Certified Resume Writer - Insist on a Certified Professional Resume Writer?

Here's an ugly truth: anyone with a computer and an internet connection can hang out a shingle and call themselves a resume writer. That doesn't mean, however, that said writer is any good writing resumes. Writing is a skill unto itself; good resume writing is a talent that combines the best of technical writing skills with a penchant for sales/marketing promotion. Sadly, lack thereof doesn't stop a lot of folks from billing themselves as resume writers.

Certified Resume Writer - A Bit Above The Fray

One thing they can't do is bill themselves as certified resume writers - unless they hold the relevant accreditation. To be a certified resume writer means that the writer has met a minimum standard of qualification at one of two industry associations: either the Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches, or the National Resume Writers' Association. The accreditations hold similar heft in the industry, and they are - respectively - the Certified Professional Resume Writer (CRPW) and the Nationally Certified Resume Writer (NCRW).

Accreditation with either association involves testing (i.e., industry knowledge, resume strategies, writing basics), and submission of resume and cover letter examples for peer review and critique. Getting through that gauntlet of qualifiers doesn't bestow super hero status on any writer. But it does signify he or she is knowledgeable in resume techniques, versed in the language of the industry, tapped into what hiring officials want to see – and don't want to see - on a resume, and adequately skilled in translating a client's qualifications and achievements into prose that sells those qualifications.

Note: that last part, skill in translating a client's qualifications and achievements into prose that sells, is the nut of it. And to be honest, that's a skill that all the preparation and all the testing in the world can't impart to a budding resume professional. Which is why you, the prospective client of a resume writing service, should take certification with a grain of salt. One can be a heck of a good resume writer, and not be certified as a resume writer.

Certified Resume Writer Designation - So Is It Important, Or Not?

It's important. But it's not the be all and end all. Other factors equally, if not more important than certification include:

• The writer's knowledge of industry, specifically and ideally, a knowledge of your particular industry or profession,
• The writer's ability to communicate effectively over the phone, and quickly and accurately discern your career goals and the special talents you bring to the table,
• The writer's aptitude for marketing.

If a job seeker is just starting to look for a resume writing service and has no recommendations or insider scoop on any particular company, I would advise him or her to lean toward those firms that employ certified resume writers. Beyond the advantages mentioned, it's a sign that the service takes seriously it's commitment to the client, and a sign that the individual writers take seriously their choice of profession.

The prospective client still has some tires to kick, but comparing resume services that all employ certified resume writers is made just a little easier. And less risky.

David Alan Carter is a former recruiter who offers in-depth reviews of the top Resume Writing Services on the Web, spelling out their pricing and giving each a star ranking. (Note: David's "Top 3 Picks" are resume services that not only employ certified writers, but actually guarantee interviews.)