Raise Your PAW — Submit a Nomination for a CPC Award of Excellence!
Are you struggling with the decision of whether or not to submit a CPC Award of Excellence nomination?
As a new career professional starting out in mid-2013, I felt unprepared to submit a nomination for an Award of Excellence. However, I wanted to challenge myself and tackle seemingly impossible goals while improving my résumé writing skills.
In my journey as a career professional, I have discovered the importance of the Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) concept of “PAW”: Possibility, Ability, and Worthiness — three keys to achievement. I learned that in order to succeed, I must believe that it is possible to achieve my outcomes, I have the ability to achieve my outcomes, and I am worthy of achieving them.
How Earning Awards Helped Me and My Business Grow
In 2014, I took a leap of faith and submitted Awards of Excellence nominations for Best Entry-Level/Graduate résumé, Best Career Change résumé, and Best Executive résumé. I felt like my hard work was beginning to pay off and I was starting to hit my stride! Enrolling in CPC’s Advanced Résumé Development Program and working towards my Certified Employment Strategist credential improved my résumé writing skills and drove stronger client results. In 2016, I earned three Awards of Excellence.
Many career professionals admit that being a recipient of a CPC Award of Excellence is a game-changer! Personally, winning awards has raised my brand visibility and enhanced my credibility in supporting jobseekers to further their career goals. Earning awards has positioned me as a trusted career professional committed to the craft of master-level résumé writing and career coaching. Clients from all walks of life are attracted to my website, many mentioning they were impressed by the awards I’d earned. Those awards gave them the reassurance and confidence to enlist my professional expertise and support in helping them transition to new career paths and lucrative job offers.
Today, I am proud to be part of the community of award-winning career professionals who demonstrate unparalleled commitment to delivering the highest standards of service excellence. I am inspired by the stellar work of Adrienne Tom, Skye Berry, Daisy Wright, Gayle Draper, Karine Touloumjian, Michelle Precourt, Maureen McCann, Kamee Gilmore, Tanya Kett, Jennifer Miller, and Arno Markus.
How the PAW Process Helps us Achieve Our Goals
If we look at how our beliefs and outcomes are interconnected, we will uncover the unconscious reasons why we don’t follow through on our goals. We’ll probably also discover that we possess beliefs that question whether we are truly worthy of achieving our outcomes and gaining recognition.
P – Possibility
We often confuse possibility with capability. Sometimes, we need to take bold risks and conquer what we believe is “impossible.” We don’t often know the scope of our limits until we have actually reached them. It’s mind over matter!
A – Ability
It’s easy to sell yourself short by failing to believe you can achieve something. In fact, it can lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you believe you are unable to achieve something, you will prime yourself — on an unconscious level — to not be able to fulfill that task or goal.
So, reframe negative self-talk and self-doubt by being open-minded. I have discovered that making excuses out loud, and in advance, set me up for failure. Try removing the words “I can’t,” “I won’t,” or “I am not sure I can” from your vocabulary. Doing so will help you feel a sense of empowerment toward tackling challenging goals.
W – Worthiness
Do you truly believe you are worthy of receiving the CPC award or recognition?
If not, ask yourself a self-reflective and insightful question to get to the heart of the issue; why do you believe you’re not deserving of achieving your goals?
Sometimes we become influenced by that inner voice that convinces us, “You will never make it, don’t even bother trying!” or, “You’ll never win — you are not good enough!” That internal voice can influence us to believe that we are not deserving of getting that award, promotion, or recognition. Therefore, be observant and aware of these voices and then give them an “eviction notice” to depart from your psyche.
The bottom line:
- It is possible to achieve that goal!
- You have the ability needed to achieve that goal!
- You are worthy of achieving that goal!
Countering Reluctance and Negative Self-Talk with Strategic Action
Do lack of time, energy, patience, creativity, and resources sound like familiar justifications for not pursuing your goals? How about worries over too much competition or conflicting personal priorities as excuses? Do they sound familiar?
If you experience any negative or discomforting feelings or thoughts, remind yourself that you can do this! If you really want it, it is in your control to take the step of acknowledging your value by submitting an Award of Excellence nomination. Record your feelings and thoughts. Identifying them will help you devise strategies to tackle obstacles and self-doubt head on.
By submitting outstanding examples of your work, you are helping set the standards of excellence for our field. You’ll be fostering continuous improvement, too, which will raise the quality and results of your services with clients.
Here are seven strategies to help you maximize your chances for earning an award:
- Believe that you can and will achieve your goal. Know that you are deserving, and that dedicating the time and energy is well worth it.
- Identify your best area of expertise and the corresponding nomination category. Have a well-formed, positive outcome in mind before you begin preparing your submission.
- Remember your “why” for achieving this outcome; not just personally, but envision how it will benefit your field/industry and clients. Visualize your success!
- Go the extra mile! Work on perfecting résumé writing and design techniques through training that will help you achieve your goal. Note your weak areas/gaps — this could mean the difference between earning a nomination or being passed up. Where is improvement needed?
- Engage in CPC’s résumé writing and/or career coaching courses.
- Set up a schedule and carve out a few hours each week to master your craft and meet your goals.
- Remember to focus on the journey. We learn from our mistakes and shortcomings; they help us to improve performance and results!
Call to Action
By nominating yourself or a fellow career professional for a CPC Award of Excellence, you can expand your expertise and refine your brand. You can even grow your business and inspire other career professionals to keep raising the bar.
Thank you to Sharon Graham, CPC’s Executive Director, and the panel of judges for making the Awards of Excellence program an exciting, growth-driven, and empowering experience for the entire CPC community!
This year, take a leap of faith and embrace new challenges! Raise your PAW, submit your nomination, and get recognized for professional excellence. Hurry — the deadline is July 1st, 2023!
Lori A. Jazvac is a passionate, award-winning Master Certified Résumé Strategist and Certified Employment Strategist through Career Professionals of Canada. As a multi-certified Master Résumé Writer and Certified Career Transition Coach, she specializes in helping clients navigate challenging career transitions. In 2013, an empowering vision inspired Lori to launch Creative Horizons Communications, a holistic career services firm where she virtually supports jobseekers around the globe to embrace their next career milestone. In her spare time, Lori enjoys dance, blogging, watching comedies and reality shows, yoga, and taking long walks in nature.