While some superheroes are born, most are made. Such is the case with the origin of the Career Directors International (CDI) career superhero.
It began with simple and honorable intentions. In the beginning it was critical to create a realm that stood up against industry injustices. CDI would not tolerate bullying on industry discussion groups and devaluing of industry certifications by those who neither required continuing education nor helped professionals to keep up with the dramatic changes in the careers industry.
These injustices were unmasked with CDI leading the charge:
- Career Professionals felt safe to ask questions on the discussion lists knowing they would receive varied, quality responses. In turn, members banded together to freely share their advice because it was a non-threatening professional place where diversity and free-thinking were welcomed.
- Career Professionals were given the tools and resources to update their skills, build their confidence, and be champions to their job-seeking clients. They now could embrace a better and ultimately more profitable way of moving toward the future.
So, the first superhero traits CDI fostered were credibility, life-long learning, and professional conduct amongst members in their league. And it was good!
But as in all things superhero, simple justice would never be enough for the leaders at CDI to bring to their beloved industry.
And so, CDI matched its drive for life-long learning and recertification with a quest for excellence via missions including:
- Toast of the Resume Industry awards
- Best Practice Tips sheets
- Expert Webinars, Video Lessons and Teleclass series
- Career Innovator awards
- Mega Trend reports
- World’s Best Resume Writer awards
- Global Career Empowerment Summit
- Update Your Resume Month and Update Your References Week
- Numerous media and press initiatives.
But still these were not enough for CDI’s brave pioneers.
From the beginning, CDI’s President and owner, Laura DeCarlo, was driven by a vision, a singular goal, for the professional members of CDI.
The end game—these CDI professionals would embrace their superpowers of quality, excellence, life-long learning, and professionalism to:
See themselves as job seekers saw them;
Realize that each day they changed lives; saved lives.
Understand they deserved the same level of success they helped their clients to attain.
Why should a career coach or resume writer struggle to make ends meet while helping their clients to increase their salaries, decrease their job search time, and find satisfying careers?
Why should such a professional feel business pressure from all angles when they were saving their clients from similar fates of fear, anxiety, and disaster?
It is not uncommon for a well-tended client to tell their consultant:
“Without you I would have lost my home.” or
“My marriage might have ended if I hadn’t found the job when I did. I couldn’t have done it without you.” or
“I got my dream job and will also be earning $45,000 more this year thanks to your assistance.”
Job seekers come to our industry’s professionals with real and imaginary battles that must be fought and banished. CDI members do this each day, but where was the justice for them?
It would take a mission of boldness and some would say absurdity to help members embrace their inner career superhero.
To see them rise up and command fair and profitable rates for their services.
To see them fend off the villains clothed as over-demanding prospects.
To see them stand strong against the evil dictate of ‘your work will take over your life as an entrepreneur’.
To realize that they were more than glorified typists or, as a Gallup Survey once reported, ‘a service (career coaching) people would ‘likely’ use if it cost $15 ‘.
To take flight, fly higher, and go supersonic with CDI.
And so, it has been over a decade (17 years as of 2021) since the iconic career superhero concept was born at and through CDI. We have provided the tools, the resources, the empowerment, and the focus for career industry professionals to tear off their disguises and don their superhero capes.
When you join the CDI community and become a part of our inner sanctum, your superpowers will be revealed. Just ask a fellow member or visit our testimonial page to see how CDI has helped career and resume professionals like you to save their day and fly into a future filled with success.
But every superhero must face villains from time to time.
While at times we will all face challenges in our lives and work, superheroes know that this is no excuse for bringing hate, anger, spiteful jealousy, and negativity to the rest of us. Please understand if this is where you choose to live and work, then CDI is NOT for you. Flying higher means leaving behind bullying, rudeness, anger, passive-aggressive behavior, or sneakiness. Our goal is to maintain a safe, happy, nurturing, and empowering environment for our members and clients. We simply will not tolerate these behaviors.
CDI is and will always be all about building people up, not tearing them down. We encourage anyone who doesn’t hold to this superhero ethic not to join or to exit quietly.
Now taking off:
Want to learn what CDI can do for you? Visit Why Join CDI?
Job seeker looking for assistance from a career superhero? Visit our Find a Career Pro section.
Member of the media looking for a quote? Visit our Press Room.
View CDI-Sponsored Events.
Meet CDI’s Leadership Team.
In any case, we look forward to your getting Super with CDI!
