Results of Subcontracting Survey: Show Me the Money!

One of the most frequently asked questions I get from resume writers who are considering subcontracting for other firms is: How much does it pay?

The second Subcontracting Survey was completed by 33 respondents. Ninety percent of those currently work as subcontract writers, either for an individual or a firm.

Results are pretty evenly split between writers who only work for one individual/firm and those who write for multiple individuals and firms.

The average pay for a subcontract project is below rates that individual resume writers could earn on a project they marketed and managed themselves, but that’s part of the trade-off. In exchange for having someone else handle more of the client management tasks, contract writers can focus on content development.

Average pay per project:

$50 or less -- 0%

$51-$100 -- 27%

$101-$150 -- 18%

$151-$200 --  33%

$201-$250 -- 6.5%

$251-$300 -- 9%

$301-$400 -- 6.5%

$401-$500+ -- 0%

Most resume writers are paid a flat fee per completed project (82 percent of those responding), versus a percentage of the client fee. None of the writers who responded are paid by the hour, although these arrangements do exist. For those who are paid a percentage of the project, the usual portion for the resume writer is 21-35% of the project fee.

You can read the full survey results in the "Making Money as a Resume Subcontractor" Special Report, published by Resume Writers' Digest. The cost is just $20 for the 40+ page report. (It also includes qualifications required for contractors and listings for a couple dozen firms seeking subcontractors, including type of work performed/specialties, turnaround times, and -- in many cases, what they pay.)










You can also read the complete results of the 2008 Resume Writers' Digest Subcontracting Survey in our three-post series from September 2009.

New 10 Questions Survey

One of the things we ask of subscribers to the free Resume Writers Digest newsletter is that they participate in our periodic surveys. Previous surveys have focused on subcontracting, "Write Great Resumes Faster," conference attendance, and our annual "Industry Survey."

Our latest request for your participation -- a question for resume writers OR career coaches -- is: "What question(s) do you ask your clients?" I'm trying to identify 10 "key" questions.

Can you help? Take a minute to fill out the survey -- or e-mail me your questions/questionnaire at rwdigest@aol.com.

The results of the survey will be the basis for an article in the next issue of Resume Writers' Digest.

The responses I've gotten so far are FABULOUS! Keep them coming!

Some Jobs Still Hard to Fill, Survey Finds

There are still jobs that are hard to fill, even in a difficult economy. That's the findings of The 2008 Employment Dynamics and Growth Expectations (EDGE) Report produced by Robert Half International and CareerBuilder.com.

Other findings:

• More than half of employers said it is challenging to find skilled professionals; Gen Y workers are the most difficult to recruit.
• Sixty-three percent of workers are more likely to try to negotiate a better compensation package today than last year (up from 58% last year).
• Nearly two-thirds of hiring managers said their companies are willing to negotiate higher pay for qualified job applicants.
• About 8 out of 10 employees are satisfied with their current work situation. Yet, more than 3 out of 10 said they will likely leave their jobs in the next 2 years.
• More than half of workers surveyed said it is challenging to find a job today.
• A lack of qualified workers and the higher cost of gas/commuting were among the top factors impacting companies' ability to recruit skilled labor.
• Many employers are likely to offer reduced work schedules, "bridge" jobs, and consulting arrangements as an alternative to retirement.
• The time to fill open positions ranges from 4 to 14 weeks, with senor-level roles demanding the most time.
  

The shortage of qualified workers has grown more acute, according to the survey, with 59% of hiring managers citing it as their primary recruiting challenge. When they do find qualified professionals, firms appear anxious to win them over. Nearly two-thirds (65%) of hiring managers said they are willing to negotiate compensation for top candidates.

The Employment Dynamics and Growth Expectations (EDGE) Report is an annual survey on employment and compensation trends by Robert Half International and CareerBuilder.com. The survey includes responses from more than 500 hiring managers and 500 workers, and was conducted from May 7 to June 1, 2008 by International Communications Research in Media, Penn. It was designed to compare the perspectives of hiring managers and workers on the state of the current employment market.

Latest Survey: What You Want

Yesterday, I sent out a survey to my readers asking them what kind of topics they're interested in learning more about in Resume Writers' Digest special reports, blog topics, and newsletter articles. I've already received more than 30 responses, and appreciate all of you taking the time to respond to the survey!

The sale of our special reports, books, and other products -- as well as paid advertisements in the newsletter -- supports this blog as well as the free bimonthly newsletter (published as an Adobe Acrobat PDF), so if I know what kind of information you're interested in purchasing, I can give you what you want!

If you are currently subscribed to Resume Writers Digest, please be sure to check your e-mail for my e-mail and take the survey! If you are not currently a subscriber, you can use the form in the top right-hand corner of this blog to subscribe for free. E-mail me if you have any questions.

Survey: Heavy Workloads Affecting Financial Folks

Accounting and finance professionals are feeling the pressure of heavy workloads, according to a new Accountemps survey. Thirty-five percent of chief financial officers (CFOs) interviewed said heavy workloads are the number-one workplace concern for their financial teams. Coming in second was job security, with 19%.

The survey was developed by Accountemps, the world's first and largest specialized staffing service for temporary accounting, finance, and bookkeeping professionals, and conducted by an independent research firm. It was based on telephone interviews with more than 1400 CFOs across the United States.

Executives were asked: Which one of the following do you think is the greatest source of work-related concerns for finance and accounting professionals?

Their responses:

• Heavy workloads - 35%
• Job security - 19%
• Corporate governance mandates/compliance issues - 17%
• Personnel issues (coworker conflicts, office politics) - 14%
• Work/life balance issues - 11%
• None of these - 2%
• Other/Don't Know - 2%

"The combination of compliance mandates, traditional projects and shifting priorities has challenged accounting and finance professionals to keep up with their growing workloads," said Max Messmer, chairman and CEO of Robert Half International and author of "Human Resources Kit for Dummies: Second Edition." "The problem is further compounded by a shortage of highly skilled candidates in many specialties."

Article on Justifying Conference Attendance

I came across this article today on "How to Justify Conference Attendance" and it caught my attention because of the survey I'm conducting on professional conference attendance among resume writers. (Remember, if you want the link to take the survey, e-mail me at RWDigest@aol.com -- and be sure to sign up for the Resume Writers' Digest mailing list using the form in the upper-right hand corner of the blog.)

Of particular use is the worksheet to estimate costs to attend -- and then some suggestions for improving ROI.

Survey Shows Tuesdays are "Most Productive"

Want to get something done? Wait until Tuesday.

According to an Accountemps survey, more than half (57 percent) of executives polled said employees are generally most productive on Tuesday, up 9 points from a similar survey conducted five years ago.

Monday was the second most popular answer, although only 12 percent ranked it as their top day in terms of productivity.

The national poll included responses from 150 senior executives from the nation's 1,000 largest companies.

"In addition to serving as a 'catch-up' day after the weekend, Monday is when many regularly scheduled meetings occur, which can decrease the time available to complete tasks," said Max Messmer, chairman of Accountemps and author of Managing Your Career for Dummies. "Many view Tuesday as an opportunity to focus their efforts and establish momentum for the rest of the week."