Resume Writing Award Winners
(TORI & WBRW)
Award-Winning Resume Writers and Their Winning Resumes
Toast of the Resume Industry Awards
Each year, CDI hosts the resume writing industry's most prestigious Toast of the Resume Industry™ (TORI) resume writing competition. This is an international competition in which contestants submit their best work in a category.
World's Best Resume Awards
CDI embarked on a unique competition in 2008 to find the World's Best Resume Writers!
The competition was opened to any English-writing individual in the world who wanted to try their hand at professional resume writing. The competition was standardized by providing all candidates the same note files. Two separate competitions were hosted with industry professional judges and the general public.
Selecting a Resume Writer to Hire
A resume writing award is just one of the criteria you should consider when selecting a resume writer to hire. We recommend you take a few moments to learn more about selecting a company at CDI's How to Select a Career Service Provider page.
Addendum 3/08/2021: CDI has changed the game with the TORI competition by introducing classic design categories.
Addendum 1/20/2020: It is now possible to make graphic resumes ATS-friendly! CDI has released a 94 minute video training that is free to members entitled How to Design ATS-Friendly Graphic Resumes. Now claims that these design-heavy resumes cannot be ATS compatible is no longer true. However, the following is still our current standing on the TORIs while we encourage everyone to embrace the techniques in this training.
TORI and World's Best Resumes are networking resumes, which are used for job seekers in networking their way into jobs. Networking is the method in which over 80% of all job opportunities are found.
A scannable resume or an ATS resume, meant for automated tracking systems, is needed when a job applicant is applying online or when that type of resume is requested. Professional resume writers will advise their clients to first have a visual resume -- one that combines visual impact, spatial segmentation of content for readability, and strategic branding to tease out the job seeker's unique value. To complement this resume, a scannable version is always needed. Depending on the method of job search this may be an ATS resume which is customized for each position or it might simply be an ASCII resume. Both of these require dumbing down the format by stripping out the elements that make it friendly for a human while ensuring the key words are needed to match the job ad.
When opportunities emerge for a job seeker where there is limited certainty on what version to use, it is a good idea to send both. A simple line in the cover letter stating, "For your convenience I have also included an ATS-friendly resume" will suffice.
Bottom-line, the TORI and World's Best resume represents the epitome of excellence for job seekers to stand out from the competition in a personalized, networked job search. An ATS-friendly resume is a necessary complement to that resume but should never be the ONLY tool a job seeker uses since they dehumanize the document. Until machines are the sole decision maker it will always be necessary to appeal to the human aesthetic.
2022 TORI Award Winners and Nominees
Nominees are listed in no particular order.
Best Classic Executive Resume
Melissa Orpen-Tuz - Vivid Career Services
Amy Britta Watt - www.CareerMarketingCentre.com & www.PoliceTestTutor.com
Eve Ruth - Compelling Resumes
Paula Christensen - Strategic Career Coaches
Rachel Raymond - RVP Career Services
1st Place
Eve Ruth
2nd Place
Melissa Orpen-Tuz
Best Classic New Graduate Resume
Jheneal McDuffie - The Resume Chic & Co.
Amy Britta Watt - www.CareerMarketingCentre.com & www.PoliceTestTutor.com
Betsy Shepard Reed - BSR Career Development
Rebecca Worthen - Career Keystone
Tamara Cameron - iCareerSolutions
Best Difficult Transition Resume
Pam Foster - Career Stylr
Carolyn Whitfield - Total Resumes
Angela Watts - MyPro Resumes & Recruiting
Kamee Gilmore - Paradigm Solutions | PRCS Canada
Barbara Safani - Career Solvers
Best Executive Resume
Eve Ruth - Compelling Resumes
Julio Mesa - Higher You LLC
Pam Foster - Career Stylr
Marie Plett - Aspirations Career Services, Inc.
Deborah Schuster - The Lettersmith
Best New Graduate Resume
Julio Mesa - Higher You LLC
Deborah Schuster - The Lettersmith
Ashley Watkins
Bridget Batson - Houston Outplacement Resume Writing and Career Counseling
Jheneal McDuffie - The Resume Chic & Co.
Best Classic Difficult Transition Resume
Kevin Morris - CareerMobile
Krista Morris - Virtuoso Resumes & Recruiting
Alexis Ankersen - Calibrate Career Coaching
Sally Johnson - Omnia Writing Services
Eve Ruth - Compelling Resumes
3rd Place
Kevin Morris
Best Classic High Tech Resume
Danielle "Elle" Holmes - Career Services by Elle
Tamara Cameron - iCareerSolutions
Kevin Morris - CareerMobile
Scott Nichols -Advanced Method Resumes & Career Services
Alexis Ankersen - Calibrate Career Coaching
Best Healthcare/Medical Resume
Marie Plett - Aspirations Career Services, Inc.
