How NOT to Choose a Resume Writer

If you decide to invest in a professionally written resume, there are many, many good criteria for choosing one service over another.

Examples of good criteria are the quality of the resume samples on their website, or the prompt and courteous service you received when you called, or the fact that the writer you spoke to was knowledgeable about his craft, or the professionalism of the service's website, or the number of great references the writer provided.

But in my experience, many people ignore all these important indicators and rely instead on one deciding factor. Ironically, it's the worst possible reason for choosing one writer over another, but most people don't know that until it's too late.

What's the deciding factor? Money, of course.

Today I received two emails from potential clients rejecting my service because they found someone whose fees were lower. Had I known this was the most important thing for them, I could have saved us all time and sent them a list of hundreds of resume writers whose fees are cheaper than mine. Some charge as little at $99 - which would be a really great bargain if it didn't mean that the resume will be rubbish!

Like most professional services, resume writing is labor-intensive and highly skilled. Just as you wouldn't want a contract attorney who keeps his fees low by speed-reading the contracts you send him for review, you don't want to hire a resume writer who can only spend an hour or two on your resume in order to make his or her business pay. The result will be so much less than you deserve.

That's not to say the price always equates to quality. I believe some resume writers over-charge for their work. I have personally rewritten resumes that clients paid top dollar for, and yet which were completely ineffective.

No. Price is no indicator of quality by itself. You should assess the writer's resume samples. You should determine whether you feel a connection. You should understand their approach. You should ask about their guarantee. You should check them out on LinkedIn and look for reviews from former clients. There are many factors that should go into making this important decision.

When you find a writer who meets all of the above criteria (great samples, good service, a guarantee and solid references) HIRE THEM! Don't make price an issue. A good resume can shave months off your job search. It can add thousands of dollars to your salary. Why on earth would you jeopardize that for a few hundred dollars?

Comments

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I used BlueSkyResumes for a revision recently, but do to a miscommunication, my resume was rejected and I received an email notifying me that my money would be refunded. I do not wish to discourage anyone from using her services but my advice is when they ask you what specific area of expertise you are interested in, do not do what I did. I answered the question candidly which immediately caused my project to be rejected. I listed everything that I would be interested in pursuing, but what I should have done is listed only job positions within the scope of my experience. Because of this miscommunication I was considered by her staff to be a bad candidate for their services and was immediately rejected without consultation.