Conference Program Details

See the topic descriptions and speaker biographies below to see how the 2013 Conference will build your writing, business, and industry trend expertise! For a brief outline, view the Conference Agenda.

Wednesday, September 18

8:00 am - 12:00 pm	Preconference Workshops
11:30 am - 5:30 pm	Registration
12:30 pm - 2:00 pm	First Timers' Session
2:30 pm - 3:45 pm	Opening General Session
	Rich Feller, PhD, President, The National  Career Development Association   Rich Feller has completed projects and   presentations on 6 continents and 49 U.S. states,   and he has consulted with groups ranging from   NASA, NSF, and the United Nations to the Asian   Development Bank, Japan Institute for Social   and Economic Affairs, and Peru’s First Lady. Rich   is A Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC),   Nationally Certified Career Counselor (NCCC), a   Licensed Professional Counselor in Colorado, an   NCDA Fellow, and recipient of the NCDA   Eminent Career Award.  Back to Agenda
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm	Breakout Sessions I
	Writing for the Non-Management Crowd     Much attention is given to writing resumes for   executives and managers, but what about the   blue collar workers, nurses, teachers, customer   service reps, and entry-level job seekers? Very   often these clients have never put a resume   together, have no idea how to identify   accomplishments, and have uncommon “issues”   to overcome. During this presentation, we will   discuss strategies for dealing with too many   employers, not enough experience, gaps in   employment, and many more challenging   backgrounds, as well as how to pull information   from clients who aren’t accustomed to talking   about their skills or contributions.    Kathy Keshemberg, NCRW, has written   resumes for three decades, working with job   seekers from most industries and at all levels.   Her “niche” however, is working with non   executive candidates; i.e., nurses, teachers,   mortgage lenders, administrative support   professionals, blue collar workers, etc. She   excels at asking the right questions to get useful   information from her clients, many of whom   aren’t accustomed to identifying   accomplishments or “selling” themselves. Kathy   is one of the original members of The NRWA,    served on the first national board of directors,   and co-planned the very first conference in   Chicago, as well as five more.  Back to Agenda  Register Now!    Resumes for Leaders & Volunteer  Leaders   As resume writers, it is important to separate   leaders from managers, focus on individual skill   sets, and describe to employers how job   seekers will impact the organization. This   presentation will give you insights into the   direction of global employers and reveal secrets   in city/state and social media outlets.   Elizabeth Harper is the President and CEO of   Henry & Harper Professional Employee   Relations, LLC. An accomplished corporate   professional and business maven, Elizabeth has   16 years of management experience with   Fortune 50 to 500 corporations and a background   in industrial psychology, public relations,   organizational management, and human   resources management.   Back to Agenda  Register Now!
5:00 pm - 6:30 pm	Reception

Thursday, September 19

7:45 am - 4:30 pm	Registration
8:00 am - 8:30 am	Breakfast & Networking
8:30 am - 9:30 am	General Session II
	Great Candidate, Great Resume, But No  Job Offers       Have you ever written 'drop-dead gorgeous'   resumes for first-rate candidates, but later   learned the discouraging news that they're   stuck, stalled, or spinning their wheels? Join us   as master career and job search coach Susan   Whitcomb offers simple solutions and practical   tools that you can implement the minute you   get home, even if you aren't a coach!  Susan Whitcomb is a leading authority on   career, job search, and "career-comm"   certification training for resume writers, job   search strategists, and career coaches. She is the   author of seven careers books, including the   best-selling Resume Magic, Interview Magic,   Job Search Magic, and, award-winning Twitter   Job Search Guide (JIST). An inspirational   presenter and engaging trainer, Susan has   logged more than 3,000 hours leading webinar   and live coach-training instruction for the   Certified Career Management Coach program,   Certified Job Search Strategist program,   Certified G3 Coach, and Certified Social Media   Career Strategist program offered through   www.TheAcademies.com.  Back to Agenda  Register Now!
