Before presenting an offer of employment to a prospective employee, many companies do a comprehensive background check on them. As a result, lying about your GPA on your resume is a terrible idea in almost all cases. Unless you have recently graduated from college with a good grade point average, there’s no need to put…
So, you have what it takes to write a really good resume. Are you so good that you want to turn it into a profession? Before you do that, there are some things that you should know.
The market for professional resume writers is filled with competition. Every writer will try to proclaim that they are the best in the business. How do you make yourself stand apart from them? You need something that shows that you’re a true professional capable of the task.
The most effective way of doing that would be to get a resume writing certification. But now the question comes, “Where can I get a resume writing certification?”. That’s what we’re here for today.
In this article, we will be talking about the process of how to get resume writing certification from start to finish. We will also recommend our top picks for recognized certificates to help you get started on the process. Let’s begin.
Basic Requirements
Let’s talk about the things you’ll need to get started. These will help you to be prepared for later on. Without further ado, let’s see what these are.
The first thing’s a given. You must have a good command of English if you want to write a good resume. The words you use to describe your client must appear smart and professional. This is one of the basic requirements of how to get resume writing certification.
Now let’s see about the previous question, “where can I get a resume writing certification”. There are different organizations that hand these certificates out to resume writers. They are renowned all over the world. If someone is looking for a professional resume writer, you can bet they are looking for a certified one.
But how to get resume writing certification from one of these places? Some of these organizations offer resume writing courses and programs. Completing these courses will award you with a resume writer certification. For more on this, click here.
Some advanced-level certificates will require that you have prior certification in resume writing. This is to ensure that the quality of the applicants is up to mark.
That’s about it, the basic requirements of how to become a certified resume writer. But if you’re keen on learning more, why don’t you give this article a read?
Best Ways to Get Your Resume Writer Certificate
Now let’s talk about the certificates that you need to get in order to be taken seriously as a writer. Here, we will share a list of our best resume writing certification programs.
There are other certificates that you can get too. Always make sure to check the requirements and pricing for getting these certificates before making your decision. But enough talk. Let’s check out the top 5 resume writer certificates that you should get.
1. Certified Advanced Resume Writer (CARW)
For those new to the resume writing industry, this is the perfect certificate to start on. The CARW certificate is handed out by the Career Director International (CDI). It’s an entry-level certificate that anyone can get without any prior requirements.
How to get resume writing certification for the CARW? There are 4 parts to it. Once you’ve passed all four stages, you will then be eligible to get the CARW certificate. For your efforts, you will also receive a bunch of benefits from the CDI.
Here we’ll elaborate on each of the stages a little.
Resume Sample Submission
The first thing that you need to get the CARW certificate is to submit a sample resume of your own. Make sure you write the sample properly, as it is crucial to get you to the next stage.
Resume and Cover Letter Writing
In this phase, you will be given a resume and will be asked to tweak it. The resume must also be supported by a cover letter that’s written by you.
Information Gathering for the Client
This next phase of the certification tests your information-gathering skills. You will be given a scenario where you will have to collect information for the client to write their resume. No actual resume writing is required here, only information gathering.
Final Exam
After you have passed all three stages, you will need to attend one final exam that will test your spelling, grammar and resume writing skills.
Pricing for the CARW
Now let’s talk about the cost. In order to get the CARW certificate, you will need to be a member of the CDI. The membership fee is $97. After you’ve become a member, you can then pay the registration fee of $200 to get the CARW certification.
2. Certified Resume Specialist (CRS+X)
But how to get resume writing certification for the CRS+X? There are two stages that are needed to be cleared to get the CRS+X certificate. Let’s see what they are for how to get resume writing certification for this particular one.
Industry-specific samples
As we said previously, you need to choose the specialization you want to be certified for. Now you need to submit 4 resume samples for this particular industry. If you choose multiple specializations, it’s 4 for each one.
