April 2019
Jean Austin, NCRW
NRWA Education Chair and Conference Committee MemberDear Colleagues:
The NRWA’s commitment to providing educational offerings has made a profound difference in my life since the very beginning of my career in the resume writing industry. I have soaked up the knowledge offered, and, as Education Chair, it is my goal to continue the NRWA’s history of quality programming.
I’m excited to have been able to book webinars of great topics for an entire year presented by outstanding speakers! Following Lorraine Beaman’s webinar, “Prep Your Clients for Success: 10 Tips for Job-Winning Interviews,” on April 12, Matt Dupee will present “Let’s Talk About the CV” on May 17. More details will be posted shortly!
Did you know that you can earn CEUs, required for new and renewing NCRWs, by reading and reviewing a book for the NRWA? These reviews are included on the NRWA Recommended Books page. If you are in search of a reference book for your business, consider those that have been vetted by our members before ordering to ensure the contents are current and of value. There are other ways to earn CEUs, which are clearly outlined on the CEU Requirements page.
I hope you are planning to attend as many of this year’s webinars as your schedule permits. If you happen to miss any of them, you may purchase recordings via the NRWA’s Education page under On-Demand Webinars. Recent webinars include:
How to Rock Your Writing & Your Business in 2019, presented by Ellen Steverson
Part 1 - Write Faster, Increase Productivity, & Diversify Your Client Portfolio
Part 2 - Discover Essential Steps to Sales Growth & Business Longevity
How I Made $41K+ From Webinars this Year, presented by Michelle Robin
If you have any questions about the NRWA educational programs and resources, please be sure to email me and I’ll be happy to help!
Back to top
Chart Your Course to the 2019 Conference!
Jean Austin, NCRW
NRWA Education Chair and Conference Committee Member
Benefits of Attending the 2019 NRWA Conference, Part 2: Networking
I can’t wait for the 2019 NRWA conference! The sessions are going to be dynamic and instructive (I’ve had a peek), the speakers will be stellar, the venue will be beautiful, and the networking opportunities will be priceless.
As a solopreneur, I realize the importance of reuniting with friends and colleagues and connecting with experts I’ve come to know via the NRWA’s social media platforms and the NRWA newsletter. Regardless of whether you work alone or with an office full of colleagues, it’s key to nurture professional relationships in person as often as possible. We all need the inspiration, enthusiasm, and dynamic exchange of ideas you can only gain during conferences. Text messages, emails, and even telephone conversations can’t compare to an in-person discussion with other professionals.
One of the most pleasant aspects of attending the NRWA Conference is the unexpected nature of chance encounters. During these serendipitous conversations, I have made lasting friendships, made new connections, learned more than I thought was possible, and gained valuable perspectives—all in between sessions, in the buffet line, and during rides to and from the hotel.
Although the NRWA is known for the generosity of its members, I am still constantly amazed and humbled by the deep knowledge, graciousness, and patience of its members and its leadership. Chart your course for the future by investing in yourself, growing your network, building relationships, and raising your profile in the industry at the 2019 NRWA Conference on The Mariner of the Seas!
If you missed Part 1: Investing in Yourself, check out the March 2019 NRWA newsletter!
Back to top
Ashley Watkins, NCRW
NRWA Sponsor/Affiliate Relations Chair
Would marketing your product or service to 500 of the finest career service professionals on the planet positively impact your business results? Consider becoming a sponsor for the National Resume Writers' Association 2019 Conference to generate exposure for you and your business. This year, we're cruising to the Bahamas from September 23-27, 2019—and we want you to "Sail and Sell" with us during our first conference at sea.
By becoming a sponsor, you can showcase your business to 500 members via multiple advertising options, including banner displays, conference newsletter features, or the NRWA website placement.
Contact Ashley Watkins (info@WriteStepResumes.com), the NRWA Sponsor/Affiliate Relations Chair, to learn more about sponsorship packages, vendor benefits, and other affordable options.
Back to top
Ashley Watkins, NCRW
NRWA Sponsor/Affiliate Relations ChairLet's welcome Ehancv to the NRWA family!
Enhancv offers a modernized resume-building tool that helps job seekers highlight their achievements, attitude, and personality, so they can tell their career stories with confidence.
Resume writers and careers professionals can refer job seekers to the Enhancv tool and receive a 30% commission for every paid subscription.
By joining the Enhancv affiliate program, NRWA members can use Enhancv Pro for free.
Click here to learn more about how your writing expertise—combined with Enhancv's customizable resume templates—can create a powerful strategy and aid clients in landing their dream jobs.
