help you generate traffic. I haven't tried them (YET!) but thought you'd enjoy hearing about them too.

Wednesday, February 15, 2017

Want to Share Your Knowledge With Other Resume Writers?



CALL FOR SPEAKERS!
— Proposals will be accepted through March 6, 2017 — 

Conference date: October 4-6, 2017
Conference location: The Westin Lombard Yorktown Center, Lombard, Illinois
Deadline for speaking proposals: March 6, 2017, 10 pm (EST)

The National Résumé Writer’s Association is accepting speaking proposals focusing on best practices and trends in the résumé writing industry for its 20th anniversary conference. Presenting at the conference is a great way to showcase your expertise and your business and generate interest in your services among potential partners and clients. 

You are invited to submit your proposal online:

(You may wish to download this MS Word version of the Call for Speakers form so you can take time and draft your response before filling out the online submission.)  


Please let us know if you have any questions.

About The NRWA
The NRWA is the only nonprofit, member-driven resume writers’ organization in the world. The mission of The NRWA is to increase the visibility of the industry, encourage ethical practices, promote excellence, and raise industry standards through peer marketing and training. The NRWA’s Certification Commission awards the highly sought-after Nationally Certified Resume Writer (NCRW) credential to résumé writers who demonstrate basic résumé knowledge, writing, and strategy.




Thursday, September 6, 2012

Smart Ways to Create Passive Income in Your Resume Writing Business

In just two short weeks, I'll be speaking at the National Resume Writers' Association conference in Charleston on the topic of "How to Create Passive Income and Recurring Revenue For Your Career Services Business." 


What is passive income? It is a form of income that keeps paying you after the initial effort to establish it is done. Unlike writing resumes, where you customize each document for each client, with passive income, you can create one single document and sell it over and over again.

The goal of passive income is to capitalize on what work you have already done. It frees you up to spend time with family and friends. It also allows you to make money while you sleep. (See the cute graphic designed by my husband, Jon, for the presentation.)


Passive Income Strategies
Here are just a few of the passive income strategies I'll be talking about in my presentation.
  • Affiliate programs. You can have one -- or many -- affiliate programs that you promote. Many resume writers choose resume distribution services -- like ResumeSpider -- or reference checking services like Allison & Taylor. These are natural tie-ins with your existing services -- and you can market them to your existing clients!
  • Write content. Sites like Constant-Content allow you to write articles that buyers can then purchase rights to use. They can buy "usage," "unique," or "full" rights. You can sell the same article several times.
  • Advertising. This can be Google AdSense or another service where you promote other products and services through advertising on your site or blog and get paid per click or conversion. Choose a program that works best with your business. 
  • Create information products. Information products can include ebooks, special reports, tip sheets, manuals, home study courses, teleseminars and more. You create it once and sell it over and over again. (If you're interested in an easy way to create information products, check out Pass-Along Materials from BeAResumeWriter.com.)

If you like the ideas in this blog post and want to know more -- and you're planning on attending the NRWA conference in Charleston in a few weeks, check out my breakout session on Friday afternoon on   "How to Create Passive Income and Recurring Revenue For Your Career Services Business." 

Friday, March 14, 2008

The Career Portfolio

I've been meaning to write an article on Career Portfolios for Resume Writers' Digest for a long time now ... but just haven't gotten around to it. (If you'd like to write one and submit it, I'd love it!)

A few months ago, I wrote about a presentation that Phyllis Shabad gave on developing career portfolios at the National Resume Writers' Association conference in 1999 in New Orleans that I think was the best information I've ever heard on the subject.

She called a career portfolio a "secret marketing tool" that will allow you to control 50% of questions in an interview.

I wanted to share some more information -- from my original notes -- about developing the portfolio. What can be in your client's portfolio? Here are some examples:
  • The client's resume (of course!) with yellow highlight on key accomplishments related to the job being sought
  • Reports and graphs
  • Thank yous and testimonials
  • Company research (competitive information, articles, stock information)
  • Publications
  • Research
  • Projects
  • Five-Year Plan
  • Accomplishments
  • Credentials (certificates, awards, diplomas)
  • Press Clippings
How do you create the portfolio? Start with a 1" binder, page protectors, and section dividers. It should include no more than 25-30 pages of documentation. Create themes for no more than five main sections. Organize the information. Make copies -- don't include any originals. Put two copies of each item in the page protector, so you can give one copy to the interviewer.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

NRWA Conference Set for Sept. 22-25

The National Resume Writer's Association is holding their annual conference in Texas this year ... Fort Worth to be specific... from Sept. 22-25.

