Are Professional Resume Writers Worth It?

I've been writing resumes for over a decade and I've honestly never seen a job market quite as competitive as the one we are facing in 2024. When answering the question, "Is it worth it to hire a professional resume writer?" it's critical to understand the difference between a resume writing service that just reformats your documents and a personal branding expert who helps you clearly and confidently articulate your value and fit for the role. 

In this article, I'll help you understand how and when to use online templates and AI-enabled resources, as well as how to best marry the expertise of an expert professional resume writer with 2024 technology.

We'll explore the benefits of hiring a professional resume writer and whether it's worth the investment for your career.

Why Is a Professional Resume Important?

Your resume is more than just your first impression to a potential hiring manager. When done right, resumes are an extension of your personal brand. Your resume not only gives you confidence, it also serves as a guide for interviews, prompting hiring managers to ask questions about the achievements and expertise that you're most proud of.

Professional resume writers can help you unlock your value and get super clear on the problems you solve, as well as the unique combination of skills and experience that shape your personal brand.

Resume Writers Offer Unique Expertise in Navigating the Current Job Market 

In today's job market, there are several factors contributing to an overwhelming volume of applications for every job.

First and foremost, there's a really low barrier to entry on most job sites. Technology has streamlined the application process, making it really easy to apply for jobs. This is great from a candidate experience perspective, but it also makes it easier for candidates to apply for dozens of jobs without really giving a lot of thought to qualifications.

From a hiring manager's perspective, this creates a lot of noise that they then must sift through. So, even if you are qualified and have taken the time to customize your materials to demonstrate that, recruiters have to go through a lot to get to you!

There is also the impact of technology, from ChatGPT and other AI-enabled workflow automations to systems and platforms that enable corporations to streamline and take out waste in nearly every process.

And finally, the Baby Boomer generation was massive. Their workforce expanded to accommodate that and we are still seeing the impact of streamlining and rightsizing as they retire.

Because of this and many other Future of Work factors, the workforce has become increasingly specialized. It's not enough, for example, to be a skilled marketing manager. Companies are looking for Digital Marketing Managers with 5+ years of experience in Marketo or Pardot. That applies across industries, functions, and levels.

A professional resume writer has the expertise to craft a resume that highlights your unique skills and experiences, making you stand out from the crowd. A great resume writer will partner with you to identify what your differentiated value is and the best way to showcase that.

Delegating is a Higher Order Skill

A professional resume writer is great at writing resumes. It is, quite literally, their job! You haven't made it as far as you have in your career by trying to do everything. In fact, quite the opposite! The most successful leaders I know are in their positions because they hire great people and give them the support and guidance they need to be successful.

The old adage that you never want to be the smartest in the room comes in here as well. You don't need to be great at everything! In fact, taking out tasks that you're not naturally exceptional at allows you to do what you do best.

A Great Resume Gives You Confidence

One of the most important jobs of a professionally written resume is not what you might think!

A great resume holds up an objective mirror and helps you both understand and more clearly articulate how you show up. When you work with a branding expert like myself instead of entering your information into a chatbot, you're really partnering with someone to help define and shape your personal brand narrative. 

You are an expert in you. Which often means that you take your unique combination of skills and experience for granted. No one has quite the same "recipe" and no one does your job exactly the way you do it. 

What inexperienced resume writers or AI do is to cover all of that uniqueness with buzzwords and keyword strings. While it can be helpful to use gen AI as a starting point for resume development, what

How Can a Professional Resume Writer Help?

A professional resume writer can provide a range of services to help you create a standout resume. Here are some of the ways they can assist you:

Personalized Consultation

by Julia Taubitz (https://unsplash.com/@schwarzeweissheitenfotografie)

A professional resume writer will typically start by conducting a personalized consultation with you. This can be done in person, over the phone, or through video conferencing.

During this consultation, they will ask you about your career goals, work experience, and any specific skills or achievements you want to highlight. This information will help them create a resume that accurately reflects your unique qualifications.

Customized Resume Writing

Based on the information gathered during the consultation, a professional resume writer will create a customized resume that highlights your skills and experience in a way that is tailored to your industry and job goals.

They will also ensure that your resume is free of any spelling or grammatical errors and follows the latest resume formatting trends.

Cover Letter Writing

In addition to your resume, a professional resume writer can also assist with writing a cover letter. This is a crucial document that accompanies your resume and allows you to expand on your qualifications and explain why you're the best fit for the job.

A well-written cover letter can make a strong first impression and increase your chances of getting an interview.

LinkedIn Profile Optimization

In today's digital age, having a strong online presence is essential for job seekers. A professional resume writer can also help optimize your LinkedIn profile to make it more attractive to potential employers.

They will ensure that your profile is complete, includes relevant keywords, and showcases your skills and experience in a professional manner.

