August 2024

I hope everyone’s having a great summer! I’m getting excited about the conference. It’s coming fast! I hope you are considering registering. This will be my third conference, and I look forward to seeing my colleagues and getting great business tips. There’s nothing like seeing your professional friends in person!

I hope this issue of The Watercooler inspires you to continue learning and growing. This month’s issue brings you another opportunity to register for the conference and an easy way to contribute a door prize (It’s fun to give/get a prize!).

Ruth Sternberg 

Ruth Sternberg

In This Issue:

• Still Not Registered?
• An Easy Way to Donate a Conference Door Prize

• NRCW Profile

• Miss One of Our Webinars? Catch the Replay!
• Is Your Name in the Book?
• Get More Eyes on Your Blog
• The Importance of Women's Equality Day

Still Not Registered?

Have you registered for the NRWA’s signature event, the 2024 Reignite Conference?

This year’s conference will be held October 8–10, 2024, in Providence, R.I.

Visit the conference website to register. 

The conference is a great chance for you to connect with colleagues and hone your skills. It features:

• Powerhouse keynote speech
• Post-conference session from an industry pro.
• Jam-packed breakout sessions taught by career experts to help you improve your skills and grow your business.
• Two evenings of fun: We build in time to network with new colleagues, reconnect with old friends, and see a few sites.
• Earn 10 CEUs when you attend these information-packed sessions.

An Easy Way to Donate a Conference Door Prize

By Vincent Vitale

Door prizes for our 2024 NRWA Conference are an important component to having a successful and engaging conference. I am excited to announce our “Social Media Pie” door prize campaign. 

I’m looking for five NRWA members to purchase Social Media Pie: How to Enjoy a Bigger Slice of the LinkedIn Pie as a door prize donation. For only $21.19, you can be a door prize donor! In addition, Brenda Meller, author of the book, has graciously offered a 30-minute LinkedIn coaching session to accompany the purchase (donation) of each book, a $125 value!

Door prize winners will receive the book you purchased and a 30-minute LinkedIn coaching session from an industry influencer and career marketer for a total value of $146!

There are two ways to participate. 

 1) Purchase the paperback version directly from Amazon. Enter the shipping address of: 

The National Résumé Writers' Association

North Grove Corporate Park, 8120 Lehigh Ave.

Morton Grove, IL 60053

(Must be received by Sept. 24)

Forward proof of purchase to vincentvitale@twc.com to ensure recognition of your donation at the conference.

2) Send an email to vincentvitale@twc.com to confirm your interest in purchasing a book, and we’ll make arrangements for you to fund the purchase through Venmo or Zelle.

All door prize donors will be recognized during the conference. Thank you so much for helping to make this year’s conference memorable. 

NRCW Profile

Alison King earned our gold-standard credential, becoming a Nationally Certified Resume Writer (NCRW) in 2024. If you are pondering NCRW Certification, she shares some reasons why you should go for it. Alison owns King Career Services, specializing in helping librarians make career leaps.

How long did it take you to decide to go after the NCRW? 

When I first started resume writing in early 2021, I found the NRWA and joined immediately. While reading the website, I learned about the NCRW and knew I wanted to earn it one day. As I got to know more members, I realized so many of the people I look up to in this organization are NCRWs, and I wanted to be like them! That summer, I took Norine Dagliano’s Writing Excellence Bootcamp. It was so challenging because I was a new resume writer at that point, but it was the perfect foundation for my writing thereafter. I received the "ready" designation at the end of the class, but I didn't end up going for the NCRW right then. In fact, I procrastinated for almost three years before actually taking the exam. 

How long had you been writing resumes by then?

I've been writing resumes for over three years now and copy editing for other resume writers for about two years. Truthfully, I think my work as a resume/cover letter copy editor prepared me even better to take the exam because I'm used to overanalyzing word choice, syntax, and tone and have always used the NCRW study guide as my personal style guide if my client didn't have their own.

What was the deciding factor?

I have another resume writing certification, but I wanted to let it lapse because I'm more involved with the NRWA and have always considered the NCRW to be one of the highest-caliber certifications in our industry. At the 2023 NRWA conference in Colorado, I told Brenda Mariah and a few others that I was going to pursue it, so it felt like I couldn't go back on my word after declaring it to our esteemed president! Peer pressure is a powerful thing.