Sessions include:

  • Creating a Career Management and Portfolio -- Wilson Elliott
  • Higher Education Roundtable -- Travis Wilson & Cheryl Minnick
  • Master Your Marketing -- Ruth Pankratz
  • Where Did Microsoft 2007 Put All My "Stuff"? -- Jean Whalen Raymond
  • Best Practices for Leveraging Your Client's Multicultural Advantage for Job Search Success -- Murray Mann & Makini Theresa Harvey
  • Reaching Beyond Your Greatest Potential Through the Power of YOU! -- Monica Hardy
  • Coaching Clients to Achieve a Capable, Empowered Mindset -- Robyn Feldberg
  • How to Handle Tough Situations With Tough Clients -- Kimberly Schneiderman
  • Networking with Recruiters to Help Your Clients and Make Money -- Kathy Sweeney
  • The Portable Resume?: Adapting Your Document for the Global Job Search -- Danielle Savage
  • 10-Tweet Cover Letters: Write Tight and Grab Attention in Today's Chronically Distracted Business World -- Deb Dib and Susan Whitcomb

Early registration discounts are available until Aug. 20. Current NRWA members pay just $425 (new/renewing members pay $525) for full conference registration. A two-pay option is available for early registration (through Aug. 20). Single-day and partial conference registrations are also available.

Friday, September 24, 2010

Best of Today: 9/24/10


Doug McIsaac Blog Post on “Finding Your Writing Voice
Includes a link to Paul Meyer’s article “How to Communicate Authentically in Print or How to Find Your Voice” – worth a read!


Catch the sessions from today’s International Freelancers Day
– free training!


Quote of the Day:

Via Doug McIsaac: “No matter how fast we click from place to place, it will never replace face to face.” –– Joel Bauer

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Career Directors International Global Career Empowerment Summit 2011

Just saw the e-mail from Laura DeCarlo announcing the lineup and speakers for the CDI annual conference ... ahem ... I mean the "Global Career Empowerment Summit 2011," scheduled for Oct. 20-22, 2011 in Savannah, Georgia!

Once again, CDI has put together an impressive lineup of topics and speakers. You can learn more here.

Just a few of the notable subjects being covered:
  • Magic Bullet to Six-Figure Success: Strategies in Packaging & Pricing (panel)
  • Your Clients Are Leaving You! How to Win Over and Keep a Transient Audience (with Tim Tyrell-Smith!)
  • The Bullet Train to Job Search Success: Best in Class Online Identity Model (with Susan Guarneri and Laura DeCarlo)
Plus, they offer 3-, 5-, and 7-month payment options (as low as $77/month!)



I have to say, I loved Savannah when I was there a few years ago. Be sure to come in a day early and head up to Hilton Head Island. It's gorgeous. You may also find cheaper fares by flying into Jacksonville, FL. That's what we did, and then just drove up to Savannah.

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Top Keywords for Your Resume (A-N)

Keywords are more important than ever on resumes as more and more companies use Applicant Tracking System (ATS) software.

Keywords are usually nouns or short phrases which refer to work experience, education, training, terminology, licensure, affiliations, skills, and abilities within a specific industry and/or profession.

Resumes are electronically searched for keywords matching the position's responsibilities or other criteria deemed relevant for the role (i.e., a bachelor's degree for a pharmaceutical sales position).

Work in keywords throughout the resume -- not just in a keyword summary section. Some applicant tracking systems can determine contextual cues, so use keywords in job descriptions, achievement bullets, and Qualifications Profiles.

