CDI has established the CERW to provide senior professional resume writers with the challenge to demonstrate excellence in working at an expert level of resume writing. The CERW is CDI's top tier and second level of resume certification.

All New Process!

A seasoned resume writer and career developer is an excellent candidate for the Certified Expert Resume Writer (CERW) distinction. CDI's new CERW process is a 3-step, test-free, portfolio evaluation process that will, upon approval by the certification committee, elevate you to the distinction of "Expert" resume writer.

To apply and qualify for the CERW, you must meet the following credentialing requirement:

 
  • Possess a recognized resume certification (e.g., CARW, MRW, NCRW, CPRW, CMRS).

You must submit the following materials for consideration:

1.

Seven (7) professional resumes, one (1) ASCII resume conversion and two (2) cover letter samples along with a brief description for each one of (a) the project situation / challenge, (b) explanation of choices for document style and information inclusion and (c) job seeker results (if known). Preferred topics include*:

 
  - Executive Resume  
  - Career Change Resume  
  - New Graduate Resume  
  - Technical Resume (e.g., engineer, scientist, technician, IT pro)  
  - Professional Resume (e.g., manager, director, physician, account exec.)  
  - Re-Entry into the Workforce Resume  
  - Resume of Your Choice  
  - ASCII Conversion Resume of Your Choice  
  - Cover Letters (2) of Your Choice  
     
  * Substitutions may be acceptable upon approval. Please contact us at info@careerdirectors.com or 321-752-0442 / 888-867-7972 to evaluate your situation.  
   
2. Detailed biography or resume that accurately and completely describes your experience, industry contributions and accomplishments.
 
   
3. Choose one of the following:
 

Essay of no less than 1000 words on your philosophy and approach to resume writing, and why you feel you are a qualified candidate to be awarded the CERW credential.

 
               (OR)  
  Article of no less than 1000 words on a topic about or relating to resume writing that demonstrates your knowledge and expertise.  

View a Sample Portfolio below. Download CERW Resume Evaluation form for a better understanding of the scoring process. Download CERW Article and Letter Evaluation form.

Read what CDI CERWs have to say about earning this credential.

Application procedure:

Pay the credential registration fee of $250.00. 

Submit all materials in MS Word or PDF format to info@careerdirectors.com. Each resume, cover letter, biography and philosophy essay must be submitted in a separate document but can be sent as attachments to one email.

For each resume and cover letter, your description of the situation and challenge should be included on the final page of the document. Please DO NOT send it in a separate document.

To ensure proper processing make sure that the saved name of each document includes your last name. (e.g., Johnson_Executive.doc, Johnson_philosophy.doc, Johnson_bio.doc). This is for our tracking purposes, but your name will be removed to maintain confidentiality of identity in the blind review process by our certification committee.

Note: Resumes that use unique or unusual fonts should be saved to preserve fonts as graphics before being submitted in MS Word. If you have any doubt, we recommend you save it as a PDF.

Application review process:

Upon receipt, your application materials will be submitted blind to members of the certification committee for review and approval.

Standard review and evaluation period is 4-6 weeks upon which you will be notified of the final status of your application. Portfolios not meeting the standards of the CERW credential will be counseled on an individual basis to determine appropriate steps for remediation.

Should more than one additional submission (recognized as a second portfolio) be required to fulfill the needs of the CERW credentialing process, an added processing fee of $95 will be applied.

Upon committee approval you will be conferred and awarded the CERW designation, which will include use of the logo for print and web, sample press release and certificate.

Register now!

CDI membership is a prerequisite for registration. For more information on membership visit the Join page.

Update requirements:

In order to demonstrate your commitment to staying abreast of industry changes, the CERW credential must be renewed every three years for a fee of $75.00. For consideration you must submit:

1. Four sample resumes of your choice

2. One cover letter sample of your choice

3. Updated biography

Update requirements and active membership are a prerequisite of retaining the CERW credential. CDI reserves the right to revoke this credential if these requirements are not met and maintained. Download the Renewal Form.

Why is renewal necessary? Because the craft of resume writing is dynamic and is swiftly changing with the advances in computer technology and applicant tracking / scanning as well as emerging legal issues involving resume fraud. These are just a few concerns that make it necessary for professionals to demonstrate ongoing education and knowledge of modern resume writing techniques.

Renew now!

View a Sample CERW Portfolio:

The following portfolio was successfully submitted by Susan Guarneri of www.Resume-Magic.com:
 

- Executive Resume

 

- Career Change Resume

 

- New Graduate Resume

 

- Technical Resume

 

- Professional Resume

 

- Re-Entry into the Workforce Resume

 

- Resume of Your Choice

 

- ASCII Conversion Resume of Your Choice

 

- Cover Letter I

 

- Cover Letter II

 

- Personal Resume of Applicant

 

- Article

About our Certification Committee:

 

The CERW credentialing program was restructured under the guidance of the CDI's highly-talented, global Certification Committee. Hand-picked to represent the best-of-the-best of the industry and its various resume certification procedures, the committee's members include:

 

  • Certification Chair: Gayle Howard, CERW, MCD, CPRW, CCM, BIC, HRCC, CWPP, CARW - Top Margin Resumes Online, Melbourne, Australia

  • Laura DeCarlo, CERW, MCD, CCM, CWPP, CCRE, CECC, CCMC, IJCTC, 360 Reach, CEIC, BA - CDI & ACECS, LLC, Melbourne, Florida

  • Patricia Duckers, CERW, CPRW, CEIP, CWPP, CMRW, CFRW, CFRWC - CareerPro Global, Inc., Edison, New Jersey

  • Annemarie Cross, CERW, CPRW, CEIP, CECC, CWPP, CCM - Advanced Employment Concepts, Victoria, Australia

  • Tom Albano, CARW - All Star Career Services, Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey

  • Barb Poole, CERW, CARW, CCMC, CPRW, PHR, BS - Hire Imaging, St Cloud, Minnesota

  • Gillian "Jill" Kelly, CERW, CARW, ATSC - Career Edge, Queensland, Australia

  • Cory Edwards, CERW, CWPP, CFRW, CCRP, CCMC, CRW, CECC - Resumes4Results, Sterling, Virginia

For more information contact CDI at info@careerdirectors.com or call 321-752-0442 / 888-867-7972.

 
 
     
 
     

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