Associations for Professional Resume Writers

I'm leaving up the original post (below), but I've updated the association listing.
Check out the updated post by clicking here.

Looking for networking opportunities, certifications, information, and more? There are several associations devoted to the professional resume writing and careers industry.

These include:

• The Career Management Alliance. Originally founded as the Career Masters Institute (CMI) by Wendy Enelow, "The Alliance," as it is informally known, was purchased by Kennedy Information (which became BNA Subsidiaries LLC). Their annual conference is in Las Vegas in April 2011. The conferences are pricy, but well done. Memberships begin at $135/year.
• Career Directors International (CDI). Originally founded as the Professional Resume Writing and Research Association (PRWRA), this association is run by Laura DeCarlo. They offer one of the best annual conferences out there. Dues are $150/year. They offer several certifications, including the Certified Advanced Resume Writer (CARW), Certified Expert Resume Writer (CERW), Certified Resume Specialist (CRS), and Master Career Director (MRD) designations. They also offer an annual resume writing awards contest, the TORI (Toast of the Resume Industry) awards.
• Career Professionals of Canada. With a subscriber base of 250, three credentials that are widely recognized by Canadians, and a rigorous training program, CPC is a valuable resource for Canadian practitioners.
• Career Thought Leaders. The brainchild of Wendy Enelow, Career Thought Leaders Consortium bills itself as a "think tank" -- but is offering a conference and symposium in 2011 in Baltimore in March.
• CertifiedResumeWriters.com. Not really a true "association," this is an online directory for resume writers that has morphed into an "information resource site" for resume writers as well. Maria Hebda puts together an impressive line-up of teleseminars. There is a one-time (lifetime) membership fee of $497. (Multiple pay-payment options are available.)
• The National Resume Writers' Association (NRWA). This is a member-driven organization, with a volunteer board of directors. They offer an annual conference (the 2011 conference is in Maine) and a rigorous certification -- the Nationally Certified Resume Writer credential. Dues are $150/year (2-payment and 3-payment options available for new members).
• Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches (PARW/CC). Founded by Frank Fox, PARW was the "original" resume writing association, from which many other associations branched off. PARW offers the most common resume writing certification, the Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) credential. It also certifies individuals as Certified Employment Interview Professionals (CEIP) and Certified Professional Career Coaches (CPCC). Membership is $150/year.
• Resume Writing Academy (RWA). Not an association, really, the Academy is a training program offered by Louise Kursmark and Wendy Enelow. Resume writers can earn the prestigious ACRW (Academy Certified Resume Writer) credential, which is the preferred certification for many resume contracting firms.
• Arizona Resume Writers' Association. This small group maintains a website to market their services collectively to prospects in their geographic area.
• Association of Online Resume & Career Professionals (AORCP). It offers a Certified Master Resume Specialist (CMRS) credential. Membership is just $50/year.

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!

On Twitter? Follow the NRWA Conference

Catch the sessions from today’s International Freelancers Day

– free training!

Interesting: “Don’t Fold Your Resume” site by Southworth 

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

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.

Getting the Most Out of Your CDI Conference Experience

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

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

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

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

CDI Career Empowerment Summit Set for Oct. 16-17 in Orlando, FL

Dates: Friday, October 16 and Saturday, October 17, 2009.  (Pre-conference on Thursday, 10/15).   Location: Caribe Royale All-Suite Resort Hotel, Orlando, FL (just 2 miles from the gates of Disney).  $119/night for 2-room suites with microwave and refrigerator; in-room Internet $4.95 for 24 hours. Program Highlights   Intensive-Hands-on Workshops:   Career Client Conundrums: Taming the Biggest Challenges Your Clients Can Give You Laura DeCarlo and CDI Team Leaders TBA Change Your World in Two Hours: 5 Key Steps Pat Schuler, Kick Butt Sales Training™ Power Seminars (subject to minor changes):   Getting the Most Out of Web 2.0 Part I: Business Building   Getting the Most Out of Web 2.0 Part II: Career Tools Barbara Safani, Career Solvers / FTT Research Jason Alba, JibberJobber.com   Powerful Social Networking Profiles for Profit & Client Success  Louise Kursmark, Best Impression Career Svc. Inc. Katrina Kibben, VisualCV Where the Jobs Are: Exploring the Federal Landscape Barbara Adams, CareerPro Global Inc.   Putting the Squeeze On: Helping Clients Wring Every Dollar Out of their Compensation - from CDI's Fall '09 Expert Trends report Laura Drew, Carolina Career Coach and CDI Director of Education / Research Committee member  Engage Clients & Prospects: Move Your Website to Social Web 2.0 with Free Tools Laura DeCarlo, CDI  Dynamic Networking Events:   Registration Badge Bar    Friday Networking Lunch   Friday Pool-Side Evening Tropical Reception with live steel drum entertainment   Saturday Lunch Banquet & Awards Ceremony   Saturday Vendor Fair & Networking Event    Saturday Post-Conference Careers in the Café Additional Value-Adds   Early bird rate of only $440 for members and non-members!   Two, four, and five month payment plans available: $220x2; $110x4; and $88x5.   Vendor rate, only $599; payment plans available.   Registrants are entered in a drawing for free registration in CDI's Entrepreneurial Wisdom program (self-paced version). Program registration is an $1199 value.   Registration includes two full days of programs and events! Registrants receive all materials, workshops and seminars, two hot breakfasts, four breaks, two lunches (one banquet), and all networking events. Beautiful suites for less than the price of most rooms! Only $119 for 2-room suites with refrigerators and microwaves. Low, low rate on in-suite Internet! Terrific central Orlando location and transportation! Free Shuttles to four Disney Theme Parks.

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.

Ideas for "Prospering Despite a Downturn Market"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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...)

World's Best Resume Writer (WBRW)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wendy Enelow Selected as "Top Conference Draw"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

TORI Awards Nominations Extended

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

2008 List of TORI categories include:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Entry is open to CDI members only.

Career Management Alliance Conference Preview

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

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

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

COST: Free

PROGRAM: 2008 Alliance Conference Preview

SPEAKERS:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

New Resume Writers' Digest Special Report

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

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

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

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

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

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

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