Shopping for a Web-based
Resume Service; How to Avoid a Return
(Overview - ASK to see
SAMPLES...COMPARE Pricing...Review CREDENTIALS!)
With over 300 professional
resume services listed on the web today, and all of them making lofty claims
such as “Best Resumes, “Cheapest Resumes,” and “Guaranteed Interviews
or Your Money Back,” it can be confusing, to say the least. Making the decision to
hire a professional resume writer is easy, but now finding the most qualified service
charged with stating your case will prove a bigger challenge!
There are several factors you
should investigate before selecting the person who is going to compose one of the most
important documents of your life, a decision that’s not to be taken lightly in light
of today’s competitive market and uncertain economy. Lest
you be tempted to hire the first service that comes up in your search for “resume
writer,” realize that you have lots of choices and because of that, need to do your
homework. Hint – For even more choices, perform numerous keyword searches including
“resume writing,” “professional resume writer,” “professional
resumes,” “professional resume samples,” “executive resumes,”
“professional resume services,” etc. (Three word searches are generally
more targeted.) In the meantime, here are a few essential qualifiers that should
play a key role in your decision.
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Price Wars – As with any product or service,
it’s tempting to choose the least expensive one. On the other hand, it’s not
uncommon to believe that the highest priced service is the best; after all, they must be
good in order to command thousand dollar fees, right? Wrong. While the price of the resume
and limitations of your budget are important considerations, you don’t always get
what you pay for. Even the “cheapest” services may end up costing you more in
the long run when you realize you’ve just thrown away money to someone who used the
same Word template you could have utilized on your own without including important
information. The higher-priced services may conversely, lead you to believe that you
absolutely NEED an expensive resume and frequently land their clients based on a strong
sales pitch for the resume and additional services, not on their writing talent. Price
should equal value, i.e., the ultimate return on your investment. If you are
quoted a reasonable fee (somewhere between the
$99.00 guys and the $1,000 heavy hitters), you have a good chance of paying for a
well-crafted document that can easily generate more interviews, boost your
confidence and frequently position you as a candidate worthy of a position that commands a
higher salary. For example, let’s say the cost of your resume is $300.00, which,
initially, may seem like a significant investment. However, once that resume starts
opening doors to more quality interviews than you’ve received in the past and results
a better job, or even a new job after an extended period of employment, this investment
has paid for itself within weeks! Conclusion –
Price should obviously be measured, yet not be the driving factor of your selection.
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Representative Work – If one were to order a
piece of jewelry, art or furniture, a savvy consumer will want to review the talent first,
right? Nobody wants to spend money on an item
without seeing samples of items or products that the “artist” has procduced.
This is by far, one of the most telling tales of a resume service’s quality. Without
viewing their resumes, how can you be sure that their resumes are really ARE “the
best” or the “most successful?” In my research, I’ve seen more
websites than not who claim to offer
outstanding resumes without any proof at all. I’ve even gone as far as contacting
these companies to request a sample and have been told that since “each client is
different, a sample won’t help.” I don’t buy that – a good writer is a
good writer, period and there should be nothing to hide. If you do see samples, make sure
they are legible and not small graphics of what it will “look like,” as you have
to be able to read it! In addition to just looking impressive, the content must be doubly
compelling, as it’s the content that drives the employer to pick up the phone, not
just a pretty design. Most intelligent professionals, upon taking the time to review both
presentation and content, are able to decide what whether or not a resume is compelling.
Not seeing a sample is almost a sure sign that this service merely “types”
resumes rather than actually composing marketing documents designed to impress the
employer. Conclusion – If you aren’t
impressed with the samples or don’t see any at all,, it may be best to keep on
looking!
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Certifications – There are a number of
different writing, training and coaching certifications available from which to pursue and
from a variety of professional organizations that focus on writing or coaching practices.
This does not necessarily mean that certification guarantees a quality product, nor does
it mean that whoever certified the individual is the best judge of writing/coaching,
particularly when the judging is based on a number of subjective opinions as to what a
“good” coach or writer really should do. However, many of the professionals I
know who are in the business of certifying individuals are frequently right on the money.
Though certifications are certainly helpful in your decision making process, you cannot
automatically discount a service that does not boast any. Most certifications require
payment in order to take a test or complete a course and there are many qualified,
talented professionals who do not feel the need for investing money just to prove what
they already know - that they’re skilled
in what they do and have proven their mettle over the years, gaining more knowledge and hands-on experience than
any certification could demonstrate. You may prefer to work with an experienced writer
rather than someone who just recently obtained his or her certification, yet little
experience their belt or find someone who has both. Conclusion – While certification is helpful
and shows a commitment to one’s craft, there are plenty of other good writers who are
producing astounding work without the formality. Again, samples and other credentials
(below) speak volumes.
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Publications – Being published for recognized
expertise is a genuine accomplishment for any writer and better yet, it’s easy to
verify. A good writer will usually try to get their works published, either in some sort
of resume or career book or on a respected website that displays career articles. A good
writer is proud of their work and likes to see it in print. A good writer can back up
claims of publications merely by sending you copies of articles or directing you to links
where they are featured. Even if someone’s work is not featured in any public
publication, either on the web or in a book/magazine, articles on their site will give you
a good understanding of their writing style and knowledge of the industry (or lack
thereof). Conclusion – If someone touts their
publications, ask for proof or copies. Easy enough.
