In this article, we will review and evaluate resume writing services based on several criteria. We will divide the article into subheadings and provide a brief description under each subheading. We will evaluate the quality of the resume, customer service, samples and testimonials, certifications, guarantees, pricing, and how to choose a resume writing service.
Our Review Process
To help you choose the right service to write your resume, we reviewed over ten companies to find out which ones can assist you in getting a job interview. We objectively evaluated them across the following categories:
- Quality of the final product
- Customer service
- Samples and testimonials
- Certifications
- Guarantees
- Pricing and payment options
For each category, a rating from one (lowest) to five (highest) was assigned, and the category ratings were calculated to generate overall ratings for each service from one to five stars.
Resume Quality
To evaluate the quality of the resume from each service, we submitted the same resume to over half a dozen providers and asked each of them to make significant edits. We then assessed the final products we received.
In every case, it was the responsibility of the resume writers to ask us questions that would help improve the quality of our resume. It was also the responsibility of the services to direct us to an individual writer who understood the candidate’s industry and profession. After receiving the final products, we evaluated them based on:
- Content: Did the writer include the most important information in the resume? Did they present the information in a way that impresses hiring managers and leads to more interviews?
- Format and Design: Was the resume formatted neatly and professionally? Did the writer try to cram too much information onto one page or use an appropriate amount of space? Were the fonts easy to read and was the document free of any distracting formatting?
- Compliance with Applicant Tracking Systems: Did the writer use the appropriate keywords that would be picked up in an applicant tracking system and attract the hiring manager’s attention?
Companies received ratings for each section of the resume, and companies that delivered higher quality work received higher ratings.
Formatting
A properly formatted resume is easier for hiring managers to read and digest. Easy readability is important because individuals who read numerous resumes often go through them quickly to decide whether they want to read the rest of the resumes. To evaluate the formatting of the sample resumes, we looked at the following criteria:
- Density: Paragraphs that stretch ten lines long are too dense; instead, paragraphs should be three or four lines at most.
- Font Size: The font size should be sufficient for easy reading. For example, the font size of Arial should be between 11 and 12 points. Anything smaller makes the resume harder to read.
- Margins: We looked at the size of the four margins – left, right, top, and bottom. Between 0.5 and 1.0 inches is acceptable.
- Page Length: The general rule is that a resume should not exceed one page for a candidate with less than five years of experience. A candidate with more years of experience should have enough experience, skills, and accomplishments to justify a resume that consists of two pages.
Companies received lower ratings if content was crammed onto one page with narrow margins and long paragraphs. These factors were not weighted more than other factors (such as the content itself), but it is important to have a resume that captures attention at first glance.
Customer Service
During the review process, we paid close attention to the service we received, from the moment we registered until the final resume was delivered. We evaluated each service provider based on several factors including the speed of delivery of the first draft, ease of access to the writers, flexibility in communication, and whether additional services were available – even for an extra fee.
Speed
Delivery of the First Draft
Part of excellent customer service is receiving your resume in a timely manner. No one wants to wait three weeks for their resume to be written or edited, especially if they were told it would only take a few days. However, the expectation of having a resume written in one day is unrealistic. When we evaluated writing services, we noted when we were told we would receive the finished product and checked that the writer delivered on time. Those who provided the final draft within a week received the best ratings, while those who took more than two weeks received the lowest ratings.
Accessibility of the Writer and Responsiveness
When you have a resume being written for you, it’s important to be able to contact your resume writer. We wanted to ensure we could reach our writer when needed. So we monitored how easy it was to contact them initially, how accessible they were after the first contact, and how quickly they responded to any requested edits. What we found is that good resume writing services have writers who respond quickly and are easy to reach. Writers who replied to us promptly when we had questions or comments received high ratings, while those who took several days or more to respond received lower ratings.
Method of Communication
It is important to be able to communicate with your resume writer whenever you want and however you want. Depending on your schedule, you may want multiple options when it comes to communicating with your resume writer.
Source: https://www.thebalancemoney.com/resume-writing-service-review-methodology-5069974
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