JULY 2017
In This Issue
Michelle Robin, The NRWA Marketing Chair
Chief Career Brand Officer, Brand Your Career
Hello Colleagues:
I am excited to be writing you on the first issue of our revamped newsletter. Thanks to the help of the Bower Management team, we are now able to have hyperlinks so you can easily get to the stories you want to read and all issues will be accessible on our website.
While summer may be a bit slower for some of our businesses, it’s been really busy here at The NRWA. Jean Austin and her committee are finalizing details for The NRWA 2017 Annual Conference, October 4-6, in Lombard, a suburb of Chicago. Here is a snapshot of what will be happening:
2 Preconference Sessions
Register for these separately at http://www.thenrwa.com/2017-Pre-conference-Workshops
20th Anniversary Celebration
3 Keynote Speakers
32 Jam-Packed Breakout Sessions:
Fun Evening Activities
Early Bird Pricing Expires July 31, 2017. Register today for the full conference!
We also have our third-annual résumé writing competition underway: Recognizing Outstanding Achievement in Résumés (ROAR). Members and nonmembers can submit entries under the following categories:
Creative Design: Think color and formatting. Graders will be evaluating the visual elements as well as the content… Is the résumé visually exciting to look at while still delivering solid content, strong strategy, and ease of reading? Candidates are encouraged to use their imagination, but make sure the résumé promotes the candidate’s talent, not just a fun design.
Modern Classic: This résumé will have a familiar, yet strategic structure and layout. Fonts should be standard, sections should be aligned with broadly accepted best practices, and layout should allow readers to immediately find information often looked by recruiters. Graders will be evaluating strategy, content, ease of reading, and spacing/layout.
This is a great way to get industry recognition and become an in-demand résumé writer.
The competition closes at midnight on July 31st and the winners will be announced at the 2017 conference. To complete your entry, please review the contest submission rules and email your submission(s) to: adminmanager@thenrwa.com
Whew, there’s a lot of stuff happening! If you have any questions, or want to get involved with the marketing committee, feel free to contact me at marketing@thenrwa.com.
I hope you all enjoy the rest of your summer. I can’t wait to see you all in Lombard, a suburb of Chicago, in October!
The NRWA 2017 Conference – Early Bird Pricing Extended!
Join us for The NRWA 2017 Annual Conference
October 4-6, 2017
Celebrating 20 Years of Résumé Writing Excellence!
The Westin Lombard Yorktown Center
in Lombard, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago
The annual conference attracts strong participation from within The NRWA membership of more than 600 writers, as well as professionals from across the career industry. It consistently provides relevant, timely sessions that address résumé trends, recruiter and hiring manager perspectives, and tips for improving services in a variety of areas.
For more information and to register before the early bird pricing expires on July 31, 2017, please visit our website today!
How To Get the Most Out of The NRWA Conference 2017: Part 1
Jean Austin, The NRWA 2017 Conference Program Chair
Talents Presented
As The NRWA Conference Program Planning Chair 2017, I’d like to encourage you to take advantage of a unique professional development opportunity. This year we are fortunate to have two – not one, but two – pre-conference workshops on Wednesday, October 4, from 8:00-11:30 a.m. Both are presented by nationally-known speakers on topics of interest specifically requested by The NRWA members. If you’ve been debating whether or not to register for one of these special offerings, consider what the difference this knowledge could mean for your business:
I am a strong pre-conference advocate and have never attended one that wasn’t immensely valuable, but I’ve recently discovered that there are three attitudes or assumptions about pre-conference sessions:
The differences between pre-conference workshops and regular conference sessions are worth mentioning, because although both are venues for delivering valuable information and new skills, their structures are not the same.
A conference session is
A pre-conference workshop is
Space is limited for these sessions, and the Early Bird Deadline is July 31, so be sure to visit The NRWA’s pre-conference workshop page at http://www.thenrwa.com/2017-Preconference-Workshops, select a workshop, and mark your calendar! The truly difficult decision is which arsenal of information you’d like to take home with you, rather than whether or not to attend a pre-conference workshop!
Announcing the 3rd Annual ROAR Résumé Writing Competition
It’s that time of year again! The NRWA is calling all professional résumé writers to participate in the third annual Recognizing Outstanding Achievement in Résumés (ROAR) writing competition. This annual competition creates a forum for the most talented résumé writers in our industry to compete in several categories. Contestants’ entries are judged on various criteria through several rounds of elimination by an expert panel of Nationally Certified Résumé Writers (NCRW). The winners will be announced and receive national recognition at the annual conference and enjoy additional visibility and promotional activity through The NRWA’s website, social media, and a formal press release.
