I am writing this while still a bit ticked off, so please bear with me. I know there are many great resume writers out there – some of them I know personally. But I just heard something a few days ago that left me steaming.
Someone I met – let’s call him Bob – showed me a resume prepared by a $2000 resume service that promised all kinds of things – including a unique knowledge of the job search market and computerized algorithms that help mine for data in ways that make sure your resume gets maximal keyword action. Blah blah blah. (And I have no doubt it does at least some of that.)
So what’s the real problem with Bob’s resume?
This scientifically-prepared professional bells & whistles “state-of-the-art” resume that carefully incorporated lots of targeted key phrases was actually boring and gave no clear strong picture of Bob or his brand. And even more galling…it gave Bob a fairly generic job objective (arguably not even appropriate at his level) for a position he doesn’t actually want. The “expert” assured Bob this approach was a smart way to get his resume seen by more people.
Yup. It might indeed do that. But it isn’t getting Bob to the jobs he wants. And most likely it’s showing up inappropriately in searches looking for the job objective he isn’t especially qualified for. A very bad way to tackle any job market – but especially this one.
Now Bob is an extremely bright, personable, talented man with great credentials. Because his particular niche industry doesn’t have all that many jobs available any more, he was looking to create a resume to emphasize his transferable skills and aim him in a slightly different direction. Exactly when a good resume professional can work his or her magic.
But let’s also remember that the job search process overwhelms even the best of us. And after many months of not getting any responses to his original resume (as well as various variations), Bob was more than ready to listen to an “expert”. Unfortunately this person he trusted left him with what to me looks like one page of generic garbage. (Pronounce the last word with a French accent since it cost so much.)
A good resume needs to sell you and your brand
…and not just be designed to get selected by a machine. Of course keywords and phrases are important (and I recommend incorporating them into your resume), but in no way are they more important than a resume that clearly tells someone who you are and what makes you so special. And the really sad part of this is that Bob has a very exciting background that, if presented correctly, will catch a screener’s eye – and with the right resume framing it, he will get good interviews.
And let’s not forget that networking – especially for someone like Bob with lots of experience – is still his most important job search tool. And if you meet Bob, who is dynamic and personable, and then see this $2000 resume, you might think twice about someone who thinks this piece of garBAGE is their strongest marketing tool.
OK. Vent almost done. Mostly I just want to say how sorry I am that these kinds of services exist. And I feel for all of you going through this often confounding and at times infuriating process. Bob is ready to throw up his hands at this point since he doesn’t know whom to trust. All he wants is a decent resume that represents him well, but he feels so confused at this point he doesn’t know where to turn.
As far as I’m concerned, you’d be better off going to a free resume sample site and creating your own resume than paying a service like this. I doubt you would homogenize the picture of your own life the way this professional service did!
But because there are good services and because at times we really do need professional support, I put together a resource page I hope will help
Career Services & Job Search Support – Resume Writers and Career Coaches
Also on the resource page, I talk a little about some of the things you can do to help find a good professional. And, while I prefer not to specifically recommend any one service, along with the names of resume writers and career coaches, I include the caveat that you need to arm yourself with knowledge beforehand and probably interview several people – trusting your gut in the end so as not to be snowed by le crappe.
Of course, there’s no guarantee. Even with professionals who are good at their job, not every one will be right for you every time. If it really isn’t working out (after you’ve made several efforts to communicate your needs), you need to tell them and move on. And in the case of Bob, I strongly recommend he go back and tell them he wants his money back or at least a much better resume that doesn’t paint him into a corner of (admittedly nicely-formatted) mediocrity. He deserves so much better. So do you!
So what do you think Bob (or anyone) should do next time to make sure he finds a professional that truly has his best interests at heart? I’d love to hear stories as well as tips from resume professionals and job seekers!
I myself shudder at the resume writer horror stories – Anything over $1,000 is absolutely appalling to me. A reputable resume writer should post their fees on their website, and be reasonable and competitive with the market. I know I do…
Also, look for expertise in your field before signing up with a resume writer. If they don’t have specific experience in your area, they should have a way to draw out the relevant skills and experience for the job you want – Note: that is the job you WANT, not the job you HAD. I’ve seen plenty of other professionally-written resumes that go to great lengths to highlight past experience, but don’t go the extra mile to make sure that it applies to the job being saught.
