Resume Writers Recession Survey Results

Last month, I was invited by the Career Management Alliance and National Resume Writers' Association to participate in a joint effort to survey resume writers about how their businesses were faring in the current recession. (Thanks to Don Goodman, of About Jobs, for suggesting the survey idea and initial questions.)

We finalized the questions and put the survey out there. We received 191 responses between Aug. 3-16. Katharine Hansen, Ph.D., Research Master for the Career Management Alliance, compiled the results and prepared a report, which was released today. (If you have signed up for a free subscription to Resume Writers' Digest and confirmed your subscription to the double-opt-in list, you received an e-mail from me this morning with the 8-page report.)

Here are some highlights:

• Compared to a year ago, more respondents (48.4 percent) are doing better now than are faring worse (39 percent).
• Twelve percent of respondents say they are doing the same as last year.
• Six percent of those surveyed said their revenues were up 61 percent or more over last year; 3.2 percent said their revenues were down 60 percent or more. Twenty-eight percent said their revenues were up 1-20%. Twenty percent said their revenues were down up to 20 percent.
• The top source of business is referrals (47.5 percent), followed by their personal website (25.6 percent), Yellow Pages ads (14.9 percent), and subcontracting (14.4 percent).
  

Speaking of subcontracting, it can be an excellent source of business (especially during slow times). Resume Writers' Digest offers a special report for resume writers looking to affiliate with firms that hire subcontract writers.

If you would like to receive a copy of the results, sign up for your free subscription to Resume Writers' Digest and then e-mail me at editor(at)RWDigest.com with the subject line "Recession Survey Results" and I'll send it to you.

What the "Sharks" Can Teach You About Business

My husband Jon and I have been enjoying watching the new television show, "Shark Tank." (It's on Sunday nights on ABC). The show offers some lessons for entrepreneurs who are looking for investors for their businesses. Now I realize that there are only a handful of resume writers who would need a large capital infusion to start-up (or expand) their business, as this industry is fairly light on cash requirements, but the show makes some interesting points nonetheless from the case studies of folks pitching their business ideas to the five investors, Barbara Corcoran, Daymond John, Kevin Harrington, Robert Herjavec, and Kevin O'Leary. (Many of these principles are also applicable to our job seeking clients.)

• Stand for something. Even the investors who don't have a fleshed-out working prototype can win over "The Sharks" with enthusiasm, a personality, and a "brand" concept. In fact, several of "The Sharks" have invested in unproven concepts because they liked the person pitching the products, and they believed in THEM. Resume writers need to have a "niche" or a "hook" so people can remember them. (Deb Dib, the CEO Coach; Cindy Kraft, the CFO Coach). We've also all known job seekers that talked their way into a job, even though they didn't have the qualifications the employer said they were seeking. Attitude goes a long way!
  

• Don't overvalue what you have to offer. Having unrealistic expectations for what their business is worth is a dream-killer for many of the folks pitching their products. Many pitchmen come in front of "The Sharks" with small revenue and profit realizations -- yet they want to value their companies in the tens of millions of dollars because of the "potential." Your worth is based on what you have to offer today -- not five years from now. I've worked with a number of young college graduates. Some of them are worth every dollar they are asking for in a first salary; most are not. You have to prove yourself before you'll get the big investment.
  

• Be willing to say, "I'm out." The catchphrase for the show is when each of "The Sharks" decides to invest ... or not. If they decide not to invest in the pitch, they say, "I'm out." Know when to walk away from things. For example, I've recently been talking with resume writers who are trying to work out strategic alliances with recruiting firms (the subject of a new Special Report I'm working on). Some of them are so thrilled to be approached -- and star-struck by the offerings of dozens of new clients per week that the recruiters think they'll be sending their way -- that they don't realize that the deal doesn't favor them. Remember, "It's not personal, it's business." Be willing to walk away.

It's a good show. You should watch it!

Cost of Unemployment

Lately, in the promotion of my Get Hired Now! program, I've been sharing the "cost of unemployment" with prospective clients in an effort to educate them about the real "price" of not investing in their job search, if doing things on their own hasn't worked.

The Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches had an article in their July 2009 issue that also quantified this. Worth a read!

(Thanks to Jacqui Poindexter for the excerpt and Dawn Bugni for the original tweet that drew my attention!)

Alternative Payment Options

I've been thinking about this topic for quite some time -- and I'm going to have to do some research into the subject.

I wonder if any resume writers charge like the recruiters do -- a percentage of their client's future income. Only, instead of the recruiting firm receiving payment from the employer (usually 30-35% of the candidate's first year salary), the resume writer would be paid by the client.

Debra Feldman wrote about Executive Job Agents in Resume Writers' Digest, so I know there are some innovative resume writers out there ... I'm just wondering if any writers would be willing to share their insight into this strategy.

I was thinking maybe 1-5% of a client's salary, paid over the course of several months (or maybe even a year). It wouldn't have to be limited to executive clients -- I've thought of offering out-of-work professionals this kind of arrangement ... no money up front; pay only upon getting the new job. Maybe a sliding scale depending on the work found -- 2.5% of first year salary if they're making the same or less as before; 5% if they're making more (even if it's $100 more).

Thoughts, ideas? E-mail me.