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I offered to do this on Craigslist, because I make resumes that look like 4-color magazines. Pictures/eyecandy and magazine style lay-out. No one bit on it , which is understandable, I wouldn't pay to do it, but the only reason I think my technique is a good one is because, A) it stands out, and, B) I have always over-reached in my job searches and it has paid off. I think when people see the creativity in the resume it blinds them to the lack of qualifications, lol
With the exception of a few, most of the career coaches out there are people who suffered long term unemployment and could not find themselves jobs in their own field.
I suggest instead getting some recently published books on cover letters and resumes from the library.
Government employment centers in most states also offer free or low cost help with resumes and cover letters.
Better yet, join a job hunting group in your area specific to your career field and get feedback from the other members.
The problem with professionally written resumes and covering letters is that Human Resource departments are well aware of them. If your application sounds too perfect, you'll be subjected to a lot of probing questions to see how you stack up to what's been written. Any sign of nervousness on your part during the interview and you won't get the job.
The problem with professionally written resumes and covering letters is that Human Resource departments are well aware of them. If your application sounds too perfect, you'll be subjected to a lot of probing questions to see how you stack up to what's been written. Any sign of nervousness on your part during the interview and you won't get the job.
You're absolutely right. But if you don't get the interview in the first place, you won't get the job either.
Some resume writers do their jobs correctly and produce outstanding documents that are very effective in their clients' job searches. Sadly, many do not, including many who have "certifications." I just spent two hours on the phone grilling a client about his background. His document will reflect this level of commitment and dedication to the job. It will get interviews. It could play a role in how much salary he is offered. Also, my clients know to spend much of their time working their network. Also, they bypass the HR department and communicate directly with the folks they'll be working for/with.
If you are going to hire a resume writer, do your homework. Talk to them for a minimum of 20-30 minutes before you commit. Look at their samples, get a feel for their writing style. Ask about the strategy they propose for your specific situation. Find a writer with the most integrity, not the flashiest website. Those of us who are excellent at what we do are not cheap, but we're well worth the investment. If you're not willing to make an investment in your career, then you're better off trolling for our samples -- at least you'd be looking at best-practice examples you can follow.
It depends on the site and what service you select.
I've been in the professional career development/coaching/resume writing industry for more than 17 years. There are definitely scam services out there, but there are more credible services that offer exceptional help for many people.
Some people can write their own resumes; others are not very good at this. The reasons people seek out professional help are because:
a.) It is unbiased. Even people in our own field seek colleagues out to help write their bios and professional value propositions because it is very difficult to write about oneself.
b.) Technology has completely changed the recruitment process. Your resume should be written for the electronic eye first; the human eyes second. You are ranked and profiled in a system. Keywords are important, but now the technology is evolving quickly toward semantic algorithms. Professionals in the field know exactly how to identify keywords/semantics in job announcements, particular fields, and industries and place them throughout a resume to ensure the Applicant Tracking System (ATS) ranks it on a level that generates interviews. If you are looking for a federal role, let me tell you it is a completely different animal than the private sector.
c.) Templates are not the best and this is because many templates (including those in Word) use the absolute worst formats. Most result in an ATS rejecting it completely. The biggest rejections occur (on templates) because of dates, paragraph spacing, and the use of headers and footers.
Two things to be cautious about:
a.) Phishing scams. For example, if you find that you applied for what seemed to be a credible job on a job board, and then all of a sudden you have a resume shark calling you to say that they saw your resume after it was submitted online and that it needs to be rewritten --- run. That is how they generate leads.
b.) If anyone tells you that they will write your resume and GUARANTEE interviews --- run even faster. Credible professionals will never make that claim. For example, someone could pay to have a resume written, post it on a job board, and then sit home doing nothing, yet claim they aren't getting interviews.
Having a professionally written resume is definitely worth it, but in no way means that the job seeker isn't going to have to work to find a new job. You also get what you pay for. If you use a service, ask for specific examples of that writer's work. If they say they do not have them, walk. Also ask if that writer's work is published in career industry publications.
For lists of certified coaches and resume writers with stellar backgrounds, you can look at:
I do wish you the very best. It is not easy looking for a new role, and it can be quite complex in today's high-tech world in which many people capitalize on other's predicaments. Hang in there. You will find something. Be diligent and do not give up.
Re bolded, thank you for that advice!!!! I am an older female who worked in blue-collar male-dominated occupations until an accident on the job. After several years of recovery, I enrolled in college, earned a BS and a Masters, and will finish a second one in December.
I hired someone to create my resume, since the last application I had filled out was in the early 90's and boy, how things have changed. The person who created my resume did a good job, however she offer her services as a recruiter, promising she could have me employed within 3 months; fees ranged from $750 to $2500. I declined, but recently have been second guessing myself since I haven't been able to find a job. at 56 y/o, I feel clueless, frankly. Again, thank you for your post.
Re bolded, thank you for that advice!!!! I am an older female who worked in blue-collar male-dominated occupations until an accident on the job. After several years of recovery, I enrolled in college, earned a BS and a Masters, and will finish a second one in December.
I hired someone to create my resume, since the last application I had filled out was in the early 90's and boy, how things have changed. The person who created my resume did a good job, however she offer her services as a recruiter, promising she could have me employed within 3 months; fees ranged from $750 to $2500. I declined, but recently have been second guessing myself since I haven't been able to find a job. at 56 y/o, I feel clueless, frankly. Again, thank you for your post.
She may have been able to get you a job, but you may not have wanted it. They can't keep that promise without lying to somebody. They may rewrite your resume again to include skills that you do not have and promote you hard. You get the job, but you end up struggling due to a poor fit. You either quit or get let go. Either way the recruiter has received their money and is out of the picture.
I referred one of my friends to a recruiter, who helped me out in the past. After a short screening session, the recruiter had to tell him that would be a challenge to place him. There were some weaknesses that he had to fix, before he would be ready. The recruiter could have absolutely promised him a job, but my friend still needed some seasoning.
The problem with professionally written resumes and covering letters is that Human Resource departments are well aware of them. If your application sounds too perfect, you'll be subjected to a lot of probing questions to see how you stack up to what's been written. Any sign of nervousness on your part during the interview and you won't get the job.
Absolutely false! Do you have a fact-based source to back up this claim?
Re bolded, thank you for that advice!!!! I am an older female who worked in blue-collar male-dominated occupations until an accident on the job. After several years of recovery, I enrolled in college, earned a BS and a Masters, and will finish a second one in December.
I hired someone to create my resume, since the last application I had filled out was in the early 90's and boy, how things have changed. The person who created my resume did a good job, however she offer her services as a recruiter, promising she could have me employed within 3 months; fees ranged from $750 to $2500. I declined, but recently have been second guessing myself since I haven't been able to find a job. at 56 y/o, I feel clueless, frankly. Again, thank you for your post.
If she promised to find you employment in three months, run.
Read the fine print. Employment could be McDonald's.
Never, ever pay for a job. You may pay for coaching or people who show you HOW to conduct a very strong, credible campaign (and they provide superb resources that you will not find), but promises such as this worry me tremendously.
The problem with professionally written resumes and covering letters is that Human Resource departments are well aware of them. If your application sounds too perfect, you'll be subjected to a lot of probing questions to see how you stack up to what's been written. Any sign of nervousness on your part during the interview and you won't get the job.
I don't see why there would be nervousness, unless there were falsehoods added to the resume. Falsehoods are an issue in any scenario. It's not limited to resume writers.
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