Written By: Michael Gardon | Edited By: Mike Jelinek
Over the past few years resume writing services have begun to sprout up left and right, and have become an increasingly popular choice among job seekers to bulletproof their resume against Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) and picky HR managers. The prices vary, which we will explore in this article, but right from the get-go, we’d like to inform you that generally speaking, the price increases with experience, and the level of position you are trying to obtain.
Additionally, you will find that virtually all resume writing companies offer additional services like LinkedIn profile makeovers, cover letters, or coaching, which can add up rather quickly. For the sake of this article, we have divided all resume writing services into three pricing tiers which you can find below.
Resume Writing Service Pricing Tiers
How much should a resume writing service cost? Here are the three resume writing service tiers.
$0-$100
For anything in this price range, there probably isn’t a person involved, and what you’re paying for is resume templates. We’ve researched this far and wide, and if you do find someone who will write, or rewrite your resume for less than $100, they more than likely won’t be qualified. We referenced ATS at the beginning of this article, and it is worth mentioning again. Numerous times in history something has been invented to deter people from doing something, and then later something will get invented again to get around it. As an example, they equipped police officers with radar guns to stop people from speeding, and then radar detectors were introduced. Resume writing services (reputable ones) are like radar detectors of job seekers.
For a price this low, you won’t get the radar detector. Now, we’re not advocating that you have to pay a service to get a job. Formatting is a big part of your resume, and there are plenty of free templates at your disposal you can use to paste in your information accordingly and get called into an interview.
Where it gets tricky is paying for templates, which we wouldn't recommend. If you feel inclined to pay for a resume template, you should go a little further and pay a slightly higher price for a qualified, professional company, with a proven track record of success to take your resume to the next level.
$100-$400
This is generally the sweet spot for most job seekers looking for a resume writing service. In this price range, you’re not only getting a reputable company, but you’re also getting an ATS scan. Recent graduates and those seeking entry-level employment should expect to pay around $150, while mid-level job seekers will pay somewhere between $200-$300.
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$400+
We wouldn’t recommend paying more than $400 unless you’re seeking executive-level employment. Going after leadership roles requires more back and forth between the writer and the person he or she is writing the resume for. Executive resumes also gain the attention of more experienced writers.
Furthermore, when you’re paying for an executive resume, you’re often getting one or two more additional services that come with it, like a LinkedIn profile rewrite or a cover letter.
What To Consider When Choosing A Resume Writing Service
Here are the most important things to consider when choosing a resume writing service.
Reviews of Resume Writing Services
As we stated at the beginning of this article, resume writing services are becoming increasingly popular, so you have a lot of options to choose from. Reading user reviews of these services on sites like TrustPilot will help you to learn more about each company than what they have written on their website. If you come across a service that is hard to find reviews outside of the company website, it is probably best to move on to another.
COMMUNICATION & REVISIONS
The process most resume writing services follow is to match you with a writer based on your background and aspirations, and then proceed by having a phone call to iron out any details or qualities you would like highlighted in your resume given the type of position you’re going after. A good way to learn about the lines of communication is by contacting the company before you purchase the service and see how responsive they are prior to hiring them. How quick are they to respond? Will they get on the phone with you? This is yet another example of how to learn more about a company in question by going beyond what is posted on their website.
There is usually a cap on how many rounds of revisions you are entitled to after receiving the initial draft of your resume. Each company is different, so it is worth investigating, especially if you’re the type of person who likes to make additions, subtractions, or adjustments on your work before submission.
GUARANTEES
Most all the reputable resume writing services offer some type of interview guarantee when you purchase their service, but none of them will offer you your money back. When you’re not seeing the results promised by the company, this usually means another round of discovery followed by revisions based on the type of jobs you’re applying to.
After you get your resume completed, you can start applying for jobs. To see the top places employers are posting jobs, check out our guide to the best free job posting sites.
Bottom Line
Now that you know how much you should plan to pay for a resume writing service, it is time to roll up your sleeves and do a little research to determine which option you are most comfortable with. The vast majority of job seekers who enlist resume writing services are happy with the results as evidenced in the reviews, so your decision will most likely boil down to what you find.
A good place to start is our review of The Best Resume Writing Services To Get You Noticed, where we dig into what we feel are the very best resume writing services by highlighting their strengths and weaknesses and make a determination who each service is best suited for.
