Industry Survey 2004

As I collect the results of the 2007 Industry Survey, I've been sharing results from previous years' surveys. Here's an excerpt of the article announcing the results of the 2004 Industry Survey:

Being a professional resume writer isn't getting any easier.

Thanks to the Internet, individuals seeking the services of a resume writer now have thousands of choices instead of a dozen or fewer firms found in the local Yellow Pages.

Self-employed resume writers find increased challenge -- or opportunity -- in the leveling of the marketplace. Some establish very specific niches and are able to attract a following from a highly targeted audience. Others compete on price, offering the "low overhead" of country living as an alternative to their more urban counterparts.

Many issues identified in the survey are constant from year to year -- the difficult "mechanics of formatting attention-getting resumes," isolation and the challenge of educating clients on job search strategy or resume pricing. Marketing -- getting clients -- remains a top priority, as the balance between writing and marketing shifts more towards the administrative, and away from the creative.

Is it enough to make the resume writer hang up her pen? Or will she find a way to win over those new clients?

According to the survey, the "average" writer produces four resumes per week, at an average cost of $250. That's $4,000 per month in revenue -- before accounting for marketing expenses, taxes, equipment and supplies, phone and Internet connections, or personal benefits. Even when that income is supplemented with updates and other services (career coaching, career testing, desktop publishing, etc.), the typical resume writer, after taxes, probably nets around $30,000.

They're more connected to colleagues online, but less connected to clients in person. Seventy-five percent of resume writers in our survey work from home. While a large number of them see clients in person at least some of the time (83%), the number of resume writers who report they only work with clients by phone, fax, and/or Internet has increased to 21%. (It was 14% in 2003, and 15% in 2004.)

Without the in-person appointments, virtual resume writers must work harder to connect -- with each other, with their community, and with clients (both actual and potential).

The average resume writer:
So who is the typical resume writer, and what can we learn about the resume writing industry from this survey?

She (respondents are overwhelmingly female) is in her late 40s or early 50s and is self-employed full-time. She has been writing resumes, on average, for 12 years. She works from home and sees clients in person or works with them virtually (by phone, fax, or Internet).

More likely than not, she's certified as a resume writer, but also offers job search coaching (but is not certified as a coach). She writes approximately 17 hours per week (including client consultations, research, and writing), and is a member of two or more professional organizations for resume writing.

-- Source: January/February 2005 Resume Writers' Digest newsletter

Want to compare these results to previous years? See the 2003 survey results and 2001 and 2002 survey results.

Resume Writers Digest 2007 Industry Survey

We have launched an online survey to collect data for the 2007 Resume Writers' Digest 2007 Industry survey. If you are not subscribed to the Resume Writers' Digest newsletter and would like to participate in the survey, please e-mail me at RWDigest@aol.com and I will send you the link.

Here are some results from our previous industry surveys:

2001 Industry Survey
An analysis of the industry in 2001 shows there are approximately 900 to 1300 professional resume writers, with up to 6,000 firms nationwide offering resume writing services (this includes companies such as Kinkos and Copymax, which offer mostly resume typesetting).

The average survey respondent is a self-employed sole proprietor who works full-time (35-50 hours per week) from a home office. She (the respondents were overwhelmingly female) has been in business for nearly nine years. Her top challenges are sales and marketing issues, working with difficult clients, managing her time effectively, handling the "craft" of resume writing, and, of course, wearing the many hats required of r small business owner.

Although there is a perception that resume writing is becoming "less local," just 13 percent of resume writers say they do business only by phone fax, and Internet. That's a lot of resume writers still meeting with clients in person.

There is a good mix of newbies and veterans. The length of time an individual has been a resume writer averages out to 8.9 years, although responses ranged from 8 months to 22 years.

Key statistic:
– Home-Based Writers - 72.9%
– Office-Based Writers - 27.1%

– Source: November/December 2001 Resume Writers' Digest

2002 Industry Survey
Who is the typical professional resume writer? According to the survey? She (the majority of survey respondents -- and members of the professional resume writing industry in general -- are female), is a self-employed individual who has been writing resumes for 10 years, on average. Most work from a home office (67%), while another 6.5% have both a home and business office-based practice. She averages 21 hours of resume writing per week (including client consultation, research and writing).

"Virtual" providers remain a rarity in the industry, with only 15 percent of respondents saying they work with clients exclusively by phone or Internet (a small increase from our 2001 survey results). Eighty-five percent of resume writers surveyed say they still work with at least some clients in person. Fifty-four percent of those who responded said they have achieved this credential.

One significant item to note this year is that we have upped our estimates on the number of professional resume writers. While some sources list up to 6,000 resume writing "firms," these numbers include copy shops which provide resume typesetting services. We believe a closer estimate is that there are between 3,500 and 4,400 resume writers in the United States.

What to charge clients is often a hot topic of debate among resume writers. The survey provides some interesting answers. The "average" resume sale among respondents was calculated to be $245.

Key Statistics:
Certified as a Resume Writer:
Yes – 54%
No – 46%

Type of Resume Writer:
Part-Time Self-Employed 31%
Full-Time Self-Employed – 56%

Source: January/February 2003 Resume Writers' Digest

I'll report on the 2003 and 2004 industry survey results in a future post.

Profile of Resume Writers - 2001-2002

For several years, I conducted an industry survey through Resume Writers' Digest. I thought you might be interested in seeing the profile of the industry back in 2001/2002.

Here are some of the survey trends I revealed in the November/December 2001 issue:

• 75% of the resume writers surveyed are self-employed
• The average resume sale ranges from $40 to nearly $6,000, with most falling in the $150 to $400 range.
• There are approximately 900 to 1300 professional resume writers, with up to 6,000 firms nationwide offering resume writing services (including companies such as Kinkos and Copymax, which offer mostly resume typesetting). [I had about 2,400 of these firms in my database at that time; as of 8/2007, I have more than 3,600.]
• The average survey respondent is a self-employed sole proprietor who works full-time (35 to 50 hours per week) from a home office. She (the respondents were overwhelmingly female), has been in business for nearly nine years.

• The top challenges faced by resume writers (according to the survey):

• Sales and Marketing Issues
• Client Management (working with difficult clients, educating clients on job search strategy, putting up with impatient clients, handling no-shows, collecting on outstanding balances)
• Managing time effectively
• Handling the "craft" of resume writing (research, creativity, proofreading, formatting issues)
• "Wearing the many hats required of a small business owner" (bookkeeping, accounting, tax compliance, etc.)

• January is generally the busiest month
• December is the least busy.
• Most survey respondents offer at least one other service --- most often career coaching (66 percent) or desktop publishing or secretarial services of some sort.

Sound like you?