Menu
Log in
NRWA: National Résumé Writers Association
Log in

Ready to Join? Click Here!

Need to Renew? Click Here!

THE ONLY NATIONAL NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION FOR PROFESSIONAL RÉSUMÉ WRITERS

NCRW Corner: The New & Improved NCRW Study Guide

July 06, 2021 6:00 AM | Administrative Manager

By Kathy Keshemberg, NCRW, NCOPE & NCRW Certification Chair

digital bookHave you read the NCRW Study Guide recently? I’ve been involved in revising this important document for the past two years, which means I carefully read each section multiple times! I was pleasantly surprised by how many tips I picked up that I could apply to strengthen and polish my clients’ resumes.

Based on my experience, I encourage all NRWA members to download this new version (updated in June 2021) and take the time to read it. I know, it’s long! But choose a section a week, and you’ll be through it by the end of summer!

If you are wondering what changed and why, let me share.

Because the graders use this document when reviewing sample submissions and exams, they regularly identify sentences that could be clearer, ideas that are no longer current, or best practices that should be added. We maintain a list which we review and discuss.

Some items on the list result in changes to the Study Guide; others we decide are fine as written. The process is ongoing; in fact, even though this version has been posted for just two weeks, we have several items on the “next time” list already.

For this round of changes, here is the list of primary edits:

  • Summary and job description lengths: Because we noticed lengthy paragraphs in summaries, we added the recommendation that these paragraphs be limited to 5-6 lines or broken into two paragraphs (page 9). And while we were discussing lengthy paragraphs, we added the suggestion on page 17 to keep job description paragraphs to five lines of text or less.
  • Font style and point size: On page 17, we provide a list of recommended fonts in various point sizes. As I’m sure you are aware, fonts take up a varied amount of space. Thus, there is no way we can state a specific point size for headlines or body text in a resume. We hope this visual will help you choose the best font for your project.
  • Line spacing: Are you aware that Office 365 changed the default line spacing of a blank Word document to 1.15 point? If you don’t change this setting back to single space, your resume or cover letter will have large gaps any time you insert two hard returns. For this reason, we mention that cover letters should be single-spaced and recommend that everyone change the default settings for blank documents in their version of Word. Here’s a tutorial on how to do that.
  • Cover letter closings: On page 25, we outlined additional information that can be included in the closing paragraph of a cover letter.
  • To hyperlink or not? We standardized our advice on pages 20 and 27 regarding including live hyperlinks on resumes. At this time, we are aware of conflicting opinions – some experts say that live links won’t interfere with the electronic reading of documents, while others say some systems may reject those with live links. We suggest erring on the side of caution and avoiding live hyperlinks in resumes.
  • Area codes in phone numbers: The Gregg Reference Manual has changed their advice about presenting telephone numbers. Because area codes are now part of a phone number (not optional), placing those first three numbers in parentheses is no longer correct. Instead, it is suggested dashes or periods be used between the numbers. I found the idea of periods interesting – GRM says this is an “up-and-coming style” because periods “resemble the dots used in email addresses.”
  • New NCRW certification requirements: We have made changes to the NCRW certification process in the past year. We now require candidates to earn 10 CEUs before beginning the process, replaced the proofreading quiz with a Study Guide quiz, and ask that a strategy statement be included with your sample submission. Complete details can be found on page 29.

As you read this version of the Study Guide, I know for a fact you will find at least one piece of information that you didn’t know or had forgotten. And I challenge you to find mistakes! While many eyes have read this document, it seems every time we go through a review, we find something. Let me know what you spot!

-----------------------------------------------------

Kathy began volunteering with the NRWA as a member of the initial board of directors and continued contributing in various capacities, culminating with accepting the role of Certification Chair in January 2021. For three-plus decades, she has operated A Career Advantage in Appleton, WI. Find her online at LinkedIn.com/in/kathykeshemberg.

The National Résumé Writers' Association
North Grove Corporate Park, 8120 Lehigh Ave
Morton Grove, IL 60053

Click here to join our mailing list!

Site Map

  flat_facebook32x32  flat_twitter32x32  flat_pinterest32x32  flat_linkedin32x32  Instagram

Member Services: 847.647.8919 or  info@thenrwa.org

This site uses cookies to enhance the user experience. Click HERE to review our Privacy and Security Policy.

Copyright ©  2021 The National Résumé Writers' Association
Powered by Wild Apricot Membership Software