Executive resume writing services can help professionals get high-paying jobs by making a resume, cover letter, and personal branding package based on their skills and goals. Most of the executive-level resume writing services are run by former executives or recruiters who know what it takes to compete at the executive world’s upper levels. Resume writers make job applications that list your work history and accomplishments clearly and concisely. This makes it easier to apply for new jobs and increases your chances of getting interviews. This post discusses how to find the best executive resume writing service.
Find and Evaluate the Best Executive Resume Writer for You
Here are things you should think about when looking for a resume writer and applying for executive positions:
Experience
The writer or the company for which he/she works as a professional resume writer has been in business for at least a few years. Watch out for resume mills that pop up out of nowhere. The longer a resume writer has been in business, the more likely they are one of the more reliable professional resume services. Being in a business for more than five years is a good sign of dependability. This is just one way to determine how trustworthy someone is, so you would not use it as the only way to judge the best executive resume writing service.
Past publications
The writer or the company they work for as a professional resume writer has been mentioned in well-known publications or won awards in their field. You can check places like Forbes and World Report to see if professional resume writers have been written about or asked to give interviews and expert advice.
LinkedIn Page
Either the company or the writer has a LinkedIn page, but ideally, both, and that page has positive reviews from past clients. By using LinkedIn, you can find out who is behind an executive resume service. Check out the company’s and the writer’s pages for recommendations and other information that shows how experienced and successful they are as professionals.
Positive Online Reviews
People have said good things about them on websites other than LinkedIn. Use Google to look for reviews of the executive resume service or the writer. Find out more about the person who wrote the review as well. Most reliable review sites are run by recruiters and people who work in the career industry.
Client Testimonials
Their website has photos and full names of clients who have said nice things about them. These seem to be the most likely. Anyone can put a fake testimonial on their website, but you can be sure it’s real if it has a headshot or a full name.
How to Choose the Best Executive Resume Writing Service
As an executive, the stakes are higher regarding your chances of getting a job and how much it will cost to hire an executive resume writing service. Here are five steps you can take to find the best executive resume writing service.
Previous Customers’ Reviews
Though you might be able to learn things from the reviews that aren’t mentioned directly on their websites, every client is different and so is every company. What one company does for one client might not be enough for another. So, if, after reading the review, you still want to know more, you can also visit the company website and read reviews from past customers who were happy with the service.
Writer Expertise and Credentials
Make sure you know who will be helping you with your resume before you agree to work with them. In addition to standard qualifications and work history, you will want to know if the person writing your resume is familiar with your industry and the jobs you are applying for. Lastly, you will want to ensure you can work well with this person and that their way of talking and pace is similar to yours.
Suite of Services
Some people only need a polished resume that an ATS can read. Others need help with cover letters, LinkedIn profiles, and other things. Some services include these two add-ons and recruiter distribution in their price, so some people may have to pay for these services even though they do not want them. Some people might think this package of services is a great deal. The good news is that you can choose from several well-known Professional Executive Resume Writing Services that fit your needs and budget the best.
Reputation and Trustworthiness of the Company
It can be hard to know whom to trust online, which is why we are here to help. Well, here are a few things to think about when judging the reputation and trustworthiness of something online:
Review of customers. You can read customer reviews on each service’s website, but you can also use trust to find out what real executive customers have to say.
How many customers or how many industries? Good services will talk about how many customers they have, how many industries they work in, or how happy their customers are.
The website looks and feels. This may seem silly, but if a website looks like it was made in the 1990s, it is probably not a good sign that the company is growing or trustworthy.
Details for you. If you do contact these companies, and you work in a niche industry, you can ask them what they have done in the past to help someone with a background like yours. If, for example, you work in the technology industry, you might find a company with a resume writer with a great track record of finding jobs for upper-level executives.
How to Evaluate Your Executive Resume Writer Shortlist
You should now have a short list of some of the Professional Executive Resume Writing Services
Look at the Writers’ Resume Samples
Find out if the people in the samples are real. Knowing whether a resume is real or made up will tell you a lot about how skilled the person who wrote it is since it is easier to make up a resume than to write a real one. The fact that the client gave the resume writer permission to share it shows that the client trusts the resume writer.
Look at the Executive Resume Writers’ LinkedIn Profiles
Check out what people have said about the writers on LinkedIn. Are they from real customers, or were they written by friends and coworkers who have not used their services? You can tell which is which. You want a writer whose clients were so happy with their work that they took the time to recommend them.
Find out about the process, how to get it, and how much it will cost you.
Get in touch with the few executive resume writers on your list. Give them a link to your LinkedIn profile, a copy of your most recent resume, and a description of the services you want.
Ask about:
- Any questions you have about the process will be
- Pricing
- Availability
- Turnaround time for the first and additional drafts
- Any limits on drafts and total project timelines
Decide Who Would Write Your Resume
Once you have your list of writers down to less than five, call them up and talk to them. They should be willing to talk to you for 15 minutes, answering your questions and getting to know each other. Go over any questions you still have about what was said in Section 4 above. Make sure the person you are talking to will be the one to write your resume. You aren’t buying something that everyone else has.
Two Caveats When Looking for the Best Resume Service for You
Caveat emptor, which means, “buyer beware,” means that the buyer is the only one who should check the quality and suitability of something they want to buy. Remember this:
Review sites that list the best resume writing services should be avoided. A single person usually writes reviews to promote the person or company in the top spot. Looking at the authors’ pasts, you will probably find that your decision-making skills are much better than theirs. Count on yourself, friends, and colleagues you trust. Also, avoid review sites like Yelp. They are often played, too.
Executive Resume Writers Who Focus Too Much On The ATS Should Be Avoided.
Avoid executive resume writers who stress too much that your resume needs to be optimized for applicant tracking systems (ATS). You have a 1:152 chance of getting a job through an ATS, even if you use the right keywords (per a 2016 Lever study). If that’s how you plan to look for a job, hire a cheap writer and start spending hours filling out online forms.
People who use the best executive resume writing service get more job interviews than those who do not. Because of this, most of the companies we looked at came with a guarantee of an interview and great reviews. Therefore, if you only look at the numbers, hiring an executive resume writing service will improve your chances of getting a job.