Ronnie:
There are “scam” artists everywhere, especially advertising their services and/or so-called resume writing/reviewing skills on LinkedIn.
Case in point: On numerous LinkedIn group sites, angst corner offers free CV/resume analysis and career counseling. Beware! This person works at a technology company based in INDIA. Additionally, his/her alleged LinkedIn recommendations are from people based in India.
Whenever s/he posts his/her services, immediately, several group members, including myself, question his/her intentions, credentials, training, and qualifications. Of course, s/he never responds, but I continued asking until s/he haphazardly replied. (Yep, I’m a former reporter, and present P.R. professional.)
Below are a few of his/her nonsensical responses, verbatim:
“Thanks for comment. Don’t worried about our credentials and company background. We are Indian based company and we are doing Career Counselling and CV analysis. ”
“We are collecting resume for CV analysis and Career counselling only. We are not doing any business with these resumes.”
“I don’t understand why you always me asking questions? I would like to inform you that we are getting huge number of resumes from all the world. Not only from USA.”
Huh? Why would anyone, in the U.S., send his or her:
1) resume/CV to THIS person who lacks the basic skills of the English (U.S.) language and grammar.
2) personal information for review to another living in a foreign country? C’mon folks, ever hear of identity theft?
I know people need resume assistance, but before sending your personal information AND money to ANYONE, perform due diligence. There are local, ethical services that will review a resume free.
Lastly, if you read a posting from angst corner or anyone offering a CV analysis or career counseling, ask him/her the following question: “What are your credentials, training, and qualifications?” Then, immediately, conduct research regarding the person’s training.
However, STAY AWAY from people in other countries offering free resume/CV reviews, job offers, invitations to connect, etc.
I’m reminded of the adage that if you ask a consultant what time it is, the first thing he’ll do is borrow your watch.
Ronnie … thanks for bringing the issue to light. There’s nothing worse than a half-assed outfit that takes advantage of people, particularly, those in dire need of real help!
Terry, I take issue with your remark regarding consultants borrowing watches.
We never borrow CHEAP watches; only expensive ones.
BTW, I’ll return your watch after my next consulting gig. Gotta make sure I’m on time to meet my potential client. ROTFL.
I am a prior healthcare executive of 25 years that turned executive recruiter in 1998. Let me say that as an employer in the corporate world, I really did not trust candidates that had resumes created by resume-writers. I want to see the “real person” behind the resume and not a trumped-up version using written communication skills that don’t belong to the name on the resume.
As an executive recruiter, I pretty much feel the same way. I totally agree with the author of this article. There are excellent resume formats that can be utilized without paying someone else for something that you should be able to do yourself. If you are without a clue, you should still create your own resume and then seek the advice of a good recruiter in order to critique the resume for you.
One of the most common mistakes of executives who pay others to write their resume is that the executive fails to study the document and trips up during the interview in presenting themself. This is a shame since the executive is the true expert on the subject of “Themself”.
What is also a shame is that there many people out their paying outplacement companies big dollars to create their one page resume and promising to send it to employers that they boast of having strong relationships with.
Almost everyday of the week, my fax machine rings with an outplacement company (whom I have never spoken with) sending me an one-page resume (almost always written in a functional format or functional/chrono blend format)…usually 3-5 at a time. The shame is that the 5th resume looks just like the 1st resume in the batch….and looks like all the rest of the resumes that I received yesterday and the day before. Someone sold someone on this service. What do I do with them? Throw them away! I am not seeing the real person behind the resume and the resume is usually written to deceive the employer. Everyone usually has the same transferable skills and described in the same manner.
Well, I think you get the point.
My closing advice on writing a strong resume can be summarized as follows:
* Keep it to 2 pages if possible.
* Executive Summary is now the norm as compared to an Objective which was more common in the last decade. The ES should contain a synopsis of your 5 to 10 strongest transferable skills.
* Keep your Job Description short to no more than 2 short sentences but use “key words” where possible as well as specific skill words.
