We’ve all seen those free resume templates on the internet as well as discount resume writers, promising a stellar resume for just $19.95. Of course, you also might have seen resumes that cost $150 or more. How much should resume writing services cost? Here’s a general idea of what to expect.
Free Templates Are Rarely Free
Generally, those so-called free resume template services and resume builder services will allow you to enter a bunch of personal information and just as you get to the end of the process and are ready to see your finished product, they hit you with the catch.
Typically, free resume builders will ask you to give your credit card information and sign up for a “free trial,” in order to see and print the resume you have built. This free trial might last one week or even 10 days, but after that, they will charge your credit card a set amount each month as part of their subscription service.
This can be fine if you remember to cancel the trial subscription in time, but if not, you could be charged $20, $25 or more every month. It also can be tricky to figure out exactly how to cancel this trial. Additionally, we find that these resume builders aren’t all that easy to use and it can be tough to edit the resume and make changes without messing up the formatting.
Furthermore, a professional resume writer should edit and read over their work, which greatly lowers the chance that your resume will feature grammar or spelling errors. Resume writers also understand how to appeal to hiring managers, and that’s a huge reason why you probably should go with a pro instead of just imputing information into a resume template.
Cheap Resume? You’ll Get What You Pay For
If you buy a diamond ring for a dime, chances are you’ve just bought a ring not worth a dime, or so the saying goes. If you spend just $20 on a resume, it’s not likely that the writer will be spending a great deal of time crafting your resume. They will simply type up your information, do a quick spellcheck and hand it off. Frankly, you could do that much by yourself, so why even bother paying $20 or $25?
Entry-Level Resumes Are The Most Affordable
When it comes to resume writing services, the cost is often determined by your level of employment experience and you’ll see a range of costs on each resume writing website. Typically, a good quality entry-level resume will cost anywhere from $79 to $110. Generally, these cost a bit less than $100, and they are the least expensive option simply because the client doesn’t have a long list of professional experience, it’s simply easier to create these resumes, so they cost less.
Professional Resumes: Expect To Pay More Than $100
While some services might advertise a professional resume for $99 or less, typically these run about $115 up to about $150. This is the type of resume that is prepared for someone with a few years of industry experience, as well as for people changing careers or perhaps people who have professional experience but have taken time off to raise a family.
The latter two situations can be tricky because you either don’t have experience in a specific industry or you have a large gap in your work history. A seasoned resume writer can create a resume that showcases skills that all hiring managers want to see, regardless of the industry. This might include your leadership skills, communication skills, writing skills, organizational skills and others that are needed for most jobs in general.
The $200 Resume – Who Needs It?
Actually, quite a few people should expect to pay about $200 for a professionally written resume. If you are professional with many years of experience or someone seeking a high-level executive position, these resumes definitely cost more. Likewise, federal and government resumes also cost more, because this is a very distinct style of resume writing that requires a high level of skill.
The Most Important Factor
We’ve reviewed resumes from many different companies, and our top-rated companies charge about the same amount, give or take a few dollars. While we’ve definitely found that cheap resume companies produced cheap resumes, we also found a few pricey resume companies that produced terrible resumes, some even included multiple spelling errors.
So, what’s a job hunter to do? At Top 5 Resume Writers, we’ve reviewed resumes from dozens of resume companies and created a shortlist of the best options. Our top pick, Resume Writing Group, produced a dynamic, error-free resume that truly grabbed our attention. Our top three picks were all acceptable, but Resume Writing Group really stood out from the pack.
We know everyone is worried about what resume writing services cost, but a great resume truly can help you attract attention and, ultimately, find a fantastic job. We highly recommend Resume Writing Group for your resume writing as well as for other tasks, such as cover letter writing, LinkedIn profile writing and career coaching.