.net
3PL / TL / LTL
401K

A/R Management
Academic Advising
Account Analysis
Account Executive
Account Maintenance
Account Management
Account Penetration
Account Reconciliation
Account Relationship Management
Account Retention
Account Settlement
Accountant
Accounting
Accounting Management
Accounting Software
Accounts Payable
Accounts Receivable
Accounts Receivable/Payable
ADA
Administration
Administrative
Administrative Assistant
Administrative Expertise
Administrative Management
Adult Education
Advanced Technology
Advertising
Advertising & Marketing
Advertising Collateral
Advertising Design
Advertising Planning
Advocacy
Analysis & Forecasting
Analyst
Animation
Annual Reports
Applicant Screening
Applicant Tracking
Application Design
Application Development
Appointment Management
Architect
Architectural Design
Architecture
Art Design
Art Direction
Assessment Processes
Asset Management
Asset Protection
Asset Recovery
Asset Valuation
Association Management
Audio Production
Audit
Audit Controls
Audit Management
Audit Reviews
Auditing
Auditor
Audits
AutoCD
Automotive Knowledge

B2B and B2C Sales
Bank Compliance
Bank Operations
Bank Reconciliation
Banking
Banking and Cash Management
Banking Practices
Banking/Finance
Basel II Regulations
Benchmarking
Benefits Administration
Benefits Analysis
Benefits Integration
Benefits Management
Best Practices
Bilingual
Board Relations
Bookkeeper
Brand Operations
Branch Sales
Branch Visibility
Brand Awareness
Brand Building
Brand Cultivation
Brand Management
Brand Operations
Brand Response Advertising
Branding
Branding & Advertising
Branding Identity
Budget Administration
Budget Allocation
Budget Development
Budget Management
Budget Oversight
Budgeting
Budgeting & Finance
Budgeting/Forecasting
Budgets
Building Inspections
Business Administration
Business Analysis
Business Analyst
Business Consulting
Business Continuity Planning
Business Development
Business Images
Business Leadership
Business Management
Business Operations
Business Planning
Business Process Consulting
Business Reengineering
Business-to-Business
Buyer

#+
Call Center
Campaign Development
Campaign Management
Campaign Planning
Candidate Recruitment
Candidate Selection
Candidate Sourcing
Capital Budgets
Capital Investment Analysis
Career Development
Case Management
Cash Flow Analysis
Cash Flow Optimization
Cash Management
Cash Management & Collections
Catering
Change Management
Chapter Development
City Planning
Civil Engineer
Claim Management & Avoidance
Clerical
Client Consultation
Client Management
Client Needs Analysis
Client Presentations
Client Relations
Client Retention
Client Service
Client/Server Technology
Clinical Consultant
Clinical Services Management
CNC
Code Compliance
Code Enforcement
Code Testing
Cold Calling
Collections
Commercial Architecture
Commercial Loan Operations
Commercial/Retail Banking
Communication
Communication Strategy
Communications
Community Outreach
Community Relations
Compensation
Compensation Analysis
Compensation/Benefits
Competitive Analysis
Competitive Intelligence
Competitive Market Analysis
Competitive Market Intelligence
Competitive Market Positioning
Compliance
Compliance Reporting
Compliance/Auditing
Computer-Aided Testing
Concept Development
Conference Planning
Conflict Resolution
Consensus Building and Teaming
Construction
Construction Estimating
Construction Planning
Consultative Sales
Consumer Banking
Continuous Improvement
Continuous Process Improvement
Contract Administration
Contract Negotiations
Contracts
Controller
Convention Management
Copyediting
Corporate Accounting
Corporate Administration
Corporate Communications
Corporate Development
Corporate Marketing
Corporate Mergers
Corporate Retirement/Pension
Corporate Strategic Business Planning
Corporate Tax
Corporate Tax Filings
Corporate Tax Planning
Corporate Training
Corporate Vision and Strategy
Cost Analysis
Cost Avoidance
Cost Containment
Cost Control
Cost Reduction
Costuming
CPA
Creative Design
Creative Development
Creative Direction
Creative Innovation
Creative Problem Solving
Creativity
Credit & Collections
Credit Management
Crisis Communications
Crisis Management
Crisis Planning
Curriculum Development
Custodial Accounts
Customer Management
Customer Needs Assessment
Customer Relations
Customer Relationship Management
Customer Retention
Customer Service

Data Analysis
Data Collection & Analysis
Data Entry
Data Modeling
Data Processing
Decision-Making
Demand Forecasting
Demographic Analysis
Design Development
Design Elements
Designer
Development Coordination
Diagnosis & Treatment
Dictation
Digital Recording
Discrimination Investigations
Distribution Management
Distributor Relations
Document Management
Document Processing
Due Diligence

