Should I Use a Professional Resume Writer?

In today’s ultra-competitive job market, job seekers need to gain every advantage they can get. About 250 people apply to the average job posting today and only one of those lucky applicants will land the position, according to Zety.com.

Just getting a resume in front of a hiring manager is increasingly difficult. Consider that an estimated 75% of resumes are rejected by applicant tracking systems (ATS), a type of software many companies use to sort, collect, and rank resumes before a hiring manager sees them.

Both of these grim statistics are one reason why many job candidates are working with professional resume writers. The 21^st-century job market is changing rapidly and becoming more global, complicated, and competitive. Relying on cookie-cutter resume templates simply doesn’t cut it anymore if you want to land a coveted position.

A professional resume writer can work with you to create a successful resume that’s visually appealing, creates a compelling narrative about your career, and highlights your value as a worker. Most importantly, resume writers have deep knowledge about today’s hiring process and can help you craft a resume that’ll get past the dreaded ATS software that companies use.

Empire Resume has researched the benefits of working with professional resume writers and will explain how resume writers operate, how they can help you land a highly sought after job, and what you should look for if you decide to work with a resume writer.

What Do Resume Writers Do, Exactly?

A professional resume writer looks at a resume as more of a marketing document than just a factual history of a job seeker’s career. A resume writer will develop a deep understanding of a job seeker’s career goals and then craft a resume that’s designed to appeal to the person’s target employers.

The best resume writers know the intricacies of today’s job market and hiring practices. They write resumes that include important industry keywords and ones that are designed in attractive layouts and formats. Perhaps most importantly, good resume writers know all about applicant tracking systems (ATS) and how to write resumes that will get past them.

A good resume writer doesn’t just need formal resume writing training. Some of the best resume writers available also have experience in hiring and the corporate world, which gives them a wealth of knowledge about resume best practices.

Some resume writers also choose to get certifications. The two biggest organizations that offer resume writing certifications are the Professional Association of Resume Writers and the National Resume Writers’ Association.

Benefits of Hiring A Resume Writer

The most obvious benefit of hiring a professional resume writer is it’ll help you land a job. However, when you dig deeper, there are other benefits of working with resume writers that extend beyond getting the job you want.

As Empire Resume knows, great resume writers will also act as career coaches that help job seekers determine their value and career stories. While gathering initial information, many resume writers will ask thought-provoking questions that’ll help you identify your strengths as a worker and the value and successes you’ve had with previous employers.

A good resume writer will also help you develop your personal brand and the core messages you’ll want to communicate to employers. Your resume is your primary marketing document for your career brand but resume writers will also help you identify the unique strengths and attributes you can highlight when selling yourself in all other forms of networking.

Working with a resume writer is also great interview training. Many resume writers will have you describe the gist of your past work achievements, which will help you figure out the most important information to convey in a job interview.

Other benefits of working with resume writers are:

• Getting an objective view of yourself. As we mentioned above, a great resume writer sifts through your career history to create a resume that highlights only the most important information. Identifying this information on your own can be difficult because, if you’re like most people, it’s hard to get an objective view of your career and your professional strengths.
• They save you time. It takes about five months for the average person to land a new job, according to an often-cited research statistic discovered by recruitment agency Randstad. Many job seekers will spend countless hours doing their own research to fine-tune their resumes. Working with a resume writer substantially reducces the amount of time you spend stressing about your resume.
• Resume trends change rapidly. Resumes look much different today than they did even five years ago, and resume trends change quickly. Professional resume writers stay on top of new trends through ongoing training, certifications, and professional affiliations.

Should You Hire A Resume Writer?

As you can see, there are many benefits to hiring a professional resume writer. In some instances, it makes perfect sense to work with a resume writer. But not everyone will need the service. Here are some questions to ask yourself before hiring a professional resume writer:

• Are you talented at writing? If you already consider yourself a good writer, you may not need a professional resume writer. Many resume writing services offer a free resume review so, if you’re unsure your resume writing skills are good enough, you could always get them checked out for free.
• Do you know where you want to go with your career? As we mentioned earlier, working with a resume writer is best when you know exactly what types of jobs you’re looking for and what your career path is. If you’re looking to get any job, using a resume writer would probably be a waste of money.
• How much money do you expect to earn? You could pay $100 for a resume, but it’s usually the resume writing mills that charge that cheap rates or international freelances working in third-world countries. A high-quality resume writer will usually charge in the range of $350 and $700. Ideally, you’ll want to see that investment pay off in a short period of time. If you don’t expect to make more than $30,000 per year at your desired job, hiring a resume writer may not be worth it.

We just explained some situations where it may not be worth it to hire a professional resume writer. There are plenty of other situations, though, where hiring a resume writer makes perfect sense.

One of these situations is if you’ve been sending your resume out for a while and you’re not getting any callbacks. In this case, your resume may be falling into the dreaded applicant tracking system (ATS) black hole – the ATS software may be denying your resume and hiring managers may not even be seeing it.

Resume writers are very knowledgeable about ATS and they can format your resume properly and optimize it with the right keywords, so it gets past the screening software. Your resume may even be getting in front of hiring managers, but it’s not catching their attention. This is another case where hiring a resume writer to improve your resume is worth it.

Hiring a resume writer also makes sense if you want to change careers, you have employment gaps, or you’re not sure how to present transferable skills and experience to get the job you want. A professional resume writer is skilled at smoothing out a bumpy work history and playing on your strengths while downplaying the weaknesses in your career story.

Lastly, many career experts say college graduates just entering the workforce should use a professional resume writer. University career service centers are usually too busy to give much individualized help. Also, after having spent big money on a college education, it only makes sense to spend a few extra dollars to ensure you have a great resume to land the right first job.

Tips for Choosing A Resume Writer

If you choose to hire a resume writing service, the next step is to do your due diligence to find a great one. Start by reviewing the service’s website. Check to see if the website has a professional appearance, it explains fees, and it gives you a good idea of its process and how it works.

Look for endorsements and testimonials on the website. If the website lacks endorsements, check Google for online reviews. It’s also smart to see if the service is accredited with the Better Business Bureau. Checking BBB.org will protect you from an online scam, as you can see what the service’s BBB rating is and if there are any complaints lodged against it.

Make sure the resume writing service is a good match by communicating with them and the writer. Feeling comfortable with the writer is essential because you’ll need to share a lot of information for the writer to craft your resume and fit it to your needs and wants.

Also, make sure the service provides a satisfaction guarantee. The resume writing process should involve an initial interview and then further contact after the writer has finished the first draft. A satisfaction guarantee will ensure the process won’t end until you’re satisfied with the finished product.

The Empire Resume Advantage

Not everyone needs a resume writer, as we just explained. But as companies’ hiring processes become more complicated and the job market becomes more competitive, working with a resume writer can give you a distinct advantage when trying to land a job.

Empire Resume is one of many resume writing services to consider and it has exceptional credentials that are unmatched by most services. Dr. Phil Gold, Empire Resume’s founder and president, has an extensive professional background in finance, education, operational management, and recruiting. Dr. Gold also personally writes or reviews every single resume Empire Resume produces to ensure the highest level of quality.

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Nick Pipitone is a freelance writer living in the Philadelphia area. He has covered business and management topics extensively throughout his career, and he enjoys rooting for Philly sports teams and getting lost in used bookstores. You can find more of Nick’s writing at his freelance website.

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