So You're Thinking of Hiring a Resume Writer - Here is What You Should Know

Hey Family,

I've been thoroughly enjoying responding to posts here for the last few months and helping people get there resumes in order. I wanted to address some of the most common questions I get:

• How do I know if I need to hire a resume writer?
• Should I hire an independent contractor (writer) or a resume writing service?
• How much should I expect to pay for the service?

About Me:

I am a Certified Resume Writer and Career Counselor who has been working for the last 7 years in this space. I have written hundreds of resumes at this point. I currently work both as an independent contractor with my own clients and for a Top 5 Worldwide Resume Writing Company. I live in both worlds described below. I am a frequent poster on this Subreddit since I joined a few months ago.

If you are looking for general resume advice, take a look at my post here (currently the Top Post in this subreddit - thank you all!) - without further ado, the responses!

How Do I Know if I Need to Hire a Resume Writer?

You Should Probably Consider Hiring a Resume Writer If

• You are unfamiliar with ATS and plan to apply for jobs that utilize primarily ATS systems
• You are applying for mid-level management or higher positions - for most entry-level positions it really doesn't matter
• You have trouble marketing or describing your accomplishments in quantitative terms (hard data)
• You are not comfortable making or utilizing Microsoft Word to make or modify clean/classic templates
• You have a very complicated or unique employment history that you need help positively framing (e.g. small business owner moving back into corporate space, long employment gap, multiple jobs in a short time period <1 year)
• English is not your native language and/or you do not have advanced proficiency in grammar, mechanics, etc.

You Should Probably NOT Hire a Resume Writer If

• You have a strong, crisp, and data-centered resume aligned to a classic template
• You are in a graphic design-heavy or creative field that really prioritizes the image and display of the resume over the contents - in this case, you really should have a portfolio anyways, but that's a topic for another day.
• You are planning to physically hand or e-mail your resume to all your potential jobs/roles
• You are only updating your resume for an internal position
• You are a recent college or high school graduate - use those skills to do some research on what a basic entry-level resume looks like and save yourself hundreds of dollars - recent grads are cash cows for us writers because it takes us about 10 minutes to make your resume, which you could have easily done yourself, I always feel bad for the clients I get like this.

Note: sometimes people are part of the "Not" list but are really struggling to get calls. If that's the case, I encourage you to look for a resume review, most independent contractors will do this for significantly less money and give you high-level feedback. Some companies will also do it for free to try and get your business.

Should I hire a Resume Service or an Independent Contractor?

There are many, many services that will charge you a wide range of fees, usually minimum $200 - $1000 for a professional resume package of any quality. The majority of these companies are simply brokerage houses that then farm out your resume to an independent writer (like me). They then take a HUGE cut of the profits. That means that most independent resume writers will charge you way less than a company and its the same quality of work. The difference is, the company has a shiny website and makes you think they have 10 Full-Time Writers who are all veterans. This is simply not true - if you don't believe me, google some of the big resume houses, try to find their Resume Writer's names. If you can find them, try to find them on LinkedIn - chances are they do not exist.

I work with one of the Top 5 Resume Companies worldwide, I work with them because it provides me consistent income and we have an arrangement where I can have as many or as few resumes as I want per week. As my side hustle has grown, I have taken less and less work from them, but I stay connected for the industry insight.

On my own, I offer the exact same package they do, for sometimes 50% less than what they charge because of how much money they take as the middle man. So, you hire me through the company, you paid $450+, someone who hires me directly and paid less than $300 - both got the exact same product, the difference is I made more money and the company made none.

Sure, Companies cost more - but isn't the quality better?

Heres where it gets tricky, most Resume Writing company's do not vet their writers. When I first started 7 years ago they sent me 5 sample resumes and said "make them look like this" and didn't care about my product, they never even checked it. As long as customers don't complain, they are happy. They accept a certain amount of "lost business" because their clientele doesn't really know what a good resume looks like. I call it the expertise bias, when you pay for a professional service, you trust the professional. The problem is, our industry has no regulations or oversight. The phrase "Certified Resume Writer" is unfortunately even a bit of a joke because you just pay a shit-ton of money and take a very easy test and you're certified. Most Resume Companies do not even require their writers to have a certification.

Conversely, an independent resume writer can be a crapshoot as well. If you go on "For Hire" subreddit you will see tons of would-be resume writers. These writers can be even worse than the company because theoretically, the company won't keep someone on who keeps losing them business - but you pay a premium for that security.

So how do I know who to hire?

Ask questions before you buy, in a perfect world - you'd go the independent contractor route because that will save you some money, but anyone that can answer these questions to your satisfaction probably is worth the money.

Questions to Ask Your Resume Writer

• Can I speak directly with the writer I will be working with (if the answer is no, immediately move on)?
• How does ATS work?
• How specifically do you plan to optimize my resume for ATS?
• How will you test my resume in an ATS system?
• What is your experience in writing resumes for my industry? Then grill them on some specific industry knowledge questions - someone with over 300 resumes under their belt will at least know a little about every industry, at this point there probably isn't a resume I haven't done.
• Ask to see samples of completed resumes they have already done or to speak with client referrals and check their resumes against the rules/guidance I created in the article linked above
• What does your package include?
• How long will you do free revisions?

How Much Does a Resume Writing Service / Contractor Cost?

Resume packages range from $150 - $600+ - these days. Independent Contractors tend to average between $150 - 350 and companies $200 - 450 but there are outliers and extras depending on services. See below:

For the "average" price range, you should receive, at a minimum:

• A full resume re-write, optimized for ATS on a crisp template
• A dedicated phone-call with your actual resume writer (minimum 10 minutes - up to 30 minutes)
• 14 Days of Free Revisions from time of receipt
• A LinkedIn Template that is aligned to your resume and a free LinkedIn review once you update it with feedback

Some packages will also include Cover Letters, Thank You Cards, or Additional Resume Versions for those looking for multiple positions (this is where you start to get into $350+ range).

You should be suspicious of low-prices and/or not meeting with a writer. An independent contractor taking business at $100 - 150 for this package is not in high demand or he/she would raise their prices. A HUGE part of our job is understanding you, your goals, and your unique situation so we can make you look good. However, higher prices do not always equal higher quality - use the questions above to make sure you know their expertise.

Good luck!