HOW TO SELECT A RESUME SERVICE

1.OVERSEAS WRITERS WITH SKETCHY ENGLISH AND GRAMMAR (generally excludes Australia and England) are popping up all over the Internet to make money in an area they are generally totally unskilled in. Their sites usually do not contain information about their writers or even 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.
2.TYPING, SECRETARIAL, AND/OR ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES 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 expect to pay $59-$159 or more and perhaps wait a year or longer to land a position.
3.COOKIE-CUTTER RESUME MILLS 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, and it may take up to a year to land a job. You can spend $159-$399 and up.
4.MANY UNCERTIFIED RESUME WRITERS AND THOSE WHO HAVE LESS THAN 5 YEARS EXPERIENCE 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 translating to waiting possibly 6-9 months to land a job. You can pay $199-$399 and up.
Note: Suggest checking their “About” page and find out what credentials they do have and Google their online presence. When making your comparison, “Check for these Factors” to the left.
5.CERTIFIED RESUME WRITERS 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) and Career Directors International (CDI)], 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 in perhaps 3-6 months or less, depending upon the profession and/or position. Expect to pay $399-$699 and up.
6.CERTIFIED RESUME WRITERS WHO ARE PERSONAL BRANDING STRATEGISTS AND/OR GLOBAL INDUSTRY LEADERS, 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 (generally from 2 weeks to 3 months) 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 in hiring you. Rates generally range from $599-$1200 and as much as $2500 for the resume itself.

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Note: The above numbers are estimates and can vary depending upon individual resume writer skill and how many resumes the candidate sends out that match the position for which the resume is targeted, among other factors.

Know What Your Return on Investment Can Be

When selecting a resume service, consider how much you may lose while you are not working. 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 $500 a week, you could lose $13,000, at $1000 that would be $26,000, at $1500 it equates to $39,000, 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. Those job seekers who have been through the process truly understand the long-term payoff because they are already in their new jobs!

Your return on investment: Spend a little, get a little.
Pay for value, and land your next position quicker at a higher salary potential.

What an Exemplary Resume MUST Contain

Read Evelyn Salvador’s special report, “100 Components of an Exemplary Resume,” as all of these components are included in every resume she writes. Then check her Resume Samples.

What You NEED to Know Before You Buy

Dear Job Candidate,

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. Since not everyone can fall into a grid of sorts, also review the checklist to the left as to what to look for.

Check for these Factors:

Does the resume site have an “About” page that contains the name(s) and expertise of their writer(s)? If not, stay clear!
Google the resume writer (with his or her name in quotes) to find out what their online presence says about them. Do they have a positive online identity? [They should, as that’s what savvy writers help clients achieve.]
Is the resume writer certified?
How many years has the business been in practice?
Are they members of well-known career organizations?*
Do they keep their knowledge up to date by attending industry conferences, courses, and/or webinars?
Are samples of their work provided? What do they look like?
Is he or she an industry leader? That is, have they had a book or two published? Are they known speakers? Often quoted authorities? Career innovators?
Have they won any industry awards for their submissions?
Have they aired on television or the radio or have been quoted in the media?
Do their prices seem low compared to others? [Know this generally equates to the value you can expect to receive.]
Does the site contain a phone number you can contact to obtain any information you do not see?
Do they offer a Money Back Guarantee?
Overall, do you feel confident they can help you land a position quickly?

THE MORE CHECK-OFFS YOU CAN MAKE, THE MORE LIKELY YOU WILL RECEIVE EXCELLENT RESULTS WITH YOUR RESUME.

Types of Resume Services

DID YOU KNOW?

1.It usually isn’t the best candidate who wins the position, but the one whose resume is better than the rest?
2.If your resume doesn’t contain all related industry keywords, it may never be seen by a human?
3.You have 7 seconds to catch your readers’ attention or they will pass up your resume?
4.You have 20 seconds to convince hiring managers they should continue to read?
5.You have an unlimited amount of time if the reader is interested?
6.That 5 out of 7 hiring managers do not read cover letters because there is no “wow” factor.
7.That 98% of the general public prepares their resume incorrectly?
8.To win interviews, your
cover letter should convey all 5 elements of your Personal Brand? That includes your:
•Assets / Features
•Benefits
•Competitive Edge
•Value Proposition
•Return on Investment
9.Your Personal Brand must be backed up with matching achievements in your resume?
10.Your most important information should be contained in the top 1/3 of your resume.
11.Powerful copy is not enough…you must know how to target your audience’s needs and show them how you can make or save them money?
12.Achievements are the most important part of your resume?
13.Your employment bullets must show the challenge, action, and results (CAR statements) of all of your efforts.
14.Effective use of white (blank) space increases readability?
15.The use of (even limited) color makes a marketing piece 70% more apt to be read.
16.An expertly strategized and crafted resume will increase your interview odds as well as your salary potential manyfold?
17.Leaving these decisions in the hands of a non-Certified or underskilled Resume Writer may jeopardize your career and your resultant finances?