To learn more about becoming a part of the NRWA Affiliate Program, visit https://thenrwa.com/becomeaffiliate.
Annette Richmond
NRWA Director of Industry: Experienced Business Owners
Certification Programs
The NRWA offers two powerful certification programs to give you the tools you need to stay abreast of trends and best practices in writing resumes and LinkedIn profiles.
NCOPE Certification: The Nationally Certified Online Profile Expert (NCOPE) program is designed to help you understand best practices, craft powerful LinkedIn profiles, and expertly navigate LinkedIn's back end.
Developed and taught by Tom Powner, this interactive program will help you unleash the power of LinkedIn and give your clients a competitive edge. Upon successful completion of the program, attendees earn the NCOPE Certification.
There will be only 2 more sessions offered in 2019, in August and November. Watch for the exact dates, which will be announced soon. The first 2 sessions sold out in a few days!
Visit https://www.thenrwa.com/NCOPE to review the course outline.
NCRW Certification: The Nationally Certified Resume Writer (NCRW) program is recognized as the premier resume writing certification. Becoming an NCRW means that you have achieved the highest standards of excellence in resume writing. Your NCRW designation will help you attract higher-caliber clients, raise fees for your services, build your brand, and grow your business. Make 2019 the year you become an NCRW!
Visit https://www.thenrwa.com/NCRW for more details.
Writing Excellence Instructor-led Program
The NRWA's comprehensive Writing Excellence program has helped resume writers across the industry polish their writing skills, prepare for career-advancing industry certifications, and charge higher rates for their services.
In 2019, we’ve added even more valuable benefits to the program—more educational resources, greater professional opportunities, and a clear path to help you advance your career!
Exclusive perks for completing the program include a packet of sample resumes and cover letters written by NCRWs, discount pricing on The Essential Microsoft Word Manual for Professional Resume Writers, and more.
The next 10-week live program will be held on Thursdays from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., ET from April 11 to June 20, 2019.
Visit https://www.thenrwa.com/WritingExcellence for a course outline and registration information.
About the Instructor:
For more than 30 years, job seekers and professionals in career transition have relied on Norine Dagliano for expert advice, practical insight, inspiration, and support to help them get paid what they deserve doing work that they love. An NCRW and valued member of the NRWA, Norine developed the Writing Excellence Program in 2015 and continues to refine, enhance, and update the coursework to keep up with emerging industry trends.
Jean Austin, NCRW
NRWA Education Chair and Conference Committee MemberI am happy to report that I have speakers slated for every month in 2019, except for September! Thank you all so much for your interest in the NRWA's valuable educational programs and for your attendance and active participation. We will have an opportunity to add more to our arsenal of knowledge with April's webinar.
PREP YOUR CLIENTS FOR SUCCESS: 10 TIPS FOR JOB-WINNING INTERVIEWS
Presented by Lorraine Beaman, NCRW
April 12, 2019
12:30 p.m.-1:30 p.m., ET
Great resumes lead to job-winning interviews. Learn what makes a resume interview-friendly and a great tool for interview coaching. Become familiar with the most commonly asked interview questions and how to prepare clients to respond. Understand how to use a job description to anticipate job-specific questions. Empower clients to handle illegal, inappropriate, and critical-thinking questions. Finally, learn methods for helping clients overcome the fear of interviewing.
Lorraine Beaman is the NRWA President-Elect and an expert in preparing clients to excel in the toughest interviews. She has built on her years of experience as an outplacement specialist, recruiter, and coach to lead career-advancing workshops and coaching sessions.
This one-hour webinar, which qualifies for one CEU, is $19.99 for members and $39.99 for nonmembers.
Click here to register.
Sara Timm
NRWA Membership Chair
Paul Bennett
NRWA Director of Industry: New Business Owners (Eastern Region)
Wow—our members have been busy! In the spirit of collaboration, I am excited to share news from some of our members this month and hope you’ll join me in celebrating their fine accomplishments. Kudos all!
Michele McCann (now Shelley Kelley), CareerPro, Inc., Newark, DE, was published in the February 2019 Issue of Delaware Today magazine with “What You Need to Know About Online Job Searching.”
Alisha Brown, Alisha D Brown Career Consulting, LLC, Warner Robins, GA, launched her new website, www.alishadbrown.com, in February.
Tamara Williams, "I Propel You” Career & Business Solutions, Bentonville, AR, is hiring resume writers as her business continues to grow. She’ll soon be hosting 7- and 10-week programs to get writers trained to her standards and onboarded to start taking clients!
