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Before you pay for a $95 resume or work
with a large resume writing firm, be aware that many such services
provide barely no training to their writers, don't ask you detailed
questions about each of the jobs you've held, and don't have
the skill to transfer your background to make you sound qualified
for the jobs you want. For example, one large service charges
up to $450 per resume but only pays their contracted writers
$45 per resume. These writers are given no training in resume
writing (one writer had written books for the Christian book
market but quickly left the resume writing job because it was
too difficult. She felt it was unfair of her to write a low-quality
resume that could keep someone from landing interviews and better
salary offers). Large resume writing services that hire contracted
writers have you fill out a standard form and normally never
ask you specific questions about your unique background. On a
regular basis, I'm contacted by frantic customers who, based
on a 'guarantee that you'll receive interviews in 30 days or
your resume will be rewritten,' are now at their financial end
because their $95, or even $200 resume isn't working.
If you are in the process of selecting
a resume writer or a resume writing firm, ask what the qualifications
are of the actual person that will be writing your resume: How
many resumes has that person written? For what type of positions
and salary levels? What type of successes does this person or
firm provide about interview rates being increased or salary
increases being achieved? Does this company provide signed testimonials--one
where the job seeker's name is provided with permission versus
initials only. Anyone can print anything using initials only
but using someone's name requires that person's signed authorization.
You'll notice that my testimonials are from real people with
real names
not initials!
Having personally trained hundreds of
career counselors in resume writing workshops and having provided
hundreds of hours of training to 5 resume writers that have worked
directly with me, I've only found 3 people who I felt had the
skill and aptitude to produce truly excellent resumes. Now, I
am the only one who writes the resumes for my business. I could
be rich, I suppose farming out resumes, but I feel that each
person's livelihood is too important, so I do them myself. I
can't guarantee that your resume will land you the greatest job
in the world at the very highest salary -- no one can guarantee
that -- but working with me, answering the dozens of questions
I ask and then seeing how I refocus your resume is a learning
experience that will teach you how to control and elevate your
image, market your top skills and land better salaries. If you
hire me to write your resume, you'll also receive links to my
book, Proven Resumes: Strategies
That Have Increased Salaries free of charge (a $27.80 value). Reading my book will provide you with an in-depth
knowledge of resume development, cover letters, job search, electronic
resumes, interviewing, and confidence building strategies. |