It’s that time again! Update Your Resume Month (UYRM).
Professional Resume Services, in collaboration with Career Directors International (CDI), is once again presenting (and in the midst of) Update Your Resume Month.
Not only are the kids (finally!) back to school, but it’s time for job seekers to prepare, too– for unexpected opportunities! Is your resume ready to be viewed? Is it loaded with everything you’ve accomplished? Would you hand it out to a stranger (i.e. the hiring manager/recruiter) tomorrow?
IF NOT, YOU NEED TO UPDATE IT!
What would you do if you were told about a fantastic opportunity that seemed tailor-made for you, but you only had a day to submit your resume to the person? Are you ready? Worse, what if you look at it and realize, it doesn’t need to just be updated, it needs to be REWRITTEN! I don’t know about other resume writers, but we are booked up at least a couple of weeks in advance.
What have you accomplished since your resume was written? Certifications? Training? Career advancement? Continued education? A job move? 2? 3? Yikes! What are you waiting for?
Be prepared for the golden opportunity– update your resume today and spare yourself the pain of missing out on it tomorrow.
Overview from the CDI Summit (think networking & food)
Hello. I am back from being GONE. And when I say ‘gone’ I mean at a conference.
THE conference.
Career Directors International’s Summit 2009. It was fabulous. To top off a weekend of learning, networking, fun and enormous amounts of food, the setting was beautiful.
And of course, as soon as I returned to Michigan, the cold I was trying to hide from attacked me full force and I have been miserable and whiny succumbed. I usually never get sick, so I have been very unhappy that my body caved. THAT is why I haven’t blogged in what feels like months. I miss my blog and you, dear readers.
Anyway, that is where I’ve been. Now, where was I? Oh yeah. The flight.
I haven’t flown in years, 13 in fact (yes, I know), so I was a bit, um, nervous. Needless to say, the Bloody Mary’s did nothing to quell my churning stomach, rapidly beating heart and seriously scary thoughts. I used to like flying, but I guess time and too many plane crash movies did me in. I am so grateful to my seatmate, travel companion, and lovely sister, who flew with me and did not mind when I clung to her arm, closed my eyes, and did deep breathing exercises to keep from vomiting/ screaming worrying.
The Summit.
First, I just have to say… the conference center was breathtaking. Laura DeCarlo (President of CDI, for those of you who just landed on planet Earth) and her very cool husband, Chris, picked this place out (nice job, guys!). This was one of the first views I had to stop and capture on film:
Isn’t it beautiful? Remember, I’m from Michigan. Palm trees and waterfalls aren’t anything I experience that often.
Look at this one…
Ahhhhh….
I met so many wonderful people. Talented, strategic, and creative resume writers and career coaches. I met writers whose work I have admired for years. I met a writer who just launched her resume business this year. I met a writer who specialized in writing resumes for police and firemen. I also met a career coach who specialized in career, interview and education coaching for “moms & dads, teens & grads”. How cool is that?
As a bonus, I got to meet folks who I tweet with including the fabulous @resume_writer (a.k.a. August Cohen), executive branding queen @ceocoach (a.k.a. Deb Dib), web 2.0 and expert resume writer @barbarasafani (as herself), witty @jasonalba (as himself), and fun @LauraLabovich (as herself).
I was fortunate to sit at the conference table with Laurie Berenson, Kris Plantrich, Deb James, and Dee Duff (my cohorts from the Detroit Women for Hire/GMA Career Fair in May). We had a great time together. What an interesting group of people. I felt so blessed to be there among our industry’s best of the best.
(August Cohen & Kris Plantrich)
(From L to R)
Karen Smith-Hanney, Kris Plantrich, Laura Drew, Laurie Berenson, Me (in brown), and Dee Duff.
Lastly, it wouldn’t be right to end this post without posting pics of the lunch desserts. They were just… incredible. Yes, it was tough eating these delectable delights (lying), but I managed to do it, hardly leaving a trace of their presence. WHY did I take these pics? See for yourself (cake-aholics cover your eyes):
Seriously.
In my next few posts, I will discuss what we learned during the conference.. it wasn’t all delicious food and steel drums. I brought back lots of new information and topics to discuss, so stay tuned!