Julia Holian, Julia Holian & Associates, Walnut Creek, CA, is hosting a live webinar series for college seniors, recent graduates, and young professionals who could use a little help with jumpstarting their job search, plus expert assistance with handling phone, video, one-to-one, and panel interviews. The series will be held over four days in the second week of April and the cost will be $279; for more information please contact julia@juliaholian.com.
Mary Elizabeth Bradford, MaryElizabethBradford.com, Boerne, TX, was published in Forbes with her article, “C-Level Salary Negotiation: How To Ask For (And Get) More Money.”
Mary Jo King, Alliance Writing Service, Racine, WI, was quoted in the November–December issue of American Libraries Magazine in the article, "Resume Yay or Resume Nay?" that addresses resume myths and best strategies for content and job search.
Brenda Cunningham, Push Career Management, LLC, Laveen, AZ, delivered her signature talk, “How to Use LinkedIn in 15 Minutes Per Day,” to a group of 40 veteran professionals at Arizona State University (ASU). She also presented multiple resume development and interview skills workshops to eager adults, through the City of Phoenix.
Donna Tucker, CareerPRO Resume, Phoenix, AZ, assists homeless, low-income, and other disadvantaged individuals with their resumes and efforts to become self-sufficient through quality employment with St. Joseph the Worker.
Sally McIntosh, Advantage Resumes, St. Louis, MO, was recognized by the NRWA for obtaining her NCOPE Certification. She writes, “I now have the confidence to promote and sell LinkedIn Profiles, which, of course, leads to a bigger income.”
Brenda Bernstein, The Essay Expert LLC, New Haven, CT, partnered with another LinkedIn trainer in her new home state, Connecticut, to provide LinkedIn training to a law firm based there. She writes, “I'm excited to leverage my law degree in this new way and to provide services to a firm versus individuals. This might be a new direction for The Essay Expert!”
Wendy Steele, BluePrint Resumes and Consulting, Kennesaw, GA, just released a new book, Let Me Get My Coffee! Then We'll Talk Business and the Lessons I Learned as an Entrepreneur. She writes, “It's about how I started and grew my resume writing business and includes a lot of tips (so, it's more of a business self-help/memoir). You can see details on Amazon or her website: wendydsteele.com.”
Columba Smith, Columba Smith Resumes, Ben Lomond, CA, achieved certification with the Resume Writing Academy in December and is looking forward to starting the NRWA certification process soon.
Brandi Munoz, People Culture Consulting, Houston, TX, added a support team to help with operations and client support, rebranded her website, and implemented a new CRM system to better track client work and productivity. She also entered into partnerships with globally renown executive firms and recruiting agencies, launched new career coaching programs, and has started outlining a career search strategy book that will be published in 2020.
Cindy Reay, Dynamic Resume and Career Services, LLC, Henderson, NV, recently launched her business and January was a very exciting time for her. She was contracted by an alcohol and drug counseling organization in her area to provide resume services for their clients. She also became the Volunteer Vocational Advocate for a women's and children's shelter where she provides weekly services.
Arnie Fertig, JobHunterCoach, Melrose, MA, shared three new publications: “A Day in the Life of a Recruiter” on IvyExec.com, “Replace Your Resume Objective With a Personal Brand Statement” on US News & World Report's "On Careers" Blog, and “Gain Career Insight With Informational Interview” on US News & World Report's "On Careers" Blog.
Elaine Doremus, ResumesWritten.net, Albany, NY, launched her new website: ResumesWritten.Net. She specializes in matching clients’ personalities to a career and providing resumes that will make them competitive in the job market!
If you’d like to be mentioned here as well, send us your news and we’ll make sure it gets into an upcoming issue. sara@dfwresume.com
Wishing you all a happy and prosperous April and beyond!
Membership: Social Media Connections
Sara Timm
NRWA Membership Chair
Add yourself to the NRWA e-list and start networking with other members, ask for advice, get answers to your tough questions, and share what you know!
One of the benefits of being a member is the members-only email discussion forum hosted by Yahoo groups, often referred to as the NRWA-lst."
The NRWA-list is an important means of communication for NRWA members. This interactive communication tool facilitates online networking and discussions on resume writing, technology, client management, marketing, sales, and other aspects of our industry.