9:45 am - 10:45 am	General Session III
	Brand Yourself Online®!  "I don't want to be on LinkedIn because I  value my privacy." "I don't have time for  Facebook." "My Google results don't reflect  how people really think of me."  We hear these types of statement from our  clients all the time. Even when we have  invested in social media, it's not always easy  to keep it up. In this presentation, Kirsten   Vernon shares her latest streamlined and   practical approaches to online reputation  management for successful, busy  professionals. You'll gain a doable framework  for guiding your clients and improving your  own online presence. You'll learn: Five steps to having an online brand of which you are proud Three things everyone should do at a minimum Tips for standing out from the competition How to tell a consistent brand story across communication platforms Ways to help control how others shape your brand online  Kirsten Vernon is the personal branding and  online identity expert for positive influencers  who want to profit from their ideas. She is  the coauthor of Career Distinction: Stand  Out by Building Your Brand (Wiley) and How  to Take Your Bio from Bland to Brand. As  the program facilitator for Reach Personal  Branding, Kirsten has trained more personal  branding strategists than anyone worldwide.  She has been quoted widely in the press and  has appeared as a guest on The Today  Show. Learn more at  www.kirstenvernon.com  Back to Agenda  Register Now!
10:45 am - 11:15 am	Speed Networking
11:30 am - 12:30 pm	Breakout Sessions II
	Challenges of the Military Client  Working with military personnel is both   rewarding and challenging. Trying to understand   their terminology, backgrounds, and limitations   present some of the most difficult challenges to   those of us who write resumes or coach these   individuals. This session is designed to help   you, the writer or coach, determine the best   presentation method and advise your client on   what opportunities best fit their particular   personality and limitations.    Greg Bridgeman, NCRW, is a retired Army   officer who has worked with military clients   since the early 1980s. In addition to working in   the resume writing industry, he has served as an   Army Career Alumni Counselor at Fort Campbell   and as a Transition Assistance Counselor at   Millington Naval Station. Greg is a past   president of the National Resume Writers’   Association and has served as the ethics chair   and a regional representative.  Back to Agenda  Register Now!    Effective Career Marketing Tools for  Multicultural Clients  Learn how to craft interview-generating career   documents for diverse clients; specific   strategies for writing resumes, online profiles,   and cover letters; and how to empower   multicultural clients to leverage their most   marketable strengths. This presentation will   cover the development of effective   multicultural career marketing documents,   sourcing trends, essential keywords, diversity   specific career marketing approaches, and   employer contact points.    Pat Kendall is a Nationally Certified Resume   Writer (NCRW) with 25+ years' experience and a   specialization in keyword-based resumes. An   early leader in the field of electronic resumes,   she offers unique “in the trenches” knowledge   of the web-based job market.  A former   presidents and certification chair of the   National Resume Writers’ Association, Pat is   principal of Advanced Resume Concepts and   serves as the resume services program director   for www.MulticulturalResumes.com.   Murray A. Mann is a nationally recognized   diversity-inclusion thought leader with 30+   years of senior-level experience in the private,   public, and not-for-profit sectors. In 2010, he   was named the National Society of Hispanic   MBAs’ (NSHMBA) recipient of the Brillante   Award for Entrepreneurial Excellence, Chicago   Association of Minority Recruiters’ (CAMR)   Entrepreneur of the Year, and Latinos in Social   Media’s (LATISM) Best Latin@ Business Blogger.   A past vice president of the National Resume   Writers’ Association, Murray co-founded Global   Diversity Solutions Group and   MulticulturalResumes.com and co-authored   Barron’s The Complete Job Search Guide for    Latinos.  Back to Agenda  Register Now!    Selling Products & Services through  Partners: Licensing & Distribution  Join Jason Alba in this breakout session to learn   more about the idea of “earning money while   you sleep.” That is, how do you create a product   or service and sell it to or through other   companies instead of selling directly to the   consumer? Why would you do this, how do you   set it up, and how do you get those companies   excited about it? This will be a candid   conversation about joint ventures, affiliate   programs, licensing arrangements, and more.  Jason Alba is the founder and CEO of   JibberJobber.com, a web-based system to   organize and manage a job search.  Jason is a   certified Personal Branding Strategist and   popular blogger and speaker about career   management and social tools for professionals.   The author of I’m on LinkedIn – Now What??? ,   Jason speaks to thousands of professionals each   year and helps tens of thousands manage their   careers.  Back to Agenda  Register Now!
