A professional resume writer or resume service can help you land a new job or receive a job promotion. However, there are many scams on the Internet. My goal in this article is to help you know how to identify a resume scam. While nothing is foolproof, learning what to look for in a resume writer can help you avoid resume scams!

The cost of a professionally written resume

A professionally written resume is an investment in your career. And… professionally written resumes are tax deductible!

Just because it’s an investment doesn’t mean it will cost you $1,000. However, it also doesn’t mean that a resume writer selling ‘professionally written resumes’ for $25 will do a good job. His job as a job seeker is to hire the best he can afford. A solid, well-written resume for a mid-level career shouldn’t cost more than $150 TOPS. However, a high level executive should expect to pay more. Most of the resumes I write are for those looking for a mid-level job. I am not afraid, nor ashamed, to admit that I am NOT comfortable working with a top executive – big whig – CEO of a multinational conglomerate! I know my limitations. Which brings us to my next point…

Your resume writer knows his limitations!

Like I said, I do VERY FEW resumes of senior executives. I’ve done them, but that’s on a case-by-case basis. I often turn down work because it’s not in my field of expertise. No resume writer can know everything about every career! A resume scammer will tell you YES. For the record, I also don’t do resumes for lawyers, actors, federal resumes, or medical resumes. You may be in sales, IT, construction, education, management, or any other field and I’m more than happy to help. I know my limitations. Every resume writer MUST.

Guarantees (money back or job placement)

If a resume writer guarantees that their resume will land you a job within a certain period of time, SEEK ANOTHER WRITER! I’m a resume WRITER, not a HIRING MANAGER (been there, did it!). I can’t guarantee you’ll get a job any more than you can guarantee me a job for the next 6 months. Your interview skills, your personality, your networking skills, your professional background, and sometimes sheer luck, are what WILL LAND you a job. MY JOB is to create and write a resume that markets your skills and achievements and makes you more attractive and valuable to employers!

Resume writers who offer a money back guarantee usually make it so incredibly difficult to obtain, that they RARELY give refunds. And, any resume writer can tell you how easy it is for clients to get scammed. I have a friend who is a resume writer (she used to work for her, coincidentally) and she had several cases of clients simply saying they didn’t like it, to get a refund. The problem with this is that we live in a VERY small community. Client ALSO lived in the SAME community. One day he received a phone call from a local company that had just hired this client. The gentleman who hired him recognized his writing style and called with a ‘hey, you’ll never guess who I just hired’ message. She never got the money back from her. She could have cost him his job. She chose NOT to tell her friend about the scam her new employee had pulled on her. I’m not sure I can keep my mouth shut. So no…unless there is some kind of critical error or incomplete order, most resume writers will NOT offer refunds.

no reviews

While a good resume writer won’t offer refunds, they SHOULD offer revisions! My clients get as many reviews as they need. Any company or resume writer that is not willing to work with you and guarantee your satisfaction is definitely a scam!

Questionnaires

In and of themselves, quizzes are not a bad thing. I use one myself. HOWEVER, I will also call or email with questions, and offer you my phone number to call if you need it. If there is a major issue with your resume, I will ALWAYS call you to speak with you.

additional sales

Many resume scams will hook you with a low or reasonable price, then sell you other features or services and/or tell you your resume will be longer and make you pay for a ‘2 or 3 page’ resume. I can’t STAND this practice! I charge a flat fee because (mostly) it’s easier for me! Sure, I can lose money on the occasional resume that takes longer or is more difficult than I figured, and yes, some are easier and take less time. Everything is balanced. I believe in keeping my prices fair, for my clients and myself. And the last thing I want to do is waste my time trying to convince you to buy something you don’t want. I can’t stand pushy sellers! And if I wanted to be in sales, I would be! There’s a reason I’m not!

Top 10 Resume Writers / Top 10 Resume Services Lists

To my knowledge, there is no such (legitimate) site! In most cases, these sites are owned (directly or indirectly) by these same resume service sites. They give ‘reviews’ with 5-star ratings to their businesses, or to businesses that have paid (usually several hundred dollars a month!) to be included on this list.

There are professional resume writing organizations and certifications, and there you can find a legitimate resume service. Keep in mind though; there are also many good writers who are NOT in these organizations for one reason or another. The cost of them is often a main factor. So just because your resume author isn’t part of these groups, doesn’t mean they aren’t very good at what they do.

One thing you should do is check to see if the author of the resume or service is listed on RipOffReport.com, which is a popular site where disgruntled customers can register their complaints.

Guaranteed fast response time

At most, I only write 1-2 resumes per day. Several hours are needed for each resume. A good resume takes hours to write and the best resume writers produce only 1-2 resumes per day. Beware of resume writers who won’t provide at least a few different resume samples they’ve created. Any resume writer who promises a 24-48 hour turnaround time and charges $99 or less typically produces 6-8 resumes per day. They all look the same. The information is put into a template and they shoot it at you. Generally speaking, my turnaround time is one week to 10 days. Sometimes more. I am always honest about how long it will take me to submit your resume. I do offer same day and next day service, but with very limited availability and it comes with a price. Your time is valuable and so is mine. If I am placing a rush order for you, it means that I am taking time out of my family and personal life. This is true of any competent resume writer!

Their website

This is a double edged sword here. The website must be attractive and easy to find information. However, just because it’s “pretty” doesn’t mean they produce high-quality resumes. Look at their samples. If you don’t like his samples, you probably won’t like his work. Make sure your samples are from different styles and industries. A resume for a teacher will not look the same as a resume for a sales executive or engineer! See if they are focusing on skills and accomplishments rather than producing pretty resumes that just list job tasks. Also see if they are using advanced techniques like color, testimonials, and highlights to make your resume stand out from the crowd.

By using your common sense, you can reduce your chances of falling for a resume scam. Some resume scammers are very good, and even with these tips you can still fall victim. But by being polite and diligent, you significantly reduce that chance and increase the odds that you’ll find the best resume writer for you! Google the name of the resume service and the name of the resume writer, search for them on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Just as employers will review you before offering you a job, review your resume writer before hiring!