Tamara Cameron - iCareerSolutions
Rachel Raymond - RVP Career Services
Alexandria Doyle
Sharon Williams - JobRockit
Best High Tech Resume
Marie Plett - Aspirations Career Services, Inc.
Jheneal McDuffie - The Resume Chic & Co.
Eve Ruth - Compelling Resumes
Julio Mesa - The Essay Expert
Kamee Gilmore - Paradigm Solutions | PRCS Canada
Best Sales Resume
Carolyn Whitfield - Total Resumes
Melanie L. Denny - Resume-Evolution
Amy Britta Watt - www.CareerMarketingCentre.com & www.PoliceTestTutor.com
Bridget Batson - Houston Outplacement Resume Writing and Career Counseling
Deborah Schuster - The Lettersmith
Special Thanks to 2022 Judges:
Director of Awards - Gayle Howard - Top Margin Executive Resumes & Coaching
Erin Kennedy - Professional Resume Services, Inc.
Tiffany Hardy – TiffanyHardy.com
Skye Berry Burke - Skye is the Limit Resume & Career Solutions
Robin Schlinger - Robin's Resumes
Dawn Bugni - The Write Solution
Julie Walraven - Design Resumes
Tammy Shoup - Breakthrough Resume Writing Service, LLC
Grant Cooper - CareerPro of New Orleans / Strategic Resumes
Amy Adler - Five Strengths Career Transition Experts
Mary Elizabeth Bradford - Ceoresumewriter.com
Gillian Kelly - Outplacement Australia / Career Edge
Laura Labovich - The Career Strategy Group
Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter – Career Trend
2021 TORI Award Winners and Nominees
Nominees are listed in no particular order.
Best Classic Executive Resume
Melissa Orpen-Tuz
Amy Watt - www.CareerMarketingCentre.com & www.PoliceTestTutor.com
Carolyn Whitfield - Total Resumes
Rebecca Henninger - The Job Girl
Lauren Charbonneau - Protagonist Career Solutions LLC
Best Classic High Tech Resume
Eve Ruth - Compelling Resumes
Laura Smith-Proulx - An Expert Resume
Marie Plett - Aspirations Career Services, Inc.
Paula Christensen - Strategic Career Coaches
Scott Nichols - Advanced Method Resumes & Career Services
Best Difficult Transition Resume
Pam Foster - Career Stylr
Elle Holmes - Career Services by Elle
Marie Plett - Aspirations Career Services, Inc.
Amy Watt - www.CareerMarketingCentre.com & www.PoliceTestTutor.com
Tiffany Cruz - Power Writers USA
Best Healthcare/Medical Resume
Melanie Denny - Resume-Evolution
Deborah Schuster - The Lettersmith
Carolyn Whitfield – Total Resumes
Marla Emery - Emery Consulting, Inc.
Jheneal McDuffie - The Resume Chic & Co.
Best New Graduate Resume
Carolyn Whitfield – Total Resumes
Yuvika Iyer - Careerlinko
Melanie Denny - Resume-Evolution
Deborah Schuster - The Lettersmith
Bridget Batson - Houston Outplacement Resume Writing and Career Counseling
Best Classic Difficult Transition Resume
Sally Johnson - Omnia Writing Services
Tiffany Cruz - Power Writers USA
Meg Applegate – Hinge Resume
Scott Nichols - Advanced Method Resumes & Career Services
Yuvika Iyer - Careerlinko
Best Classic New Graduate Resume
Yuvika Iyer - Careerlinko
Mandy Fard - Market-Connections Professional Resume Services
Amy Watt - www.CareerMarketingCentre.com & www.PoliceTestTutor.com
Anne Galloway - power-to-change
Sharon Williams - JobRockit
Best Executive Resume
Amy Watt - www.CareerMarketingCentre.com & www.PoliceTestTutor.com
Laura Smith-Proulx - An Expert Resume
Marie Plett - Aspirations Career Services, Inc.
Yuvika Iyer - Careerlinko
Bridget Batson - Houston Outplacement Resume Writing and Career Counseling
Best High Tech Resume
Laura Hartnell - Laura Hartnell Career Transition Services
Julio Mesa - Higher You LLC
Laura Smith-Proulx - An Expert Resume
Carolyn Whitfield – Total Resumes
Marie Plett - Aspirations Career Services, Inc.
Best Sales Resume
Pam Foster - Career Stylr
Marie Plett - Aspirations Career Services, Inc.
Jheneal McDuffie - The Resume Chic & Co.