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Memberships – Similar to certifications,
memberships in career organizations exhibit a commitment to one’s craft. They also
allow the writer to remain up to date on hiring, employment and writing trends while
providing vast networking opportunities through the members that include a diverse group
of professionals including recruiters, career coaches, resume writers, job search
strategists and human resource managers. These organizations are entirely focused on the
career industry and most hold yearly conventions, semi-annual courses and teleclasses.
They offer industry-related book clubs, e-lists, newsletters and articles that continue to
help the member gain knowledge in almost any career-related topic, whether it be
unemployment statistics, cover letter writing, recruiter trends or unique client
situations. Conclusion – Paid memberships
normally prompt active participation from members and provide the writer with great,
up-to-date resources.
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Years of experience – Though this is
sometimes difficult to confirm, information can be verified merely by talking the person
in charge of the service and/or checking to see when a website or business was formally
established through public records. Don’t rely merely on what a website claims; pick
up the phone talk to the owner. Ask pointed questions as to when they started in the
business, what their background consists of and how many resumes they’ve written.
Question them on resume trends, job search statistics and their success rate. In short,
get a feel for who will be managing your writing project. If he/she falters, or seems to
steer the conversation away from themselves and back onto you, i.e., trying to sell their
services without even listening to your questions or what you need, chances are they
aren’t as experienced as they say. Most true professionals in any industry are
generally proud of their work and more than happy to talk about what they know, how
they’ve contributed and better yet, how they can help you.. Conclusion – Any answers bathed in hesitation, evasiveness, hard
selling or rudeness should clue you in to either performing more research or better yet,
moving on.
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Recognized Expertise – In addition to the
presentation of impressive samples, being recognized by one’s industry peers is a big
accomplishment. When a writer is featured or endorsed as a resume expert, they are likely
to have already proven themselves; it’s also simple to check. If you’re
doubtful, ask for proof and follow up on what you’re given. For example, if a website
claims that the writer is featured as an expert on another site, visit that site to make
sure or do a search for the writer’s name, which will frequently lead to you all
kinds of links provided they are well-connected! Acknowledgment
also takes the form of having their work published in a book that includes resume samples.
There are many leading books out there dedicated to resumes and cover letters alone,
usually comprised of samples from professional writers. It’s not easy to have your
work selected because there is usually a flood of competition from other writers (and
multiple submissions from each!) so having one’s work published numerous times is a
great testimonial to one’s knowledge and ability. Follow up for you is easy, because
most of these books can be found in major bookstores.
Be wary, though, of writers whose only claim to fame are “quotes”
in various periodicals or television shows. Most quote are usually one-liners, not
full-blown interviews and do not a writer/expert make! They are also more difficult to
verify. Conclusion – Publications are
generally a good thing; you just need to
verify them if something sounds fishy!
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History of Company
/Picture/Name of owner – I’ve seen too
many websites that have absolutely no information about the history of company or even the
name of the owner. Even while researching the “About Us” links of numerous
websites, I found that information has been very vague and rarely contained any real
information about the company or the writer(s). Frequently, these “About Us”
pages were just reiterations of what they claim they’ll do for their clients, with
nothing whatsoever about backgrounds, expertise, knowledge, certifications, memberships
and/or years of experience. Most reputable companies (no matter what the industry) are
more than happy to sell themselves, so be sure to check out this important link.
Conclusion – If a site doesn’t contain a
comprehensive overview of credentials and qualifications, there is mostly likely a reason!
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Quality of Site – A good resume service
should be hosting a highly professionally designed site as they are in the business of
making strong first impressions! A quality
site is one that offers the visitors valuable information, not just sales pitches. Sure,
all companies need to market themselves but the site should also address the
visitor’s needs. Most respected services include numerous links related to
“FAQs,” career expertise in the form of articles, resume samples, clear pricing
and service explanations, an “About Us” page, testimonials and stated
credentials. The site should be visually pleasing, easy to navigate, contain its own URL
(much more credible than www.freehomepage/townshipmain/resumesbyjan.htm), contain
well-written content and of course, spark your interest. Homemade sites are easier to spot
– they are just one-page jobs claiming cheap pricing and not much else. Conclusion
– First impressions in this instance are
usually spot on; if you aren’t impressed, don’t bother.
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Personalized Service &
Relationships – Probably the most
important aspect to factor in along with the above is your comfort level with your writer
that is developed either through phone consults or email correspondence. You need to feel
confident, not pressured. You need to be sure that your writer is going to work with you
no matter what and that the writer will be open to suggestions. Yes, they are the expert,
but it’s also your resume. If someone dictates what you need without considering your
concerns, you will never feel comfortable using your resume. You need to make sure that
they are approachable and reachable. You need to
make sure that you gain a sense of personalized attention, not just empty promises. Even
if a writer is busy (and most good services are busy for a reason), you should have a
feeling of assurance that your needs will be just as important as other clients.
Conclusion - Ask questions and trust your
gut…you know the type of people with which you like to interact, so if you feel
uneasy about getting the attention you need, you probably won’t.
Remember, anyone
can purchase a URL and build a website rather cheaply, claiming to be a quality
resume service with true experience. Before you hire ANY service, take the time to ask
about credentials, experience and sample work. Try to talk to the owner and get a feel for
how well they want to help you, NOT how they want to quickly sign you up for services. |
