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Resume Writer Certifications and What They Mean

When you look online for a resume writer, you’ll find thousands of writers all claiming to be the best in their field. When faced with such large numbers, it can take a lot of time and effort to sort through everything to find the real experts. The resume writer certification aims to make things easier for those who want to take advantage of legitimate writing services. However, it is also important to take note that there are many excellent resume writers who may not necessarily want or need the certification.

In this article, we’ll give you an overview of what resume writer certifications are, how writers receive it, and the organizations that provide it. Read on.

•    Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) – provided by the Professional Association of Resume Writers & Career Coaches, the credential requires writers to pass a timed examination that tests the taker’s knowledge of the industry, punctuation, grammar, spelling, strategic thinking, and proofreading skills. The test taker must create a resume and cover letter based on the information provided about a hypothetical job seeker. This is probably the most important and most recognized certifying body in the field today.

•    Nationally Certified Resume Writer (NCRW) – in order to receive this certification, the writer must demonstrate expertise in writing cover letters, resume, electronic resume creation, and proofreading. There are also requirements to maintain this certification, which is renewable every three years.
•    Master Resume Writer (MRW) – the certification is reserved for top-level resume writers. They must possess skills in content development, resume strategy, resume formatting including design, and have excellent English language abilities. The certifying organization behind this is the Career Management Alliance. In order to become a MRW, the writer must complete a test and present a portfolio that shows their abilities.

•    Academy Certified Resume Writer (ACRW) – the Resume Writing Academy is the body behind this certification. There are also strict requirements to receive the certification. Resume writers who want to get the ACRW qualification must complete the training program provided by the organization. It is composed of teleseminar classes. Once the writer has passed the assignments, they will have to undergo and pass independent programs.

The certifications mentioned here are just some of the top ones that are recognized in the industry. There are several other organizations that provide certification for writers. So the next time you’re thinking of hiring a writing professional, it might be a good idea to look into their qualifications. These will give you a certain level of confidence that you’ll get quality service.

Remember that while resume writer certifications are designed to make things easy for you, the basics of choosing a resume writer shouldn’t be forgotten. He or she should be someone who is responsive, helpful, and take your individual circumstances into consideration. It is also important for you to be comfortable with the writer. After all, your “presentation” to potential employers will be created by the writer so it must still have your voice in it.

Great Online Job Search Resources

There are many great resources on the internet today and you are at a real advantage over those applying for jobs even just 20 years ago. From writing your resume, applying for jobs, or even deciding what career to go into, look to the internet for help.  Here are just a sampling of great resources available – best of all, completely free!

Introduction to Resumes

Purdue University is well known for their online resources, which are available to the general public.  Their introduction to resumes is a great general resource for those first writing their resumes or those that haven’t updated their resume in a number of years.

Cover Letter Tips

Another great resource that Purdue offers is information on cover letters.  This can be a tough one, especially in today’s world of emailing resumes. Many think cover letters aren’t necessary, but including one in your email is critical.  Some hiring managers won’t even look at a resume if it doesn’t come with a cover letter.

Upload Resume to Monster

Once you have your resume completed you can upload it to Monster.  Potential employers filter through the resumes and if they find you to be a match, they will be contacting you regarding an open position.  Recruiters often sort through these resumes to find candidates for their clients.  It never hurts to have someone out there helping you in your job search.

Salary & Wages

When applying for a job, it’s not uncommon to be asked your salary requirements.  Many don’t know how to answer this question – of course you want as much money as possible, but in order to have a professional response to this request, check out the salary and wages page of Monster’s site.  This can also be a great resource when you are ready to ask for a raise.

Salary Comparison

Another great resource for investigating salaries is to use a comparison calculator.  Find out what other professionals in your area are making. This can help you negotiate your salary when first starting a position.  Compare their offering salary with what other local companies are paying.

Follow Up Thank You Letters

After interviewing it’s always a good idea to send a follow up thank you note.  Remember, they are interviewing multiple candidates.  Sending a nice  email later that day, or the following day is a great way to get them to reflect on you and your interview.  Find great tips for these follow up letters.

Local Area Unemployment Statistics
Federal Employment Statistics
National Compensation Data
Employment Projections

The government has several site with a wealth of information.  You hear about unemployment rates on the news all the time, but you can check your local unemployment statistics to see where your community ranks with the national unemployment data.  The Bureau of Labor also compiles data and information on compensation and employment projections that is interesting to explore.

How to Navigate the Sea of Resume Writing Services

Your resume is essential to your job hunt.  In fact, many believe that a resume is the most important part of the job search.  As you apply for jobs, your resume and cover letter are potential employers only way of getting to know you a little better.  A strong presentation is essential to make your resume stick out to those that will receive it.

It doesn’t matter what employment stage you are in, an ideal resume can be created to showcase your abilities.  This is true of recent graduates, those still in college or just looking for a new job.  Often a skilled resume writer can be your key to landing the ideal position.

