Have any of you had your resume done by a professional resume writer?

Question

Was it worth the money? Did you land yourself a better job as a result?

Answer 1

No, I have never used the services of a professional resume writer. I have thought about it a few times though.

I have experimented over the years with different approaches to resume writing. I have gathered samples of friend's resume's and read the do's and don'ts that the experts have come up with. I think the resume can be over-thought. When we try to come up with the perfect resume, we sometimes end up over-selling our abilities, using words that are too big, and generally make ourselves look so good that the potential employer is either intimidated, or thinks they cannot afford us because we are over-qualified.

My most recent excursion into the land of the job seeker taught me that my resume needed to be lighter on buzz words and heavier on personal accomplishments in my field and packed with honesty. I also discovered that interviewers are looking for honesty, not perfect people who know everything. In the interview I was completely transparent and when asked if I knew how to do something that I did not know how to do, I simply said, "No." When asked why I was let go by my previous employer, I answered, "I am not exactly sure, because they really didn't give me a clear reason, but I suspect it was because I refused to lie to the customer when asked to do so." I then told the owner of the company that was interviewing me, "That is something you need to know - I will not lie to your customer."

The resume gets you the interview. The interview is the place where the things you wrote in your resume will either be confirmed or exposed. Don't put things in the resume that you cannot back up in the interview. When you get to the interview, arrive early and talk with the receptionist to find out about the company. In the interview, be relaxed and friendly. Don't just sit there and answer questions, ask questions too. Ask about the company's history, it's present position within it's market, and it's future goals and plans. In short, be the interviewer! You need to discover if this is the place you want to work.

Keep the resume short, 2 pages maximum, but one page is preferred. Then follow-up. Write a thank you letter after the interview. If they respond to your thank you letter, write them another follow-up letter, re-stating your experiences and abilities. Everytime they write to you or send you a post card, write them back. This tactic keeps your name and your resume on the top of the resume stack. As resumes come in for an opening, they get thrown onto the top of the growing stack and yours gets deeper and deeper down in the stack. When they receive a letter from you they have to dig your resume out of the stack and attach your letter to it, then they place it back on the top of the stack again.

When you find a place you really would like to work for, be a pest! Bug them until they either hire you or call the cops on you.


I think that using a professional resume service can help in some cases, but the pro is not going to know you the way you know yourself. That can lead to impersonalization of a resume, which can leave a potential interviewer with the wrong impression from the start.


Have a great day!

Answer 2

I would recommend against it; I had my resume made through one of the top-most recruitment portals in the country, but it was rather surprising that they asked me to send the copy which I used; and surprise surprise I get back the same resume with a few alterations in the format. I sent it back stating that it was no good and they came back after 2 days with another 2 lines changed. Needless to say I used my own copy for the interview. They even have a time limit from the day the first copy is sent to your ID; the case automatically closes after that.
My advice - write your own and get it reviewed by someone who has good experience in your field.
All the very best...

Answer 3

No, I haven't used a professional resume writer...but only because, in a way, I am one. I don't make my living writing resumes, but the first college class I ever taught nearly 18 years ago was a class in professional business writing and it included a large section on resume writing. I've taught the class numerous times since then and evaluated literally hundreds (perhaps even thousands) of resumes prepared by business majors in my classes.

Let's start with "landing a better job". A professional resume can absolutely land you a better job. As part of my job over the past 15 years or so, I've been in a position to evaluate candidates for faculty positions and I can tell you that their resume can make or break a candidate. For one position, we were hiring someone to teach the business writing course (the one that includes the resume writing topic). Out of 30 applicants, we were able to cut it down to just five based solely on the quality of their resume and cover letter! Heck, we eliminated 10 because they started their cover letter with the phrase, "I would like to apply for the position of..." (this is a HUGE no-no in professional writing and if they didn't know that, why would we hire them to teach professional writing to our students!).

Is it worth the money? Perhaps, if that is your only option...and then only if you hire a good one. A good resume writer would need to know you...would need to take the time to talk with you about your previous experience and education and learn about your greatest strengths and weaknesses. A good resume will provide a showcase for your unique skills and abilities...but some resume writers will just make your data fit a particular formula and you can do that yourself with a sample of a good resume (MS Word offers resume templates for example)!

Another thing to consider before paying someone to do your resume is that the format, style, and even wording of your resume can and should vary depending on various factors. For example, if you are posting your resume on Monster.com all the "action verbs" they teach you to use to describe your experience (e.g., "managed this", "developed this", "supervised that") don't really help you get the attention of recruiters using Monster to find candidates. Those recruiters are searching hundreds of thousands of resumes using "key words" such as "telecommunications", "MS Excel", "master's degree", and other terms related to the requirements of the position. The more relevant terms you have on your resume, the better your chances of being found by someone that has a relevant job to offer. This fact favors a VERY different style of resume writing than a resume you mail for a specific position.

Furthermore, you can improve your chances of landing a job you want if you tailor your resume to the requirements of the position. For example, I have two main resumes: academic (also called a "vita") and professional. On my academic vita I emphasize my degrees, my teaching experiences, and various teaching-related skills (e.g., knowledge of WebCT and Blackboard online learning systems). On my professional resume I emphasize my degree in marketing research, my experiences related to research, and various research-related skills (e.g., 18 graduate hours of statistics, knowledge of SPSS).

Given what I just said, I think you'll benefit far more from learning to write your own resume. Get advice from a professional on one, especially if you don't have a clue about proper format or wording...but pay attention to what the person does so you can tailor your own resume to specific positions. Make sure your resume and cover letter reflect the job description for each position.

...and make sure to get some proofreading help (professionals can help a lot with this)...remember that even one typo on a resume can kill your chances. When employers need to go through dozens (or hundreds) of applicants, they are usually looking for a way to make the "first cut" to get the list down to a manageable number...after obvious qualification issues (e.g., the position requires a degree that you don't have), typos and other writing errors in the resume and cover letter are the easiest way to quickly cut down a list of applicants to only a few they want to investigate further.

Answer 4

Much better off to write your own resume... That way you can toot your own horn about your job experience... If you cannot toot your own horn --- not going to do well at the interview... Go to the library and get a book.. That will help organize your thoughts...