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THE ONLY NATIONAL NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION FOR PROFESSIONAL RÉSUMÉ WRITERS

 NCRW - Nationally Certified Resume Writer

Recommended Books For The NCRW

books on a shelf

Submitting book reviews is one of several ways to meet the continuing education (CEU) requirements for both new and renewing NCRWs. You can earn up to 2 CEUs per book review.

DETAILS:

  • Read books related to resume writing and/or career development (books must have been published within the past 5 years).

  • Submit a one-page summary of the book with an overview that explains how it complies or fails to comply with the NCRW Study Guide. Indicate whether you would recommend this book for the approved book list and why. Submit your book review to: NCRW@thenrwa.org.
  • To purchase books from our recommended list, you may order from any retailer you choose. 

Modernize Your Resume: Get Noticed… Get Hired (Modernize Your Career)
By Wendy Enelow and Louise Kursmark | Jan 1, 2023

Modernize Your Resume (Second Edition) book cover

MODERNIZE YOUR RESUME shows you how to craft a winning resume to meet the complexities of today's employment market. The 3rd edition includes new resume samples along with companion LinkedIn profiles and writing guidelines, special chapters for challenging circumstances (career change, consulting/freelance, military transition, return to work), and updated e-resume recommendations.  




What Color Is Your Parachute?: Your Guide to a Lifetime of Meaningful Work and Career Success
By Richard N. Bolles  | Dec 27, 2022

What Color Is Your Parachute? 2022 Edition Book Cover

With the job market in constant flux, people everywhere have found that understanding who they are—what they care about, where and how they do their best work, and the most effective way to express their abilities—is the best compass to navigating an ever-changing and challenging professional landscape. It is also how their work can become part of a life filled with passion and purpose.




Resume & LinkedIn Strategies for New College Graduates (Modernize Your Career)
By Jan Melnik & Louise Kursmark | March 3, 2023

This book is a clear and concrete guide to What Works to Launch a Gen-Z Career. It lays out in crisp, clear language exactly what college students need to do to land their first professional job: from developing a super resume and LinkedIn profile to conducting a networking-based job search and acing their interviews. Starting with a guide to writing a powerful and effective resume, the book goes on to explain and illustrate the many different career communications today’s jobseekers need: LinkedIn profiles, enote cover letters, networking communications, and thank-you notes. 


How to Write a KILLER LinkedIn® Profile ...and 18 Mistakes to Avoid: Updated for 2022 (16th Edition)

By Brenda Bernstein

If you happen to be unemployed, one of the top 3 most important things you can do is maximize your value on LinkedIn (writing a standout resume and networking are the other two). While there is no one right way to do this, I have provided my best advice on how to make LinkedIn work for your job search, from how to write an optimal Headline to how to use the robust LinkedIn Jobs feature. If you're looking for a job, you simply can't afford to have a mediocre LinkedIn profile.



LinkedIn For Dummies, 6th Edition
By Joel Elad | Apr 20, 2021

LinkedIn for Dummies (First Edition) book cover

In this friendly, all-access introduction to the LinkedIn scene, entrepreneurship guru Joel Elad clues you in on the essentials. Get the latest insight on how to create an attractive profile that will make employers give you a second glance as well as techniques for making useful connections across the globe. In no time at all you’ll also be right at home with the profile user interface and getting busy with adding content, searching for career opportunities, and, if you’re looking to hire for your company, recruiting top candidates.  



LinkedIn Profile Optimization For Dummies (2nd Edition),
By Donna Serdula. Published April 2020. Paperback and Kindle. 

LinkedIn Profile Optimization For Dummies (2nd Edition) book cover

Profile branding expert Donna Serdula pioneered the concept of LinkedIn Profile Optimization and through her Website, LinkedIn-Makever.com, has helped over 5000 professionals use LinkedIn to achieve increased success. In this guide she applies that experience to help you use all of LinkedIn’s capabilities to meet your goals, whether they be job search, reputation management, or sales. 




Modernize Your Job Search Letters: Get Noticed... Get Hired (Modernize Your Career)
,
By Wendy Enelow and Louise Kursmark. Published January 2017. Paperback and Kindle.

This book addresses how to write the following types of letters that most job seekers will use through their search campaign: Traditional Cover Letters: Letters that job seekers write in response to job advertisements and postings, send directly to hiring managers, or present to human resource professionals. E-Notes: Modern and shorter cover letters used as the content for job seekers email messages, thereby eliminating the need to click to read an attached letter.



The Best Keywords for Resumes, Letters, and Interviews: Powerful Words and Phrases for Landing Great Jobs!
By Wendy Enelow and Louise Kursmark. Published April 2016. Paperback and Kindle.

This book reveals how candidates can best speak the language of employers for getting hired. Organized by major industries and professions, it offers hundreds of sample keywords, keyword phrases, keyword answers to interview questions, keyword cover letters, and keyword resumes. A special chapter identifies keywords for ex-offenders, military transition personnel, career changers, job hoppers, and people returning to work.




How to Write the Perfect Federal Job Résumé & Résumé Cover Letter 
By Melanie Williamson | January 17, 2022

This book was written for every new job seeker who is striving to land a federal job but does not yet have the necessary tools or knowledge needed to put together the perfect resume and cover letter. You will learn in this book the difference between the major forms, including the 612 and 171 and how they are used for different job types including everything from aviator and warrant officer to teacher, police officer, and office manager. Former members of the military are given specific details on how they can fill out these highly important forms as well. You will learn how you can start writing a resume that will effectively catch the attention of a federal hiring manager, whether it be in a military position or an office administration role.

Dreyer’s English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style,
By Benjamin Dreyer. Published August 2020. Paperback and Kindle.

Dreyer's English book coverAs Random House’s copy chief, Dreyer has upheld the standards of the legendary publisher for more than two decades. He is beloved by authors and editors alike—not to mention his followers on social media—for deconstructing the English language with playful erudition. Chockful of advice, insider wisdom, and fun facts, this book will prove to be invaluable to everyone who wants to shore up their writing skills, mandatory for people who spend their time editing and shaping other people’s prose, and—perhaps best of all—an utter treat for anyone who simply revels in language.


Certification Commission

Kathy Keshemberg (Chair)
Vacant (Incoming Chair)
Sally McIntosh (Past Chair)

Grading Panel
Nelly Grinfeld
Kimberly Isaacs
Rebecca McCarthy
Cheryl Minnick
Rachel Sirca

Advisors
Pat Kendall (Program originator)
Michelle Dumas
Kimberly Isaacs

Please contact 
adminmanager@thenrwa.org
with any questions.

Click here to download The NCRW Study Guide

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