What to Know Before Hiring a Resume Writer
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A million resume writers are out there, so choosing one can be daunting. Consider many factors like price, resume writing style and the writer’s credentials. Here we explore qualities a good resume writer should have, plus red flags.
By Lora Korpar
You might consider hiring a resume writer if you’re struggling to write one. But many wonder if paying someone to write a resume is worth it.
Resume writers can be a useful tool if you know where to find one who fits your needs.
“If you're struggling, it's totally fine to reach out and ask for help,” said Shoni Bell, a career coach and resume writer. “It's not as easy as typing bullet points. There's a lot of strategy involved in it… There's a reason [resume writers] exist.”
“You have to remember that a resume is a marketing tool and that it's going to be scanned by computerized systems,” added Jheneal M. McDuffie, managing director of The Resume Chic. “And one more thing to think about is some of these larger companies are getting up to 2500 resumes a day… You don't want to take the chance of doing a DIY resume and having your resume passed over a bunch of times.”
But how do you know you are hiring the right resume writer?
I spoke with Bell and McDuffie to discuss qualities a good resume writer should have, red flags to avoid and what to expect when working with a resume writer.
Resume Writer Must-Haves
Bell and McDuffie stressed the importance of hiring someone with resume writer credentials. The Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches provides certifications like Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) to ensure the person is qualified.
You might see strings of letters after people’s names on their LinkedIn profiles. Seeing CPRW means the person has undergone the training to write a strong resume. Bell and McDuffie added that other organizations like Career Directors International and the National Resume Writers Association also provide certifications.
“You have to go through rigorous testing to actually get those credentials,” McDuffie said. “I am an examiner for the CPRW and I can tell you we don't just take any resume writer. They have to pass four or five different sections for us to approve them… So when you get a resume writer that has these credentials, you know that they know what they're doing.”
Also, narrow the search by looking for resume writers with experience writing for people in your career field. Some writers will specialize in federal or tech jobs. Others choose to only work on entry-level or executive resumes.
Bell said to focus more on how the resume writer fits with your career goals than factors like experience.
“I know a lot of really strong resume writers that are just now starting their own business or it's a side hustle for them, and they're doing great work,” Bell said. “I have peers that have been in this industry for 20 years as well. It varies, but I don't think [less experience] is necessarily a deal-breaker.”
The resume writer should be comfortable sharing their results and customer testimonials. McDuffie recommends reading Yelp and Google reviews from past clients. Also, don’t be afraid to ask them for their resume-to-interview conversion rate. If they don’t have those statistics, ask for a sample resume.
“You want you to know that they're serious, they have won the credentials and they get support from their clients,” McDuffie said.
Resume Writer Red Flags
Not everybody advertising themselves as resume writers are credentialed professionals. Avoid wasting time and money by watching for the red flags of a bad resume writer.
McDuffie said a resume writer should never use templates because many applicant tracking systems (ATS) cannot read them.
“ATS will rip your template apart and then a lot of times the information doesn't get translated,” McDuffie said. “So sometimes you'll have resumes that have no header and some experience will be half gone off the page. Your information will just be messy.”
Also, examine the resume writer’s website and LinkedIn profile. The site and profile looking messy, empty or not up-to-date can be problematic. If they can’t put their best foot forward for themselves, they might not do so for you.
“That would be an indicator that their resume writing efforts might not be their top priority if they're not putting themselves out there as a writer,” Bell said.
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“It's almost equivalent to the fitness instructor that is not fit, but they're giving you advice on how to become fit,” McDuffie added.
Bell recommends speaking with the resume writer over the phone if you’re not meeting them in person. A verbal conversation can be more of an indicator of their personality than an email.
“If someone is cutting you off, just trying to get you off the phone or they're not trying to get to know you, I would consider that a red flag,” Bell said. “A resume writer, in my opinion, should be asking you questions about your background, what your career goals are and really understanding you first before trying to sell you something.”?
Expectations When Working with a Resume Writer
McDuffie said most resume writers offer a free consultation before you hire them. Take advantage of the free sessions to understand how the collaboration works.?
Resume writing is a partnership. The final product will only be as good as the information you give the writer.
Also, resume writing is not cheap, and the cheap ones will likely not be good quality. So budget for the amount of money you are willing to spend on a resume. McDuffie suggests investing 1% of whatever salary you want.?
A resume alone can cost a few hundred dollars, even for an entry-level one. Some resume writers also offer packages that include cover letters, LinkedIn profiles and thank you notes. Those can exceed $1,000 or even $2,000.
“You can have a budget in mind, but be flexible with it,” Bell said. “You want to be able to have that flexible budget so you can work with someone you know you have that strong relationship with.”
Bell said the prices reflect the amount of work that goes into writing a resume.
“The amount of work that goes into what we do is probably one of the things that is least understood [about resume writing,]” Bell said. “I know myself and peers could be working on a resume for eight to 10 or 12 hours depending on the depth of someone's background and education, or their industry.”
Once you have chosen a resume writer, expect to answer questions about your experiences and achievements. McDuffie said questionnaire topics vary depending on the writer and the client.?
“The writer needs to be able to speak in your voice,” Bell said. “They need to make sure that they're gathering as much information as they can about you and how awesome you are.”?
Share your old resume if you have one. Bell and McDuffie said the old resume is a good framework for drafting a new one.
“We basically dig through [the old resume] and if there's anything that we can pull a number from, we'll ask those questions around it during the first collaboration session,” McDuffie said. “But if you're a new grad and you don't have a resume, that's completely fine. We'll just start from scratch and ask you the questions that we want.”
“I always say it's no judgment,” Bell said. “So [bring] whatever you have because there's typically some hidden gems in there that I can still pull from, even if the majority of the resume is lackluster.”?
McDuffie said she likes to focus on clients’ “quantitative and qualitative achievements” for her questionnaires.
“I would say if it makes you smile, it's probably going to be worthy of being on your resume because it's most likely going to make whoever is reading it smile too,” McDuffie said. “I always say focus on those things that are not on your resume, because I already have a resume and I don't want you to regurgitate it.”
Bell added that the most important factor in working with a resume writer is trust. You should trust the writer to represent you. And the writer should trust you to be truthful.
“It's really important that my clients trust me, but I also need to trust my clients,” Bell said. “So be forthcoming with why you left a position or why there's a gap. It's all OK, but we need to know everything so we can strategize.”
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2 年Great article! I especially liked Jhen McDuffie's suggestion about paying your resume writer 1% of what you hope to make. I would add that the resume writer should have an agreement/contract that clearly states what the writer will and won't do so that both the client and the resume writer have realistic expectations.