Snapshot

By Sandra Lim

PRWRA – Professional Résumé Writing and Research Association

Founded in 2000, PRWRA, is an organization dedicated to the empowerment and individual growth of its members through collaboration, improved industry awareness of career professionals and their services, and education / certification. PRWRA’s mission is to “empower its global members to utilize innovative resources in their complete career development/transition practices, in accordance with ethical business standards, and in continuous dialogue with its members, keeping pace with the 21st century careers industry.”

Laura DeCarlo, who has served as VP, Awards and Presentations, will assume presidency of the organization this year. She cites PRWRA’s focus on “professionals empowering professionals” as one of its greatest attributes.

Membership primarily consists of, but is not limited to, owners of résumé writing and/or career coaching businesses. PRWRA is truly an international organization, boasting members from not only North America, but Barbados, Bermuda, China, Germany, Greece, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, Puerto Rico, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, and the United Kingdom.

Members are offered many certification opportunities unique to the industry:

  • Certified Resume Writer (CRW)
  • Certified Expert Resume Writer (CERW)
  • Certified Master Resume Writer (CMRW)
  • Certified Electronic Career Coach (CECC)
  • Certified Career Research Professional (CCRP)
  • Certified Federal Resume Writer (CFRW)
  • Certified Web Portfolio Professional (CWPP)

Additional membership benefits include a PRWRA’s popular annual convention for learning and networking. The 2005 Convention will take place in Las Vegas.

Website: www.prwra.com

 

Contact:

Laura DeCarlo
President
lauraads@aol.com
Tel: 1-888-86-PRWRA (77972)

Sandra Lim, CPRW, CCM, CECC, Cert. Cybercounseling
newcareer@abetterimpression.com

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A Publisher’s Commentary on Assessment Tools

By Angus McMurty

I got my introduction to assessment tools in the late 90’s. I was working with a number of other researchers on Career Cruising’s occupational database. We had just completed putting together several hundred in-depth occupation profiles and almost one thousand multimedia interviews for our CD-ROM and online versions of Career Cruising.

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Seven Habits for Effective Career Assessments

By Roberta Neault

In writing about the use of career assessments, Spencer Niles, president of the National Career Development Association in the US, cautions, “[Some] practitioners… conceptualize career counselling as a process of administering tests and providing occupational information. Such views freeze career counselling at the turn of the last century.” (Niles & Harris–Bowlsbey, 2002, p. 123). Thankfully, most of today’s career practitioners have moved far beyond this “test and tell” approach to career decision–making. However, appropriate use of career assessments can certainly assist clients and career practitioners to form a clear picture of skills, interests, values, personal style, barriers and other characteristics that might impact job satisfaction or career success.

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The Evolution of Assessment Technology: An Ontario School Counsellor’s Perspective

By Marc Verhoeve

Last month, I was cleaning out some cupboards in our Counseling Office when I came across the Occupational Card Sort. The concept of the use of an awl to continually release occupational cards whenever an additional parameter was chosen was brilliant in its apparent simplicity. The evolution of career assessment from this low–tech tool to the present web–based assessment “virtual tools” in less than thirty years is extraordinary!

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Lessons Learned from “Honouring Boundaries” Presentation

By Sandra Lim

I had the opportunity to hear Gillian Johnston deliver a presentation entitled Honouring Boundaries at the OACDP 2001 Annual General Meeting. Using Gillian’s presentation as a framework, this article will highlight the insights I gained with respect to several different boundary issues including: professional, time, and information boundary issues.

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ETHICS: Do We Do What We Say We Will Do?

By Gisela Theurer and Roberta Neault

Jennifer works in an agency that provides employment services to individuals with disabilities1 . One of her colleagues, Margaret, has been struggling with her workload and the stress of the job, and is occasionally very abrupt and impatient with clients. Jennifer observes this behaviour, and tries to talk to Margaret, who brushes her off. Management of the agency appears tolerant of Margaret’s behaviour, as she is a long–term employee and her productivity appears satisfactory.

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Stevens’ Model of Career Development

Paul Stevens approached us at Contact Point to provide feedback on the SUPER SERIES (Vol. 7 No. 1). Contact Point encourages all Bulletin readers to comment on the articles presented and submit their contributions. See back page for details.

By Paul Stevens

It is inevitable that, as time passes, researchers or practitioners in career and worklife counselling evolve new theories and models or refine those already well known. The Stevens’ Model of Career Development is one of them. I devised an early version of the model in 1981 and since that date, considerable refinements and extensions have been made.

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New Programs and Initiatives

By Melissa Martin

Teleseminars

A new dimension of online learning has burst on the scene and the US is leading the way. Canada, with its distinction of being a leader in the career field, is lagging behind our neighbours to the south. Teleseminars are changing the learning landscape and burning up the telephone lines with individuals who yearn for an alternative means of learning.

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Book Club

Ethical Guidelines for Ontario School Counsellors
Ontario School Counsellors Association
www.osca.ca
Naylor Publications Co., 2003

The Ethical Guidelines publication developed by the Ontario School Guidance Counsellors provides a very informative and descriptive framework to assist School Guidance Counsellors in clarifying their professional, ethical and legal responsibilities.

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Privacy Compliance in an Online Environment: Eight Steps to Build and Maintain the Trust of Website Users

By Tracey Helten, Associate Consultant for Canadian Career Partners

If the owner of your favourite coffee shop told you that you couldn’t set foot in the store unless you provided your date of birth, name, address and email––would you go in? Without knowing why personal information was needed to buy a cup of coffee, or what the owner was intending to do with it, you would likely find another coffee shop. But if the owner explained that the information was only going to be used to randomly select and contact winners of free coffee for a year, you might just consider it.

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