Marie Raperto, The Hiring Hub

Thinking about using a professional resume writing service? These services are very common and useful but they are not for everyone. Consider these points before you hire any service:

1. Price.  These services can be expensive. Make sure you can afford to do this and check around for prices/services as they can vary greatly. Very low rates and rapid turnaround times should be a red flag.

2. Writer. Who is going to write your resume and what are their qualifications? Do they have experience writing resumes in your field? Look at their samples. Do all the resumes look alike or are they individualized to fit client backgrounds?

3. Time. To get the best resume will require time on your part. The resume writer may have questionnaires for you to fill out and/or want to interview you. A writer must know your complete work history and achievements and understand what you see as your next opportunity. After a first draft, you must provide feedback. A resume writing service is not a time saver.

4. Agreement. Before you sign anything, check out the service as much as you can. Read the agreement and watch out for caveats. How many revisions will you receive, what is the time period, are their others costs involved?

Remember, a resume writing service will make your resume look more appealing and the writing/grammar may be better than what you could do. What they can't do is write a resume that will get you a job for which you are not qualified.

Like everything in life, an educated consumer is the best customer.