This post may contain affiliate links (including amazon.com because we participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program). Full disclosure is here.
There are several professionals and services that can help you with your resume. You could buy a resume template to follow, ask family members to help you, or hire a professional certified resume writer to write your resume for you.
While there is a lot of help out there, the truth is that it will still take time and probably some money to get a professional-looking resume that gives you the best chance to get a job. Let’s look at all your options to get help with writing your resume …
Start with a professional resume template
The first thing a recruiter sees is your resume, so it’s vital to make sure your resume is well-formatted, the right length, has no spelling mistakes in it, and includes all the important information recruiters need in a way that makes you look your best.
That’s why you need to start with a good professional resume template before you or anyone else starts writing your resume.
A resume template is a document in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, or any other program that gives you a premade layout to follow for a good resume. It should give you all the categories, headings, personal information, and other details that need to be in your resume, all in a proper format so you can simply fill in your details.
You can buy a professional resume template or look for a free template online, then follow the layout prompts to write your resume.
If you want a guide on how to write your resume, be sure to check out my free resume star challenge HERE.
Where to get professional help with writing a resume
There are many people, professionals, companies and services that can help you with writing your resume:
- Ask your family members and friends for input
Writing a resume can be quite a challenge, no matter how much or how little experience you have.
Ask a good friend or some family members to help you brainstorm content for your resume, such as what skills you have and what you’re good at. They can even practice interview questions with you, such as this popular interview question.
Your friends and family members probably won’t sit down and write your resume for you unless you pay them to help you, but it’s always good to get feedback on your resume from others.
Show your resume to friends and family members, and ask them some of the following questions:
- What is your first impression of my resume?
- What would you change if this was your resume?
- Is my resume clear and easy to understand?
- After reading my resume, did you have any questions or were there any gaps?
- Are there any spelling and/or grammatical errors in my resume?
- Would you call me in for an interview if you saw this resume? Why or why not?
If you can, try to speak to people who work in the industry where you will be applying for jobs. They should have a good idea of what your resume should look like and what recruiters are probably looking for.
- Ask your school’s office or a college career office
Many schools and colleges have offices, counsellors, career officers, or other people who can help students and graduates with writing their resume. Go in and ask to make an appointment with someone who can help you write your resume. If you need help but didn’t attend a particular institution, ask if they will help you for a fee (many offer this as a paid service to the public).
If you do get an appointment, come prepared. Bring a draft version of your resume, formatted in a professional resume template, with all the information that you need. Do not expect the person helping you to write your resume from scratch or to find your details for you.
You should be able to edit and craft a professional resume in one meeting and walk away ready to start applying for jobs.
- Attend a library workshop
Many public libraries hold free job search and resume writing workshops, where you can get guidance and assistance with writing your resume or get feedback on your current resume. Do an internet search for these workshops, or visit your local library to find out if and when it will be holding one of these workshops.
If they don’t have any planned, ask them if they can organize one.
- Visit a Job Center
The US Department of Labor coordinates nearly 2,400 Job Centers across the US. These centers are there to help you with everything you need to find a job, including help with writing a resume. Many of these centers even run resume workshops.
Visit your local job center and ask to see a ‘workforce specialist’. A workforce specialist won’t write your resume for you, but they can review your resume and give you feedback on it so you stand the best chance when you send it out to recruiters.
- Hire a professional resume writer
A resume writer is someone who writes resumes for a living. Some of these writers are certified with organizations such as the National Resume Writers’ Association, which means they have done courses and passed difficult tests that prove they are very good at writing winning resumes.
Hiring a professional resume writer is the easiest and quickest way to get help with your resume, and it is often the most successful way to get a job. Even if it costs a bit of money for this help, you will make that money back very quickly from your new job.
It’s always better to get a job as quickly as possible, and a resume writer can definitely speed things up for you. A good resume might even help you get a better-paying job, which will put more money in your pocket every month.
Do you think it’s worth the investment in yourself?
You can hire a professional resume writer to write or proofread your resume for you. You will still need to give them all the information they need to write your resume, but a professional resume writer can send you a list of what information they need before they get started.
You can find a professional resume writer to help you write your resume using the following links:
Click HERE to find out how much a professional resume writer charges (and if it’s worth this cost) …
6. Hire a professional resume writing agency
Professional resume writing agencies offer resume writing services along with many other things you might need to find a job. Agencies tend to cost more than individual resume writers, but they often give you more for this money, such as a money-back guarantee, unlimited resume revisions, and other perks such as a cover letter for your resume. They might also be faster than an individual resume writer, so you can start looking for jobs sooner.
Some resume writing agencies are advanced enough to write resumes that work with Applicant Tracking System (ATS) technology. This technology uses keywords and algorithms to match job advertisers with job applicants. For example, if a hiring manager is looking for an experienced cashier from Walmart, then the ATS will look for keywords like ‘Walmart’ + ‘cashier’ in all its resume to find matches. If your resume has these keywords in it, then it will probably be shown to the hiring manager.
If you’re interested in getting help with your resume and job search from a professional agency, use the following links to compare the packages and prices:
- Find My Profession – They offer ATS compatible resumes in packages, with many perks
- ZipJob – Their team of expert writers write resumes that work with technology, so hiring managers can find you online
- Monster – They do free resume assessments and then offer resume writing services
Good luck with your job search!