Descriptive Essay
Applicants also need to write a one-page essay detailing their expertise in the specialization. They need to show off their knowledge about the industry and highlight why it is that they are qualified to get a certificate.
Pricing for the CRS+X
Just like the CARW, applicants must first be a member of the CDI and pay the membership fee of $97. For the CRS+X certificate, however, you need to pay $197 for each specialization that you want to do.
3. Certified Executive Resume Master (CERM)
The CERM is the perfect match for executive resume writers. This is a high-level certificate that is going to set you apart for sure. How are we saying that confidently? Well, that’s because there are less than 25 CERMs in the whole world.
If you manage to be one, you will be one of the few in the world. And you’ll also be able to provide top resume writing services to your clients easily. Find out about the best services here!
What’s the process for how to get resume writing certification for executive resumes? There are two phases that need to be passed, and here they are.
Submit Samples
To start the process of getting the certificate, all applicants must submit 4 samples of real-life executive resumes. Writing one is hard enough. But you need to submit 4 if you want to be certified.
Take the Competency Review Test
After you’ve submitted the four samples and you’ve been verified, you need to take a competency review test. There are 10 questions that appear on this test. You need to pass this if you have any hopes of becoming a CERM.
Pricing for the CERM
Any non-member of the CDI can apply for the CERM test, but it will cost $564. And for members, it’s only $297. Now you can decide which one you want to choose.
4. Certified Master Resume Writer
Here we have another higher-level certificate program. In order to start the process of how to get resume writing certification, you will need a prior certificate. It can be the CARW or any recognized certificate.
Once you meet the requirements, there are a few steps that you need to complete. Let’s start checking them out.
Essay for Skill Demonstration
Applicants need to submit a 1000-word essay that demonstrates their skills and expertise in the field.
Portfolio
If you’ve already submitted the essay, you will also need to provide a portfolio of 7 professional resumes that you’ve written in the past.
Other Documents
On top of your portfolio, you also need to provide one ATS-friendly resume as well as two samples of cover letters.
Pricing for the CMRW
You need to be a member of the CDI to apply for the CMRW. As for the registration fee, it’s $297.
5. Certified Career Storyteller (CCST)
This certificate from the CDI comes with its own training program. The specialty of this program is that it trains writers to incorporate storytelling materials into their clients’ resumes. This breathes life into the resumes and makes them pop.
Now that you know what it does let’s see how to get resume writing certification for the CCST.
Training Plan
The training is divided into 17 modules that are divided into 6 parts. Writers have to clear each module before proceeding to the next one. Overall, depending on the learning speed of the writer, it can take 18 to 40 hours.
Submission of the Portfolio
As the final task for the program, all candidates will be asked to create a story-based portfolio showcasing what they’ve learned. This portfolio will be reviewed, and after approval, the candidate can become eligible for the CCST certificate.
Pricing for the CCST
Like any other resume writing training program out there, the CCST comes with a large price tag. You have to be a member of the CDI in order to sign up for the program. But you also need to pay a whopping $2997!
Key Takeaways
Doesn’t matter if you’ve started writing recently or if you’re already an expert. A resume writing certification always helps out. You can find resume writing courses and certificates on other platforms too.
A common question that gets asked is, “Are Udemy certificates valid?” Yes, they are, and you can learn all about it from us.
If you work hard to hone your pen and manage to get the certificate, you will surely get rewarded for it. If you’ve ever wondered how much resume writers charge if they have a certificate and a list of the best resume writing certifications, why don’t you take a look at it here and find out?
FAQ
What is the best resume writing certification?
Different certifications test you for different things. You should figure out what you’re good at before you start the process for any certificate. Look for one that’s cost-effective while also evaluating and certifying your specialities.
Where can I get a resume writing certification?
You can check out the different certificate programs from CDI or a similar organization. Browse through the different programs and find the certificate that resonates with your skills the most.
Is resume writing certification worthwhile?
Given that you get more writing jobs because of a resume writing certification, it’s definitely worth getting one.
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