The ROAR competition allows entries from both “experienced” (greater than 5 years in business) and “new” (less than 5 years in business) résumé writers. Entries may be submitted in either of two design categories. The “creative design” category focuses on color and formatting. Entries in this category will be judged on both visual elements and content, with an emphasis on how the writer’s strategy integrates a creative and imaginative design, while still promoting the candidate’s talent and value proposition. The “modern classic” category focuses on a more traditional résumé structure and layout. The fonts and content sections will be in alignment with industry standards and best practices, allowing readers to quickly identify the critical elements they often seek while scanning résumés. Entries in this category will be judged on strategy, content, ease of reading, spacing, and layout.
Keep an eye on your inbox for more details in the coming weeks. Good luck to all who enter and here’s what you need to know!
ROAR Contest Overview:
NCRW Volunteers Needed!
Industry Hero Award Call for Nominations
Many people are involved in the career-services industry. They come from all walks of life and have different areas of expertise. The experienced professional can think back on how far this industry has come and who has been the most influential in promoting effective positive change.
In 2015, The NRWA created an annual award to recognize our greatest leading-edge contributors to the industry. This year's Industry Hero Award will be presented at The NRWA’s 20th Anniversary Conference in October.
We want to know who you think deserves this recognition and why. The award will be presented to someone within the career-services industry who has contributed significantly to the growth and advancement of the industry.
Please email your nomination, along with a brief description of why the nominee deserves the award and what impact the individual’s work has had on the industry, to Michelle Dumas at president@thenrwa.com by August 25, 2017.
Are You Being Too Nice? How’s That Working for Your Business?
By Pat Schuler, Business Coach, creator of Kick Butt Sales Training™
“Play nice.” How old were you when you first heard this admonition? 
Maybe before you could even talk?
So, what does this childhood rule have to do with the success of your business? You might be surprised.
Think about this. How often are you saying “yes” to a client when you really want to say “no” — when you’re already feeling taken advantage of by the client?
You’re not alone.
This is one of the things my clients most want coaching and training on. When you’re in the middle of being bullied by a client, it doesn’t help much to know you have lots of company. You may feel a little better, but that doesn’t impact your bottom line.
How often do you feel like the client knows they are asking too much? There’s a sort of sly quality to their request; almost like they know they can get away with it. How do they know they can do this to you with impunity? Did it ever occur to you that you might be training them to do exactly that?
Being Too Nice. Are You Training Your Clients to Take Advantage?
Clients (and people in general) treat us the way we teach them to treat us. What do I mean by that? Consider these:
Isn’t this the litany that goes through your head? Again, you’re in good company.
It sure used to go through mine. I was so concerned about what the client would think, about what they wanted, and about what they would do. Everything I said or did went through the battle computer first. What a huge energy drain.
Luckily, I grew out of that behavior. How did I do it?
Being Too Nice. What Can You Control?
Can you really control what they think? Can you control what they want or whether those desires are even reasonable? How effectively can you control what they do or what next step they’ll take?
What you can control are the expectations you put in place up front.
Yes, this starts as early as your discovery conversation or your initial presentation. The sooner the better, and the clearer the better.
Put yourself in the shoes of the client. From the first conversation all they hear is, “Yes, we can do that.” “No problem, we do that a lot.” Then, at some point during the consulting or coaching process, they hear from the consultant, “Yes, we can do that, but that wasn’t covered in our initial agreement. That will be an extra $10,000.”
How happy are you going to be, as the client? You’d be pretty steamed, right?
And you know what? The degree of steam may have little to do with the dollar amount. The issue is that the client feels a little cheated, maybe even betrayed. How much do you like it when you are the victim of a bait-and-switch?
As the vendor, is there really any graceful way to salvage the relationship with your client? Even if you eat all the additional fees, you’ve likely lost them as future clients.
Act On It – Own It
Review your prospect conversations with a metaphorical magnifying glass.
Pick one area to tighten up your prospect conversations and set clear expectations. You’ll have a fraction of the stress, stronger client relationships, and stronger revenue from each project or client.
As with many things in life and business, it’s easier to STAY out of trouble than to GET out of trouble.
Take a few minutes now to work through these five questions and save yourself drama and heartache.
Pat Schuler has been guiding top professionals in the careers industry for over 14 years. Her unique approach of blending coaching and consulting delivers results for her clients in weeks instead of years. She is the President of The Gemini Resources Group, LLC, creator of Kick Butt Sales Training™, Kick Butt Marketing™ and Kick Butt Women™. To contact her, please email: connect@patschuler.com .
Volunteer of the Month – Virginia Franco
We are pleased to announce Virginia Franco as July’s Volunteer of the Month. Virginia currently serves as Director of Industry for Experienced Business Owners. She has gone above and beyond her role by helping out with marketing our webinars and the conference. The owner of Virginia Franco Resumes in Charlotte, NC, Virgina shares her résumé and job search expertise in Forbes, Ivy Exec, Business2Community, Work It Daily and others. Virginia’s credentials include NCRW and CPRW, and most recently earned her CEIP (Certified Employment Interview Professional).