What was the process like? Was it difficult? Did anything surprise you?

The process was exactly like it's outlined on the website, which was very helpful. I was surprised by how comprehensive the feedback was on the samples I sent. That eased my nerves somewhat because I knew what the scorers would be looking for in the actual exam, and it helped pinpoint some areas of weakness that I could improve upon before my exam date (as well as some areas of strength they pointed out). Truly, the most difficult part was my self-doubt and second-guessing during the writing process, but around day three, I had to remind myself that there's no such thing as a perfect resume and to just trust my training!

 How did you prepare?

I read the NCRW Study Guide once before the sample review, again before my exam date, and then during the five-day exam period so I could try to catch anything I might have missed previously. It may have been overkill, but I think it helped and made me feel a little more confident that I was on the right track. The real answer, though, is that I had been preparing for three years through real client work, Norine's bootcamp, and dozens of NRWA webinars.

What advice do you have for others who are considering going after it?

1. Don't wait as long as I did! Chances are, if you've been at this for a while and are well versed in the NCRW Study Guide, you are ready to take the leap! What you need to know is already inside you (figuratively) and inside the study guide (literally).

2. Consider taking Norine's class! I'm not sure I would have passed on the first try without her tutelage.

3. Choose the date of your exam wisely. I chose to receive it the Friday of a holiday weekend because I knew I had a day off from my full-time job and didn't have any plans during the weekend. I also put my regular clients on pause for that week so I wouldn't be distracted.

4. Once you earn the NCRW, yell it from the mountaintops! It's a big deal because there are only about 80 of us currently. When I announced it on LinkedIn and my personal Facebook page, I got more engagement than almost any other post I've ever made, and a couple of past clients emailed specifically to congratulate me on being an NCRW. They may not understand exactly what it means, but they know it makes you stand out in a crowded market of resume writers!

5. Bonus tip: I can't take credit for this one, but an NRWA member sent me a message reminding me to raise my prices after I earned the NCRW. She was 100% right, of course.

Miss One of Our Webinars? Catch the Replay!

Did you miss the registration window for one of our excellent webinars? You can still watch it! The NRWA maintains a catalog of these presentations for later purchase. 

Why should you take time? Our webinars give you inside tips and insights specific to the career industry delivered by experienced practitioners. They can help your business! Here’s what two NRWA members had to say about some of these expert presentations:

Doreen Rodo on Heather Rothbauer-Wanish’s webinar “7 Marketing Methods to Grow Your Resume-Writing Business (Without Breaking the Bank)”:

“I am increasing my LinkedIn presence but still struggle to bring in clients. I really needed some direction in marketing. I feel inspired to follow all of your tips! I loved the one about having too many social media business accounts. It was helpful, engaging, and easy to follow.” 

Alison King on “Beyond the Resume: How Interview Coaching Benefits Your Business” with Paula Christensen: 

“I’ve been experiencing the January rush with my librarian clients, and many were looking for interview coaching. I wasn't offering it because I didn't even know where to begin. After watching Paula's presentation, I felt much more confident and just did my first interview-coaching session yesterday. It wasn't perfect, but my client thought it was so helpful—and I actually loved doing it. Highly recommended!”

Alison on “Salary Negotiation Mastery: Empower Your Clients to Land the Best Offer” with Denise Bitler: 

“WOW. Totally eye-opening about how negotiations work and all the things that can be negotiated besides the actual salary. I was happy I had taken the time to watch that because this also came up in my interview-coaching session last night, and I felt much more equipped to coach my client in what to say when it comes up.”

Check them out! 

Is Your Name in the Book?

Each month, the NRWA provides its members a unique opportunity to let the world know that they are experts in their field. It’s called “Ask the Experts,” and it leads to a yearly compilation of wisdom that is available for anyone to download.

Your name could be one of those highlighted as an Expert Contributor. 

Questions cover every angle of job searching, from resume construction to interviewing, and you will likely find a few that you cannot resist weighing in on. Check out this month’s questions.

