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The Watercooler
Articles from the NRWA Newsletter

  • August 03, 2021 6:00 AM | Administrative Manager

    Welcome to our new and renewing members for the month of July 2021!

    Feel free to introduce (or reintroduce) yourself via our members-only networking forums: the Member Forum on our website, Facebook group, and LinkedIn group.

    You can find colleagues in your area by searching here.

    New Members

    • Larialmy Allen - Royalty Notary and Consulting, LLC in Riverdale, Georgia
    • Lisa Dupras in Hillsborough, New Jersey
    • Gwendolyn Fragua - National Indian Council on Aging Inc. in Albuquerque, New Mexico
    • Natalie Hodencq - Ikiru People Inc in Hoboken, New Jersey
    • Brenna Johnson - Cedarville University Career Services in Cedarville, Ohio
    • Katherine Lavia-Bagley in Raleigh, North Carolina
    • Lynn McGuigan in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania
    • LeKechia McMillian in Amarillo, Texas
    • Jane McNabb in Traverse City, Michigan
    • Brianka Morgan- SophisTree LLC in Cary, North Carolina
    • Moses Parker in Gainesville, Florida
    • Katy Piotrowski - Career Solutions Group in Fort Collins, Colorado
    • Erica Reckamp - Job Search Like a Pro in Crystal Lake, Illinois
    • Anthony Santavicca in New Fairfield, Connecticut
    • William Scales in Marietta, Georgia
    • Luther Thomas in Moline, Illinois
    • Meredith Tseu - MLT Career Services LLC in Ellicott City, Maryland
    • Carmel Viado in Las Vegas, Nevada
    • Stephanie Walsh - ARES HR Services in Fort Walton Beach, Florida
    • Andrea Wiley in Millersville, Maryland

    Renewing Members

    • Lori Barnes - ACCU-WORD in Bakersfield, California
    • Teegan Bartos - Jolt Your Career in Schaumburg, Illinois
    • Kara Bell - Kara D. Bell Careers in Austin, Texas
    • Rebecca Bosl in Sagamore Hills, Ohio
    • August Cohen - GetHiredStayHired® in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
    • Michelle Dumas - Distinctive Career Services, LLC in Sanbornville, New Hampshire
    • Denise Edwards - New Leaf Career Solutions, LLC in Atlanta, Georgia
    • Cherise Elliott - C. Elliott Resume Writing in Powder Springs, Georgia
    • Jo-Ann Fair - The Run-Away Resume LLC in Jersey City, New Jersey
    • Nancy Grant - Regional Career & Employment Services in Canandaigua, New York
    • Cherie Heid - Competitive Edge Resume Service in Carlsbad, California
    • Julia Holian - Julia Holian & Associates in Walnut Creek, California
    • Holly Leyva - Virtual Vocations, Inc. in Eugene, Oregon
    • Anne Lynch - Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia
    • Kimberly Matteson - KWM Resume & Career Solutions in Bettendorf, Iowa
    • Heather Papovich - Resume Kitchen in Baraboo, Wisconsin
    • Jeremy Pilarski in Fort Myers, Florida
    • Robert Prock - A Preferred Career & Resume Service in Greenville, South Carolina
    • Annette Richmond - career intelligence Resume Writing and Career Services in Norwalk, Connecticut
    • Rosalinde Rosado - URLaunchpad in Wellington, Florida
    • Barbara Safani - Career Solvers in New York, New York
    • Alexia Scott - A Winning Resume, LLC in Montgomery, Alabama
    • Ruth Sternberg in Rochester, New York
    • Meri Stockwell - Meritas Advisory Group, LLC in Belleair Bluffs, Florida
    • Vivian VanLier - Advantage Resume & Career Services in Los Angeles, California
    • Kara Varner - A Platinum Resume in Colorado Springs, Colorado
    • Christine Wunderlin - Wunderlin Consulting in Las Vegas, Nevada
  • August 03, 2021 5:00 AM | Administrative Manager

    By Sally McIntosh, NCRW, NCOPE

    Over the years, I have noticed that many people make the same mistakes when submitting sample resumes as part of the certification process.

