Along with fees paid for the preparation of professionally written resumes, serious job seekers invest their hopes for economic survival and career advancement.  Can a professional resume actually guarantee one a job?

No matter how experienced or principled a resume writing service, it cannot, in all honesty, guarantee that its clients will secure employment.  The most reputable of services, in fact, will never make this claim.  The ramifications of such a guarantee dictate that the resume writers are not only associated with companies that have positions available, but also, that the writers directly and ultimately influence hiring decisions!

Caveat emptor, if you are tempted to give your business to a service that promises you employment.  Such services seem to offer much; in return, they take much and give precious little.  Typically, services of this nature present an applicant with a resume written by a “team of experts”.   If it requires a communal effort, rest assured that no single member of the team is an expert.  The writing of the resume will be based not upon a detailed consultation, but what some clients term “homework”.  This translates to many pages of information to be completed by the client and returned to that alleged team of experts, who will regurgitate the material in condensed form.

Upon completion of the resume, the service will then blast (mass email) it to a number of corporations engaged in business suitable to the applicant’s qualifications.    Although these lists can be extensive, they do not assure that the companies are actually hiring; it is always a case of “hit or miss”.

Before any of these services are performed, a representative of the firm will request a fee from the job candidate, based upon his or her annual salary.  Strong-arm tactics to buy into the service accompany the fees, usually many thousands of dollars.  Manipulation typically includes the derisive judgment, “I see you’re not serious about a finding a job”: a statement designed to capture the hearts and money of individuals desperate for employment.     

Locating a new job is in itself a job, a journey that encompasses active participation from the candidate: goal setting, the preparation of a compelling resume designed to garner interest and secure interviews, and a well-planned strategy that includes Internet searches of suitable employers as well as capitalization of the Hidden Job Market.

If you are prone to utilize the services of firms “guaranteeing” employment, read the fine print of your purchase agreement and follow the age-old admonition, “Let the Buyer Beware!”

Beating the bushes of gainful employment to no avail, many job hopefuls turn, in wisdom and desperation, to professional resume writers.  The insightful questions, golden phrases, and writing samples offered by the writers speak of professionalism as well as genuine hope to those dispossessed of their jobs.  Yet, when presented with the fee for a powerful, individualized marketing tool, the ensuing battle cry is often, “But all I need you to do is write my resume!  Why does it cost so much?”

The answer may be found in the question, specifically, in that tiny, telling word, “all.”  The word is suggestive of the client’s illusion that, well seasoned in his or her craft, the writer will bang out the document in a matter of moments, with minimal effort.   Certainly, there are resume services that do just that; their lower rates reflect their level of skill and work ethic, including their commitment or lack thereof to their clients.

A resume is not simply a page or two of text; it is the “make or break” factor vital to securing interviews with employers facing a plethora of job candidates.  A well-crafted resume does not present an aspirant’s employment history and duties in a cut and dried manner, it weaves a story as to where the applicant has been, career-wise, and where he or she is headed.  It conveys specific accomplishments in a manner that allows employers to understand the impact of those achievements upon prior companies and enables them to envision future contributions to their own organizations.  A superior resume says that while a candidate is a team player, he or she also possesses the initiative to brainstorm, negotiate, and implement positive change.

The creation of a quality resume requires a consultation with the client, determination of the best resume format based upon the client’s individual circumstances, and, in addition to knowledge of the client’s industry and job function, an understanding of his or her overall core competencies.  The actual writing demands selection of the most relevant data and extensive editing or “polishing” before the client reviews what he or she will deem a draft.  All of this can only be accomplished by experienced, reputable writers who genuinely care if their clients secure interviews, and whose work reflects that concern.