Why Hire a Certified Professional Resume Writer?

Red Adair’s quote that has recently been circulating around LinkedIn states, “If you think it’s expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur.” I think this applies as much to hiring a CPA to do your taxes as it does to hiring a certified resume writer to craft your resume. Yes, you could do it yourself, but are you sure you’ve claimed every deduction you’re entitled to?

The same holds true for writing your own resume. Yes, anyone can do it, but at what cost? Your sanity? As a sales or marketing professional you’re used to being able to talk about the benefits of the product you market, or the solutions your product solves. How comfortable are you about selling yourself though? Even if you are comfortable selling yourself, are you sure your positioning is right?

So before you make an investment in yourself, be sure you are doing it for the right reasons. Here are some things to think about when considering hiring a certified professional resume writer:

1. TIME: How long do you estimate it would take you to write your own resume? A few hours? 20+? Hiring a professional resume writer can save you lots of time because they have already invested the time in learning what strategies work best.

2. COST: A typical job search lasts an average of 6 months. If you’re unemployed, you’re very aware of the loss of income you are incurring. Even if you are employed the longer your search takes, the less time you are earning an increased salary. Getting your resume professionally written is going to shave time off of your search and put more money back in your pocket.

3. EXPERTISE: Are you up-to-date on the latest resume trends? If you still have an objective statement or cite “references available upon request”, you likely are not. A certified resume writer is required to spend time on continuing education to maintain their credentials. They are learning the latest and greatest trends in resumes and job search strategies.

4. UNBIASED PERSPECTIVE: Can you objectively look at your achievements and career path to know what is best to include or not? Professional resume writers will analyze your experience and ask the right questions to discover essential accomplishments you may not have thought about.

5. PERSONAL BRAND: Does your resume sound like everyone else’s in your field? What makes you unique and valuable to an employer? Personal branding is not something you determine. It’s how others perceive you. A professional resume writer can help you discover your personal brand and frame the document around that story so potential employers know exactly what they are going to get.

6. KEYWORDS: While sending out countless resumes to online applicant tracking systems (ATS) is not how you should be conducting your job search, the ATS is sometimes a necessary evil you must encounter when applying for jobs. Do you know how to best format your resume for the ATS? Are you knowledgeable of the keywords that should be used? This is where a professional resume writer can come in and help.

So save your sanity and give yourself an advantage in this competitive job market, hire a certified professional resume writer. You are worth the investment!

Still on the fence as to whether or not you would benefit from the services of a certified professional resume writer? Send us your current resume and we’ll give you a free written analysis that will let you know for sure.