Natalia Autenrieth 
Want to make sure you earn more? A professionally written resume can help!
Are you hoping to earn more money, land a new job sooner, and advance your career?
If your answer is “Yes!”, then top recruiters and hiring managers have one piece of advice for you: Hire a professional resume writer.
You may have heard a friend praise the professional resume writer she was working with before she landed her new, amazing job. Or perhaps you have seen ads and online reviews for resume-writing services while scouring the internet for job-search advice. Either way, you are probably wondering, “How can I be sure that paying for a professional resume makeover is worth it for me?”
Well, you don't have to wonder anymore. Read on for results from a recent study about the financial value of a professionally written resume, the range of results you can expect, and some tips on getting the most out of your investment.
The dollars and sense of a professionally written resume
It's easy to imagine that a resume written by a resume expert would get better results than one that's been created through a DIY approach. But how much better, exactly? And is the incremental “better” worth the time and money the candidate would have to invest?
A recent study commissioned by TopResume started out with the ambitious goal of getting those answers. And, after split-testing DIY and professional resumes for three job candidates across 157 recruiters, the results were unmistakable.
On first read, recruiters perceived candidates with professionally written resumes to be worth seven percent more in base salary than those with a DIY resume. Also, the candidates who invested in a professional resume rewrite landed a job at a rate 32 percent higher than candidates who proceeded with a DIY resume. Finally, of those candidates who invested in a professional resume rewrite, 68 percent secured a new job within three months and 42 percent moved on to higher-level positions.
Taken alone, those results are impressive enough. But put them together and it's clear that a professionally written resume is a worthy investment. According to a study conducted by The Ladders, it takes candidates an average of five months to get a new job. If a candidate is consistently able to shave two months (or even more) off the job-search cycle while commanding seven percent more in base pay, the result is more time spent gainfully employed and making more money!
A professionally written resume accomplishes three important goals: visual appeal, a compelling career narrative, and quantifiable results that highlight a job seeker's value. It's no wonder that when all of those boxes are checked, candidates spend less time in search mode and more time earning what they deserve! For more information, see what Amanda Augustine, career advice expert at TopResume, shared with Fox Business.
Tips for getting the most out of your professional resume makeover
So, how can you get the most out of your investment in a professionally-written resume? Here are five pieces of advice from Augustine that will help.
Don't delay your decision
The sooner you begin the collaboration, the sooner you can get results! Remember that every month spent in job-search mode is a month you won't get back.
Get clear about what you want
Candidates who can verbalize their professional aspirations and past experiences have a head start over those who need to do some more soul-searching. To start the rewrite process, they will provide detailed information about their career background and goals for their writer to use. It's worth noting that there's tremendous value in working with a professional to clarify and confirm those goals, too. The best resumes are written with a specific job in mind, so invest time into reflection and research.
Be open to change
The writer may recommend changes that remove or reframe your past working experiences, which means you may be forced to reexamine how you see yourself and your contribution to the workplace. Those shifts are critical to the overall success of your job search, but they can be emotionally difficult for some candidates.
Be upfront about any challenges you see with your career track
Employment gaps, work experience that isn't directly related to your current direction, having been fired, or any other “blemishes” (whether real or perceived) can be reframed or repositioned to make you an attractive candidate and showcase your value. But your resume writer needs to know about them upfront!
Provide honest feedback
Yes, the resume writer is a professional … but you are the expert at being you. Remember that it's natural to question why your writer has removed certain past positions, shortened some of the descriptions, or reframed your responsibilities or accomplishments. That said, trust your writer to be the expert at resumes. Then work together to craft the final product that's polished, highly effective, and truly yours.
The value of a professionally written resume
There are several ways to look at the return on investment from paying for a professionally written resume. The most obvious result from the study is that it can command higher salary offers, which is a good way to get paid back right away.
But there are “softer” ROI angles to a professional resume, too. Candidates with a professionally written resume can experience more interest from recruiters and prospective employers. They can receive more invitations to interviews, which can lead to a boost in confidence, self-regard, and motivation. From the way you show up at the interview to the quiet assertiveness as you express your desired salary, the value of being supported and backed by a solid resume is difficult to overstate.
Interested in a professional resume makeover? Click here to learn more!