There are three categories of resume writing companies and corresponding pricing structures.

The first is the part-time resume writer.  These are often editors, writers, English majors who write resumes “on the side.”  They often work from home, advertise on craigslist and typically charge from about $50 to $150 for a resume package.  They are rarely members of the Professional Association of Resume Writers (PARW), but often produce a decent product at a low price point.  Don’t expect much customization, or in-depth inquiries into your experience or skill set.  These part-timers might be acceptable for someone on a really tight budget, but better options for most may exist.

The second is the small business, PARW member.  These are often one-person businesses, working from a small office, or a home office and specialize in writing professional resumes.  They often have a moderate web presence, may advertise in their regional area and charge from about $100 to $300 for a resume package.  Their services and price points are often categorized into entry level/new grad, experienced or mid-career, and executive or specialized.  You will typically be dealing with the actual resume writer that will be interviewing you and writing your resume.  This category guarantees their resumes and will re-write and edit them for a time period.  Generally speaking, many feel this category offers a superior mix of value, one-on-one communication, and pride of work.  The certified professional resume member category writes the bulk of resumes written each year.

The third is the large, resume “farm.”  These corporations, often market nationally, have tremendous web foot-prints, and employ dozens of resume writers, often from foreign countries.  They typically have a webpage that encourages a form to be filled out and emailed in.  It is then assigned to a resume writer, and a resume is emailed back to you within a week.  Often, there is no communication between you and the resume writer.  Some edits are allowed, but there is not the one-on-one direct communication.  These large resume corporations also guarantee their resumes.  Prices range from “come-on” $49 packages (that rarely end up at $49), all the way up to $700 and more.  These resume farms often produce a substandard resume. 

All three types of resume writing companies have their pros and cons and it is up to you to decide which one is right for you. 

Good luck, and if you want a free resume critique by a San Diego based, Professional Resume Writer, please contact me at www.sdresumes.com or 858-414-9603.

A resume needs to highlight your qualifications and showcase your talents and value.  It cannot simply be a listing of your job duties.  Your resume is a marketing tool to SELL your skills to the company so they want to bring you in for a job interview.  If your resume has worked well for you in the past, that doesn’t mean it will work well in today’s competitive job market.  I spoke with some HR Managers for leading companies in San Diego and whether small or large companies, they used to get 25 to 75 resumes in response to an ad.  Now, some of them are getting up to 500 resumes for one job.  The simple truth is if your resume is too long, not visually appealing or worse, doesn’t have the “right” information in it, you won’t be called for an interview.

A professionally created cover letter and resume will not only contain keywords or buzzwords that a recruiter or computer program is looking for, it will include the keywords with a description that demonstrates your experience and understanding of the subject matter.  The reason for this is that if you have 10 years of experience as a Project Manager your resume needs to focus on your core competencies so that you are not compared to someone just out of school from a certificate program.

Visually, if you have a poorly organized resume, too many font types or sizes, overused italics, bold, underlining, etc, even if your resume is selected to look at, a human won’t want to read it.  Graphics and pictures are rarely recommended as they often cause you to be excluded from a computerized search.

Whether you are seeking a Professional Resume Writer to write your Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV), whether you need an Entry Level Resume, Professional Mid-Career Resume, Executive Resume or Federal Resume you need to invest in having your cover letter and resume professional written to ensure you are maximizing your time in your job search and investing in yourself and your career.