The world has changed. The times when people sought out professionals based on geographical proximity to home are over. Today, the Internet has set new rules for consumers and service providers. From being king of your hill, you are now one of thousands providing services straight to a client’s inbox worldwide. How do potential clients differentiate you from serious competitors and fly-by-night firms? How do you attract clients who appreciate value; clients who place importance on quality and talent?

The best way to market yourself is to prove your talent. Distinguishing yourself in the market by gaining certification as a Certified Advanced Resume Writer provides you with a definitive point of difference from your competitors and allows you to market and capitalize on this achievement by showing that your skills have been industry scrutinized and tested, and found to be superior.

Potential clients can be confident that as a CARW you:

  • Are ambitious in honing your craft and continuously maintaining contemporary knowledge of job-seeking trends and résumé writing strategies.

  • Are an experienced resume writing strategist; a professional who employs sound and tested knowledge to help jobseekers secure interviews.

  • Are dedicated to professional development by sustaining membership in the association and accumulating CEUs to maintain the credential.

  • Are a cut above your competitors. You can leverage your strengths by showing you are confident of your talents and willing to have them scrutinized by industry leaders.

Isn’t it time to set yourself apart from the rest? Isn’t it time to prove to clients what you’ve known for years?

 

View Course Flowchart!

Read Answers to Common CARW Questions
 
 

“I have to be honest, I wasn’t sure about “going to the trouble” to get the certification completed. Having done it now I can say that it has been a very good experience, and one that have made me look at things differently and more focused.  It was very valuable and you, the committee and authors of the program are to be commended.  You can see how much work you have put into this.”

 - Laura Stoddard, Blue Heron

    Executive Search & Consulting, LTD.

 

Read more comments.

 

HOW THE CARW PROCESS WORKS:

You will initially invest $50.00 for the 50-page CARW Certification Guide (this will be deducted from your CARW registration fee of $200.00 when you are approved to register). Once you have reviewed the guide, you will submit a sample resume according to guide expectations to the certification committee for evaluation. Before submission you will need to first:

  • Read the Certification Guide and recommended reading.

  • Review your sample resume to make sure it is accomplishment-oriented and keyword rich (use the check sheet in the guide).
  • Review your sample resume to ensure it is error-free (use the check sheet in the guide).

Once your sample resume has been reviewed, you will be advised as to whether you have been approved or denied to move on to the CARW exam phases.

If you are approved, you will be able to register for the CARW and the $50.00 fee will be deducted from the registration fee of $200.00.

If, however, your sample is denied, you will receive constructive feedback about your sample as well the options to pursue mentorship with an experience resume writer or complete our resume writing course at a discounted rate. You may also, at your discretion, continue with self-study until you feel you are ready to reattempt your application. An additional sample submission will be accepted at no added cost. Should additional submissions be required, a $25 fee will be incurred for each one.

Here are the details of each module to be completed following sample approval:

Resume and Cover Letter Creation: Certification candidates are sent notes in MS Word on two fictional candidates and asked to create a resume and cover letter for each one. One file contains client worksheets that have been completed and the other file contains raw notes. It is important that candidates can write effectively in both situations. Candidates have seven (7) business days to complete both resumes and cover letters.

Short-Essay Questions on Client Information Gathering Strategies: If the candidate passes Part Two of the certification process (resume and cover letter development as described above), they will be asked to respond to a series of short essay questions probing the methods used to gather the necessary information to write a winning resume. The answers to these questions help the committee to better understand the candidate’s target audience, and reveal how the writer translates the information culled from these questions into a superior marketing tool. Candidates have three (3) business days to submit their completed essays.

Final Exam: If the candidate passes Part Three of the certification process, they will be sent the final exam to determine their mastery of spelling and grammar and assess skills around client information gathering and interpretation, and writing and design strategy. Candidates have 60 minutes to submit their answers to the certification committee.

Review Answers to Commonly Asked CARW Questions.

PREREQUISITES

CDI’S expectation is that all candidates seeking CARW certification have previously studied and practiced the art of resume writing. The candidate's knowledge of the necessary competencies may come from the books the committee recommends as preparation tools, or actual paid or unpaid writing experience. While there is no hard and fast rule concerning the years of experience a writer should have before taking the exam, the CDI certification committee recommends that the certification candidate has at least one year of writing experience prior to taking the exam.

