Are Professional Resume Writers Worth The Investment?

By Author: Angela Jones, CPRW, CEIC
Total Articles: 4717
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As a Certified Professional Resume Writer, I am often approached by highly qualified job seekers frustrated by weeks and often months of costly unemployment. Job seekers who have sent hundreds of resumes yet are never called to interview.

I have found that the majority of job seekers assume that because they were successful in writing their own resume years ago, they can use the same resume today. This overconfidence in their self-written resume often results in the loss of thousands of dollars in lost income.

What will a professional resume writer do for you that you might not be able to do yourself?

1. Analyze Your Unique Situation and Select an Appropriate Resume Format

There are a variety of formats available to better market your skills and experience including: chronological, functional, hybrid, Curriculum Vitae (CV), Federal Resume format, etc. Choosing the wrong format for your situation can quickly eliminate you from consideration. A well-written resume will match your skills and experience to the hiring managers' needs.

2. Design a Compelling, Accomplishment Driven Resume

Unfortunately, ...
... the majority of resumes that I review are more of a chronological history focused on tasks rather than a true marketing document. Imagine a hiring manager with one position to fill and 100 equally qualified candidates applying for a single position. If each candidate has a similar educational and professional background it is easy to see that the candidate who contributed the most in previous positions is likely to win the interview.

3. Optimize Your Resume for Use with Today's Technology

Due to the sheer volume of resumes that employers receive only a handful are ever printed and actually reach the hands of the hiring manager. Employers today often use ATS software to search the resume for keywords specific to the position. The more hits they find on your resume, the more likely it will be that your resume will ever be read with human eyes. This is the process that most often eliminates even the most qualified candidate from consideration.

4. Brand You as the Ideal Candidate for the Job You Want

A professional resume writer will develop your personal branding strategy and market your skills and experience in order to position you as the best candidate for the job!

5. Potentially Save You Thousands of Dollars by Shortening Your Job Search

According to the Department of Labor it is now taking the average job seeker more than 8 months (39 weeks) to find a job. If you were making $52,000 per year in your last position you are losing $1,000 per week in lost salary. Now if a professionally written resume shortens your job search by as little as four weeks it could save you $4,000 in lost salary! If it shortens your job search by eight weeks you could save $8,000. A professionally written resume is not a luxury, it is a necessity.

When seeking the help of a professional resume writer; certifications and references are good places to start. With today's economic conditions many claim to be professional resume writers, however, they often do not have the talent or training necessary to help you get through the screening process.

Choose carefully; ask for and compare samples of their work. Your resume writer should do much more than simply type a resume. They will analyze your career and help you determine your career direction, develop a format that is most suitable to your specific situation, and then craft a strong and compelling marketing document that targets your career objective and positions you as the best candidate for the position.
About Author:
Angela Jones is one of the few professional resume writers to have received the coveted TORI Award (Toast of the Resume Industry); a prestigious international resume competition. Angela has also had samples of her work accepted for inclusion in recently published resume and cover letter books including "Gallery of Best Resumes".