    Whether you are working on attaining the NCRW certification or simply want to improve your resume writing skills, I strongly suggest reading the NCRW Study Guide. All writing is not the same. For example, resume writing is different from general writing. There are many best practices for resumes that are not part of general writing.

    Here are some of the more common mistakes we see on sample submissions.

    1. Not Using Parallel Structure (SG, Appendix A-a or Gregg Reference Manual, 1018).

    When two or more things are parallel, they have a similar function, role, or structure. This can occur in a list, a sentence, or bulleted items.

    INCORRECT:
    Inventory Control
    Team Supervision
    Managing Relationships
    Customer Retention
    Maintaining ERP System

    Why: This is incorrect because three begin with a noun, and two start with a verb.

    CORRECT:
    Inventory Control
    Team Supervision
    Relationship Management
    Customer Retention
    ERP System Maintenance

    Why: This is correct because they all start with a noun.

    2. Target the Resume (SG, Writing Excellence Overview).

    Picture a bullseye. When a resume is targeted well, you have hit the bullseye. The farther away you get from the center, the less important the information is, and the target has been muddled.

    • Include industry/occupation-targeted information and keywords.
    • Prioritize qualifying data and information.
    • Focus on information that is pertinent to the job target or industry (exclude or de-emphasize nonrelevant information.)

    3. Unnecessary Verbiage (SG, Writing Excellence Overview).

    A resume is a summary, not a biography.

    • Compose sentences with the first person implied, omitting personal pronouns (I, me, my).
    • Write telegraphically with limited use of articles (a, an, the) and prepositions (of, by).
    • Avoid overwriting and verbose or pretentious language.
    • Exclude extraneous verbiage or information that impairs sentence flow and readability (various, such as, in order to).

    Some examples are:

    Increased revenues by 32%. Incorrect
    Increased revenues 32%. Correct

    If the reader must look up the definition of words in the resume, it is overwritten. Instead, write in the voice of the client. Listen to your client. Are they using ten-cent or 50-cent words?

    Eliminate, cut, chop, delete, and get rid of adjectives.

    4. Gather Information (SG, Section I, b)

    Some writers have trouble getting the information they need to target the resume.

    Make a question of everything the client says. If they say they “increased revenue,” ask by how much? Then ask how they did it. If they say they “saved money,” ask how much they saved and how they did it.

    The terms “significantly” and “drastically” need a number with them. The reader has no idea how much significantly is and how much drastically is. Ask the client these questions.

    Who? What? Where? When? Why? How? How Much?

    5. Include the Right Numbers (SG, Section III, e).

    • All numbers are not fair game in a resume. If the client works for a privately held company, be careful. Unless published somewhere, the numbers are confidential. Use a percentage rather than dollar amounts to protect your client and the organization.
    • Percentages work better anyway. To say: Saved $18 million is meaningless. The reader needs another number to go with it. If the company is worth billions, $18 million is probably not that impressive.

    6. Consistent Formatting (SG, Section VI).

    • Make sure your bullets line up through the document.
    • Check for periods. If there is a period at the end of a bulleted item, there should be a period at the end of every bulleted item.
    • Use no more than five lines for each job description/job scope paragraph.
    • Make sure there are no more than five bulleted items under each job description/job scope paragraph.

    Download the current NCRW Study Guide. You must be a member and logged in to access this guide.

    If you don’t understand what you are reading in the Study Guide, send Kathy Keshemberg (certchair@thenrwa.org) an email asking for clarification. Either Kathy or someone on the Certification Commission will respond to you.

    When you learn the best practices outlined in the Study Guide and get these six concepts down pat, you will be well on your way to having your sample submission marked “ready” to take the NCRW exam.

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

    Sally McIntoshSally McIntosh was an original member of NRWA and volunteered as a Certification Commission grader before serving as Chair for 16 years. For more than 30 years, she has operated Advantage Resumes in St. Louis, MO. Find her online at LinkedIn.com/in/reswritersally.

