What you pay for a resume generally equates to how long you will wait for interviews and
how much you
will earn.
“Putting Your
Best Foot Forward”
“Putting Your
Best Foot Forward”
A couple of pieces of paper—your resume—can make the difference between whether you are connected with that next position or not.
Because there are so many resume firms on the Internet today—some not skilled at all, some highly skilled, and others that fall in between—selecting the right firm can be a daunting task with the results being the difference between advancing your career or not. The old adage, “you get what you pay for” couldn’t be more true in resume writing.
Following is a general guide to help you make an informed decision about your resume service based upon the type of service, quality of work generally provided, and price range they charge versus the percentage of interviews you might expect to obtain and the time it may take to land a job—which generally correlates.
How much might you lose while you wait for interview calls? For every week you don't find a job, you can lose more than what you will pay for an exemplary resume. Multiply your expected salary by say 6 months if you don’t receive job interviews.
At $1500 a week you stand to lose $39,000, at $2000 that equates to $52,000, at $3000 you could lose $87,000, and so on!!
A resume that generates interviews and resultant job offers much quicker will pay for itself in just a week or two in your new position. Jobseekers who have been through the process truly understand the long-term payoff because they are already in their new positions!
…are popping up all over the Internet to make money in an area they are generally not skilled in. Their sites do not contain information about their writers or where they are from. Because it takes only one error to screen out your resume, it will be pure luck if you receive any interviews.
You could throw away $99-$199 or more and probably won’t receive any interview calls.
…generally just format and grammatically correct your existing resume or write a low-level one for you as they do not have professional resume writing know-how. Expect your interview success rate to be low: perhaps 5% against the other 95% who will get called ahead of you.
You can pay $199-$299 or more and perhaps wait a year or longer to land a position.
…bang out as many resumes as they can to make money. They may have a lot of writers with a low skill level and success rate, probably use resume templates, and often do not provide personal service. Using these services can translate to a low level of interviews and can put you in the 10-15% category versus the other 85-90% of candidates who get called ahead of you.
You can spend $299-$499 and up. It may take 9-12 months to land a job.
…may have a low skill level as it takes several years to perfect the art and science of resume writing, which is reflected in your resume and results. If, however, they are active members of career organizations, they generally do have their clients’ best interests at heart.
Their resumes can possibly land you in the 25-50+% category while the other +/- 50-75% of candidates may be called ahead of you.
You can pay $499-$799 or more and possibly wait 6-9 months to land a job.
…with 5 to 10+ years’ experience have high work ethics, are members of globally acclaimed career organizations [such as the National Resume Writers’ Association (NRWA), Career Directors International (CDI), and Professional Association of Resume Writers (PARW) generally attend annual conventions to enhance their skills, and may have a positive online identity (Google their names in quotes). They generally can position you in the 75-85% category called for interviews. If they are also Personal Branding Strategists, that percentage can increase to 85-95% (top 5-15%) called for interviews and can help you land a position.
Expect to pay $799-$1200. It may take 2-5 months to land a job depending on the resume writer’s skill level.
…who are published authors, career speakers, often quoted authorities in the media, and/or have 10 to 20+ years’ experience can generally position you in the top 2-5% of candidates—surpassing the other 95-98% of job seekers, because an exemplary personally branded resume helps you land more interviews much more quickly while also increasing your earnings. That’s important to take note, because your brand sells your value and employers pay higher when they perceive a high value proposition.
Rates range from $1200–$3000. Generally receive interviews within a month.
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Note: The above numbers are estimates and can vary depending upon individual resume writer skill level and how many resumes the candidate sends out that match the position for which the resume is targeted, among other factors.
Here’s to
Hearing the Words
!”You’re Hired"
