Lately I’ve seen a couple of posts on LinkedIn by people who are shocked at the cost of hiring a professional resume writer in order to get a good resume.
Hmmm. . . I wonder if, since you’d leave your career destiny (or at least a part of it) in the hands of a college student, if you should hand over your assets to them as well so they can manage them?
No?
That’s because it’s not about knowing the technology of Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or a stock trading platform.
When it comes to your career, about being able to understand and articulate YOU.
What Does A Professional Resume Writer Do Anyway?
This “common knowledge” referred to in the previous comment isn’t actually so common.
There is a lot of expertise that resume writers and other career professionals have, and the value isn’t in the template or the information you can get on the internet for free.
There’s a misconception that you can write your own resume just as well as a professional can write it.
But in addition to not having the industry knowledge you need, you’re also too close to yourself and your own accomplishments to be able to see all of what you’ve done and to be able to articulate it as well as an objective person could.
I work hard on helping you be able to understand and articulate you so you have a powerful story to tell prospective employers about exactly why they should hire you – and I can help you figure it out even if you’re more than just a little lost.
A good resume writer will spend the time it takes to help you articulate what you already know about yourself so you can put it on paper in a way that you would not be able to do on your own.
During this process you’ll see yourself in a new way and your resume writer will create a powerful career story that will help you land a job.
There’s an art to it, and it’s not easy.
So, you can ignore this guy. . .
I mean, really, when was the last time Human Resources professionals or Recruiters were just dying to spend more time with you and falling all over themselves to do you favors?
What Professional Resume Writers Had To Say
Why Hiring A Professional Resume Writer Is Worth What They Charge
I asked these top professional resume writers, “Tell us why your resumes are worth every penny you charge.” Here’s what they said.
Wendi Weiner, attorney and top executive resume writer at The Writing Guru
Here’s what Wendi had to say:
Virginia Franco, NCRW, CPRW VirginiaFrancoResumes.com
Christine Brown, CPRW Written Resumes
As a resume writer, I believe a high-impact resume is an incomparable return on investment. In my 15+ years of experience, I have found that professionals who navigate the job search and submission process with confidence and composure experience greater on-going success throughout their careers.
Primarily because I find it fair and easy to explain, I charge my clients for the amount of time I spend working for them.
Joni Holderman, CPRW, ThriveResumes.com
“New Resume and LinkedIn profile: $500-800. Taking charge of your career: Priceless.
Technology transforms the job search every 3-5 years. You can spend months learning it anew each time, or you can hire an expert guide. “May you be in a job search so frequently that you become an expert in resume writing” is a curse akin to “may you live in interesting times.” I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy!”
Emily Kapit, M.S., MRW, ACRW, CPRW, RefreshYourStep.com
I am a 3X-Certifie
d Master Resume Writer with a team of highly certified writers. The average price for our resume/cover letter deals is $550-$650; with a full LinkedIn profile overhaul, it’s around $1K. We purposefully have a sliding scale to ensure clients don’t overpay!
We also integrate career advisory into the process. It’s not enough to have a “pretty” resume; rather, it needs to reflect who you are, what your achievements are, and what you’re looking to do. This requires conversation, strategy, and partnership.
We also provide insight into how to use these documents. Clients invest in our expertise and we’re investing time in getting to know them to best position them for success. We serve as resources for our clients; the fact that I never truly advertise and have grown this business based on referrals speaks for itself. Invest in yourself and see your job success soar!
Adam Zajac, NCRW, Vocamotive
As a professional résumé writer, I am the first to admit that leading résumé writing experts charge a considerable amount for their services (myself included).
However, my clients know that it is all about return on investment.
Here is a real example from a past client: He was getting interviews with his old résumé prior to hiring me, but only for positions paying around $75K (well below what he was worth). After rewriting his résumé, he received a “flood of interviews” (his words) and offers for positions paying $150K-$200K. Most would agree that this client received great value out of his roughly $1000 investment.
Finding the best writer for your specific situation is the most important factor when seeking professional résumé assistance, and price is one of many important considerations. That said, when it comes to delivering successful outcomes, hiring the right expert can make all the difference!
