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When it comes to looking for a job, I’ve learnt that it’s better to pay for professional help with your resume than trying to do it all yourself. But how much do you need to pull out of the piggy bank to get this help?
A professional resume writer costs between $100 and $400. More experienced and certified resume writers will charge the higher rate of up to $400, especially if you have many years’ experience and are applying for a high-level position with your resume as these require more time and effort from the writer.
Did you know that about 250 people apply for every corporate job advertised? Only 4-6 applicants are called in for an interview, while only 1 candidate ultimately wins the job. There’s a lot of competition out there and you want to give yourself the best chance to win.
Let’s consider why it might be worth paying for professional, then dive into the real costs of hiring a professional resume writer based on what needs to be in your resume…
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Why it’s worth paying a professional resume writer
It is worth paying a professional resume writer to write your resume so that you stand the best chance of getting called in for an interview. You have a 2% chance of getting an interview for any corporate job you apply for, so your resume needs to stand out from the average 249 other people who apply for the same job.
There are a few places where you can get help with writing your resume. But a professional resume writer or resume writing agency is often the best choice when you’re serious about looking for work.
A professional resume writer has solid experience and often has training and qualifications in writing resumes, so they know:
- How to lay out and format a professional resume for a good impression using a professional resume template
- What information must be included in a resume and how to present this information to recruiters
- What mistakes to avoid in a resume
- How to write a cover letter
Do you want to spend the time working all this out or pay an expert to create an amazing resume for you so you can focus on getting interviews and answering popular interview questions?
How much a professional resume writer costs
Most professional resume writers charge between $100 and $400 to write a resume, depending on how much experience they have, the type of resume needed, and how much of your experience needs to be included. A professional resume writer will spend several hours communicating with you, planning your resume, writing, and then editing the final resume.
The more experience you have and the more jobs you’ve had, the longer your resume will probably be because there is more information to include. If you have only one year of work experience then your resume will be fairly short and sweet, so it will cost less. If you are applying for an executive-level position with over a decade of experience, then it will cost more to hire a resume writer.
Most individual resume writers just write resumes but others may be able to write a cover letter to go with your resume. This is very helpful because a hiring manager always reads the cover letter before deciding if they want to look at your full resume, so it’s an extremely important document.
The following table shows the average cost that a private professional resume writer charges on Thumbtack according to the type of resume needed and the job level that the resume will be used to apply for:
| Type of resume | Average cost for a professional resume writer |
| Entry-Level Resume (0-3 years’ experience) | $159 |
| Professional Resume (3+ years’ experience) | $259 |
| Executive Level Resume (Director and higher) | $359 |
How much a professional resume writing agency costs
If you are looking for professional help with your resume, you can choose an individual writer to work with or look into hiring a resume writing agency.
Resume-writing companies or agencies tend to be more expensive than individual resume writers, offering resume writing packages for between $400 and $1,000. The higher price tag does bring many benefits with it, such as satisfaction money-back guarantees, interview guarantees, faster turnaround times, and multiple revisions.
Here is a table showing how much you can expect to pay a professional resume writing agency for each type of resume – each resume level is for the level you want to apply for, not the level you are currently working in:
| Type of resume | Average cost for a resume package |
| Entry-Level Resume (0-3 years’ experience) | $400 |
| Professional Resume (3+ years’ experience) | $600 |
| Executive Level Resume (Director and higher) | $800 |
| C-Level resume (CEO, COO, CTO, etc.) | $1,000 |
| Federal Resume | $800 |
Source: Based on resume packages offered by Find My Profession
These agencies have a team of dedicated and experienced professionals who will work on your resume, though you will probably have one account manager or contact person to speak to about your order.
Teamwork, support and pooled resources make it possible for resume writing agencies to offer you a lot more than an individual writer can (and often individual resume writers freelance or moonlight for these agencies).
And surprisingly, the cost of hiring an agency is not always that much more than hiring an experienced solo resume writer, especially if you consider the added value that you get.
You might not want to spend $500+ on a resume service, but if you get more interviews and perhaps better job offers you could quickly make that money back and much more.
Services offered by resume writing agencies
Here are some of the services that you can expect to get from a resume writing agency:
- One-on-one strategy sessions to discuss your career development path and goals
- Writing resumes and cover letters that are 6-second optimized, ATS compatible, and fully customizable
- Creating LinkedIn profiles that are optimized for SEO and keyword-friendly
- Fast turnaround times
- Unlimited revisions until you are very happy with your resume and cover letter
- Some even come with a guarantee of getting an interview within a certain number of days
If you are serious about getting a job, especially if it needs to be as quickly as possible, then a professional resume writing agency is probably the best option for you. I highly recommend looking into the packages offered by Find My Profession.
If you want to explore other options, then take a look at this blog post on where to get help with writing your resume.