* Accomplishments and achievements should be bullet-pointed. Employers eyes like to quickly scan the resume in 30 seconds. Make it easy to see that you are accomplished. Past performance is strongest indicator of future performance.
* If you have been working for 3 decades, it is alright to keep your resume restricted to the past 10 to 15 years to keep length in line with 2 pages…maybe 3 at max. If your most recent 10 years however does not show stability, longevity or career focus as compared to the prior 2 decades, then you better include the times of your greatest stability and strengths. Consider talking to your recruiter about developing a second resume in functional format.
*Avoid resumes that are wordy. Remember, I want to make a yes, no or maybe decision within 30 seconds.
*Cover letters should never promise something that you are not. Those books that are written to teach you about how to draft eloquent letters to gain attention because you lack the content are wrong. Those letters only disappoint. I have learned not to read cover letters first but only after selecting a resume that I am interested in. I don’t have the time to read a promising cover letter to be disappointed in a resume that would fall in the “unqualified” stack. Therefore draft your cover letter to: 1) explain your interest in the employer and why your skills (both transferable and job specific) promise a differentiating value to the employer. 2) Perhaps paint a 1-mental picture of how you excelled in a specific situation illustrating your ability to manage obstacles, create an action plan and deliver the results. Relate that situation to the advertised job. 3) finally explain away anything that might be an encumbrance to the employer such as ability to relocate or what you were doing during an obvious gap in time.
Roger Manning
President
Manning Search Group
Roger:
Excellent post.
Earlier in my career, I paid for a “professionally written resume” from Monster. To my dismay, there were typos, grammatical errors, lies, etc throughout the document. For weeks, several of those so-called writers and I went back and forth on corrections, editing and truthfulness. (They called it stretching the truth. I call it lying.) The entire process was a nightmare.
The company would not refund my money because I received “a professionally written resume.” That’s true, however, the document was poorly executed.
As a last resort, I recreated my resume, which generated interest from several companies. I also rewrote resumes for friends and family members, which also received positive feedback and calls from potential employers.
As a writer, why did I pay for a “professionally written resume?”
In a nutshell, laziness AND stupidity.
Here’s an alternative to the view of the shoddy coaches/counselors/consultants & resume-writing services promising… well, promising whatever you need: some truly believe and may even have had prior successes. One key to job searching and every other human activity we can possibly be involved in is to pay attention to our gut feeling. In other words, pack your bulls*** detector with you on the journey. It’s not to say take no risks in life but perhaps weigh your intuition and reason against stress and fear. Maybe it’s as simple as waiting 3 days before making a huge decision. On the other hand, every experience leads us to the next, which is, I hope, better than the last.
Thank you Ronnie Ann!
Thanks for all the great comments!
Donna – Good point about “job you want and not job you had.” Also want to mention I just skimmed Donna’s book and it’s filled with solid, practical job search advice.
D – Really appreciate your delightful comments, and especially your first-hand experience with Monster as well as your caution about angst corner (I’ve seen them on LinkedIn and wondered). Like your honesty about why a writer pays for writing help – we’ve all been there, D!
Terry – As a consultant…ahem…I’ll let D speak for me.
Always appreciate your visits, Terry. Your food blog is one of my faves.
Hi Jeff! Appreciate having my righteous anger shared by you. And what worries me most is that they may actually think they’re helping!
Roger – Thank you so much for taking the time to write that! A lot of great advice packed into so little space. With your permission (already given), I may well turn that into a post. Simple, clear advice like that can’t be heard enough.
Shelley – My pleasure. You echo what I just said about some of them actually thinking they’re helping – but since these services should have a better awareness of what they’re unleashing upon innocent job seekers and should make it their business to protect clients, I believe pillories might at least be appropriate for management.
Then again, maybe a more civilized solution could be devised. I’ve been thinking about this for a while and wonder what it wouls take to change the system – even if only one small step at a time.
Thanks again to all of you. Please feel free to share your thoughts and advice any time. I love it!
~ Ronnie Ann
Your anger is righteous Ronnie Ann!
Plus I kind of like it that you get ticked off about stuff like this too.
A good resume writer works with you to understand and capture the essence of your career. They contribute through careful questions, the right words, light professional touches, the right formatting and so on.