Jeri Hird Dutcher, CPRW
WorkwriteResumes.com
Wolfgang Koch, CPRW, MyProfileMyBrand.com
A professionally written résumé is an investment in the most important marketing tool for your professional persona.
My background as a Certified Professional Résumé Writer is a bonafide indication my clients have come to the right place (a résumé writer, not a writer of creative nonfiction). In a thoroughly customized approach, I use my training (in psychology and in publishin
g) and my understanding of a broad range of careers and occupations. During an in-depth consultation, I elicit career/job goals, and I get a nuanced picture of marketable assets (acquired gainfully or otherwise). Moreover, I apply my nature-given wordsmithing abilities and my computer savvy (word processing and graphic design).
Finally, clients often have specific wishes (such as both a one-page and a two-page version). All that goes to show it takes a myriad of valuable capabilities and competencies to produce a result that can truly stand out, and make an impact.
Will You Hire A Professional Resume Writer?
Hiring a good professional resume writer, just like hiring a good coach, is an investment in your career and you will see a return on your investment.
The question is, are you ready to invest in your career, or are you trying to DIY?
If you’re not seeing the results you need, think about the opportunity cost – what you’re losing by waiting around.
It may be lost salary, but it also may be lost time, opportunity, confidence, and more.
Now is the time to make your career what you want it to be, whether that looks like advancement, a pivot, or even if you’re not really sure.
Don’t waste time thinking you’re being wise with your money.
Solve your career problems now so you can move on with the rest of your career and life.
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Jessica Sweet is a career coach and a licensed therapist (LICSW).
I help creative, ambitious midlife professionals and executives figure out what work they truly care about and want to be doing – and then helps them land or create those positions.
I am a member of the Forbes Coaches Council and a contributor at Forbes.com and The Huffington Post. My work has also been featured in places like CNBC, Business Insider and HayHouse Radio. You can get my free resources at http://bit.ly/ww-welcome and visit my website at www.wishingwellcoach.com.
When Jess is not coaching, you can often find her giggling with her two little girls.
There is no way in Hades I would pay $1000 for a resume! That is crazy! I paid around $100 and received a job offer within 2 weeks of using it (I’m mid management level)! It was well written, concise, to the point, and highlighted my accomplishments and experience. Even friends who have paid more than I did, didnt pay that much! It’s a resume, not a down payment for a car! Not to mention most people who are looking for work, dont have a cool grand laying around to blow on a couple of pieces of paper.
Do i think a professional resume is worth it – absolutely. Especially if youre not a writer. but i dont think you should increase your debt load to pay for it.
Hi Michael,
It is expensive, and certainly some people won’t be able to afford it. However, I think a resume is more than just a list of your skills and experience. It’s an argument. It tells an employer that you can do the job, and then supports that argument with your background. A really good resume writer will do that (a not-so-good one just lists your history). You’ll have to pay for a really good one.
I’m glad you had luck with yours!
I am not yet a paid professional resume writer, and I never knew that charges could run as high as $1,000 ! If I knew that, I would have been in this business long back. Because I had received services of a renowned career counseling company back in 2005 as part of a lucrative severance package I received from my employer. I made full use of the services that helped me create a new resume and in the process I happened to learn the technique of resume writing! That was a fantastic counseling company; and I still remember the way their consultants worked with me in building my resume over a week of a highly interactive process.
When I started sending out my new resume, my phone started ringing non stop for several days! I picked three companies from among the callers, and set up interviews. I received job offers from all three within two days of the interview and I accepted the one that I liked best, and for a salary that I wanted. Later on I helped four of my friends and ex-colleagues rewrite their resumes and find new jobs with just one interview.
The problem is this – Most people who write their own resumes think that the purpose of the resume is to get a job! They think that the employer reads the entire resume, and select the best candidate for the interview. Unfortunately, that is not how the companies make their selection!
The technique is so unique that I don’t wish to explain the details here, in case I decide to launch my own resume writing service! All I would say here is this. The employer reads only the TOP HALF OF THE FIRST PAGE to arrive at a selection decision. And, THE FIRST THREE LINES OF THE RESUME generates the phone call. The rest of the resume, if properly structured, is useful only during the interview.
So YES, it helps to pay $1,000 for a good resume rewriting service! I hope the next will be my turn!!