  • August 03, 2021 4:00 AM | Administrative Manager

    By Caitlin Gonzalez, NCRW & NRWA Newsletter Staff Writer

    Alison SmithBased in Birmingham, AL, Alison Simpkins Smith is the founder of Radical Resumes, LLC, where her mission is to impact job seekers’ lives by helping them “find their greatness within.” Between her vast achievements and active presence in the NRWA, she is an inspirational gift to all in the career services industry.

    While getting to know Alison over the phone to create this article, I immediately understood the special ingredient to Radical Resumes’ success—her genuine care for clients’ career growth. She has a warmth that is unwavering and unmistakable. “Writing resumes is more than a business to me,” she explained. “It’s my ministry.”

    A Technical Career Path: From Engineering Manager to Professional Resume Writer
    Alison started writing during childhood by journaling – “before it was cool.” In her late teens, she began writing resumes for young adults in college. As a professional, she wrote for newsletters and served as a leader in communications across various organizations. And, throughout all of this, she acquired expertise in the technical domain, a fortifying value-add to her target clients.

    Growing up in a family of mechanics, Alison pursued a career in engineering. With a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Alabama, she crafted a 34-year legacy at Southern Company, one of the United States’ largest energy providers. Starting as a co-op and plant engineer, Alison was promoted continuously throughout various leadership positions. Her favorite part of working at Southern Company was partnering and communicating with people while working towards a common goal.

    Her engineering and leadership background equips her with deep project management and operational knowledge, as well as first-hand experience on the other side of the hiring desk.

    Radical Resumes, LLC
    While working at Southern Company, Alison started Radical Resumes in 2011. Then, upon retiring as Manager of Engineering Enterprise Projects in 2016, Alison decided to devote herself full-time to her resume business.

    Today, Radical Resumes is known for its exceptional client relationships and supportive business model. After the resume is delivered, Alison regularly checks in on her clients to see how their job search is going. She is always available to clients, even if they only need a little encouragement. “Sometimes a kind word can give a client the confidence they need to move forward…I love seeing their progress.”

    Additionally, Alison is a resume optimizer and reviewer for Indeed.com, where she trains clients on resume writing best practices. See her previous article on this topic here.

    National Resume Writers Association Membership
    Alison tells her clients that when they work with her, they are not only receiving her expertise but the expertise of the NRWA network. “The NRWA’s major success is that it brings people together.” She has been a proud member since 2017 and has amplified her skillsets through the Writing Excellence course, virtual webinars, and the annual conference. You will also find her volunteering to support the organization’s social media efforts.

    To get in contact, you can reach Alison on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/alisonsmitheng.

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

    Caitlin GonzalezCaitlin Gonzalez is a resume writer and the founder of Career Over Coffee, LLC in Raleigh-Durham, NC. She specializes in writing for technical professionals after seven years of hands-on IT experience in Corporate America. Find her online at linkedin.com/in/caitlinagonzalez.

  • August 03, 2021 3:00 AM | Administrative Manager

    By Paul Bennett, Conference Committee Member

    Only a few more weeks remain until our 2021 NRWA Annual Conference (to be held virtually this year), and I’m excited about the great program that my hardworking colleagues on the conference planning committee are putting together for you!

    Each year, our conferences feature so many outstanding presenters that it's tough to choose between concurrent sessions (fortunately, like last year, we'll be recording all of them). The events are terrific opportunities for professional growth and networking. They’re filled with fantastic ideas for running our businesses and excelling at our craft. And they're great for making friends and having fun (as many of us know, ours can be a lonely profession at times).

    Last year’s virtual conference went off with very few hitches (thanks to our nimble, technically skilled Stringfellow Management Group), and this year’s conference will undoubtedly flow even more smoothly.

    But don’t just take my word for it; the numbers speak for themselves:

    • More than 98.5% of attendees said that the value of the conference met or exceeded their expectations (with greater than 61% saying "far exceeded").
    • More than 91% reported being "very likely" or "likely" to attend another NRWA virtual conference, and greater than 95% were "very satisfied" (75%) or "satisfied" (20%) with the experience.
    • 93% agreed with “Easy breezy. Once I logged in, it was easy to navigate and find the areas I wanted to visit” when asked how comfortable they were with the online platform (which we’ll be using again this year).