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm	Lunch with Your Region
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm	Breakout Sessions III
	Outside the Norm: Creating Effective  Federal Resumes  Learn to help your clients navigate the complex   world of federal hiring, analyze job   announcements, review occupational   questionnaires, identify and use keywords, and   create an effective, targeted federal-style   resume.  Nancy H. Segal, CFRW, has 30+ years of   federal human resources experience and   coaches applicants on their federal job   searches, including how to analyze and   interpret federal vacancy announcements and   respond to the occupational questionnaires.    Nancy works with civilian, military, and private   sector clients from entry-level through Senior   Executive Service candidates.  Back to Agenda  Register Now!    Bios & LinkedIn Profiles . . . Even Without  the Resume!  Most resume writers have written professional   biographies or LinkedIn profiles; yet, they have   probably all been for job seekers. Did you know   that you can provide this same service to   corporations? In this session, you’ll learn how to   write bios and LinkedIn profiles to meet   corporate requirements, how to get the   information you need, how to price these   services for a corporate contract, and how to   streamline the process so you can complete   these documents efficiently!  Charlotte Weeks, CCMC, NCRW, CPRW, is   president of Weeks Career Services, Inc. and co   founder of MarketMyCareer.com. She is past   president of the National Resume Writers’   Association, an author of I Want to Work in an   Association – Now What?? and a featured   author of 101 Great Ways to Enhance Your   Career. Charlotte specializes in providing   career coaching and marketing documents to   executive-level clients.  Back to Agenda  Register Now!  Low-Tech Solutions to Make Your  Business Life Easier  Can you track where your business is coming   from? Is it easy to find critical pieces of paper?   Do you know how to build business without   spending a dime? In this session, you will learn   how to track and organize your business with   low-cost tools that you may already have in   your office.   Robert Bronstein, MBA, took over the   management of ProFile Research in 1990.   Working almost exclusively with resume writers   and career counselors, the firm has assisted   more than 4,000 people in their career   transitions. Bob was a founding member of the   Career Master Institute Master Team. He earned   an MBA in marketing from the Wharton   Graduate Division of the University of   Pennsylvania and an AB from Harvard College.  Back to Agenda  Register Now!
3:15 pm - 4:15 pm	Breakout Sessions IV
	International Resumes  Understand how cultural context, information   placement, writing style, and translation play a   pivotal role in resume creation for the European   and Asian marketplace. This presentation will   also teach you about international business   etiquette and social settings. Earn the   confidence to successfully assist your client in   knowing what to do once they land a position in   the U.S. or overseas and how to prepare for   return to their home country.  Myriam-Rose Kohn, CPRW, ICJTC, CCMC,  CCM, CPBS, CJSS, G3, and Accredited  Translator, is a multilingual career strategist   and recognized international resume expert.   She coaches her clients on landing international   positions, cultural adaptability, and etiquette.   She authored Creating a Resume for Foreign   Markets and contributed to Five Tips for   Writing CVs for Overseas Employers for Wall   Street Journal’s CareerJournal.com.  Back to Agenda  Register Now!    Guess Who? Helping Millennials Establish  Their Brand   Every millennial needs to identify, define, and   establish a professional brand. Working with   millennial clients requires the ability to take a   limited or varied professional background and   pinpoint experiences, achievements, and   transferable skills to creatively write   professional documents that establish a fluid   brand from paper to social media. Writing for   millennials becomes more complex when their   professional aspirations lack clarity which   requires techniques to strategically craft a brand   that is attractive to multiple industries. Join our   session to learn strategies for conducting   intrusive informational interviews, composing a   brand, and implementing a brand campaign   with social media that targets multiple   industries to get your clients hired!   Gala Jackson, M.Ed., is a higher education   professional with more than six years of career   development experience. She has served as a   supervisor, hiring manager, and search   committee member for numerous institutions.   A member of the National Resume Writers’   Association, Gala holds a BFA in Speech   Communication with an emphasis in   Organizational Communication and an M.Ed.   with an emphasis in Higher Education   Administration.   Back to Agenda  Register Now!  