Earnings Distribution
E-Commerce
Educational Administration
Educational Programming
EEO
Efficiency Improvement
Employee Assistance
Employee Benefits Planning
Employee Development
Employee Education
Employee Improvement Plans
Employee Recruiting & Staffing
Employee Relations
Employee Safety
Employee Security
Employee Training
Employment Law
Engineer
Engineering Management
Entry Level
Environmental Compliance
Escalated Customer Service
Estate Planning
Estimator
Event Design/Execution
Event Graphics
Executive Assistant
Executive Management
Expense & Inventory Control
Expense Control
Expense Elimination
Expense Management
Expense Tracking
Expense Tracking & Analysis

Facilities Management
Feasibility Studies
Field Inspections
Field Sales Force Management
Finance
Finance and Accounting Management
Financial Accountability
Financial Administration
Financial Aid
Financial Analysis
Financial Analysis and Reporting
Financial Analyst
Financial Audits
Financial Controls
Financial Management
Financial Modeling
Financial Models
Financial Performance
Financial Planning
Financial Reconciliation
Financial Reporting
Financial Reports
Financial Restructuring
Financial Services
Financial System Design
Financial Systems
Fiscal Management
Fleet Scheduling
Food & Beverage
Food Preparation
Forensic Accounting
Front Desk Management
Fundraising/Development

GAAP
General Accounting
General Ledger
General Ledger Accounting
General Ledger Entries
Global Brand Strategy
Global Market Expansion
Goal Setting
Government Affairs
Grant Writing
Graphic Design
Gross Margins
Guest Relations

Health & Wellness
Health Education
Healthcare Administration
Help Desk
HIPAA Compliance
Hiring/Training/Supervision
Hospitality
Hotel Management
HR Liaison
HR Management
HR Strategy & Services
HTML
Human Resources
Human Resources Administration
HVAC

Identity Development
Illustration
Illustrator
Incentive Planning
Infection Control
Information Systems
Information Systems Maintenance
Information-Driven Revenue Management
Innovative Design
Innovative Leadership
Inside Sales
Inspection
Instructional Technology
Insurance
Insurance & Risk Management
Insurance Plans
Interactive Video
Interface Design
Internal Controls
Internal Systems and Controls
Internal/External Audits
International Exposure
Internet
Internet Banking
Internet Technology
Interviewing & Hiring
Inventor Relations
Inventory Management
Investment Management
Investment Strategy
Investment/Retirement Planning
ISO 14000
Itinerary Management

J2EE
Japanese
Java
Joint Ventures & Alliances
Journalism

Key Accounts
Kitchen Management
Kitchen Operations

Labor Expense Management
Laboratory Services Management
Layout & Design
Lead Generation
Leadership
Leadership & Management
Lean Manufacturing/JIT
Legal Compliance
Legal Qualifications
Legal Secretary
Legal Technology
Legislative Advocacy
Legislative Analysis
Legislative Review
Lexis Nexis
Liability Management
Loan Balancing
Loan Officer
Loan Processor
Loan Production
Logistics
Logo Design
Logo Development
Long-Range Planning
Loss Prevention

Maintenance
Management by Objectives
Management Reporting
Manager
Manpower Allocation
Manufacturing
Market Analysis
Market Expansion
Market Growth & Penetration
Market Penetration
Market Positioning
Market Research
Market Risk Management
Market Segmentation
Market Share Growth
Marketing
Marketing & Advertising
Marketing Communications
Marketing Management
Marketing/Promotions
Mathematical Aptitude
Media Buying
Media Planning
Media Relations
Medical
Medical Assessment
Medical Information Specialist
Medical Records Management
Medical Terminology
Member Communications
Member Development
Member Recruitment
Member Retention
Member Services
Mentoring and Coaching
Merchandising
Merchant Services
Mergers & Acquisitions
Microsoft
Microsoft Office
Microsoft Word
Month-End Closing
Mortgage
Motivation of Sales Team/Agents
Multi-Cultural Sensitivity
Multilingual Fluency
Multimedia
Multimedia Campaigns
Multimedia Design
Multisite Operations
Multi-Site Operations

Needs Analysis
Needs Assessment
Negotiations
Network Administration
New Business Acquisition
New Business Development
New Business Planning
New Media
New Product Introduction
New Product Launch
New Store Opening
Newsletter Development
Nurse