CRS Certification for Emerging Resume Strategists

CPC Resume Help 1

By Eilidh Sligo, CRS

As a career advisor in a university, and a relative newcomer to the world of resume writing, I reached out to Career Professionals of Canada to build my strategic resume competency. The Certified Resume Strategist (CRS) credential undoubtedly boosted my knowledge, skills and credibility when working with clients.

Work at your own pace

One of the things that I love about the certification is the ability it gave me to work at my own pace. The self-study mode meant that I could block off a weekend to review the materials and start writing my resume assignments for submission. I received and completed my certification within the first month, but you can take much longer if required.

Up-to-date materials

In my opinion, a career practitioner is only valuable if he or she is up-to-date with current resume trends and standards. Much of the information online (and there his a huge amount of information online!) is out-of-date advising the inclusion of dated objectives or styles that make your client’s resume look 10 years old.  The Canadian Resume Strategist (CRS eGuide) is updated regularly. When you receive your copy of the 2016 eGuide, you will find that the material is based on current industry research, supporting the creation of a strategic, branded, marketing resumes.

Support

For a national association, the individual support received from Sharon Graham, the Founder and Executive Director, is immense. When I was contemplating undertaking the certification, Sharon took the time to personally phone me and discuss what I would be required to do. Not only did this confirm the credibility of the certification, it also assured me that I was working with a real, professional organization.

Community

In addition to Sharon’s support, the whole Career Professionals of Canada network has been hugely supportive as I start my career. Monthly conference call discussions and online chats inevitably led to staying in touch via LinkedIn. I have found all of these to be fantastic vehicles to learn from experts in a friendly and unintimidating environment. Even though many of the members could be considered as each other’s competition, the culture of sharing best practice and supporting development of everyone in the industry is evident.

Not just for professional resume writers

I was initially hesitant to take the CRS certification as I believed that it might only be appropriate for professional resume writers, those with their own small business. This is not the case. At the university, I have found that the skills that I developed through this certification are used to advise students and alumni. There are also many members from not-for-profit organizations, which ensures diversity in discussions.

Becoming a member of Career Professionals of Canada and completing my resume strategist certification, has definitely advanced my personal career and I would highly recommend any emerging career professional to do the same.

If you don’t feel you are ready to complete the Certified Resume Strategist (CRS) certification self-study, consider taking Career Professionals of Canada’s next Advanced Resume Development Program.

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