Here at CDI we don't think it's coincidence that our first three resume writers to earn the Certified Career Storyteller (CCST) credential, from Kimberly Robb Baker's inaugural class in 2017, all went on to win highly coveted Toast of the Resume Industry (TORI) resume writing awards.
So we're very excited to bring this course under the CDI umbrella of top-notch resume writing training and certification programs. Watch for our launch in the weeks to come.
So why a career storyteller certification for resume writers?
The demise of the resume has been predicted and debated for years.
Whether the resume lives or dies, the core work you do, defining and communicating your clients’ value, will never go away. (It won't matter if your title is resume writer, career storyteller or marketing super genius; this program will give you the agility to fluidly adapt.)
The value proposition statement, then, is at the heart of your worth as a career communications writer. Your ability to write it well will ensure the success of your clients today and your ongoing relevance—no matter what happens to the resume.
Therefore, introducing business storytelling elements to your writing process will enable you to quickly and effectively get to the heart of your clients’ most compelling assets.
Launched in 2017 by TORI resume writing award dominator, Kimberly Robb Baker of This Little Brand, this writing course is unlike any other.
After searching worldwide for a course that would not only take my writing to another level but also differentiate my service offering in a very crowded marketplace, I was fortunate to be part of the first Certified Career Storyteller (CCST) course facilitated by Kimberly Robb Baker.
Completing this unique course gave me the skills and confidence to write brand-driven, story-based career deliverables which has translated into superb results for my clients.
I also learned how to create a brand map, including a targeted, communications strategy, brand description, and brand-critical qualities backed by the client’s own accounts.
The use of a brand map underpins strong personal branding and includes clients in the foundation of their documents. Essentially, you gain client buy-in before writing their new documents. The brand map is something I’ve never seen before!
After completing the CCST, I went on to win 2X TORI awards in 2019.
- Carolyn Whitfield, Total Resumes
How is this career storyteller course different from other resume writing courses?
Kim refers to this course as a "resume writer MBA" with its focus on ensuring you understand enough about business to ask the questions that get to the heart of the story—important context and details that clients wouldn’t think to reveal without your guidance. This knowledge also enables you to take your intake notes and organize them to present a compelling, story-based value proposition. You are going to fall in love with the Story-based Brand Map and the intense ROI it offers to both you and your clients.
According to some of the inaugural students, this is THE course you wish you had available when you started writing resumes.
But it's not Resumes 101. If you are just starting out or looking to earn your first resume writing certification, we recommend our Resume Writing Mastery course with CARW certification.
It's an intensive course -- really, it's like a "boot camp" in resume writing (and it's been totally updated for 2020 and CDI's next offering). In fact, Kim even uses some of her TORI entries as examples in this version.
When 12x TORI winner Kimberly Robb Baker announced the launch of her Certified Career Storytelling class in 2017, I jumped at the chance to sign up.
The CCST course was the one I’d been waiting for and provided me with the roadmap needed to create story-based career marketing deliverables that strengthen the client’s brand message.
This course pulls out all the stops and guides participants through how-to transform information gathering from an in-take exercise to a collaborative brand process that engages the client in their own career story. In my opinion, that alone was worth the price of admission!
Our clients rely on us to fully and authentically communicate their unique promise of value and turn their stories into engaging content that captures attention and nets interviews. I highly recommend this advanced writing course –it will give you a new perspective on client branding and most certainly help you take your writing skills to a new level.
- Tammy Shoup, Breakthrough Resume Writing Service
What does this career storyteller course cover?
There are 17 total modules within the 6-part program. The content is VERY comprehensive and covers:
Part 1: Work with Story-Based Deliverables and Create a LinkedIn Profile
This *is* an intense course, but it starts out with LinkedIn because it’s a way you can take the concepts and apply them to your practice from the first day. From the moment you review the first session, you'll be able to work more deeply and effectively with your clients.
