Most people know how frustrating it can be to write a good resume. Most are not expert writers and don't know exactly what hiring managers are looking for. This is why many turn to professional resume writers and services.
There are hundreds of resume writing services and thousands of resume writers offering services. How do you choose a good resume writing service? Or how do you find a good professional resume writer?
Here are five tips from our team of experts on how to choose a good resume writing service.
Top 5 tips for choosing a good resume writing service
1. Read customer reviews
The first thing you need to do is browse the web and search for reviews on the resume service or writer. Make sure these reviews are from a third party site where customers can leave reviews. Some popular options are Yelp, BBB.org, and Trustpilot.
There are a lot of scam sites out there who put up fake reviews so use your best judgement when reading reviews. This is a good article that discusses how to spot fake reviews online.
Another way to really get some genuine feedback is to reach out to your network and see if anyone has used a professional resume writer or professional resume writing service in the past.
Keep in mind that it's easier to find reviews on a service rather than an independent writer. We'll discuss which option is better later in this post, but you should ask the writer for references or examples of past work if they work independently.
2. Verify the location
You need to make sure that the writer or service you're using is either located in your country or has experience writing resumes for whatever country you will be applying for jobs in. There is a difference in how resumes are written for different countries.
For example:
USA & Canada - A resume is usually preferred.
Europe - A CV is usually preferred.
You can read more here on the difference between a CV and a Resume.
The main issue with online resume writing services is that they are often outsourced to third world countries. Many of these scam services put up a website that appears to be legitimate but the person writing your resume will be outsourced. This can bring up a variety of complications, such as a non-native English speakers writing your resume, or a resume that includes sensitive information not required by US employers.
The best way to avoid working with an outsourced writer is to contact customer support or ask to speak to the writer on the phone. It should be a red flag if your service doesn't have a customer service number or won't allow you to communicate with the writer via phone call.
This leads us to our next tip:
3. Research the process
Make sure you know what the process will be before choosing a resume writing service. Many services will have you fill out a questionnaire and throw a resume back at you. The only way to receive a quality resume is by collaborating with your writer.
This means that you need to be able to get on a call with the writer or exchange emails to work through multiple revisions. You should also ensure that you will be able to request revisions to your resume after the draft is delivered. A service that offers no revisions or puts a limit on them should be a red flag.
Another important thing to look into is ATS (Applicant Tracking System) optimization. Make sure the service or writer you choose knows how to format and optimize your resume for ATS which is software used by most companies to automatically screen resumes before they're ever seen by a human.
Nearly 75% of resumes are rejected by ATS systems and many times the candidate is qualified but their resume isn't optimized.
You can get a free ATS resume test here.
4. Look for the writers
You should be able to see profiles of some of the writers that work for the service you're considering. A service that doesn't list its writers is another red flag that the services may be outsourced.
If the website doesn't list any writers, you can check the company's LinkedIn page to see if there are any credible writers that work for them. Credible writers have complete LinkedIn profiles, profile pictures, job history, and list their resume writing qualifications. You also want to ensure that the writers are qualified. Ask to see the writers profile or LinkedIn page to ensure they're qualified to be working on your resume.
At Zipjob, we have a page where we list the bios of some of our professional resume writers. Many others are connected to our LinkedIn page.
There are also a few certifications that are offered to services and writers that you should be looking for. The most popular certifications are the PARW and NRWA. Check to see if the writer or service is certified.
5. Check for the price
The price is another important factor when it comes to choosing a resume writing service. Resume writing services that charge less than $100 mean that the writer will not be spending a lot of time on your resume, or that it's outsourced to a low quality writer.
We wrote more here on how much to pay for a professional resume service to ensure you receive a quality product. We also included price quotes for the 12 best resume writing services post we put together. In 2019 in the US, the average professional resume writing service cost $149.
How to find a professional resume writer
There are two ways to go about finding a professional resume writer. You can either go with a service or look for an independent/freelance resume writer.
The best way is typically through a service unless someone you know recommends a writer. This is because you can easily find reviews on a service where as it may be more difficult with an independent writer. A professional resume writing service also vets each writers to ensure that they're highly qualified.
We suggest you look at our services or start your research with our post on the best resume writing services (all industries).
Summary
Hiring a professional resume writer may seems like it costs more than writing your own resume, but it comes with the benefit of an experienced professional who knows how to writer resumes in 2020. Do your research before choosing a writer or service, but know that there are several legitimate options out there.
Good luck with your job search!
Written by
ZipJob Team
The ZipJob team is made up of professional writers located across the USA and Canada with backgrounds in HR, recruiting, career coaching, job placement, and professional writing.