    While reviewing the feedback, I was impressed by both the number of positive comments and how much satisfaction and enjoyment those comments expressed. One participant said they were "so glad (they were) able to attend this year and feel that the experience and knowledge gained through the presentations and chats, as well as the motivation from being around others in (their) field, was invaluable." Another attendee noted "how well it flowed and the opportunities to pose questions and interact with others," and another said, “Awesome conference - so welcoming, and I loved the networking! Looking forward to next year!”

    Besides accolades, we also received some very helpful, constructive criticism that we’re using to make improvements for this year.

    The conference agenda is available now on the NRWA website, and you can register at this link.

    September 20 will soon be upon us, and I look forward to seeing you there.

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

    Paul BennettPaul Bennett has volunteered for the NRWA since 2018 and currently serves as a Director of Member Support for New Business Owners. When not helping jobseekers excel in their career marketing activities, Paul enjoys creative writing, cycling, hiking, camping, anything outdoorsy, and chilling with Bingo (his Bichon Frise X miniature poodle). He’s Principal of NOVA Career Strategies in Vancouver, BC. Find him online at LinkedIn.com/in/paulraworthbennett.

  • August 03, 2021 2:00 AM | Administrative Manager

    By Amanda Brandon, NRWA Newsletter Editor

    Microsoft Word hacks! Do you ever find yourself wishing you have a list of shortcuts for performing normal MS Word functions? I’ve been working on a list of these helpful key combos to speed up my document creation and editing processes.

    1. Select All: CTRL + A (PC) | CMD + A (Mac)
    2. Find: CTRL + F (PC) | CMD + F (Mac)
    3. Save: CTRL + S (PC) | CMD + S (Mac)
    4. Close Current Document: CTRL + W (PC) | CMD + W (Mac)
    5. Save As: F12 (PC) | CMD + Shift + S (Mac)
    6. Increase Font Size 1 unit: CTRL + ] (PC & Mac)
    7. Decrease Font Size 1 Unit: CTRL + [ (PC & Mac)
    8. Change Letter Case: Shift + F3 (PC) | CMD + Shift + F3
    9. Insert Hyperlink: CTRL + K (PC) | CMD + K (Mac)
    10. Move One Paragraph Up/Down: CTRL + Up/Down Arrow (PC) | CMD Up/Down Arrow (Mac)
    11. Open Thesaurus: SHIFT + F7 (PC) | FN + SHIFT + F7 (Mac)
    12. Insert Date: Alt + Shift + D (PC) | CTRL + SHIFT + D (Mac)

    If you have a lifesaving tip to share with your fellow NRWA pros, please e-mail it to newsletter@thenrwa.org.

  • August 03, 2021 1:00 AM | Administrative Manager

    By Amanda Brandon, NRWA Newsletter Editor

    Our Facebook group was quite active in July. Here are a few conversations you may have missed.

    • Should we require our clients to have MS Word to work with us? We had two active discussions on this. Some of our members even reveal this is in their contract. Find these discussions here and here.
    • Do you need a business card? Here’s a look at how our pros are using these marketing tools in creative ways.
    • Do you have insurance for your business? Check out this discussion to see what and who your peers use to protect their small businesses.
    • Gift cards for referrals? Two recent discussions here and here offer some insight on what kind and how much.
  • July 06, 2021 7:00 AM | Administrative Manager

    Welcome to our new and renewing members for the month of June 2021!

    Feel free to introduce (or reintroduce) yourself via our members-only networking forums: the Member Forum on our website, Facebook group, and LinkedIn group.

    You can find colleagues in your area by searching here.

    New Members

    • Katy Boo - Katy Boo Coaching in Edina, Minnesota
    • Jason Brown - Central Carolina Technical College in Sumter, South Carolina
    • Leslie Browning in Alamo, Georgia
    • Carolyn Christianer in Flagstaff, Arizona
    • Kenna Crawford in Sandwich, Illinois
    • Marisa Flowers in Atlanta, Georgia
    • Laura Fusco - Elevate Resume Services LLC in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
    • Kirstin Lincoln - Gather Momentum in East Amherst, New York
    • Mark Millward - M Squared Career Services in Massena, New York
    • Vick Sanchez - WEmpower Coaching in Patillas, Puerto Rico
    • Kyle Smith - Write Way Resumes LLC in Stevens Point, Wisconsin
    • Jennifer Wegman in Fleetwood, Pennsylvania
    • Christine Yamamoto in Germantown, Maryland

