Possessing a job-winning resume is crucial, but there are literally thousands of professional resume writers out there promising you the moon and the stars. Resume writing isn’t cheap, so how do you pick the best service? At Top 5 Resume Writers, we make it easy.
The Experiment
While many resume websites provide one or two samples of their resumes, they obviously pick and choose what they display on their website. So while it’s nice to see an example, it’s not always the best indicator that you’ve chosen great professional resume writers.
We decided the best way to discover the best writers would be to purchase actual websites from some of the so-called top-rated resume services on the internet. We chose all types of resume companies, from pricier options with slick websites to those advertising “cheap” resumes for just $49 to $69.
For this experiment, we created a “mystery shopper,” and provided the exact same information about this person to each of the resume sites from which we purchased resumes.
As Top 5 Resume Writers is owned by a company in the resume writing industry, we felt that for truly “non-biased” results, it was crucial that we choose a blind panel to review the results. The people chosen for this panel are those who have been or currently are in the positon to make hiring decisions at various companies.
We wanted real hiring managers to look over each resume as we felt this was the best way to gauge the overall quality of each resume. Certainly, we could judge the look of a resume and we could see if there were typos, etc., but to really dive deep and assess the quality, we wanted to go right to the people that make decisions about hiring.
The Review
Once we received all of our resumes, the blind panel reviewed each one carefully, judging it on a number of factors. This obviously included ensuring that there were no careless errors, such as spelling errors or grammar errors. The panel also looked to see that the information on the resume matched the information given to the resume writer.
Additionally, the panel looked at the format and the design of the resume, judging its readability. Furthermore, they paid particularly attention to the wording in each section. Was the language dynamic? Did the writer provide quantifiable examples of the person’s skills?
One element that we did judge ourselves was the level of customer service. Was the writer friendly? Was the resume easy to purchase? How long did it take to create the resume? Assessing these factors were all part of the equation.
The Results
To be honest, we really didn’t know what to expect when we started this experiment, and we were pretty surprised by the results. One troubling issue we found was that many of the so-called “professional” resume writers made careless errors. In fact, we saw not one, but several resumes that contained spelling errors that easily could have been caught by spellcheck.
Many of the resumes were given average ratings by our blind research panel, and the biggest surprise of all, was the fact that every member of our panel chose the same resume writing service as their top pick.
We figured there would be two or three top contenders, but the panel unanimously chose Resume Writing Group as its number one pick. In fact, the resume company owned by our own parent company only ranked as #2.
Resume Writing Group’s resume contained no typos or careless errors, which immediately put it at the front of the pack. The resume featured a crisp, easy-to-read design, but most importantly, the panel felt that there was a solid strategy in play with the writing. It wasn’t simply a writer rehashing the exact wording from the customer; the writer really put some thought into how to present the information.
For our part, we also noted that Resume Writing Group was the only company that actually contacted our “mystery shopper” to ask for additional information. This extra step definitely made a positive impact on the finished product.
We also were impressed by their competitive pricing and their unique guarantee. If you use their resume and follow their advice, but are not hired in 45 days or less, they will refund the cost of your resume and pay you an additional $100. We rarely find companies willing to refund the resume cost, let alone paying you an additional amount.
Our Top Pick
While any of our top three picks will provide you with a decent, error-free resume, if you want a job-winning, dynamic resume, we highly recommend that you opt for Resume Writing Group. Their team of full-time professional resume writers can provide you with any type of resume you might need, and their results speak for themselves.
