Are You Losing Money With Your Resume?

When the economy is declining , unemployment is elevated, and you see your emergency reserves dwindling while you try to find a new job, it may seem counter to your instincts to actually pay for help with your resume. This is true whether you are employed or unemployed, whether you are a new grad looking for your first job or a seasoned C-level executive: If you are looking for a new job your competition is stiff! You're likely competing against many other job hunters for far fewer job opportunities. The longer you are in the job market, the more it costs you. Someone who is used to making $50,000 per year is losing $950 every single week that he remains without a job. From that perspective, could it be foolishly stubborn to refuse help and keep struggling on your own, needlessly making your job search longer than it needs to be? Could it actually be a smart investment in yourself to work with a professional who knows how to get you noticed among the masses, can help you win interviews against the competition, and can help you negotiate a salary higher than before? Of course!

Many people insist that they can cut costs by writing their own resume. It's only a piece of paper after all! Then they spend week after week, month after month in a unsuccessful job search, hardly ever getting an invitation for an interview. In the end, their thriftiness costs them a great deal of money, even more time, many lost opportunities, and more stress than it was all worth.

Professional resume writers -- those who take their craft seriously, attend regular trainings, pursue certifications, and make a real effort to keep their skills cutting edge -- can make an astonishingly positive difference in your job search. Whatever they charge you for their services, which may have originally seemed like an expense, will clearly become an investment. And unlike many investments, this is one that could pay you back over and over. The truth is that a truly superb professionally developed resume will almost always SAVE you money and MAKE you money by getting your resume noticed and getting you interviews ahead of the crowd helping you land a job FAR FASTER and usually at a HIGHER SALARY than you would have achieved on your own.

Once you have recognized and admitted that a professionally written resume isn't a luxury, but a necessity, how do you go about finding a service provider to help you? How do you make your selection? Here are a few guidelines to help you.

*** Ask if they have a portfolio of sample resumes you can review

Resume writing is an expert craft that calls for a very uncommon combination of strategic thinking abilities, strong creativity and writing skills, and up-to-date knowledge of the employment market and resume expectations. You should look for firms that write from "scratch" and create distinctive resumes for each and every client. Templates are a no-no as they give your resume a "cookie-cutter" look that just makes you blend in rather than stand out. By viewing past work, you can gain a sense of the firm's style and their attention to detail. Showing you actual unedited samples would be a red flag to avoid that provider as they would be violating client confidentiality. However, most firms have at least a few projects which they have "neutralized," removing or changing all identifying data so that they can show them to prospective clients. Many resume writers actually publish samples on the web and contribute to books on resume writing. You should never hire a writer without first reviewing their portfolio of sample projects and being certain you are comfortable with their style and quality.

*** Check out the credentials of the writer

Certifications are proof that the writer takes her expertise seriously and is committed to professional excellence. It is surprising for many people to hear that there are professional associations for resume writers, but there are! Two of the best known include NRWA and PARW/CC, and many professional resume writers belong to these and other associations that serve the career coaching and employment services profession in general. Most of these organizations offer their own version of training and certification programs. It is possible to find a good writer who has not achieved certification, but choosing a certified professional ensures that you are working with a writer whose work has passed the rigorous examination of her peers and whose knowledge of the industry has been tested. Some of the tests and programs are more rigorous than others. The most significant certifications have prerequisites, examine a number of areas of competence, use a blind grading process, and have annual training requirements to maintain the writer's skill and certification.

*** Ask for testimonial letters

You wouldn't want your resume writer just giving out your personal details to prospective new clients. You should be tolerant of the fact that professional ethics and confidentiality agreements will prevent resume writers from giving you the actual names of past clients. In fact, you may want to be wary of writers who DO offer up names of past clients! But, the best writers will have gathered letters of references from past clients that they will be happy to provide to you on an anonymous basis. You could also check LinkedIn. Ask to connect with the writer and then review their references on LinkedIn. If a writer claims to have no references it should be a red flag!

*** Read and clarify what is included in the project and any policies and procedures

Even a straightforward written contract is smart to have. It doesn't have to be fancy or written in confusing legal language. A written agreement ensures that expectations are clear, and that policies and procedures have been explained and agreed upon. What services are included? Will the writer be writing a resume only or will they help with letters? Will you be given the actual computer files at the end? What if you aren't satisfied? What are the guarantees? How many editing sessions are included? How and when does the writer expect to be paid? When can you expect the project to be complete?

And last but not least...

** Realize that having your resume professionally written is an investment and you will almost surely receive returns in proportion to what you paid for

Particularly in today's business environment in which we are seeing rising unemployment, there are a number of amateur resume writing firms that are suddenly appearing on the premise of making money on the increased number of people job seeking. Many of these firms have little-to-no experience or knowledge in the industry. Does the firm you are considering have a reputable and trustworthy online identity? Do they belong to professional associations? Do they have connections in the industry? Do they have proof of trainings and workshops they've attended? Have articles or example resumes they have written been published, either on the web or in books?

Just remember that just calling yourself a resume writer doesn't make it true and that everyone marketing their services do not have equal skills. Further, the most experienced, respected experts in the field charge appropriately for their craft. The fee range is fairly broad, but it would not be uncommon to pay somewhere in the $400-$1200 range to have a professional resume written. Generally, the complexity of your project will have an influence on the fee charged. Some charge more and some charge less, but if it is significantly less, you might want to ask yourself why that is. Does the writer really have the experience he or she claims to have? Be especially wary about working with some of the high-volume companies that outsource all the work to inexperienced writers to whom they usually pay ridiculously low wages to produce resumes of questionable quality. Some even outsource the projects overseas, to writers who do not speak English as a first language. It is your career and all your career dreams at stake! Your resume is not the place to cut corners. It is well worth the extra money to pay for the quality and experience of a true professional resume writer.


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Michelle Dumas runs of one of the longest-standing and most respected professional resume writing firms on the internet. Since 1996, Michelle has empowered thousands of people with resumes that get results fast. Get resume writing tips that you won't find anywhere else, example resumes, and more articles at her website. Go now to www.distinctiveweb.com