Julio Mesa - Five Strengths Career Transition Experts
Carolyn Whitfield – Total Resumes
Special Thanks to 2021 Judges:
Director of Awards - Gayle Howard - Top Margin Executive Resumes & Coaching
Erin Kennedy - Professional Resume Services, Inc.
Tiffany Hardy – TiffanyHardy.com
Rachel Raymond - RVP Career Services
Robin Schlinger - Robin's Resumes
Dawn Bugni - The Write Solution
Julie Walraven - Design Resumes
Tammy Shoup - Breakthrough Resume Writing Service, LLC
Michelle Lopez - One2One Resumes
Grant Cooper - CareerPro of New Orleans / Strategic Resumes
Erin Kennedy - Professional Resume Services
Laurie Berenson - Sterling Career Concepts, LLC
Mary Elizabeth Bradford - Career Artisan
Jill Kelly - Outplacement Australia / Career Edge
Cheryl L. Simpson - Executive Resume Rescue
Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter – Career Trend
2020 TORI Award Winners and Nominees
Nominees are listed in no particular order.
Best Accounting & Finance Resume
Tiffany Hardy - TiffanyHardy.com
Rebecca Henninger - RH Resumes
Marie Plett - AspirationsResume.com
Carolyn Whitfield - Total Resumes
Eve Ruth - Compelling Resumes
Best Difficult Transition Resume
Krista Mitchell - iCareerSolutions
Marie Plett - AspirationsResume.com
Matthew Dupee - The Resume Strategy
Rachel Raymond - RVP Career Services
Natalie MacLellan - Best Foot Forward
Best Executive Resume
Carol Adams - Ideal Resumes LLC
Carolyn Whitfield - Total Resumes
Eve Ruth - Compelling Resumes
Jay Mesa - Higher You LLC
Marie Plett - AspirationsResume.com
Best Healthcare/Medical Resume
Lucie Yeomans - Your Career Ally / Agave Communications LLC
Jay Mesa - The Essay Expert LLC
Marie Plett - AspirationsResume.com
Tiffany Hardy - TiffanyHardy.com
Carolyn Whitfield - Total Resumes
Best High Tech Resume
Marla Emery - Emery Consulting, Inc.
Scott Nichols - Professional Resume Services
Jay Mesa - Higher You LLC
Marie Plett - AspirationsResume.com
Tiffany Hardy - TiffanyHardy.com
Best Hospitality Resume
Bridget Batson - Houston Outplacement Resume Writing and Career Counseling
Lucie Yeomans - Your Career Ally / Agave Communications LLC
Rachel Raymond - RVP Career Services
Jay Mesa - Five Strengths Career Transition Experts
Marie Plett - AspirationsResume.com
Best Marketing Resume
Lisa McDonald - Career Polish, Inc.
Tiffany Hardy - TiffanyHardy.com
Arno Markus - iCareerSolutions
Marie Plett - AspirationsResume.com
Carolyn Whitfield - Total Resumes
Best New Graduate Resume
Paula Christensen - Strategic Career Coaches
Melanie Denny - Resume-Evolution
Lucie Yeomans - Your Career Ally / Agave Communications LLC
Krista Mitchell - iCareerSolutions
Marie Plett - AspirationsResume.com
1st Place
Melanie Denny
3rd Place
Paula Christensen
Best Portfolio Careers Resume
Irma Rojas - RSO Resumes
Angela Watts - MyPro Resumes & Recruiting
Barbara Safani - Career Solvers
Eve Ruth - Compelling Resumes
Marie Plett - AspirationsResume.com
Best Sales Resume
Jheneal McDuffie - The Resume Chic & Co.
Irma Rojas - RSO Resumes
Carolyn Whitfield - Total Resumes
Tiffany Hardy - TiffanyHardy.com
Marie Plett - AspirationsResume.com
Special Thanks to 2020 Judges:
Director of Awards - Gayle Howard - Top Margin Executive Resumes & Coaching
Dawn Bugni - The Write Solution
Julie Walraven - Design Resumes
Tammy Shoup - Breakthrough Resume Writing Service, LLC
Michelle Lopez - One2One Resumes
Grant Cooper - CareerPro of New Orleans / Strategic Resumes
Erin Kennedy - Professional Resume Services
Barb Poole - Hire Imaging, LLC
Laurie Berenson - Sterling Career Concepts, LLC
Mary Elizabeth Bradford - Career Artisan
Jill Kelly - Outplacement Australia / Career Edge
Cheryl L. Simpson - Executive Resume Rescue
Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter – Career Trend
2019 TORI Award Winners and Nominees
The first list in each category designates the nominees, which are listed in no particular order.
