If you have been submitting your resume to Bay Area employers for a few months and have not landed an interview, chances are your resume may not be cutting it. And if that’s the case, it may be time to hire a professional resume writer. But before you go browsing the web for an editor, making sure you have a clear idea of what and who you are looking for will make the daunting task easier to manage. Here are five tips to keep in mind before you hire a resume editor.
Nail down a price point
It’s important to know how much the editing process will cost right at the beginning. If the resume editor does not list pricing on his website, ask for a quote that outlines the total price and lists the services you will be getting. Ideally, you will find someone who will give a total price point instead of someone with an hourly rate that hesitates to give you an exact cost.
Ensure the writer has the right experience
Although there are tons of resume writers on the web, they may not all be a fit for the type of job you are looking for. In some fields, you need someone who can speak the same jargon and can translate your work into words hiring managers can appreciate.
Make sure you know who will be working on your resume
Just because a resume service is called Resumes by Peter, it doesn’t mean that Peter will be the one working on your resume. Ask if the editing business works with a certain pool of freelancers or if the person you are dealing with will be your editor.
Make sure you will be involved in the process
Great resume writers spend a lot of time getting to know the client and it’s never a good sign if the business has a process that doesn’t involve you in some way.
Check references
While some resume writers brag about their references on sites like Yelp or LinkedIn, it’s always a good idea to check references yourself. Ask to speak with someone in your line of work and inquire if the person has landed their dream job.
Just like with hiring any other type of professional, the more you know about yourself, the better results you will get. So, before you spend a few bucks on a resume writer, spend time writing a few goals for the new resume. Do you want to move up in your career or do you simply seek a different work environment? Whatever your aspirations are, make sure you are clear on them before calling in the big guns.
Belo Cipriani is a staffing professional, an award-winning author, a spokesperson for Guide Dogs for the Blind, and the career expert for the Ed Baxter Show on Talk Radio San Francisco 910AM. Learn more at BeloCipriani.com.