Profile of an Average Resume Writer

I always create a profile of the “average” resume writer, based on the statistics from the Resume Writers’ Digest annual Industry Survey.

This year, instead of including the profile in the issue with the survey findings, I’m creating a multi-part profile of the “average” resume writer and posting it as a series on my blog.

She (resume writers as a whole are overwhelmingly female) is in her early-to-mid-50s and is a full-time business owner. She has been writing resumes for 11-12 years and currently works from a home office. She is certified as a resume writer and belongs to the Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches (PARW/CC). In the past, she also belonged to the Career Management Alliance (the “Alliance”), but her membership lapsed a few months ago and she hasn’t gotten around to renewing.

She spends 22 hours a week writing 4-5 new resumes and fulfilling other services for her clients, including updates, some career coaching – most of it for free – and a few resume distribution projects. She spends another 10 hours a week on administrative tasks (billing, recordkeeping, tax compliance), and marketing.

Her average resume packages is a resume and cover letter, for which she receives $275 to $325. That likely includes 30-60 minutes of “free” advice for the client on using the resume or providing instruction in the job search process — usually doled out in phone calls and emails after the resume draft has been delivered.

Her gross monthly revenue is between $4,000 and $5,000 — netting her around $38,000 after taxes annually.

Next Time: Average Resume Writer Profile: Existing Client Base