Executive Resume - 5 Questions For An Executive Resume Writer

© David Alan Carter
All Rights Reserved

If you're looking for an Executive Resume Writer, you're probably overwhelmed with the number of resume writing services offering an executive package. Not all are worth your time or money. Narrow them down quickly by asking these 5 questions before you sign up with an executive resume writer.
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Is The Executive Resume Writer Certified?

First, a qualifier. Yes, there are resume writers who can write circles around anyone and yet have no certification next to their name. Just like there are mechanics and accountants with no accreditation who can work magic with cars and calculators. Problem is, this type of professional is particularly hard to find. Unless you have a specific recommendation from someone whose judgement you trust, insist on a certified resume writer to tackle your project.

The accreditations you can expect to see are...

• Certified Professional Resume Writer (CRPW), issued by the Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches, or
• Nationally Certified Resume Writer (NCRW) issued by the National Resume Writers' Association.

Both accreditations hold similar heft in the industry, and signifies that your writer is knowledgeable in resume techniques, versed in the language of the industry, and acceptably skilled in translating job qualifications into prose that sells.

But don't stop there. Try to find a Certified Expert Resume Writer (CERW). This designation, by Career Directors International, has been achieved by only a few pros in the industry. In CDIs own words, it's a designation reserved for writers whose portfolio of work "stands out for its innovation, for the advanced formatting that grasps the attention of the reader, and in the superior command of the language that makes every bullet point an unfolding story—a revelation for the reader and a triumph for your clients."
(We identify one such writer below)

Will The Executive Resume Writer Conduct An Interview?

The best way (the only way) for a writer to get to know you – your professional goals, what you can offer a company – is to conduct an interview. Telephone or face-to-face. A questionnaire and email correspondence is fine for gathering routine background information, but a phone interview allows the writer to draw out your unique qualifications, identify a vision for your brand, and create value propositions that are critical for building the resume.

Does The Writer Make Samples Available?

How do you know a writer can write? Look at what he or she has written. Make sure the Executive Resume Writer you're considering has samples available of resumes written for past clients. And make sure you like what you see.

What Assurance or Guarantee Does The Writer Offer?

Every reputable resume service will offer some form of assurance that you will be pleased with their work. At a bare minimum, this should take the form of complimentary editing privileges for a period of time (i.e. 7 days to a month or so). A stronger assurance might include a guarantee that the resume will generate interviews. Know what you're getting.

What's The Price?

This is not the typing service you employed to put together your new grad resume. This is tapping a marketing pro to craft a compelling case for hiring you in a dog-eat-dog business world. Expect to pay for talent. Prices at some of the more popular resume writing services  that offer executive packages typically run $300 to $800 or so. For a writer with a reputation, who specialized in executive resume writing, expect to pay $700 to $1,700 or more, depending upon the complexities of your situation.

BTW, if you're interested in my personal take on executive resume writing services, well, I found...

Erin Kennedy, CERW, CPRW, is the principle writer for Professional Resume Services, Inc. Beyond certification (see bullets below), Kennedy is a nationally published author and contributor to 10 best-selling career books.

Kennedy specializes in executive branding – that difficult art of capturing mindshare through careful positioning of one's self as a leader equated with solutions. Through an in-depth consultative telephone interview and her unique data mining process, Erin and her team will assess your career and develop a cutting-edge, value-branded marketing campaign that remains at its heart, authentically you.

Why This Executive Resume Writer Stands Out

• You'll talk directly with Erin Kennedy. At the executive level, you'll have an initial telephone consultation with Erin Kennedy. She will then match you with a member of her select team of expert writers, one who specializes in your discipline and fits your needs perfectly. Kennedy remains in collaboration with your writer – discussing strategy, content, focus, brand, etc. And Kennedy conducts the final review of the documents before they're sent to you.
• Impressive credentials. Kennedy is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) and a Certified Expert Resume Writer (CERW). The latter designation is held by only a few industry professionals worldwide.
• Contributing author. Kennedy is a contributor to 10 books relating to resume writing and careers, including "Cover Letters For Dummies, 3rd Edition," John Wiley Publications, 2009.
• Writing team is "best of the best." Backing her up, each writer on this select team is hand-picked by Erin Kennedy. These are, quite frankly, some of the nation's top resume writers – collectively holding numerous awards, and serving as contributors to various career publications and resume-writing books.
• Samples speak volumes. The samples of executive resumes, available on her website, showcase the kind of talent she can bring to your project.
• Guarantee. Kennedy is so confident in the work of her team that she guarantees you'll get the interview.

Cost-Benefit Analysis

Without over selling the concept, sometimes you really do get what you pay for. If a nod from a hiring committee means you land the COO position to the tune of $450,000, you don't need me to tell you that Erin Kennedy's thousand dollar resume was a good return on investment.

If you see yourself benefiting from this top-flight writer, I've secured a locked-in fee of $1695 through the link below -- if you want it. This is for Kennedy's Executive Resume Package, a service that could normally run up to $2995 depending upon your background.

Go to Erin Kennedy's Exclusive-Executive-Resumes.com 

Best of luck in your job search.

--David

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