Resume Writing Services - An overview
Are you still waiting for your job interview after sending out your resume?
Are you getting one job rejection letter after another?
Are you considering of approaching a professional resume writer?
You don't need to spend always a lot of money to create a great resume. But if you are still waiting for invitations to a job interview and nothing comes up you might definitely need some help. Most probably your resume is poorly written and would need a makeover. Maybe you don't know how to do it or what part of your CV needs improvement to increase your chances of getting an interview. I would suggest that you have a look at some good resume books and you also approach friends, relatives, career advisors at your college or online who do it for free. I'm sure you will get some good feedback. Listen carefully to what they have to say. If you get the same feedback from more sources then you should definitely alter your CV accordingly. But if you think there is still someone who could turn your good CV into a great one, then give it a try and ask a professional resume writer for advice.
* Why should I approach a professional resume writer?
He can help you to dramatically improve your chances
of being interviewed and cut the length of time you spend looking
for a job. Furthermore, it can boost your next salary because it
clearly conveys the benefits of employing you, as it directly
highlights your key strengths and achievements.
Furthermore, if you are not sure what information you should disclose in your resume or if you think you don't have any key achievements worth being mentioned then he will be able to uncover your real skills, strengths and achievements, even if you think you might not have any. In this case it might be helpful to get a phone consultation first. The more he knows about you the better he can help you to write your resume.
* What do they really offer?
You will find professionals who are specialists in writing interview-winning resumes only and services which offer a wide range of additional services, such as interview coaching etc. If the company or the freelance professional is serious he would first offer you an in-depth fact-finding session in order to understand your key selling points in order to maximize your interview chances.
* What is the difference?
Let me give you an example as to how a jobseeker would have described one of his responsibilities: "Responsible for selling to corporate clients".
A professional resume writer would have written it like this: "Personally responsible for targeted business development to a number of key clients which resulted in a 15 % increase in corporate sales and exceeding annual sales targets by over $ 12,000."
So…. judge by yourself …. What sounds more convincing???
* What do they charge?
It depends what company or freelancer you are approaching, what service you exactly need (does your resume need to be written from scratch? Does it just need proofreading or does it need a general makeover? Or do you just want to get some help in writing it by yourself?) and how quick you need it. The price range varies from "free of charge" to hundreds of Pounds.
* Where can I find Professional Resume Writers?
Many professional resume writers can be found in the internet. Make sure they are serious and work professionally. In order to find out have a look at the checklist below.
Checklist: Finding the right Resume Writer
Finding the right resume writer might not
be an easy task considering that there are so many available. But
let me give you some tips that might help you to find the right
one.
- What qualification does the person have?
- How many years of experience does this person have in writing resumes?
- Can he give you some references, not anonymous ones that you find in the internet but REAL people. Can they be contacted to find out whether approaching this resume writer was effective or not?
- Can the person provide examples of resumes how candidates submitted them previously and how he modified them afterwards?
- Is he certified from a professional industry body such as PARW (Professional Association of Resume Writers), REC (Recruitment and Employment Confederation), NRWA (National Resume Writers' Association) or similar?
- Does the person also have some recruitment experience?
- Does the person have specialised copy-writing skills for the sector you are in? For example writing a CV for a marketing job?
- Does the person also offer a consultation over the phone to find out what exactly you need or is he able to discuss it in order to proceed with it?
- What is the success rate of his clients? (Well, here it might be difficult to find out whether he tells the truth or not, however …)
- Do you think the price he is charging you is reasonable?
- Is it possible to pay only once you are 100 % satisfied with the result?
- Is there a money back guarantee if you don't get interviews?
Image credits: superbez