Resume writing professionals are more than just a proofreading service.  They do more than just type up your resume for you.  These services take your experience, your objectives and your strengths and creates a strong resume guaranteed to impress potential employers.  These services are skilled at helping you to sell yourself to potential employers.

Have you ever tried writing a resume on your own?  Let me tell you, it isn’t always an easy process.  Skilled resume writers know what they are doing and can make your resume much better than you could if you attempted to tackle the project alone.  If you wouldn’t dream of writing your own legal contracts or sales documents, why would you even attempt to write your own resume?  It just isn’t the best choice.

If you are wondering what exactly a resume writer will help you with, here a few areas of expertise that they will offer.

•    Determine Strengths- Your resume writer will talk with you to determine your strengths so that they can sell you in the best manner.
•    Choose the Best Format-  Since there are many formats available, your writer will work with you to determine your needs and the best resume format to fulfill them.
•    Create a Stunning Objective- An attention grabbing objective will help recruiters to pay attention to your resume.
•    Carefully Use Persuasive Language and Tone- Resume writers understand how to use persuasive language to sell you to future employers.
•    Personalize- If you want to stand out, personalize your resume.  Your resume writer will help you to create the best resume to really show off your individuality.
•    Create a Variety of Formats- You may need resumes in specific formats for specific jobs.  Resume services will help you get your resume in the format you need for each position without hours of research.
•    Change and Revise as Needed

Your resume won’t stand alone.  In addition to your carefully crafted resume, you will also need to carefully search for jobs, create a stunning cover letter and look for work in the right places.  A resume professional or writing service may be able to help you fulfill these goals as well.

Resume writing services often can be employment specialists that will help you with the entire job application process.  They can offer additional services including career search consultation, cover letter writing, distribution and interview skills.

Choose Your Service Wisely
Make sure you carefully choose your resume writing service.  After all they may be the key to finding your next job.  As you look for potential services, consider the following:
•    Well Written Literature is a Must- Find a resume writing service that can present themselves well.  Choose a service or writer with well written, professional literature.  Make sure they know how to sell their services to you since you are considering using them to sell yourself to others.
•    Check Out the Reputation- Check any potential services for potential problems.  Run a search and look for potential complaints.
•    Experience is a Must- Choose a resume writing service with the experience you need.  You are paying for a professional- make sure they have the qualifications to match.
•    Knowledge is Key- Choose a service with skilled and educated workers.  Choose a writer with skills, education and certification.  This way you can be sure you are getting what you pay for.  Otherwise, you are just wasting your money.
•    Time and Attention- You are spending a lot of money on your resume.  Make sure you find a writer that will pay attention to you and customize your resume.  After all you don’t want a writer that is just going to plug your information into a form.
You are wise.  Use your judgment and these factors to choose the service that feels right.  You want a writer that makes you feel comfortable since they will be working with you to create your ideal resume.

If you are serious about your job search, show it in your preparation.  Hiring a professional leads to a more professional final product.  It can help you find a job more quickly and more effectively than if you were to do it on your own.  Don’t ruin your chance of landing that job by misspelling a word or forgetting some important details.

If You Write It, Make Sure It’s Right

Every single thing that you write in your job search will become an important and tangible document that will be used by potential employers for everything from a first impression to whether or not to hire you. Often interviews depend solely on the resume and cover letter or other type of application. The final decision between you and another candidate may come down whichever was the one who took the time to write a thank-you note to the interviewer. Everything you write carries importance and you need to remember that, so you can act accordingly.

For that reason it is critical for you to make sure that every written work the potential employer sees from you is professional, neat, grammatically correct and without typos and spelling errors. You must carefully proof read absolutely everything from your resume and cover letter to emails and thank you notes. In addition to proof reading your own writing, it is also recommended that you ask another person to read it for clarity and errors. This will ensure that you make the very best impression you can with your written word.

Your written word is often the first impression a company has of you and the last thing they receive from you prior to deciding whether or not to hire you. By putting in the required effort you can be sure that the company is seeing your best work and the personification of many of your work-related traits.

Show Your Versatility on Your Job Search

If you’re in the market for a new job, take a tip from the pros. Everyone who is looking to hire these days wants an employee who will be a bargain for their buck. You need to be multi-talented, willing to work extra hard and do a variety of tasks. Showing that you have done exactly those things on your resume will increase your chances of being hired.

When writing job descriptions of your previous tasks, make sure to include the extra things you did, as well as your main responsibilities. Don’t make the job description too long though. For example, if you worked in accounts payable, your description should also include that you filled in as needed in other positions. Name them. Mention that you wrote the company’s internal newsletter each month or that you organized meetings or special events. The more you show you can do, the more in demand you will be.

Even though you are applying for a position that requires a limited skill set, be sure to list other skills you have that may be useful in other positions. The employer may want to fill the job as described but may already be thinking of additional tasks to transfer to that position, should job cuts be necessary in other areas. If you clearly show everything you can do, you will definitely increase your appeal in the job market.

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