Resume writing agency...would you use it?

[FBJ]

Originally Posted by bostonbarney

There's more to writing a resume than grammar and presentation and "How to Write a Winning Resume." For years I did resumes for family and friends that got them jobs they never thought they'd get. Most of the time I spent with them was just talking, digging out bits of information they thought wasn't important but which showed an ability or strength they never would have thought of adding to their resume, but which put them in an entirely different light. You need someone who can (please excuse this cliche) think outside the box and know how to turn a phrase to catch the reviewer's eye. Many a time I never got to a resume, because the cover letter was so bad I tossed it before even looking at the resume,so there's also that.

The "cover paragraph" seems to be a eye catcher in 2013. The long cover letters seem to be a thing of the past.

[davecj]

I met with a head hunter, she rewrote the resume which came out really nice and I ended up getting a different job. Cost to me, $0

[move4ward]

Originally Posted by calnbs

Would you pay someone to write your resume? My wife's been trying to get a state job. No such luck so far, she's beginning to think something's wrong with her resume and cover letter. Is it worth to shell out $50-$200 to have someone look at her resume and cover letter? Is there really a thing as a "resume expert"?

And how does one go looking to find one and know that their work is quality?

I spent $200 each on 2 new resumes and tried them out both. My response rate did not increase at all. What a waste of $400.

I took a FREE class on career skills. My mentors had me throw out the fluff. My response rate went to 1-2 calls for every 10-20 resume. With so many calls, I was able to pick and choose the job offers. I went from $25k to $50k within 4 months.

I would try out the free stuff first, before shelling out $200.

[harry chickpea]

Resume writing is an acquired skill. When I was doing a job search I was sending out "cold" (no job offer listed, companies doing just fine without interest in new blood) and was always able to snag interviews.

However... when you have someone else put together your resume, the employer is looking at the construction of that person as well as the skills, education, and job history listed. If your resume reeks of graduate level English and you speak like Gomer Pyle, you aren't going to make it past the interview.

The PROCESS of building a good resume puts you in a great position to quickly answer many interview questions. If you can pay someone to guide you through making your own resume, that might be a good choice.