Setting YOUR Course: Business Myths  You Don't Have to Embrace to Succeed  Do you doubt the way you want to run your   business based on what you hear constitutes a   successful, profitable operation? Do you find   yourself adopting certain business practices that   don’t feel quite right just because you believe   you must remain competitive? In this session   we’ll debunk some resume business myths and   help you prioritize your personal path to   professional fulfillment and success.  Melanie Lenci, CPRW, CEIP, is the designer   and operator of Denver-based Resume Relief.   She holds a Masters in Technology Management   (MOTM) degree, has been published in multiple   career resources and in 2011 she earned a TORI   award for Best LinkedIn Profile. Melanie has   followed her own path to creating a business   she loves and hopes that by sharing some of her   personal tales of successes and misjudgments   she will assist other résumé writers in   establishing and living through the business of   their dreams.   Ruth Pankratz, MBA, is a Certified Professional   Resume Writer and published author whose   background includes expertise in resume   writing, job search and interview assistance,   and small business marketing. She is the owner   of Gabby Communication and has helped   thousands of clients since 2005. With active    memberships in National Resume Writers’   Association (NRWA), Professional Association of   Resume Writers (PARW), National Association   of Workforce Development Professionals   (NAWDP), and Climate Wise, Ruth is dedicated   to providing outstanding client results.  Back to Agenda  Register Now!
5:30 pm	Boat Tour (Optional)

Friday, September 20

8:15 am - 4:45 pm	Registration
8:30 am - 9:00 am	Breakfast & Networking
9:00 am - 10:00 am	General Session IV
	Powerful Questions & Techniques to  Move from Being Stuck to Kick-Butt  At some point, we’ve all been stuck and   experienced dissatisfaction that comes from not   achieving results. How do we move forward? As   Career Professionals our clients go through this   same experience and look to us to offer   professional insights. Learn how to identify the   core issues that prevent us from moving   forward in life and take away powerful   questions and techniques to go from being   Stuck in a Rut to Kicking some Butt!    Heather Wieshlow, MCD, CPPM, JCTC,  CTC, the owner of Turning Point Coaching and   Counseling, has helped thousands of   professionals gain clarity during their career   transitions since 1998. She has worked with   individuals across numerous industries in all   aspects of Career Discovery, Career Design, and   Career Development. Her energetic, personal,   insightful, and interactive style combines 20+   years of business expertise with a solid   foundation based on holistic principles and real   world common sense. Heather is a Graduate of   the Newfield Coaching for Professional and   Professional Mastery Program (CPPM), Master   Career Director (MCD), and a certified Job and   Career Transition Coach (JCTC). She also holds a   Career Transition Coach Certification from   Chapman University.   Back to Agenda  Register Now!
10:15 am - 11:15 am	Breakout Sessions V
	Word Economy in Cover Letters   Potential employers reading cover letters are   not only assessing qualifications; they are   evaluating applicants' communication skills. In   this interactive workshop, you will learn how to   create clear, concise cover letters using   sophisticated, powerful, and economical   language. You'll learn how to set up an   attention-getting first sentence, followed by a   preview of your clients' qualifications. We'll   cover stand-alone sentence writing and   paragraph organization. Finally, you'll learn how   to reduce wordiness such that your document   will convey sophistication and professionalism.   Conne Reece, PhD, CPRW, is a professor of   Communication at Lock Haven University in   Pennsylvania.  Her areas of expertise include   business speaking and writing, public relations,   resume and cover letter writing, interviewing,   and intercultural communication.  Back to Agenda  Register Now!  SEO for Your Business? How Google is  Changing Everything  Google hates SEO? Well, maybe "hate" is a  little strong. Still, SEO continues to evolve  and so should your tactics for getting found  on the Internet. Content is king, and Google  Plus plays an increasingly important role.  This gives writers an advantage on the  search engines! Avery Cohen of Metrist  Partners will discuss: The latest trends in SEO SEO best practices, including developing and managing a content plan for your site Using Google Analytics to get the most out of your SEO and produce better results  Avery J. Cohen, Principal of Metrist Partners  helps marketers use interactive media to  gain actionable insights into customer  needs. He has helped companies rethink  their brand experience, optimize web sites,  and troubleshoot drops in traffic or  conversion rates on web sites. Prior to  founding Metrist Partners, Avery held  leadership positions in information  technology and business intelligence.  Back to Agenda  Register Now!