CDI-APPROVED RESUME SAMPLES

 

The following resumes, submitted by Susan Guarneri of www.Resume-Magic.com, are considered of the caliber CDI is seeking in a CARW candidate.

 

 

- Executive Resume
 

- Career Change Resume
 

- New Graduate Resume
 

- Technical Resume

 

- Professional Resume
 

- Re-Entry into the Workforce Resume
 

- Executive Resume II

MEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENTS

CDI membership is a prerequisite for registration. For more information on membership visit the Join page.

 

The CARW is only granted to members of the CDI in good standing, and the CARW certification is forfeited if a member does not remain in good standing.

 

REGISTRATION

 

The total investment for the CARW credentialing process is $200.00.

 

Register now!

 

RENEWAL REQUIREMENTS

 

The CARW Certification must be renewed every two (2) years by earning 30 industry-related continuing education units (CEUs). This can be completed through a variety of activities such as: employment-related book reviews, career-related community service, completing related coursework or study, publishing resumes, and/or authoring articles / materials on resume writing. View the Renewal Form for more information.

 

The renewal fee is $50.00. Download the Renewal Form now.

 

Why is renewal necessary? Because the craft of resume writing is dynamic and is swiftly changing with the advances in computer technology and applicant tracking / scanning as well as emerging legal issues involving resume fraud. These are just a few concerns that make it necessary for professionals to demonstrate ongoing education and knowledge of modern resume writing techniques.

 

Renew now!

 

Revocation policy.

 

WHAT MEMBERS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THE CARW

“Wow - accessed the document and started reading last night - what a great guide - love the flowcharts - does help to see how certification works.

Punctuation and Grammar section also helped to clarify some rules that I wasn't sure about. Also didn't know about widows and orphans!

International guide is useful to see how resumes are done outside of Australia - didn't realize there are so many differences in preferences for content, layout and presentation.

Congrats to contributors for a wonderful job on this guide - it is exceptional!

I am really looking forward to working through this certification.”

    - Cindy Hastings, employment CHOICE

*    *     *     *

"In Australia there are a lot of writers who don't have resume writing credentials, so I find being a member of CDI sets me apart from the pack. Clients acknowledge my credentials and affiliations and realize that I have something more to offer than the average writer. I can't remember the amount of times clients have said 'I chose you because of your qualifications and affiliations' or 'I didn't want to put my future in the hands of an amateur as this is my dream job and I want someone who knows what they're doing'.”

    - Jennifer Rushton, Keraijen

ABOUT THE CERTIFICATION COMMITTEE

 

The CARW credentialing program was restructured under the guidance of the CDI's highly-talented, global Certification Committee. Hand-picked to represent the best-of-the-best of the industry and its various resume certification procedures, the committee's members include:

 

  • Certification Chair: Gayle Howard, CERW, MCD, CPRW, CCM, BIC, HRCC, CWPP, CARW - Top Margin Resumes Online, Melbourne, Australia

  • Laura DeCarlo, CERW, MCD, CCM, CWPP, CCRE, CECC, CCMC, IJCTC, 360 Reach, CEIC, BA - CDI & ACECS, LLC, Melbourne, Florida

  • Patricia Duckers, CERW, CPRW, CEIP, CWPP, CMRW, CFRW, CFRWC - CareerPro Global, Inc., Edison, New Jersey

  • Annemarie Cross, CERW, CPRW, CEIP, CECC, CWPP, CCM - Advanced Employment Concepts, Victoria, Australia

  • Tom Albano, CERW, CARW - All Star Career Services, Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey

  • Barb Poole, CERW, CARW, CCMC, CPRW, PHR, BS - Hire Imaging, St Cloud, Minnesota

  • Gillian "Jill" Kelly, CERW, CARW, ATSC - Career Edge, Queensland, Australia

  • Erin Kennedy, CERW, CPRW - Professional Resume Services, Lapeer, Michigan

 

For more information contact CDI at info@careerdirectors.com or call 321-752-0442 / 888-867-7972.

 

Register now!

 
     
 
     

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