When you participate, you're doing more than just lending a hand. You're enhancing your professional profile, sharpening your advisory skills, and establishing yourself as a leader in the career development community. The questions you answer help you become a better advisor, boost your reputation, and showcase you as an expert in our field. This exposure can lead to new clients and collaborations, helping you shape your professional journey as you help others shape theirs.

Here is a sample question and answer:

How should my U.S. resume and cover letter differ if I decide to apply for jobs overseas?

Familiarize yourself with your target country’s resume/CV guidelines. Leave your address off your resume UNLESS you have secured a residence in your target country. You can use your cover letter to share details about your relocation plans. Purchase an international phone number that links to your phone, giving the pretense of a local presence and increasing your chances of being contacted.

Get More Eyes on Your Blog

By Lisa Dupras

Is your website busy? Are you relying too strongly on client referrals? In today's competitive landscape, having a single source of clients isn’t enough. Blogs can help you improve your credibility, stand out, showcase your expertise, and attract potential clients. 

But here are a few things you should know before diving in.

Write for Your Niche

Think about the resume challenges your ideal clients face. Tailor your blog topic and content to their specific needs and what you are passionate about.  

Stuck for topic ideas? Try this Gemini AI prompt: 

“Use your social listening skills to identify five relevant and trending topics for blogs related to <a blog topic> specifically targeted toward <your target persona> for <career/resume activity or whatever are you specialize in> and the desired outcome of <desired outcome>. Ensure the results address their concerns and focus on real issues gleaned from <social media platform> discussions.”

You can try this with ChatGPT and other AI language models, too. 

Optimize Your Visibility

In 2023, Google processed more than 1.2 trillion searches worldwide. This translates to about 5.6 billion searches daily, or more than 63,000 searches every second. How would your blog compete?

The short answer is to consider the value of your content. By creating content on trending topics, you showcase your expertise, answer client questions, and attract potential clients to your brand. 

This means you should know what questions pertain to the topics you want to write about. Think of Google as a massive library with librarians (algorithms) crawling websites to find the best resources for user searches. Google prioritizes relevant, trustworthy, user-friendly, engaging, and fresh content. 

When you have used in your blog words and phrases most commonly searched within your topic, you increase the likelihood that searchers will find your content. 

Research Potential Traffic

There are many tools that can help you research popular keywords. Two of these are Ahrefs and SEMrush. But you also can use Google itself:

• Use Google Keyword Planner. Look for a blog topic with between 1,000 and 10,000 searches per month. For example, I would choose the keyword “LinkedIn Company Page” (5,000 searches) over the keyword “LinkedIn” (5 million searches). Common keywords are more difficult to rank in searches.   

• Perform a Google search on your keyword. Look for a different keyword if there are hundreds of articles and videos on your topic. If there are only a few, your topic has potential! Review the “Google Questions People Always Ask” section for popular keywords in the form of questions. Bookmark the search result’s articles, videos, and questions to save as a reference when writing your blog.  

Produce Strong Content

• Keyword Optimization: Sprinkle relevant keywords naturally throughout your content. Focus on creating informative and valuable content that addresses your target client needs. 

• Readability: Use clear, concise language with proper formatting for easy scanning. Break up long paragraphs with bullet points and subheadings.

• Headings and Subheadings: Include your primary subject keyword in your blog title. Divide your content into sections with clear headings containing relevant subject keywords for improved readability.

• The Competition: Evaluate what your competitors are writing about. Offer a fresh, valuable perspective by tackling unique angles or providing in-depth explanations.

• Internal Linking: Link to relevant pages within your blog to keep users engaged and navigate them toward other pages that encourage learning more about your services.

Additional Way to Make Your Blog Discoverable

Technical SEO fine-tunes your website visibility and searchability, making it easier for Google to find and understand your content. You may need assistance from your website developer, but here's how to help your blog:

• Meta Descriptions: Write compelling blog summaries that appear in search results, enticing users to click. Keep the summaries to 160 characters each and include the keywords that potential clients are using in their searches. These summaries go into blocks within your website layout.

• Images: Include high-quality visuals and name them using your keywords. Images add interest, help search engines understand your content, and can improve your rankings.