    Renewing Members

    • Jennifer Amy - ACS Human Development in Argyle, Texas
    • Joanne Aughey - Joanne's Resumes in Hamburg, New Jersey
    • Brittney Beck-Ripley - Vocamotive in Lombard, Illinois
    • Jurmelle Bynoe in Miami Florida
    • Michele Calderigi - Next Career, LLC in Santa Monica, California
    • Eustacia Campbell in Cherry Hill, New Jersey
    • Samantha Carroll - Once Upon A Brand in Gaithersburg, Maryland
    • Graham Caulfield - ExpertResumeMan in Dallas, Texas
    • Tami Christian - Resume Creations in East Peoria, Illinois
    • Brenda Collard-Mills - Robust Resumes in Wasaga Beach, Ontario, Canada
    • Cheryl Cooper - Professional Best Resumes in McDonough, Georgia
    • Grant Cooper - Strategic Resumes & Business Plans in New Orleans, Louisiana
    • Jenny Czerniak in Cedarville, Ohio
    • Eileen Davis - University of Louisville in Louisville, Kentucky
    • Nadine Franz - APEX Career Services, LLC in Overland Park, Kansas
    • Cathleen Garner in Pearland, Texas
    • Terri Heggemeyer - Northeast Community College in Norfolk, Nebraska
    • La-Shanna Henry - The Elevated Professional in Short Hills, New Jersey
    • Rachel Horan - Career Cultivation LLC Saint Louis, Missouri
    • Jean Juchnowicz - Career Advice Simplified Sarasota, Florida
    • Laurel Kashinn - Write Stuff Resources, LLC Cedarburg, Wisconsin
    • Fran Kelley - The Resume Works, LLC Waldwick, New Jersey
    • Travis Koehler - Travis Koehler Writing LLC. Hermitage, Tennessee
    • Cheryl Minnick - University of Montana - Career Counselor/Academic Advisor in Missoula, Montana
    • Mill Montejo - The Talent Mill in Manahawkin, New Jersey
    • Sue Montgomery - Resume Plus in Dayton, Ohio
    • Stacy Moore - Delaware Valley University in Doylestown, Pennsylvania
    • Sarah Moore in Augusta, Maine
    • Suzanne Rey - Rey Edwards Inc. in El Cajon, California
    • Rhonda Roehrig - Career Balance, LLC in Mayville, Wisconsin
    • Irma Rojas in Wellington, Florida
    • Nina Scott in Pleasanton, California
    • Laura Spawn - Virtual Vocations, Inc. in Eugene, Oregon
    • Ellen Steverson - StartingBlock Career Services LLC in Orlando, Florida
    • Vitaliia Vasylenko - Resume Lust in San Francisco, California
    • Adam Zajac in Lombard, Illinois
  • 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.

  • July 06, 2021 5:00 AM | Administrative Manager

    By Paul Raworth Bennett, NCOPE, CPRW & Director of Member Support (New Business Owners, Western Region)

    The breadth and depth of NRWA education and resources are vast and invaluable. In myriad ways, the NRWA can help you develop thorough, strategic, long-lasting skills in the craft of resumes and online profiles, and it can help you learn the skills normally required to run a career services business.

    But since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, for most of us, our work life has been anything but "normal." The greatest cost we've borne has been interpersonal; as social creatures, all of us humans have become a little hungrier for connectedness.

    Many professional organizations offer you access to online resources and education – but beyond that, there's not much in the way of networking or the interpersonal realm. However, the NRWA is different because of all we do for our valued members, and your Membership Committee helps make these things happen.

    NRWA Membership Committee: Annette, Kiersten, Paul, Tom, Dawn, Brani, Caitlin

    Who exactly is the Membership Committee?

