If you feel you are capable and qualified to write a compelling and effectual resume, then by all means give it a shot!  My goal is not to sway you in one direction or the other in that regard, the only thing I suggest is that you do your homework.  Read relevant articles and research the best methods to produce an effective professional resume. Make sure you choose a format and style appropriate for the industry you are in and the types of jobs you plan to apply for.  And have someone else look it over when you are through for proofreading and editorial purposes.  That’s imperative!

However, if you’re not extremely confident in your skills as a writer and/or marketer, I would sincerely recommend you hook up with a professional resume writer to help craft the perfect resume for you.  A seasoned veteran in these matters can be an invaluable resource.  After all, I trust my mechanic to work on my car because he works on cars all day, every day.  Well there are people out there who work on resumes all day, every day, so trust them to help you create this crucial marketing tool and improve your chances of landing your dream job.

But here’s the million-dollar question:  How do I choose a resume writing service? There’s just so many of them out there!

First, you will notice that some pro resume writers are more expensive than others and this is where you need to be careful.  Too often people get swept up in the fancy websites and empty promises when, in truth, these larger “agencies” charge an arm and a leg for fairly basic resume writing services.  These companies spend a lot of money and resources on advertising, driving business to their website and ensnaring hapless victims who don’t know any better.  The more money they throw at ads, the more visible they become online and the more of an internet “footprint” they create.  But then they have to jack up their prices to pay for all those promotions.  And how does that help you, the job seeker?  It doesn’t… 

These agencies also outsource the actual writing of the resumes to freelance writers, paying them a modest sum and hardly enforcing any kind of quality control standards.  I know this because I was a contracted resume writer for some of these bigger companies for years before I decided to branch out on my own.  I just got sick of watching as the corporate machine reaped all the benefits of my work while ripping off the average person.  That never sat well with me. 

One way to avoid overpaying is to do your homework on the companies.  One thing to pay attention to, if you can find them, are “Testimonials” from actual clients.  Reading these comments can often give you a good idea of the quality of work you can expect.  You can also try to find blogs or other references to the site with written reviews. 

If you do decide to go with an established “agency”, then find out before hand exactly what you’re getting for the $299+ you will have to pay.  Make sure you’re getting your money’s worth and get assurance that the company will work with you until you are 100% satisfied with the results.  Scrutinize over the details and ask questions.  If you don’t get the answers you’re looking for, then keep on searching. 

In my professional opinion, you shouldn’t ever need to pay that much.  But that’s just me, apparently.  I seem to be the pariah in this industry because I choose to keep my prices so low.  Rest assured though that there are qualified writers out there like me who work mostly off of referrals from satisfied past clients, have very little overhead, and spend next to nothing on advertising.  We operate modestly and that’s how we can afford to keep our prices so low.

Speaking of low prices, there is the other side of the coin to consider as well.  There are websites out there who appear to be TOO cheap and TOO good to be true.  Well, that’s because they are.  These “Resume Mills” simply plug and chug your information into resume template software applications and offer no customization or personalization, which is ridiculous.  What is a resume if not PERSONALIZED!  Do you see my point?

If you have more than 10 years of professional experience, I would be wary of any sites that charge less than $40 for a professional-level resume and do not offer individualized, custom, hand-written documents.  As a resume writer myself and small business owner, I can tell you that a good writer cannot afford to write a resume for much less than that if they are to put real time and effort into it.  All that being considered, a good range for quality resume services is between $45-99 (and that’s for a full service package with cover letter, thank you letter, interview prep, etc).  If you pay much more than that you may be getting ripped off.

But no matter the cost, I’d say it’s a good investment to make since a resume can make you or break you when you’re looking for a job.  Once you have a professionally formatted resume, you can just add to it over the years.  Plus, it’s a tax deductable expense and these are all things to consider when soliciting help with your new resume. 

In summation, here I’m supposed to say something like “So check out my unbeatable prices!” and sell you on my own services, but truth be told I think you should do whatever is best for you. If you want to talk to me in some more detail about your career aspirations, then feel free to contact me.  If you can afford it and you’d feel more secure having your resume written by a larger “agency”, then go for it.  If you want to write your own resume, more power to you. 

Just remember that it’s your career, your life, and it may be helpful to have a professional at your side.  Best of luck, whatever you choose to do!

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JR Hindman is a freelance resume writer and career counselor with an extensive background in executive staffing and recruiting.  He owns and operates BudgetResumeBuilder.com specifically for entry-level job seekers as well as ProResumeBuilder.com for more tenured professionals.