Résumé Writing Services

Résumé Writing Services (Questions you should be asking appear below.)

Everyone these days needs to be cautious. The résumé business is no exception. The profession is cluttered with unreliable and fast-buck artisans.

Just like lawyers, car salesmen and teachers, there are good ones, and not so good ones. You need to perform a little due diligence. Should you fail to make that effort, you may not like the outcome.

Not all résumé services are equal. There are typing services pretending to be résumé experts, and there are résumé factories that stamp out several dozen a day. Then, there are those who take the time to analyze your situation and customize your material to fit your unique job-hunting situation. That requires time, talent and effort.

The range of fees can span anywhere from $29 up to an incredible $500. Some charge by the hour, while others will charge a flat rate. Confidential Résumé works on a flat-rate basis. A few outplacement services charge upward of $2,500 (gulp)! 

Unlike a résumé writing service, outplacement services work both sides of the street. They claim that in addition to preparing the résumé, they will also perform your job search for you. (Good luck with that.) Be prepared to pay their fee upfront, as the job search portion may not work out.

Reality check: There is no national board certification for résumé writers. You cannot enroll in the Wickie School of Résumé Writing—it does not exist.

Those who proclaim to belong to a nationally certified board are working a little alchemy. The so-called certification is open to anyone who mails in a fee. These certifications are not based on state testing similar to those required for certifying teachers, plumbers or attorneys.

If you are in need of a skilled individual to create your résumé, here are seven prudent questions to ask.

Question	Rationale behind the question
How long have you been writing résumés?	It takes at least three or more years to gain the depth of experience before the writer is able to get it right. After three-plus years, the individual should have enough feedback to know what works in the job market.
How do you prepare résumés?	This is a far more important question than the fee. If it is prepared during a personal interview, you generally pay more, but also receive better quality.
Do you work from home or an office?	If the individual is working from home, chances are high he or she is just starting out and has limited experience.
How long will it take before the résumé is completed?	Most résumés can be written in three to five hours. If it takes appreciably longer, or it is done in an hour, something is wrong. This should be a red flag. Either you are dealing with a résumé factory that pops them out every half hour, or you may be dealing with a novice.
How do you charge? (This is not the same as asking, how much do you charge?)	If it is a flat fee, there are no surprises. If rate is hourly, you might begin to feel time pressure to get it done. Always inquire about hidden costs.
Do you use a form, or do you design résumés on an individual basis?	This is an excellent question, but most do not ask. If they are working from a form or template, be prepared to fit yourself to it. A skilled writer will design the material to fit you.
How can I obtain a referral?	Angie’s List is excellent, but you can go on LinkedIn and read up on how others rate the service. If all else fails, ask someone you trust.

When the first question asked is about costs, you send the signal that you probably know the cost of everything, and the value of nothing. The classic response to that is what do you want me to accomplish?

Do Not Update Résumé

Do not update résumé

After two years, your résumé ad falls out of date. Therefore, do not update it—rethink it!

Today’s technology is moving at a lighting pace. Whatever may have been a hot commodity yesterday is obsolete today. Merely adding to what you have currently without retrofitting the previous is outdated mentality. In most cases, it won’t work.

Résumé ads serve two purposes. The primary purpose is to generate interviews. The secondary purpose is to provide interviewers with an interviewing guideline. That is it. If you want your ad to accomplish more, you are wasting time, money and energy.

There is no universal format for résumé ads as long as it fits comfortably on standard paper. Should you entertain the notion of using odd dimensions, be advised that résumés are routinely faxed and email forwarded to other decision makers. When you fail to fit into the system, you end up somewhere else.

By caveat, contact information should be located at the top. This is where an employer expects to find such information. Beyond that, whatever follows is left to one’s creativity. A little creativity, however, goes a long way. Get too fancy, cute or weird and you risk being labeled an oddball, misfit, fruitcake or crackpot.

In rethinking your résumé ad, observe the following:

·       Keep the information fresh, relevant and focused. When something becomes irrelevant, out of date, or off message, scrap it.

·       Present information in sound bites. That, by the way, is a little trade secret. (;

·       Avoid superlatives and adverbs, and use adjectives and prepositions sparingly.

·       Avoid creating mulligan stew. This occurs when you throw everything into the résumé pot, hoping something sticks. Won’t happen.

·       Limit the use of bullet points.

A common question asked is how long should the résumé be? That is easy to answer. Is everything on the second page relevant? If not, shorten it to one page. On the other hand, if you have exciting information, length becomes less important.

Non-active job seekers—those who rarely change their employment status, routinely confuse résumé ads with personalized job applications. When employers want you to fill out their job application, they will provide one.

Finally, think of your résumé ad as a 15-second commercial. This is the time employers initially spend glancing over your ad. If the ad is too difficult to read—due to small type or long-winded passages, they move to the next commercial.