Award-Winning Resume Writing Strategy: Batson, Craig & Christensen

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June 26, 2024
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Resume Writers: It’s our final show with top resume writing tips, TORI advice and award-winning strategy from former TORI winners.

Joining me this week are guests:

Bridget Batson, CERM, CMRW, CGRA, CPRW, CEIP, NCOPE of Houston Outplacement Resume Writing and Career Counseling
Catharine Craig, M.Ed., ACRW, CCMC, CPRW, CCST of Great Big World Writing
Paula Christensen, CGRA, CEIC of Strategic Career Coaches.

During the interview they have answered:

How many years have you been entering and how many/what categories have you won? (Ex., Classic Executive, High Design Sales). Not looking for whether it was 1st place or 3rd.
Did you enter any years before you started getting nominated/winning? Any lesson there as to why you kept entering and what you did differently?
What software do you use to prepare your resumes?
What’s the least/most categories you have entered each year?
Why have the TORIs been important to you and what have they helped you to accomplish?
What’s one strategy would you recommend to a writer who wanted to improve their writing or design?
What’s one other tip would you give to a resume writer around entering or winning/getting nominated?
Any other resume writing advice?

There are just 22 days left to register for the 24th annual TORI resume writing awards.

The TORI competition helps to elevate the craft of professional resume writing, more necessary today than ever before as disinformation from unskilled practitioners spreads and devalues this critical service.

True professionals must stand together and focus on demonstrating the immense difference a resume created by an expert can make for job seekers.

Guest Introductions

Bridget Batson:

Bridget Batson is a 5X Tori Winner and owner of Houston Outplacement. She has composed over 8,000 resumes for her clients spanning over 25 years and has worked with clients across all levels, industries, and specialties. She is passionate about empowering others in the field and is an active member of the CDI Education Committee.

I’ll add that she also holds four resume writing certifications including CDI’s Certified Master Resume Writer, Certified Executive Resume Master and Certified Graphic Resume Architect.

Paula Christensen:

Paula Christensen is a Certified Professional Resume Writer and Interview Coach who helps position clients to get noticed so they can land jobs they love.

Paula’s expertise has been recognized in several publications, including Resumes for Dummies (2019), Expert Resumes and LinkedIn Profiles for Managers and Executives (2020), and The Ferguson Guide to Resumes and Job-Hunting Skills (2021). Her contributions to the field have also earned her three TORI awards, a source of immense pride for her. In addition to providing resume and interview prep services, she also offers job search workshops and outplacement presentations.

I’ll also add that among her credentials, Paula holds CDI’s Certified Graphic Resume Architect credential.

Catharine Craig:

Catharine Craig is a 3X certified resume writer with 3 TORI awards under her belt and more than 15 years of experience. Her superpower is thick-skinned persistence. Since her beginnings, she has been blessed to learn from the best while subcontracting for industry experts including Emily Kapit, Kim Baker, Michelle Dumas, and Brenda Bernstein.

I’ll add that among her credentials, Catharine holds CDI’s Certified Career Storyteller credential.

Guest Resume Writing & TORI Tips

There is so much great advice provided by my guests in the show today. Here are short highlights of some of their advice:

Catharine Craig:

“There is no such thing as too much editing (with resumes).

Find yourself a top-tier proofreader. If possible, have two proofreaders review your work.”

“Enter the TORI categories that best suit your practice.

If you have the most experience doing classic design resume rather than high design, don’t be afraid of entering those!”

Paula Christensen:

“Showcase your unique style (in resumes).

While adhering to best practices, let your personal style and voice shine through. This will help your entry stand out.

If you try to copy other designs you have seen, you won’t differentiate.”

“Tailor resumes for their audience.

Customize your resume entry for your client’s specific role or industry.

When I look back at entries that didn’t win, my design was impressive but didn’t make much sense for the client’s field. It didn’t support the bigger picture.”

Bridget Batson:

“Innovate:

Draw inspiration from (the resumes of) others, but use that knowledge as a foundation to develop your own distinctive style.

Set new trends and let your unique brand shine through, showcasing your creativity and originality.”

“Don’t underestimate the power of white space (or negative space) in your resume composition.

It guides the eye through the design, creating a more pleasant visual experience.

By giving each element on the page room to breathe, you’ll naturally achieve a harmonious balance between positive and negative space.”

Replay & Next Livestream

We’re taking a break next week with Independence Day happening a day later.

While this event concludes our series of TORI winner interviews, I’ll be back the following Wed, 7/10 with two more weeks of TORI advice before registration closes on 7/18.

The plan is to review TORI-winning resumes live to point out what makes them shine. My focus will be on the classic resume category winners from 2023.

Again, we’ve streaming on CDI’s LinkedIn page, YouTube channel, and in our Facebook page (almost) every Wednesday at 3:45 PM Eastern. And, don’t forget to like, follow, and subscribe so you stay in the know!