    We’re a group of seven NRWA board members that exist to ensure every NRWA member feels welcomed, valued, informed, and invited to participate in our great organization. Headed by Annette Richmond, our 2021 Membership Chair, the Committee also has six Directors of Members Support (DoMS):

    • Kiersten Troutman (DoMS for New Business Owners, Eastern Region)
    • Paul Bennett (DoMS for New Business Owners, Western Region)
    • Tom Powner (DoMS for Experienced Business Owners, Eastern Region)
    • Dawn Rasmussen (DoMS for Experienced Business Owners, Western Region)
    • Brandi Munoz (DoMS for College Career Centers)
    • Caitlin Outen (DoMS for Military & Workforce Career Centers)

    You can read the Membership Committee member's profiles at this link.

    What do the members of the Membership Committee do?

    Each DoMS keeps in touch with their constituents, and approximately once a month, the Committee meets to discuss how to promote member engagement in ways that help us all get to know each other and have some creative fun.

    One highly engaging, Committee-sponsored activity is the quarterly business owner virtual meeting. Much more than just opportunities to learn from your DoMS, our quarterly virtual meetings are where you can meet like-minded members, share your expertise, and speak up about what's important to you.

    And we're always thinking of other, less formal engagement activities. For example, we've recently run three contests featuring prizes such as Amazon gift cards. At the end of 2020/beginning of 2021, we had an "update your member profile" event that encouraged all of us to maximize the quality of our NRWA profiles and thereby enhance our professional credibility. A couple of months ago, we had a "create your own video contest" that resulted in some outstanding short promotional videos. And most recently, we ran a "create a meme" contest that enabled us to poke fun at ourselves and the work we do.

    The Membership Committee also promotes engagement in its monthly themed member mixers–nice little shots of connectedness–and we help with planning annual conference activities.

    In summary, we have a lot of fun on the Committee! And we're always grateful for ideas, from the NRWA hive mind, on how to make our membership experience better and better–so if you're interested, be sure to contact your own DoMS.

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

    Paul Raworth Bennett is a regular contributor to the NRWA newsletter and the Director of Member Support for the Western Region. He ensures that NRWA members feel right at home within the organization and are well-informed about its resources and events. Paul owns NOVA Career Strategies in West Vancouver, British Columbia. Find him online at LinkedIn.com/in/paulraworthbennett.

  • July 06, 2021 4:00 AM | Administrative Manager

    By Norine Dagliano, NCRW, NCOPE

    ADA - Americans with Disabilities Act

    The Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law on July 26, 1990—finally affording similar protections to Americans with disabilities as the Civil Rights Act did in outlawing discrimination based on race, religion, sex, national origin, and other characteristics 26 years earlier. Simply put, with the passage of ADA, employers are prohibited from discriminating against a qualified applicant because of their disability.

    The June issue of The Watercooler featured an insightful article on avoiding bias in resumes and job search communications written by Eustacia Campbell. In that article, Eustacia advised against “hiding things in one’s resume/wearing a mask to get the job.” But what does one do when it comes to revealing a disability?

    A quick Google search turned up numerous articles that address the question, “Should you disclose a disability on your resume/during your job search?” Depending on when the article was written, you’ll get different advice, with articles from 10+ years ago strongly advising against disclosing this information and more recent articles, such as this one from 2019, that offers several considerations. As is often the case when writing resumes, the answer to what one should and shouldn’t do is “it depends.”

    On the flip side, many employers express a desire to hire people with disabilities, including veterans with disabilities, yet report that they have trouble finding qualified candidates. If you are a resume writer or coach who assists individuals with disabilities, there are several job posting websites for job seekers with disabilities and employers who are interested in hiring them. Check out this list posted on the Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion (EARN) website.

    If you’d like to weigh in on this topic and/or have resources and information that you feel would benefit your NRWA colleagues, please make your voice heard on the NRWA Facebook page or Member Forum. Together, we learn and grow and are better able to serve our clients!

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    Norine Dagliano serves on the NRWA Board of Directors as the Written Communications Chair. She is the creator and sole instructor of the “Writing Excellence Certification Preparation Program” and the newly launched “Writing Excellence: Student/New Grad Resumes & More!” program and is a grader on the NCRW Commission. Find her online at www.ekminspirations.com or LinkedIn.com/in/norinedagliano.

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