11:30 am - 12:30 pm	General Session V
	HR / Recruiter Panel
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm	Awards Lunch
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm	Breakout Sessions VI
	Solving Tough Resume Problems with  Strategic Formatting  Think about the most difficult resume you’ve   written. Chances are the client had a   problematic background: multiple short-term   jobs, entrepreneurial ventures, nontraditional   work experience, irrelevant jobs…or all of the   above! As resume writers, we know it’s critical   to position our clients correctly, but how do you   handle those tough resume problems? In this   session, we’ll explore common resume   challenges and how strategic formatting can   solve them.     Michelle Swanson, NCRW, CPRW, owns and   operates Resume Results in Edwardsville, IL.   She works with job seekers across many career   fields, but her passion is for “problem resumes”   and clients with nontraditional work histories.   She describes herself as a “career interpreter,”   creating resumes for job seekers going through   significant career transitions.  An Air Force   veteran, she is in high demand particularly   among military personnel preparing for   retirement or separation.  Back to Agenda  Register Now!  Virtual Resumes with WordPress   Learn how to create a virtual resume and   blogging platform for your clients through   WordPress. Give them a personalized web   presence with custom formatted resumes,   pictures, graphs, and links to show all of their   accomplishments. Help them draw attention to   their expertise through an active blog which   allows threaded comments and links to Twitter,   Facebook, and LinkedIn. This can all be   accomplished FREE through WordPress and this   presentation will show you how.  Chuck Stratton, MBA, CFP, is a former State   Director at Great Western Bank (Securities),   Regional Vice President with AIG, and a Career   Services Manager at Brigham Young University   in Hawaii. Currently, he is the Director of   Education at Remington College in Honolulu.   Chuck launched a combination of WordPress   websites through his personal company,   ImTheNet LLC. These sites provide a way for   consumers to create their own resume and   small business sites, and are also a venue for   resume writers and web designers to charge a   fee for providing site content.   Back to Agenda  Register Now!
3:15 pm - 4:45 pm	Closing General Session
	Social Media for the Masses: The Right  Mix for Success!     In this practical and interactive session, Laura   and Miriam will explain how and why social   media is helpful for job seekers (and small   business owners -- that's you)! They'll provide   stories and examples to outline how to get   started on a successful social media path so   you'll be able to advise your clients more   effectively and confidently.  Learn which social   media networks are right for which clients (and   for career professionals too!) and get specific   social media tips, tools, and strategies to   structure an efficient and effective social   networking protocol.  Laura Labovich, President of The Career   Strategy Group, is a job search makeover coach,   award-winning career innovator and resume   writer, and former recruiter with Disney and   America Online, Inc. She is the co-author of 100   Conversations for Career Success: Learn to   Network, Cold-Call and Tweet Your Way to a   Dream Job, an Amazon Top 100 Job Hunting   book of scripts about what to say and how to say   it in your job search.  Miriam Salpeter, owner of Keppie Careers, is a   social media and job search strategist,   consultant, and speaker. She is author of Social   Networking for Career Success and co-author of   two other acclaimed job search and social media   books. CNN, The Wall Street Journal, and other   media outlets recognize Miriam as a go-to   authority. She shares timely strategies in her   weekly U.S. News & World Report and   AolJobs.com columns and blogs at   KeppieCareers.com.  Back to Agenda  Register Now!

As we secure the last few speakers and have the program descriptions proofread, we will be updating the site. Check back for more information!