A good service will help you to recognise the strengths and the opportunities that your career experiences uniquely create and if you can’t see this in the finished product, a good resume writer will revise it until you can or return your money if you are not satisfied.
I hope Bob was able to benefit from the help and support that your post and the helpful comments from other readers.
Like you, I also hope he got some of his money back.
All the best,
Paul
The saddest thing about this story is the parasitic nature of companies that take advantage of people in tough economic times.
It is understandable the someone in dire straits would “invest” money to improve their prospects, but to hustle the people who need help the most is not a good thing.
Don’t get me wrong, I know this sort of thing goes on all the time, I’m just reiterating the fact that it is sad.
Hello Paul! How nice of you to visit from across the pond. Thanks for the lovely comment and for supporting my right to be ticked off.
Hi DC Jobs! Your voice is most welcome here. It is indeed sad. And the saddest part for me is there are plenty of really good caring professionals out there. As Shelley so wisely reminds us…sometimes we have to keep our personal radar on high – especially when we are the most vulnerable. Please do stop by again!
~ Ronnie Ann
Over recent years, the resume-writing industry has seen a shadow cast over it by those who have no business (IMHO) in resume writing.
No doubt, I’m outspoken on preserving this great industry … so yes, I absolutely have a response to your blog post.
Factoring the price tag, I’m “guessing” your client worked with either a career management firm or a resume mill. Both are infamous for charging high prices for a sliding scale of services that include a new resume and cover letter (they are allergic to resume revamps), career coaching, interview training, contact with recruiters, and access to a non-existent, secret job market.
I don’t know the service used by your client, so I’ll outline some of my own experiences with bad career services.
Not long ago, I wrote how I believe a major $100,000 job board now offering resume writing services is singlehandedly tarnishing our industry. The company is rumored to bring in approximately $5 million from resume and cover letter sales per year. Wow, right? But with those revenues, the company has amassed a huge backlash of negative comments from clients now splattered across the Internet. Coincidently, other job boards have noticed the revenue potential (seemingly ignoring the criticism), and have/are integrating resume services as a profit channel too. So, there’s no telling where our industry will go at this point.
Resume-writing services often fall under 3 categories:
Low/Moderate volume, one/two-person operation
High volume, team operation
Super volume, oftentimes considered “resume mills”
Is it possible for a high volume or super-volume resume service to generate a quality resume? Yes, but it’s far more likely both will not … and let me outline my logic on why my statement rings true.
Simply put, these “volume” resume services have too many employees, oftentimes staff by resume critiquers/sales staff, resume writers, project managers, and editors on staff. Plus, don’t forget departmental managers and corporate executives who all need paychecks too.
Gosh, incoming revenues get spread shockingly thin. Am I right? So, resume mills focus on volume! Securing the right volume takes the right sales team with demonstrated results, and people who generate results don’t come cheap. In addition, when you consider how many people working for resume mills that need to get paid, how much does the actual resume writer — the actual producer of the product — get paid?
A few years back when Resume.com was abuzz with resume projects, and under a different owner, my colleagues were being paid less than $95 for BOTH a resume and cover letter. Yikes!
Here’s a quick Resume Writing 101 lesson for your readers, Ronnie Ann.
Depending on the project, a resume routinely takes several hours to complete by a professional, experienced, credentialed, skilled, and yes, mentally invested resume writer. Factor the time spent interviewing the jobseeker, writing the project, conducting position or industry research, and handling resume changes/tweaks, and you quickly realize why quality resume writers are rightfully paid hundreds of dollars per project. For resume writers with Resume.com, however, the hours spent meant their profits per project dwindled rapidly — maybe averaging something just above minimum wage. Double yikes!
Jobseekers should accept some blame for poor choices/experiences as well, especially in cases when they are too willing to toss their resumes over to another, paying whatever as long as the project lands on another’s feet. Haphazard jobseekers wrongly take comfort in the “corporate name” the writing service is under, failing to learn who *exactly* will be writing the resume.
A frustrated jobseeker is a perfect target for an unscrupulous resume service.
Should a jobseeker pay $2,000 for services and inadequately converse with the resume writer about approach/methodology to the project, writing credentials, record of success, writing style … and let’s not forget, viewing recent resume samples?
