Resume Pricing - Does Your Resume Come With A Lamborghini?
© David Alan Carter
All Rights Reserved
Considering a resume service? As a former resume writer (emphasis on ‘former'), I frequently get approached by
folks worried that they're about to pay too much for a professionally written resume, or conversely, not pay enough
to expect a quality result.
So, how much money is a reasonable amount to spend on a professionally prepared
resume?
Consider first that you could spend as little as $25 and as much as $1000 or more, though neither extreme seems
prudent for the mid-level professional. For starters, the lower end of the scale doesn't afford you much time with
the writer. Keep in mind that the entire purpose of a professionally prepared resume is to have a pro writer – and
hopefully a writer with employment credentials in your chosen field – evaluate your work history and job skills,
and translate that background and talent into a one or two-page marketing pitch that secures a face-to-face job
interview.
That's a tall order, and it practically mandates the following of the writer:
1) begin by gleaning the basic details of your professional life from a previous resume or completed worksheet
detailing the specifics of past jobs, education, and the like,
2) conduct an actual interview with you, the client, either by phone or in person, in order to flesh out your
experience and get a fuller understanding of your career goals and the contribution you are capable of making to an
employer,
If we had to recommend just one resume
service...
|
ResumeWriters.com
Our Top-Rating for a Resume Writing
Service
Certified writers specializing in 5 dozen career fields and
delivering a 99.98% customer satisfaction rating since 1998. Plus, one of the strongest guarantees
in the industry - an interview within 60 days or they'll re-write your resume
at no charge.
Grad Level / Mid Level / Executive
$169
$199 $299
Go to the Company's WEBSITE or...
Read our In-Depth REVIEW
|
To see ALL
of the Web's most popular resume writing services ranked and reviewed, go to our home page...
Review of Resume Writers
|
3) devote two to three hours of writing time (more than that for executive clients and those with extensive
technical experience or complex work histories); composing and editing and tweaking the resume,
4) dedicate additional time to provide feedback to the client, answer any questions, and potentially perform
additional edits as per the clients' instruction.
The company on the Web that is offering to write a resume for $25 or even $50 is simply not performing all of
the above – they can't at that price. At best, the writer employed by the company will access a worksheet that
you've completed, and put something together using pat phrases and a very standardized template. If you're an
accountant, your finished resume will look OK, but it will also look like hundreds if not thousands of other
resumes of accountants. To that end, you will have not distinguished yourself on paper, nor elevated the likelihood
of securing that job interview above any of the others competing for the same position.
And that company charging $1000? Well, they'd better be good. The only justification for that kind of money is
if the writer is one of a few true masters of the executive-level resume (we found one here), or the resume package includes multiple
hours of legitimate career counseling, or access to a cubicle, phone and fax for a few months (like the offerings
of some outplacement services). Or the keys to the owner's Lamborghini for the weekend.
So, what is a fair price for a professionally-written resume?
Recent college graduates or those seeking an entry-level position should expect to pay somewhere from
$100 to $200.
Those seeking a mid-level professional position, with 2-5 years of relevant experience under their belt,
should expect to pay $150 to $350 for a well-crafted resume. And for that price, there are companies that will
guarantee job interviews from that resume.
Executive-level experience or those with highly technical or complex backgrounds should generally expect
to pay anywhere from $500 to $1000 or more. Much more, if you want the cream-of-the-crop working on your
personal marketing campaign. Such resumes not only require more time on the part of the writer, but require a
writer with an insight into management and business that many don't have, and a skill set to translate that
complexity into a language that sells the client in the face of extremely stiff competition.
The good news is that there are resume services out there with well-qualified writers who can make you shine on
paper–without taking out a second mortgage on the house. And because of the internet, those writers are available
with a few clicks of your mouse. BTW, if you'd like to quickly narrow your search down to the top 10 leading
resume writing services on the Web, jump to Resume Writing Service Reviews where I give each a star ranking and a mini-review.
Best of luck. --David
David Alan
Carter is a former technical recruiter (i.e.
headhunter) and founder of Resume One of Cincinnati. For more than ten years, he personally crafted
thousands of resumes for satisfied clients from all occupational walks of life, from entry-level to
senior executive.
|
|
Back To Top
|