We have developed this user-friendly guide to joining the NRWA-list. Access it here: https://thenrwa.com/Social-Media
Membership: Quarterly Calls for New Business Owners
Paul Bennett
NRWA Director of Industry: New Business Owners (Eastern Region)
After my first couple of months as one or two New Business Owners' DOI (Directors of Industry), I can say that I've already connected with some amazing NRWA members—interesting people who are passionate about being career professionals! And if I haven't already, hopefully I'll get a chance to connect with you as well. Please feel free to reach out to me on LinkedIn or via email at paul@novacareerstrategies.com.
My role with the organization is to ensure members feel right at home in the NRWA and are aware of all the benefits that the NRWA has to offer. To that end, I'm pleased to announce that Melanie Denny, your other DOI for new business owners, and I will be holding free quarterly conference calls in support of new business owner members.
Calls will be held at 11:00 a.m., ET in April, June, September, and January. We'll be announcing dates soon viw e-mail, so keep an eye on your inbox!
Volunteer of the Month - Kim Isaacs, NCRW
Paul Bennett
NRWA Director of Industry: New Business Owners (Eastern Region)
Kim Isaacs has a long history of dedicated volunteer service to the NRWA. A member of the Certification Commission for more than 15 years, she currently serves as an NCRW Grader and Member of the NCRW Advisory Board. When asked to fill this role by the NCRW Certification Chair, Sally McIntosh, who describes her input as “invaluable,” Kim readily agreed. Recently, Kim has been working on updating the certification test profiles, which is a monumental job!
Kim is not only an outstanding writer, she is also very talented with technology. Her father, a brilliant engineer, was years ahead of his time, having patented devices such as the first wireless thermostat and the first wireless remote alarm. Back in the 1970s, Kim would glue herself to the big, clunky computer that sat on the family dining room table, teaching herself DOS commands, BASIC programming, and word processing.
Kim was determined to be her own boss, and also had a lifelong desire to help people. So, in the early 1990s, she started learning about resumes, absorbing all she could from industry professionals, and tucking herself frequently into bookstore “careers” sections. In 1995, Advanced Career Systems was born. Dedicated to helping people succeed in their careers, the company quickly branched out into separate divisions with ResumePower.com serving a global clientele.
The coauthor of The Career Change Resume: How to Reinvent Your Resume and Land Your Dream Job (McGraw-Hill), Kim is a regularly-featured resume expert in high-profile publications such as The New York Times, New York Daily News, and Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Magazine, and she has appeared on Fox Business News as a resume and online job-search expert.
Something you might not know about Kim is that, for years, she’s been the resume expert for Monster.com.
Welcome to our new and renewing members for the month of March 2019! Feel free to introduce (or reintroduce) yourself on our Facebook page or the elist.
Be sure to take this opportunity to network via our LinkedIn Group with other members of The NRWA and nonmembers who are career professionals.
- Jean Abreght - The Document House in York, Pennsylvania
- Sandra Allison in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
- Karen Bartell - Best-in-Class Resumes in Massapequa Park, New York
- Alicia Buzan - RiseSmart in Carmel Valley, California
- Andrew Coston - Cecil College in North East, Maryland
- Eszter Cukor in Dexter, Michigan
- Jenny Czerniak in Cedarville, Ohio
- Jennifer Finnigan in Peyton, Colorado
- Sheila Flanagan in Troy, Michigan
- Rafael Garcia - R&V Ventures, Inc. in Denton, Texas
- Sheetal Goel in Princeton Junction, New Jersey
- Rose Gordon in Jersey Village, Texas
- Lisa Hebert - LMH Advisors, Inc. in Bay Village, Ohio
- Jan Hunter - Hunter Human Capital in Louisville, Kentucky
- Milenis Johancsik - Hispanic Unity of Florida in Hollywood, Florida
- Kathy Keshemberg - A Career Advantage in Appleton, Wisconsin
- Mary Jo Kiepper - My Career Services in Boston, Massachusetts
- Laura Labovich - The Career Strategy Group in Bethesda, Maryland
- Laureen McHugh in West Simsbury, Connecticut
- Nakiya Parkes in Cypress, Texas
- Cindy Reay - Dynamic Resume and Career Services LLC. in Henderson, Nevada
- Maritza Reveron in West New York, New Jersey
- Lisa Robins in Leonia, New Jersey
- Shimul Shah in Short Hills, New Jersey
- Jason Stauffacher in Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Tomohisa Sutani - One High Touch LLC in Shanghai, China
- Ngoc Tran - COAON LLC in Boston, Massachusetts
- Kiersten Troutman, M.A. - Second Glance Résumés in Canton, Ohio
Find colleagues in your area by searching here.
Forest Hill, MD 21050
