Last year, Career Directors International embarked on a unique competition to find find the World’s Best Resume Writers. The competition was open to any English-writing individual in the world who wanted to try their hand at professional resume writing. It was standardised by providing all candidates the same note files.

Two separate competitions were hosted with industry professional judges and the general public:

• Panel of Industry professionals selected their top three nominees and the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners.
• Public voters (via Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter) selected their 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners from the top three nominees.

From the public vote, I won second place with my resume here
From the professional industry vote, I was awarded third place

Press Release: LOCAL BUSINESS OWNER RECOGNISED WITH INAUGURAL LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Gayle Howard, Founder and Managing Director of Top Margin Career Marketing Group of Services, was recognised for her contributions to the careers industry with a Master Career Professional Lifetime Achievement Award from Career Directors International (CDI). Recognition of this calibre denotes Mrs Howard’s commitment to furthering her craft and making a difference to job seekers which was measured across numerous criteria of quality and industry longevity.

Contributing to this award were Mrs Howard’s eighteen-plus years of industry experience, commitment to growth and education with continued membership with CDI, completion of a minimum of 45 hours of industry training within the past four years, endorsement as a CDI Master Career Director (which requires extensive industry and community outreach and development of strategic and cutting-edge industry programs and services) as well as experience in a leadership, committee, or mentorship role through CDI.

The Master Career Professional Lifetime Achievement award is issued once per year at CDI’s annual conference to those individuals meeting the rigorous criteria that are required of this prestigious award. In its inaugural year, the award has only been conveyed to four members who include Gayle Howard.

Top Margin Career Marketing Group of Services offers expert resume writing and career coaching services to C-level executive clientele in the global marketplace. Their expertise is in empowering clients who wish to transition either within their existing career fields or to another industry. Mrs Howard is a recognised author, blogger, and columnist with more than eighteen and a half years of assisting clients to meet their career goals. She has been published in 22 resume writing and cover letter compilation books. In addition, she has received 13 global first prize awards for resume writing. To learn more about the Top Margin Career Marketing Group of Services visit the website www.topmargin.com

The Press Release says: Career Directors International (CDI) is pleased to announce the nominees of the 2008 TORI Awards, also known as the Toast of the Résumé Industry. Local writer Gayle Howard, owner of Top Margin Career Marketing Group of Services has been nominated for three of the top awards.

CDI’s President Laura DeCarlo, proudly states, “While winning a TORI Award represents the pinnacle of résumé writing expertise within the industry, nomination for a TORI is one of the most prestigious honors a résumé writer can achieve. Being recognized as “one of the best” by your peers is an accolade that very few get to savor. We are proud to sponsor the TORI Awards to the résumé writing and careers industry, because it highlights the work of members in our industry that so often get overlooked.”

Professional résumé writers submitted entries for the TORI Awards in May, and a panel of the industry’s top writers were selected to judge the submissions. Up to five entries have been nominated in each category, with CDI Officers making the final ruling later this month. The winning résumés and cover letters were also announced on October 18th in Seattle during CDI’s annual convention.

Career Directors International is raising the bar and setting new standards for résumé writers and career coaches worldwide. The organization provides continuing education, testing, and coaching for professional résumé writers and career coaches.

I won two awards: The most prestigious being the Master Resume Writer Lifetime Achievement Award (logo left). The second was a TORI Award for Best Resume for Career Re-Entry.