A Professional Resume Writer or Resume Service can indeed help you get a new job or receive a job promotion. However, there are many scams on the internet. My goal in this article is to help you figure out how to identify resume scams. While nothing is foolproof, learning what to look for in a resume writer can help you avoid resume scams!
Cost of a Professionally Written Resume
A professionally written resume is an investment in your career. And… a professionally written resume is tax deductible!
Just because it’s an investment doesn’t mean it will cost you $1,000. However, this also doesn’t mean that a resume writer selling a $25 ‘professionally written resume’ will do well. Your job as a job seeker is to hire the best you can afford. A strong, well-written resume for mid-level careers should be no more than $150 TOPS. However, a high-end executive should expect to pay more. The majority of the resumes I write are for mid-level job seekers. I’m not afraid, or ashamed, to admit that I do NOT feel comfortable working with high-end CEOs – the big whig- of multinational conglomerates! I know my limitations. Which brings us to my next point…
Your Resume Writer Knows The Limits!
Like I said, I do VERY SOME senior executive resumes. I’ve done that, but it’s on a case by case basis. I often turn down jobs because it is not my area of knowledge. No resume writer can know everything about every career! Resume scammers will tell you they DO. For the record, I also don’t work on resumes for lawyers, actors, federal resumes or resumes for doctors. You could be in sales, IT, construction, education, management or any number of other fields and I’d love to help you. I know my limitations. Every resume writer MUST.
Guarantee (Money Back or Job Placement)
If a resume writer guarantees that their resume will land you a job within a certain time frame, FIND ANOTHER WRITER! I’m a RESUME WRITER, not a JOB MANAGER (been there, did that!). I can’t guarantee you a job any more than you can guarantee me a job for the next 6 months. Your interviewing skills, personality, networking skills, career background and sometimes – sheer luck – is what will get you the job. MY JOB is to create and write a resume that markets your skills and accomplishments and makes you more attractive and valuable to employers!
Resume writers who offer money-back guarantees usually make it very hard to get one, so they RARELY give refunds. And, any resume writer can tell you how easy it is for clients to trick THEM. I have a friend who’s a resume writer (I happened to work for him) and he’s had several instances of clients who just said they didn’t like it, in order to get a refund. The problem is that we live in a VERY small community. The client ALSO lives in the SAME community. He received a call one day from a local business that had just hired this client. The man who hired her, recognized her writing style and called with a ‘hey- you’ll never guess who I just hired’. He never returned the money. He could cost him his job. He chose NOT to tell his friend about the scam his new employee had perpetrated. I’m just not sure I can keep my mouth shut. So no… unless there is some type of critical error or an incomplete sequence, most resume writers will NOT offer a refund.
No Revisions
While a good resume writer won’t offer a refund, they MUST offer revisions! My clients get as many revisions as they need. Any company or resume writer that doesn’t want to work with you and ensure your satisfaction is definitely a scam!
Questionnaire
In and of itself, a questionnaire is not a bad thing. I use one myself. HOWEVER – I will also call or email with questions, and offer my phone number for you to call me if you need to! If there is a major problem with your resume, I will ALWAYS call to talk to you.
upselling
Many resume scams will lure you in at a low or reasonable price, then sell you other features or services and/or tell you that your resume will be longer and make you pay for a ‘2 or 3 page’ resume. I can’t stand this exercise! I charge a flat rate because it’s (mainly) easier for me! Sure, I might lose money on the occasional resume that took longer or was more difficult than I anticipated, and yes, some are easier and less time consuming. Everything is balanced. I believe in keeping my prices fair – for my clients and myself. And the last thing I want to do is spend time trying to talk you into buying something you don’t want. I can’t stand pushy sellers! And if I want to be in sales- I will! There’s a reason why I don’t!
Top 10 Resume Writers/ Top 10 Resume Service Lists
To my knowledge, there is no such (legitimate) site! In most cases, this site is owned (directly or indirectly) by the resume service site itself! They provide ‘reviews’ with 5-star ratings to their companies, or to companies that have paid (usually several hundred dollars per month!) to be included in this list!
There are certification and professional resume writing organizations, and you can find official resume services there. Keep in mind; there are also many good writers who are NOT in this organization for one reason or another. Their cost is often a major factor. So just because your resume writer isn’t part of this group doesn’t mean they aren’t good at what they do.
One thing you should do is check if the resume writer or service is registered with RipOffReport.com, which is a popular site where disgruntled customers can log their complaints.
Fast Turnaround Time Guaranteed
At best, I only write 1-2 resumes per day. It takes several hours for each resume. Good resumes take hours to write and the best resume writers only produce 1-2 resumes per day. Be wary of resume writers who won’t provide at least a few examples of the different resumes they’ve created. Any resume writer who promises 24-48 hour turnaround and charges $99 or less typically produces 6-8 resumes a day. They all look the same. The information is entered into the template and they send it to you. In general, my turnaround time is a week to 10 days. Sometimes more. I’m always honest about how long it will take me to send your resume. I do offer same-day and next-day services, but with very limited availability and at a price. Your time is valuable and so is mine. If I do a rush order for you, it means I’m taking time away from my family and personal life. This goes for any competent resume writer!
Their website
It’s a double edged sword here. Websites should be attractive and easy to find information. However, just because they are ‘beautiful’ doesn’t mean they produce high-quality resumes. Take a look at their samples. If you don’t like their samples, you probably won’t like their work. Make sure their samples are of a different style and industry. A resume for a teacher won’t look the same as a sales executive or engineer! Look to see if they focus on skills and accomplishments as opposed to producing a pretty resume that lists only job duties. Also see if they use advanced techniques like colors, testimonials and highlights to make your resume stand out from the crowd.
By using your common sense, you can reduce your chances of falling for resume scams. Some resume scammers are very good, and even with these tips you may fall victim. But by being educated and diligent, you significantly reduce that chance and increase your chances of finding the best resume writer for you! Google the resume service name and resume author name, search LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Just as an employer will vet you before offering a job, check your resume writer before you hire them!