In this section you will learn about the story-based brand map, resume, cover letter, and value proposition letter -- plus, the fundamentals of LinkedIn search algorithm optimization and why it's only 50% of what's needed to make a LinkedIn profile effective.
Part 2: Get the Resume Writer's Crash Course MBA
In this section you will gain understanding into why recruiters and hiring managers actually don't know what they're looking for, despite detailed job descriptions -- and how to use this fact to give your clients the advantage.
Part 3: Build a Story-Based Brand Map
The brand map is the deliverable that gets prospects most excited about working with a Certified Career Storyteller. They know they need to tell a story but aren’t sure how to do it in their resume or on LinkedIn, let alone in an interview or networking event.
This is the foundational tool of your work as a career storyteller, as it establishes the brand that will unify every communication you create with your client. It is also a stand-alone tool your clients can use when they need to send off an email or prepare for a meeting.
From this section you will be able to:
- Turn information gathering from a passive "intake" exercise into a collaborative brand coaching process. You will gain insight into what to ask to draw stories out of your clients and get context for accomplishments, so they are more meaningful.
- Define your client’s objective and lay out a communications strategy in writing, so the client has the chance to ask questions and give input upfront—no surprises when you deliver the resume draft!
- Document the client’s brand assets, grounded in the stories they’ve told you so that they are prepared for any interview question that comes their way and understand how each accomplishment serves their overall brand.
- Build a brief brand overview (AKA elevator pitch, answer to “tell me about yourself”).
Part 4: Write the Resume
In this section you will learn simple techniques for ensuring the strategy, copy, and design of your resume is in alignment with the compelling brand you’ve developed for your client.
You will also:
- Gain access to Kim's go-to templates.
- Get strategies for handling difficult situations such as age discrimination, work gaps, career changes, scandalized former employer, etc..
- Understand how to present the resume to the client to cut off possible major objections at the pass.
Part 5: Translate Skills to Additional Story-Based Deliverables
In this section you will discover how to translate your foundational work into other communications -- custom cover letters, stand-alone value proposition letters, bios, and more.
Part 6: Become a Certified Career Storyteller + Access Selling Tools to Boost Your Success
To get certified as a CCST you will submit a story-based portfolio.
To ensure you can successfully market your new credential, this section also covers how to incorporate story-based career communications and your new certification into your marketing materials and sales conversations so clients are eagerly calling you to engage services, regardless of the price point.
Under Kim's direction and insightful instruction, I, hands-down, became a better writer because of the Certified Career Storyteller program.
The career storyteller methodology allowed me to approach projects in a unique way to better showcase my clients' past achievements while setting them up for future success.
The knowledge I gained also made me confident to submit resumes for the TORIs and resulted in three wins!
I'm proud to call myself a career storyteller.
- Rachel (Vander Pol) Raymond, RVP Career Services
What results can I expect if I complete this course?
This is an INTENSE, INTENSIVE course, designed for resume writers who want to seriously elevate their work and the types of clients they work with.
We think the graduate testimonials say everything about the high ROI you will receive.
If you want to ramp up your technical resume writing skill set with story-based brand mapping, double or triple your monthly income, and work deeply with clients who are excited to hire you, this is the program for you.
Remember, Kim charges and gets $3997-$4897 per client.
You can too.
You can more than earn back your investment in this course with your FIRST client.
How long will it take me to complete this course?
Polling former students, the feedback is that you will spend 1-2 hours a week reviewing materials and completing the lesson work. The total hours come in at 18-40 depending on your speed and learning style.
Since you are able to work through the materials at your own pace, you may choose to do more or less weekly or condense it all for rapid completion.
How much is the career storyteller course and when can I sign up for this program?
CDI will be announcing opening registration for this course in a very short time. Make sure you are on our email list to be alerted. If you are not a CDI member, you can subscribe to receive news and tips via the big blue box on our homepage.
With our launch we will be offering a special one-time price you won't want to miss, so stay tuned for more information!
