More Analysis of the Resume Writing Industry

Yesterday, I wrote about my analysis of how many resume writing firms I believe are out there.

I thought I'd share some further data about how I think commercial list compilers are under-reporting the actual number of resume writers out there.

Another commercial list I found identified 809 resume writing firms. Take a look at the numbers reported from your state and see how that compares to your experience:

AK = 1

AL = 8

AK = 5

AZ = 20

CA = 75

CO = 14

CT = 19

DE = 3

FL = 50

GA = 18

IA = 10

ID = 2

IL = 43

IN = 12

KS = 9

KY = 9

LA = 6

MA = 25

MD = 26

ME = 5

MI = 19

MN = 25

MO = 24

MS = 6

MT = 2

NC = 25

ND = 1

NE  = 4

NH = 6

NJ = 32

NM = 1

NV = 4

NY = 62

OH = 39

OK = 5

OR = 8

PA = 48

RI = 4

SC = 6

SD = 1

TN = 12

TX = 52

UT = 2

VA = 27

UT = 1

WA = 15

WI = 14

WV = 2

WY = 2

In my case, I live in Nebraska. Although I wasn't able to see WHICH four firms were listed, I was able to analyze them by city/county, and none of them were listed for Omaha, which is the largest city in the state.

Just looking in one of my local phone books (Dex Yellow Pages), I identified five firms (in addition to my own). One of these is a recruiting firm with a resume writer on staff; the others are sole proprietorships. Interestingly, one of my oldest firms in the city isn't currently listed, so that's at least one more writer that isn't being counted.

Analyzing The Professional Resume Writing Industry

I received an e-mail today from a professional resume writer who was wondering if I knew how many professional resume writers there are out there. Because we conduct an annual Industry Survey, I think I've got a pretty good handle on this. I'll share the results that I gave to her.

My research shows that there are approximately 4,000 to 6,000 resume writers in the U.S. But some of those are career counselors who write resumes only occasionally (or who "consult" on resume writing, but don't write them themselves). Some of those are secretarial and typing services that "do" resumes, but don't necessarily focus on the craft of writing as heavily.

Many people trying to get a handle on the industry just look at the number of resume writers who are listed under "Resume Writing" in the Yellow Pages (SIC Code 73380101 = "Resume Writing Service"), but this is under-reported, according to my analysis. 

Current SIC Code counts are between 800-1300 resume firms -- but my own database shows more bona-fide resume writers than this. (My database is compiled from these Yellow Pages listings plus the major professional associations, plus "self-reporting" resume writers -- that is, they don't belong to associations and don't list themselves in the Yellow Pages, but still write resumes. Some of these might be those secretarial and typing services that also offer resume writing -- or even career coaches/life coaches/therapists who write resumes but don't advertise that service publicly. Others are "newbies" who haven't yet launched their businesses and therefore don't advertise.)

Also, there is no measurement  of what a "bona-fide" resume writer actually is. Do they write 1 resume a week, or 10? Are only certified resume writers counted (not the way I count them!). Do they have to actually WRITE resumes, or can they provide feedback to clients to help them write their own documents (I count both).

One analysis of a commercial mailing list targeting Resume Writing Services found 1012 listings.

1-4 employees -- 777 businesses

5-9 employees -- 141 businesses

10+ employees -- 94 businesses

I didn't find their sales data to be believable, so I won't share that information.

Businesses that are a single entity -- 921 (91%)

Businesses that are a headquarters for multiple branches -- 64

Years in business:

Under 1 Year - 10

1 Year -- 23

2 Years -- 25

3-5 Years -- 231

6-10 Years -- 200

10+ Years -- 523

Because this list was likely compiled from Yellow Pages listings, keep in mind that not all bona-fide resume writers in an area advertise in the Yellow Pages -- and that more established businesses are more likely to advertise than new resume writers.

State-Specific Labor Market Analysis

Thanks to Jill Walser of "I Got the Job" in Bellevue, Washington, for pointing out state-specific resources providing labor market and economic analysis.

Jill's blog post on Workforce Explorer (see 2/12/08 post), the state of Washington's site for detailed local economic information, got me thinking about whether other states have similar resources.

The answer is: Yes!

A Google search for "labor market and economic analysis" and "Nebraska" returned the Nebraska Department of Workforce Development's site, which provides "Labor Market Information," including a state-specific unemployment rate analysis, and Nebraska's "Explorer" site.

It offers a site called "NSTARS" -- Nebraska Statistical Tracking and Resource System -- with additional resources. On that site, I found state-specific occupation data, including this information:

Compensation Summary

Total all occupations working in Nebraska Statewide can expect to earn a median cash salary of $27,180 or $13.05 per hour. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more.

Half of the people in this job earn between $19,205 ($9.25 per hour) and $41,525 ($19.95 per hour)(i.e., between the 25th and 75th percentiles). An entry level worker can expect to earn $16,910 ($8.15 per hour) while an experienced worker can expect to earn $42,355 ($20.35 per hour).

This is the kind of information you can use in a news release, marketing materials, and client educational communications. See if your state has something similar!!