I don’t know the full story behind your client, Ronnie Ann, so don’t feel my comments are directed towards him as they are merely a general observance of what I’ve seen with my clients. Prospects are persuaded to call me; research me; interview me. But, they don’t always.
I’m sickened by the cloud cast over our industry — many of my colleagues are too.
We’ve just been put in bad company. They get more publicity.
Regards,
Teena Rose, Resume to Referral
http://www.resumetoreferral.com
Teena…this is great. I can’t add anything. Thank you so much for a terrific, no-holds-barred look at resume writing from your own vantage as a resume writer. Really solid advice and insight for folks who all-too-often feel confused and abused by the process. It’s a 2-way street with plenty of talented professionals out there – but definitely buyer beware.
Again…thanks, Teena. Please feel free to stop by and add to the conversation any time!
~ Ronnie Ann
Well, it is because of my experience with firms like this that I started my company. However, since my background is IT, “techies in transition” are my main focus. That’s the industry I know best and where I can add the most value.
We’re not all charlatans, but, yes, they’re out there. Because of this, I rely heavily on my current and former clients for referrals and testimonials. You know exactly what to expect up front, you can pay as you go and you cancel at any time. That is the kind of assurance I like to see when I’m dealing with others, so offering anything else would be hypocritical. To date, I’ve had to pay back a $75 deposit to a client that decided she wanted to “go it alone”. Can’t win them all!
Before doing business with ANYONE, check their reviews online, ask colleagues, check with the BBB and other sites that report questionable companies/practices.
And, as mentioned before, if your gut tells you something is even remotely fishy, stay away!
Full Disclosure: I am a professional resume writer and career coach. Let me say as a it is really unfortunate that there are people who engage in deceptive business practices. It certainly gives people who prepare resumes professionally a bad name. Having written more than 10,000 resumes myself, I engage each client. We work TOGETHER to make sure that a well written document that highlights relevant skills and experiences is created to drive results. Frankly, I would sooner refund a client’s money (I have never had to do this) before I would have an unhappy customer. It is important that the client and the writer establish a good rapport. The client should always do research to ensure he or she is making an informed decision. Before working with someone, I complete a full critique of their existing documents (if they have them) to provide relevant feedback and suggest how I would position them. Unlike some other services, sometimes I tell people their resume doesn’t need to be rewritten. If something is not broken, don’t fix it. If a client is getting interviews with an existing resume, a professional rewrite is not necessary.
The comments on this post are great! Really solid advice to anyone thinking about using a professional resume writer.
I hope the message people get is that there are plenty of good ones out there – you just have to be extra careful up front to make sure you’ve found one of the good ones. And then you need to stay actively engaged in the process. It is after all your resume.
Thank you Monique and Debra for adding so wonderfully to the conversation!
~ Ronnie Ann
Like any service out there you will certainly have some bad apples. I think what job seekers or anyone looking to use a resume writing service must do some due diligence. Do they have a nice website, an easy way to be contacted, references or testimonials and of course some type of guarantee or refund policy. Thanks for keeping them honest.
Resume Advisor:
I humbly disagree with you regarding: nice website, an easy way to be contacted, references or testimonials and of course some type of guarantee or refund policy.
There are several unethical “resume writing services” with nice website, an easy way to be contacted, references or testimonials and of course some type of guarantee or refund policy.
IMHO, the key is to ask your contacts for references and/or their experiences in dealing with specific resume writing services. You also should ask for samples. Additionally, ask your contacts, if unsatisfied, about the refund and/or guarantee policy. Was it honored? Any problems? Experience in working with the writer? Did s/he listen? Does/did the resume accurately reflect his/her skills and accomplishments. Did the resume writer fudge a bit?
These days, almost everyone is a resume writer and/or career coach. The key is who is ethical vs unethical.
Lastly, I advise stay away from outsourcing your resume to someone in a foreign country. That person/service is not familiar with the concepts, brands or meanings of U.S.A. language, syntax, etc.
Just my thoughts.
Nice advice, D. So true true about websites. Anyone can hire a good designer. Not everyone can provide top quality services. Thanks for adding your voice!