Saturday, September 25, 2010
I recently spoke with someone who just paid more than $500 for a ‘professionally written’ resume. During our conversation, she asked, “How much does a good resume cost?”
First, I guess $500 is not a terrible price to pay for a good, professionally written resume (although we at GoodResume.com only charge $185 – $275, depending upon the length of the finished resume). However, in my mind, the value and price of a professionally written resume is dependent upon the quality of the finished product.
I looked over the resume that was written by a competing company, and I was not impressed. Truly, I couldn’t understand how someone could pass that resume off as one that was ‘professionally written.’ Apparently, there are a lack of standards for defining a professionally written resume.
In my case (and in the cases of any other writer I use), I am a true writing professional. I have a BA in English with a concentration in Business and Technical Writing from the University of Delaware. I have written thousands of pages of technical documentation, including manuals, guides, technical specifications, online help systems, and more. Additionally, I am a published author and a newspaper columnist. What’s more, I have been writing resumes professionally since 1993! In case those credentials are not enough, I have also held executive management positions for multiple firms, where I have interviewed and hired many people. In addition to knowing how to structure a resume and word things in a professional, concise, and attention-grabbing manner, I also know what potential employers, human resource departments, and recruiters are looking for.
My advice regarding cost for a professionally written resume is to make sure that the person actually writing the resume is a true professional before you agree to pay anything. Expect to pay between $175 and $400 for a good resume.