| Resume pricing: are you finding resume services to | | | | then spend another 2-3 hours working up the |
| be ridiculously expensive? If you've been shopping for | | | | resume. These services - resume factories - rely on |
| a resume service and you've been set back on your | | | | the client to fill out a questionnaire. That alone is the |
| keister at the cost of resume services, two things | | | | source of their information about you. Such a limited |
| you should know. First, you might be shopping in the | | | | and impersonal experience with your resume writer |
| wrong places. Secondly, some of that resume pricing | | | | might be fine in a perfect world where jobs are |
| might actually be justified. Consider the following Top | | | | begging for candidates, but I'm looking out my |
| Five Tips to see whether you're being taken to the | | | | window right now and I don't see that perfect world. |
| cleaners by a resume writing service: | | | | Bottom line: you want to spend some time actually |
| Tip # 1 - Resume Pricing Isn't Scaled To Experience | | | | talking with your resume writer. |
| One size doesn't fit all when it comes to resumes. | | | | Tip #4 - No Mention Of Writers' Credentials |
| The resume for a senior-level executive with 30 | | | | If a writer can write, credentials are meaningless. |
| years of work experience should take considerably | | | | Problem is, you often don't know whether a writer |
| longer to craft than the resume of newly-minted | | | | can write until he's made a mess of your resume. A |
| college grad with only two part-time jobs under his | | | | resume service that hires writers who are certified - |
| belt. Run from any resume service that advertises | | | | either through the Professional Association of |
| single pricing for all resumes - even if that price | | | | Resume Writers (RARW) or the National Resume |
| seems to be reasonable. The reason? That resume | | | | Writers' Association (NRWA) - is signaling that they |
| service is operating a factory, and in this tough job | | | | understand your concern. Their writers have at least |
| market, a cookie-cutter resume will get you nowhere | | | | met a minimal set of industry standards. Beyond that, |
| fast. | | | | and more importantly, the better resume writers |
| Tip #2 - No Sample Resumes For Your Review | | | | have hands-on industry experience. Ideally, hands-on |
| Found a resume service with a beautiful website... but | | | | experience in your industry, hopefully giving them an |
| no samples of their work? Not a good sign. I | | | | insight into the language and the nuances of your |
| understand that a writer might not want to give | | | | profession. |
| away all his writing secrets. However, a good and | | | | All things being equal, a certified resume writer should |
| confident resume writer shouldn't be afraid to | | | | get the nod. Keep in mind that things are rarely equal, |
| showcase a sample of his work for prospective | | | | and certification alone isn't a perfect measure of a |
| clients to see. | | | | writers skill at writing marketing copy (which is what |
| Tip #3 - Resume Pricing Doesn't Include An Interview | | | | a resume comes down to). Still, no mention of |
| If the price you're asked to pay seems like big bucks | | | | writers' credentials whatsoever is not a good sign. |
| and you're not getting a personal conversation with | | | | Tip #5 - Resume Pricing Doesn't Include A Guarantee |
| the writer, you're not getting value. Lower-priced | | | | Can't find a guarantee anywhere on that company's |
| resume services can get by without an interview. | | | | website? No offers to rewrite the resume if you're |
| Rather, they have to get by without an interview: at | | | | not happy with it? No offers to rewrite the resume if |
| $25 or even $50 bucks a pop, there's not enough | | | | it goes "out there" into the job market and never |
| money on the table for the writer to spend half an | | | | makes the phone ring? |
| hour getting to know the client over the phone. And | | | | Run. |