Tell me how you first got involved with The NRWA.
I first got involved with The NRWA when I was studying to take my NCRW exam. I started listening to the webinars and reading the member materials on the website, and realized what fabulous services this organization offered to people looking to build and grow their businesses!
Do you enjoy serving as Director of Industry for The NRWA?
I love it! I've gotten to meet many long-time members of The NRWA. My favorite part of serving as a Director of Industry for Experienced Business Owners is hosting quarterly calls. The knowledge "in the room" is outstanding and everyone walks away having learned something.
How long have you been in the industry and what is your specialty?
I've been writing résumés for more than 25 years but didn't realize it was possible to earn a living doing so until 2010. I've just recently earned a coaching certification, but my specialty is writing career marketing collateral. Clients usually come to me when they are struggling to make a career change or need to get a complicated career story down on paper.
What do you wish others knew about the benefits of getting involved with The NRWA?
The NRWA conference is more than worth the price of admission. In addition to incredible speakers, I've forged relationships with new and long-time members. Everyone is so generous with their knowledge and their time that I leave each year invigorated. In fact, my business has grown as a result of several of the lessons learned from the conference!
What do you do when you aren't working or volunteering?
I am a busy mom of 4 super active teens and log 20 hours weekly of chauffeuring time during the school year. I get tired just thinking about it! Thank goodness I have a business that lets me flex with their schedule!
Fall 2017 Writing Excellence Course
Announcing! The NRWA is thrilled to announce a fall session of Writing Excellence!
This live, interactive 11-week course will help take your writing from mediocre to magnificent!
This course is directed toward professional résumé writers who want to strengthen the quality and content of their résumés and cover letters. New and experienced business owners, college career center and workforce investment staff, and those who work in military transition centers will all benefit from the course. The only prerequisites are an understanding of basic résumé and cover letter fundamentals, a willingness to accept and apply critical feedback, and a desire to move one’s writing skills from mediocre to magnificent. Sessions are designed to take participants through each step of creating a résumé and cover letter, from planning the initial strategy to final editing and proofreading.
The course is scheduled to begin on Wednesday, October 11, 2017, and will be taught live via webinar every Wednesday from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. Eastern, through December 20, 2017.
Click here for more information about this valuable course: http://www.thenrwa.com/writingexcellenceprogram
Welcome to our new and renewing members for the month of June! 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.
Amy Adler - Five Strengths Career Transition Experts in Salt Lake City, Utah
Kimberly Robb Baker - Movin' On Up Resumes in Chicago, Illinois
Jenna Barb - BOLD in San Francisco, California
Eric Brass - Federal Prose in Charlottesville, Virginia
Veronica Burchinal - Edmonds Community College in Lynnwood, Washington
Melanie L. Denny - Kissimmee, Florida
Skylar DePedro - Western Nevada College in Carson City, Nevada
Denise Edwards - New Leaf Career Solutions, LLC in Atlanta, Georgia
Mandy Fard - Market-Connections Resume Services in Los Angeles, California
Sheree Gibson - Atlanta, Georgia
Bill Hampel - Hampel Career Move Services in Jacksonville, Florida
Edie Irvin - Mississippi State University in Starkville, Mississippi
Fran Kelley - The Resume Works, LLC in Waldwick, New Jersey
Robin McArthur - Resume Advisers, LLC in Omaha, Nebraska
Ruth Mensing - Skillful Resumes and Career Services in Elgin, Illinois
Mill Montejo - The Talent Mill in Clifton, New Jersey
Therese-Marie O'Sullivan - Cherry Creek Résumé Service in Denver, Colorado
Isela Phelps - Utah State University in Logan, Utah
Sarah Reed - Upper Arlington, Ohio
Michelle Riklan - Riklan Resources in Marlboro, New Jersey
Vick Mireily Sanchez Pabon - Innova Coaching & Consulting Group in Patillas, Puerto Rico
Alexia Scott - A Winning Resume, LLC in Montgomery, Alabama
Ellen Steverson - StartingBlock Career Services LLC in Summerville, South Carolina
Kelly Stewart - Apex, North Carolina
Jan Swink - S & S Business Solutions in Atlanta, Georgia
Lynn Talarico - Missoula Job Service in Missoula, Montana
Nikki Townsend - Elk Grove, California
Daniel Usera - State University, Arkansas
Jami Vanderham - BOLD in Pocahontas, Iowa
Kathy Warwick - Confident Careers LLC in West Collingswood, New Jersey
Kate Williamson - Scientech Resumes in Gig Harbor, Washington
Raymond Zulueta - Sacramento, California
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