In today’s competitive market it is vital that you have a resume that will stand out and catch the attention of the reader. Creating a resume from a Microsoft Word template won’t do. Neither will copying off your co-workers resume. You need a branded, unique resume that defines who you are, your accomplishments, your credentials and what you can do for them. A certified professional resume writer will do this for you. They know what it takes to get you noticed. So, the question is… who do you choose? There are new resume companies popping up all over the place so you need to get picky and have questions ready to ask the resume writer. Here are some questions you should always ask: 1. Are you a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW)? Does being certified really matter? YES, YES, YES! Before 1990, there wasn’t a standard to which a resume writer could be judged. Now, all CPRW candidates must go through a comprehensive set of tests before achieving certification. Testing consists of 4 modules that cover several areas including industry knowledge, resume knowledge, grammar/punctuation/spelling and proofreading, strategic thinking, content use, focus, ethics, and more. NOT EVERYONE PASSES. If you are not sure, you can check: parw.com or careerdirectors.com and check to see if the writer is certified. Advanced resume certifications are also available (CERW, MRW, CARW) and offer similar types of training followed by rigorous testing. Do your homework. Think of it this way: would you want a Dentist to replace your crown or someone who “knows a lot about teeth”? 2. How long have you been writing resumes? There are so many mom-and-pop resume writing companies popping up out there that it is blowing my mind. Because of this recession, I’ve heard of many people who got into resume writing recently because they were laid off from their sales job and “was told by friends I can write a good resume”. While that may be true, writing two resumes and writing several hundred, or even thousands are much better. Practice makes perfect. I am the first one to admit that when I first started, my writing was less than perfect. Way less. There is so much more to understand about resume writing than just putting words to paper. It can take me up to 2 days to decide the right strategy for a client–the best way for them to be positioned for optimal results. It takes time to learn this. I’m not saying someone has to be writing for 10 years to be a good writer, but I think they need actual practice before working on your resume. 3. What association(s) do you belong to? This is important for the obvious reasons. Belonging to a professional association keeps you up-to-date on so many things including resume writing strategy, client focus, new trends, industry updates and much more. In my opinion, I couldn’t imagine NOT being in them. They are a wealth of knowledge! I get to interact with other writers/business owners/career coaches, share information, pose questions and more. My favorite organizations are CDI (Career Directors International) and PARW (Professional Association of Resume Writers), but there are several others that are good, too: National Association of Resume Writers (NRWA), Career Management Alliance (CMA), and Association of Online Resume & Career Professionals (AORCP). 4. What is your process? Most resume writers have a process i.e. information they need from you, resume strategy, structure, and time line. It’s good to know ahead of time what the writers process is. You might have developed a great rapport with a writer only to realize they won’t have it ready for 2-3 weeks and you need it in 2 days, etc. Or they may require more from you than just your existing resume and you don’t have time for that (although I wouldn’t advise that– if you want a great resume, you have to do a little work). 5. What do you need from me? Some writers do a lot of listening and not a lot of talking, or vice versa, as do the clients. Ask the writer what information they need from you. It’s important that the process is a collaborative one with mutual information sharing. Your writer has to literally be you in order to create an effective resume that is unique and branded. So give them as much information as possible, no matter how busy you are.
These 5 tips should get you started in the right direction and hopefully help you find a writer who is the perfect fit for your needs. Good luck!
September is International Update Your Resume month
SEPTEMBER IS INTERNATIONAL “UPDATE YOUR RESUME” MONTH
Not only are the kids preparing to go back to school, but it’s time for the “grown ups” to prepare, too– for unexpected opportunities! Is your resume ready to be viewed? Is it loaded with everything you’ve accomplished? Would you hand it out to a stranger (i.e the Hiring Manager) tomorrow?
IF NOT, YOU NEED TO UPDATE IT!
What would you do if you were told about a fantastic opportunity that seemed tailor-made for you, but you only had a day to submit your resume to the person? Are you ready? Worse, what if you look at it and realize, it doesn’t need to just be updated, it needs to be REWRITTEN! I don’t know about other resume writers, but I am booked up for at least a week in advance.
What have you accomplished since your resume was written? Certifications? Training? Career advancement? Continued education? A job move? 2? 3? Yikes! What are you waiting for?
Be prepared for the golden opportunity– update your resume today and spare yourself the pain of missing out it tomorrow.
Erin Kennedy, CPRW, CERW Professional Resume Services
Lapeer, MI 48446
810-664-1933
erin@exclusive-executive-resumes.com https://exclusive-executive-resumes.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
LOCAL BUSINESS OWNER AWARDED INTERNATIONAL WRITING CERTIFICATION
Erin Kennedy, President of Professional Résumé Services, has been awarded international certification as a Certified Expert Resume Writer (CERW) by Career Directors International (CDI). She has demonstrated her superior knowledge and experience in resume writing and career development through an intensive examination, professional writing and professional development process to assess and demonstrate her industry knowledge and resume writing skill. Recognition as a CERW sets Ms. Kennedy apart from the competition and distinguishes the high caliber of her credentials in assisting clientele with professional resume and career coaching services.
Professional Resume Services offers expert resume writing and career coaching services to entry-level through executive clientele in the global marketplace. Their expertise is in empowering clients who wish to transition either within their existing career fields or to another industry. Ms. Kennedy is a recognized national expert, author and multiple T.O.R.I. award (Toast of the Résumé Industry) nominee with over 9 years of assisting clients to meet their career goals. Samples of her work have been published in eight resume writing and cover letter compilation books. To learn more about Professional Resume Services, visit her website at https://exclusive-executive-resumes.com
CDI is an international association that provides proactive resources and assistance to empower its members in the undertaking and application of career development, resume writing and employment practices.
Lapeer, MI NOMINATED FOR INTERNATIONAL AWARD Erin Kennedy, CPRW, President of Professional Resume Services, was nominated as a “best of the best” resume by Career Directors International in their annual Toast of the Resume Industry™ (TORI) competition for 2008.
Recognition is based upon creativity, clarity, and visual appeal in professional resume development, with submissions judged by an international panel of professional resume writers.
Each year in May, CDI selects up to five nominees in various categories who represent the top echelon of resume writing worldwide. Awards will be announced at the annual conference in October 2008.