Important difference with 2019 resume winners: We allowed for non-US spelling and A4 paper size to fully embrace our global resume writers. Therefore, some thumbnail images below will look longer and you may see some spelling that looks inaccurate to you such as organise instead of organize.
Best Accounting & Finance Resume
Tiffany Hardy - TiffanyHardy.com
Kimberly Robb Baker - This Little Brand
Marie Plett - AspirationsResume.com
Carolyn Whitfield - Total Resumes
Sandra Ingemansen - Résumé Strategies
Best Difficult Transition Resume
Melanie Denny - Resume-Evolution
Marie Plett - AspirationsResume.com
Eve Ruth - Compelling Resumes
Sandra Ingemansen - Résumé Strategies
Kimberly Robb Baker - This Little Brand
1st Place
Eve Ruth
3rd Place
Melanie Denny
Best Executive Resume
Cheryl Lynch Simpson - Executive Resume Rescue
Skye Berry-Burke - Skye is the Limit Resume & Career Solutions
Eve Ruth - Compelling Resumes
Tiffany Hardy - TiffanyHardy.com
Kimberly Robb Baker - This Little Brand
Best Healthcare/Medical Resume
Krista Mitchell - iCareerSolutions
Arno Markus - iCareerSolutions
Marie Plett - AspirationsResume.com
Tiffany Hardy - TiffanyHardy.com
Laura Smith-Proulx - An Expert Resume
Best High Tech Resume
Skye Berry-Burke - Skye is the Limit Resume & Career Solutions
Krista Mitchell - iCareerSolutions
Sandra Ingemansen - Résumé Strategies
Kimberly Robb Baker - This Little Brand
Marie Plett - AspirationsResume.com
Best Hospitality Resume
Jay Mesa - Higher You LLC
Marguerite Claxton - The Career Company
Rachel Vander Pol - RVP Career Services
Carolyn Whitfield - Total Resumes
Tiffany Hardy - TiffanyHardy.com
Best Marketing Resume
Lisa McDonald - Career Polish, Inc.
Tiffany Hardy - TiffanyHardy.com
Arno Markus - iCareerSolutions
Laura Smith-Proulx - An Expert Resume
Rachel Vander Pol - RVP Career Services
Best New Graduate Resume
Melissa Kelley - Kelley Resumes & Wordsmithing
Tammy Shoup - Breakthrough Resume Writing Service
Kevin Morris - CareerMobile
Krista Mitchell - iCareerSolutions
Marie Plett - AspirationsResume.com
1st Place
Marie Plett
Best Portfolio Careers Resume
Lisa McDonald - Career Polish, Inc.
Arno Markus - iCareerSolutions
Kimberly Robb Baker - This Little Brand
Sandra Ingemansen - Résumé Strategies
Marie Plett - AspirationsResume.com
Best Sales Resume
Laura Hartnell - Laura Hartnell Career Transition Services
Kimberly Robb Baker - This Little Brand
Carolyn Whitfield - Total Resumes
Sandra Ingemansen - Résumé Strategies
Marie Plett - Professional Resume Services
Special Thanks to 2019 Judges:
Director of Awards - Audrey Prenzel - Audrey Prenzel Career Transition Services
Dawn Bugni - The Write Solution
Julie Walraven - Design Resumes
Cliff Flamer - BrightSide Resumes
Michelle Lopez - One2One Resumes
Grant Cooper - CareerPro of New Orleans / Strategic Resumes
Erin Kennedy - Professional Resume Services
Barb Poole - Hire Imaging, LLC
Laurie Berenson - Sterling Career Concepts, LLC
Mary Elizabeth Bradford - Career Artisan
Jill Kelly - Outplacement Australia / Career Edge
Gayle Howard - Top Margin Executive Resumes & Coaching
Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter – Career Trend
Amy Adler – Five Strengths Career Transition Experts
2018 TORI Award Winners and Nominees
The first list in each category designates the nominees, which are listed in no particular order.
Best Accounting & Finance Resume
Tiffany Hardy - TiffanyHardy.com
Beverly Harvey - HarveyCareers LLC
Marie Plett - AspirationsResume.com
Eve Ruth - Compelling Resumes
Sandra Ingemansen - Résumé Strategies
Best Executive Resume
Cheryl Lynch Simpson - Executive Resume Rescue
Marie Plett - AspirationsResume.com
Eve Ruth - Compelling Resumes
Adrienne Tom - Career Impressions
Kimberly Robb Baker - This Little Brand
1st Place
Eve Ruth
Best Healthcare/Medical Resume
Kimberly Robb Baker - This Little Brand
Tiffany Hardy - TiffanyHardy.com
Rachel Vander Pol - RVP Career Services
Barbara Safani - Career Solvers
Sharon Williams - JobRockit
2nd Place
Rachel Raymond