It’s not easy deciding on the best resume writing service for you. In this post, we’ll break down the 3 different types of services you can expect to see in your search, how to differentiate between them, as well as when hiring a professional resume writer may not be for you.

Choosing the Best Resume Writing Service Can Lead to Life-Changing Opportunities

Writing an effective resume that will attract hiring manager attention, speak to the pain points, and generate interest is not easy. If it were, the job search wouldn’t exist and every job application you sent would turn into a job interview.

While you may be an industry expert at the top of your game, the honest truth is that writing a resume for your industry, designed to get past Applicant Tracking Systems and highlighting your skills in a way that markets you as the dream candidate, is an entirely different ballgame.

If you’ve come to the realization that you need a little help, whether you’re creating a new resume or looking to polish/optimize your current resume, then congrats! You’re probably right and this acknowledgment will serve you well in moving your job search along. Hiring a professional resume writer is a worthwhile investment and may even turn out to be one of the best decisions in your career.

Once you’ve reached your decision to get professional assistance, the next step is finding the best resume writing service for you. Finding the right resume writing company is like finding a good dentist; a good one will save you lots of pain and produce optimal results for the rest of your life. A resume writer that suits your needs and gets your brand can produce everything from a higher salary to life-changing opportunities.

If you’ve never worked with a resume professional writer before and are wondering how to differentiate between all the services available, here is some key advice you’ll want to consider before making the investment.

Not all Resume Writers or Resume Writing Services are Equal

During your decision-making process to find the best resume writing service, I’m sure you encountered many options ranging from thousands of dollars to under $100. Some services will sell you a very basic resume/cv template for under $20, and some will provide options to help you improve/rewrite your cover letter, LinkedIn profile, and more. What’re the differences between these services? In general, you will encounter 3 different types of services.

1. Resume Mills

These are companies who service hundreds of clients in any given month. They often have large teams of resume writers and pay them low rates. In turn, these writers are focused on quantity vs. quality. They must create “x” amount of resumes in order to make a decent wage. In addition, typically inexperienced resume writers will work for these companies. These writers often add very little strategy or branding behind your resume due to lack of experience and/or time.

Some resume mills are also known to populate their websites with false testimonials and stock photos of people just for marketing purposes. Read carefully if you feel like you’ve found a cheap resume service that’s too good to be true. It probably is, and you’ll get what you pay for.

Concerned if a resume writing service falls into this category? Check out this list of the worst and best online resume writing services and unbiased reviews and ratings (based on their Better Business Bureau (BBB) scores). This list covers many of the online services you’ll find in broad Google search including resumewriters.com, resumeprofessionalwriters.com (RPW), and more. The lower the grade, the more likely you are dealing with a resume mill to be avoided.

2. Resume Template Services

This type of resume service company is exactly what it sounds like (NOTE: this is not a writing service)—companies that provide a service for you to simply enter your information in return for a very basic resume template (usually generated by automated technology).

While these services may be highly visually attractive (think infographic resume) and seem like a bargain (especially if it’s a free resume template), it’s important to be aware that these resumes may not be optimized for Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS’s) in which case you’ll want to steer clear. Since more than 70% of large companies use ATS’s to screen out resumes, some templates will automatically get kicked into the trash.

Only consider using these services if you are either placing your resume in the hands of the hiring manager and compliment the transaction with some old-fashioned selling. This will be the only guarantee that your resume is seen and relevant (since template services don’t typically offer custom content tailoring).

3. Certified Resume Writers

If you are looking for a top rated resume service, you’ll want to look for Certified Resume Writers (also known as CPRW or Certified Professional Resume Writers). CPRWs have proven their talent and ability through one of several testing and certification services. These writers often have the skill and talent to be able to create a branding strategy and create a high-quality resume that is written to highlight and showcase your very unique career paths, work history, skills, and accomplishments.

Furthermore, Certified Professional Resume Writers are career experts; they will be on top of the latest trends in resume writing as well as hiring manager insights and deeper insights around specific career levels and desirable accomplishments. They also tend to apply a hefty dose of research around industry keywords.

While these services have a higher sticker price and could be daunting for entry-level job seekers/recent graduates, the services are truly a worthwhile investment as they make you relevant to the hiring manager and greatly increase your chances of standing out.

Our Unique Perspective = Your Success

Noelle Gross Career Strategy employs CPRWs and career strategy experts. Your writer will bring a strong recruiting and hiring perspective to the table which means your resume is destined to succeed!

NGCS offers competitive prices, and because we believe customer service is paramount and stand behind our work, we provide a satisfaction guarantee—that means a phone or in-person interview within 30 days of receiving your Resume Makeover or packages containing the Resume Makeover.

When NGCareerStrategy states “you will land an interview in 30 days,” they are not simply branding; they are stating facts. -Matthew – Marketer, Finance Field | NYC

We work with you every step of the way and have a proven track record of success. Take a look at our client testimonials to see how you could also transform your job search, career, and life.

Read Our Reviews & Success Stories

When Hiring a Professional Writer is Not For You

Hiring a Professional Resume Writer is a good idea for most professionals since resume writing is a unique skill. However, it’s important to be aware of what to expect when working with a professional resume writer, as it is more involved than a template or resume mill service. Specifically, be aware of these resume writing process attributes:

• Collaboration is key: a professional writer is not a mind reader and will need your participation to move the writing process along. If you fail to collaborate and are overwhelmed by the thought of providing feedback then this might not be the service for you.
• Clarity is necessary: a well-written resume is crafted to a specific target to ensure that the details are relevant and attractive to the hiring manager. Being unsure of what you want to do next or changing targets mid-writing process will not help your cause and only prolong the process. If you need help getting clarity on your next career move, you might be interested career path clarity coaching.
• An open mind & trust are critical: a professional resume writer is an expert in resume writing which means that your resume will be written to incorporate best practices, current trends, and unique strategies tailored to your situation. Therefore, you should expect that the end product will not be a reproduction of something you are likely capable of producing.

The Bottom Line

Your resume package is an investment. Choose the service you use wisely as it will likely be the difference between a “good resume” and a great resume that gets you a job interview. If you ask questions and do research, the end result will truly be worth any additional time and money.

If you want to learn more about what makes our resume writing services different, check out our best-selling package, The Works. It covers all the bases—resume, cover letter, LinkedIn profile, and a 45-minute phone consult with one of our career strategy experts—to give you the best chance at getting hired.