Give Your Blog Credibility Everywhere

Google will view your content as more credible and trustworthy (and it will rank higher) if sources outside your website reference your blog URL. To attract readers from across the Internet, try these:

• Guest Blogging: Reach out to relevant websites and blogs in your niche and offer to write guest posts. Include a link back to your website in your author bio.

• Social Media Engagement: Share your blog post links on social media platforms such as LinkedIn and Twitter. 

• Public Relations Agencies: Post your blog through public relations agencies or post it on Medium.com or Substack.com. These sites are online magazines that allow anyone to post.

• Create a Companion Video: Google ranks videos very highly. Post it inside your blog or other video platforms. 

• Reddit or Quora: These sites contain questions, queries, and comments from across the world on thousands of topics. Google will recognize the content that you post there. Find trending posts to interact with or create your own with a link to your blog. It WILL create traffic! 

Now Get Out There and Write!

By blogging strategically (and passionately), you can transform your website into a magnet for potential clients searching for your brand and expertise. With consistent effort and valuable content, you’ll climb the search rankings and attract visitors ready to learn more about your services.

Lisa Dupras is a resume writer, career coach, and owner of Elev8 Resumes and Coaching in Lanoka Harbor, NJ. She specializes in helping folks pivot into IT careers.

The Importance of Women's Equality Day

By Ruth Sternberg, NCOPE, Watercooler Editor

Women's Equality Day, celebrated annually on August 26th, commemorates the passage of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1920, which granted women the right to vote after decades of activism and struggle. It serves as a reminder of the ongoing fight for gender equality and the critical need to address disparities in various sectors of society.

The roots of Women's Equality Day lie in the suffrage movement, where courageous women such as Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton fought tirelessly for the right to vote. Their relentless advocacy culminated in the ratification of the 19th Amendment, a milestone that reshaped the political landscape and empowered women to participate fully in the democratic process.

However, the significance of this day extends far beyond the right to vote. It symbolizes the broader quest for equal rights, opportunities, and treatment for women in all aspects of life.

Despite significant progress over the past century, gender inequality persists in many areas. Women continue to face challenges such as the gender pay gap, underrepresentation in leadership roles, and limited access to education and healthcare in some parts of the world. 

Women's Equality Day serves as a call to action to address these issues and work toward a more equitable society.

Using the Opportunity 

This is yet another opportunity to emphasize the importance of gender equality in the professional realm and to support women in their career journeys. Here’s how we can honor this important day:

1. Raise Awareness and Educate: Share stories of trailblazing women who have broken barriers in various industries and discuss the ongoing challenges women face in the workplace. This can inspire job seekers and highlight the importance of advocating for gender equality.

2. Promote Inclusive Job Practices: Support employer efforts to use inclusive language and adopt inclusive hiring practices that promote gender diversity. This includes using gender-neutral language in job descriptions, implementing blind recruitment processes to minimize biases, and ensuring diverse interview panels. 

3. Empower Women with Resources: Provide female job seekers with resources and tools to enhance their career prospects. This can include resume workshops, interview coaching, and networking opportunities. Offer guidance on negotiating salaries and benefits, as women often face disparities in compensation.

4. Highlight Female Role Models: Showcase successful women in various fields who can serve as role models for job seekers. Feature their stories in newsletters, social media posts, and workshops. Hearing from women who have navigated challenges and achieved success can be motivating and offer valuable insights.

5. Create Supportive Networks: Foster a sense of community by creating support networks for women job seekers. This can include mentorship programs, peer support groups, and networking events. Having a strong support system can boost confidence and provide valuable guidance throughout the job-search process.

6. Advocate for Policy Changes: Encourage job seekers and employers to advocate for policies that promote gender equality in the workplace. This can include paid family leave, flexible work arrangements, and equal pay initiatives. Collective efforts to push for these changes can create a more supportive environment for women in the workforce.

By taking these steps, those working with job seekers can honor Women's Equality Day and contribute to the ongoing fight for gender equality. Supporting women in their career journeys not only benefits individuals but also strengthens the workforce and promotes a more inclusive society.

Professional Development 

The NRWA offers live and on-demand webinars, a self-paced Resume Writing 101 course, teleseminars, and more opportunities for learning throughout the year.

Certification Programs 

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