By: Lisa Chapman, Certified Professional Resume Writer

Have you been searching for a professional resume writing company online only to become confused by all of your options? With this article, I am hopeful that I will be able to minimize the stress associated with choosing which resume service is best for you.

Professional Resume Writing Association Membership

While it is not necessarily the deciding factor, locating a resume service that has membership in at least one professional resume writing association is a clear indication that the resume services offered by this organization are legitimate. Associations within the resume writing industry include the Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches (http://www.parw.com/), Career Masters Institute (http://www.cminstitute.com/), and the National Resume Writers Association (http://www.nrwa.com/) – just to name a few. If the professional resume writing organization you are considering has membership with any of these organizations, there are ethics standards they must uphold and their business of resume writing is comprehensive. Check the association’s website to confirm membership before proceeding.

Resume Writing Certification

Most professional resume writers hold a resume writing certification or two. If your resume is being developed by a resume writer who is certified, you can be confident that the resume you receive from this resume service will be of utmost quality and effectiveness. However, there have been times when a resume writer has stated she has certification and does not. Check with the professional resume writing association that offers the certification to verify certification status.

Resume Service Pricing

As with anything we purchase, price plays a part in our decision making. However, when it comes to resume writing services, keep in mind that these services are truly an investment in your future and the return on investment is enormous. Since most professionally written resumes reduce the job search time significantly and increase annual salary compensation capabilities, investing in a professionally written resume is a truly smart approach. Now, there are resume services on the internet who will write your resume for $40 – is a $40 resume really what you want? This is a classic case of “you get what you pay for”. Don’t let investment levels mislead you as many people end up making a second resume service investment when the first resume didn’t generate interviews.

Samples

A clear indication of future performance is based on past performance. Therefore, being able to view resumes written by the resume services you are considering, aids in your decision making capabilities. While the resume service you are researching may not have a sample directly related to your specific profession, the resume samples they do have on their website offer the ability to review the quality of the work they offer.

Resume Service Business Model

Since the resume writing process is a partnership between the resume writer and the client, it is very important that you choose a resume service that will work with you the way you want. There are resume services that will ask you to complete a multi-page questionnaire, other resume services will do the same and conduct a 10 to 15 telephone consultation to clarify any information provided, and then there are other resume services that will conduct comprehensive telephone consultations (30 to 90 minutes) to gather all of the information they will need to compose a strategically written resume for their clients. If you prefer completing a questionnaire, search for services offering this business model. If you prefer speaking with a professional resume writer one-on-one, search for resume services using this specific intake model.