Real-Life Examples of Professional Resume Writing Success

Many job seekers have seen success after hiring a professional resume writer. Here are a few real-life examples:

Professional Resume Writing for a Career Changer in Morristown 

A client of mine in NJ had stayed home with her kids for eight years. She came to me when she was ready to return to work. We crafted a compelling story that showcased not only her impressive career prior to exiting the workforce, but all of the volunteer work she remained engaged while raising her family. We also worked on some story coaching to help her navigate the interview, including practicing STAR stories and nailing her elevator pitch. She was hired within 2 months - at a salary higher than her prior salary 8 years ago - with a flexible, work-from-home schedule that works with her family needs.

Professional Resume Writing for a Transitioning Teacher in Orange County

Another client of mine, located in the Orange County area was burnt out from a career in teaching. While it was very much her dream job at one time, the demanding schedule and constantly changing directives from administration were wearing her thin. We worked together to create a resume showcasing her readily transferable sales and relationship building skills to position her for a transition into sales. Within 3 weeks, she had multiple interviews for sales and account management roles in ed tech, the wine and spirits industry, and others.

Is It Worth the Investment?

The cost of hiring a professional resume writer can vary greatly depending on several factors. Let's dig in to what you're really paying for.

First, time. A great resume can take hours to write. I spend sometimes upwards of 10 to 12 hours on a leadership resume. With a masters degree in English, over a decade of resume writing experience, 10+ years of corporate marketing experience, and multiple certifications, you are paying for my time and expertise. The investment into a professional resume writer is akin to an investment into another type of professional service provider. What I do is more coaching and strategy than purely document editing.

If you see a provider offering to do this type of work for a $100 or $200, they are not performing the same level of quality, time-intensive, and strategic work. The economics simply don't make sense.

Large resume writing companies are profitable in one of a few ways.

One is volume and speed. They churn out lots of documents. If you want to be part of that mill, expect a more generic and "fluffy" final product.

Another is margin. They pay their writers a small portion of the fee you are charged. All subcontractor relationships work this way to a certain extent, but when the starting fee is $179 and the writer is getting 30%, you're talking getting a resume (something designed to help you land a job that pays your bills) for less than dinner at a pizza place.

Finally, in today's landscape, many resume writers are fully automating the production of resumes using AI. You're not even getting a human being to work on it.

Low cost services typically make you fill out a worksheet, don't connect with you over the phone, or only do so for a few minutes at a time. You will likely be very limited in terms of timing of revisions as well. Very often, you can only make minor edits, which have to be request by email and within a few days of the first draft.

How to Choose the Right Professional Resume Writer

When choosing a professional resume writer, it's essential to do your research and find someone who is experienced and reputable. Here are some tips for finding the right resume writer for you:

Look for Reviews and Recommendations

Reviews and recommendations are great, but it's not enough to just have reviews anymore. Review services (those that leave fake reviews across Google, Yelp, and other platforms) are prolific in today's ecommerce landscape.

I personally have people offering these services reach out to me weekly. When you are reading a review, it's so important to critically assess what they are reviewing and if it feels authentic. 

Very often, fake reviews are easy to detect if you read. They are generic - like "it was a great experience and I am very pleased with the result". They won't go into detail around what made the experience unique, or point out specific results, the way my reviews or those written by actual customers for other great services do.

Review Their Portfolio

Most professional resume writers will have a portfolio of their work available for potential clients to review. Take a look at their past resumes to see if their writing style and formatting align with your preferences. 

Beyond that, however, try to ascertain why they made certain formatting choices and if the formats are targeted to differentiated outcomes.

Creative fields should have a different look and feel than a CFO resume, for example. Similarly, an early career professional and a parent returning to the workforce will have different career challenges to overcome. The resume format should be carefully crafted to address and overcome those.

Ask About Their Process

Take the time to get really clear on the process a resume writer uses to craft your document. My process is extremely consultative and collaborative. Many online services offer very limited contact with the writer - often limited to email or a brief phone call.

This is an issue because the person is going to have to make a lot of estimations and educated guesses around your experience. It is frustrating to have to try and explain in writing what you have done for the past 20 years, especially when you're paying someone to write about it for you.

I've rewritten hundreds (yes multiple zeros) of resumes that were done previously by low cost, high-volume online services. They are very often filled with mistakes and incredibly generic. 

If you simply cannot afford to invest in a premium service that will take the time to collaborate with, ask if the writer offers resume reviews (less writing, more guidance and collaborative writing). If not, you are often better off using an AI resume service that will produce a document equal in caliber to that of an inexperienced offshore writer making $45 on the project.

Conclusion

In today's competitive job market, a professional resume writer can help you transform your resume into a lackluster document that reads like a job description into a high-impact marketing document that showcases your unique value proposition and personal brand.

I've helped thousands of jobseekers not only get clear on their value, but identify and articulate what ideal work looks like for them, then navigate their way towards that. 

Developing a compelling personal brand does more than help you get hired. It helps you build a recession-proof career strategy that sustains through market cycles.