More Strategies to "Write Great Resumes Faster"

Have you ever stared at a piece of paper (or your computer screen) and wondered, "Now what?"

If so, you're not alone. In a "Write Great Resumes Faster" survey conducted by Resume Writers' Digest, 85 percent of the writers who were surveyed admitted to an occasional case of "writer's block," that paralyzing feeling when the words and phrases just won't come to you.

One factor in being most productive is finding the right timing that works for you. Nearly a third of survey respondents reported they do their best writing in the morning. Another 16 percent write best in the early, early morning.

Sometimes, life circumstances dictate when you can write. As one resume writer notes, "I write whenever my toddlers aren't around or are sleeping!"

Another says, "When I'm in the zone, I can work for hours. When I'm not, I tend to be more easily distracted."

Some days it's harder than others.

"There are good days to write and bad days to write -- creativity is that way," one survey respondent noted.

Another writer admits, "Sunlight helps a lot. Cloudy days are not great for me."

"Good lighting is important," another writer concurs. "I use full spectrum light or 'happy light.'"

Is Your Client an Idiot?

Are your clients idiots? Do you charge more than $500 for a resume? If your answer is yes, then the VirtualJobCoach thinks they're idiots for paying that much.


The sad thing is that the VirtualJobCoach blog (note: edited to remove link to site, since I don't think I should be rewarding them with traffic for their bad behavior) has some pretty good articles on it (Simon and Barry seem to be nice guys), and the product they offer for career coaches looks interesting (kind of like JibberJobber). But I don't understand why they need to cut other people down in order to promote themselves.


Here's a screen shot of the post (and again, I'm not giving the link to the actual site because I don't think they deserve the traffic, and it will only encourage them to do this more).

This is the comment I posted on their blog (as of this moment, still awaiting "moderation" before it will become a public comment):

Saw this come across Twitter today (although it appears to be a post from last year). I’m very disappointed in this post.

Why do you feel the need to disparage your resume writing colleagues who charge more than you do? Most of the resume writing profession is collegial … different writers have different specialties, and many resume writers I know provide value well in excess of the $500+ they charge. (Note that I personally don’t charge that much for a resume, but I don’t disparage those who do! I’ve seen their work, and it’s fabulous.)

To use your logic, why would anyone buy a $30,000 car, when they could buy one for $13,000? Both of them are going to get you where you’re going. But … aha!! The ride is going to be different.

That’s the case with working with career professionals. The end result is the same — to help the job seeker get a job. But our clients aren’t IDIOTS for paying someone $500 or $700 to write their resume. Just as someone isn’t an IDIOT for driving a BMW instead of a KIA.

As the editor of a trade newsletter for professional resume writers, it saddens me that some in the profession feel a need to put down their colleagues (and, consequently, their colleagues’ CLIENTS), by calling them an IDIOT for investing in their career.

For a team that is selling a product targeted to coaches (CoachesAid) — which many resume writers are also career coaches — I find it interesting that you would insult your potential customers in this way. I look forward to your response.

Bridget (Weide) Brooks, CPRW
Editor, Resume Writers’ Digest

------------------------------------------------------------------
I also learned that Dawn Bugni had addressed this same crew in her "One Bad Apple" post. Apparently, they liked the negative attention (and traffic) that they got from recycling another one of their resume writer-bashing posts (one from April 2009) and decided to do it again.

Interestingly enough, the headline of the Spring 2009 issue of Resume Writers' Digest is "Are You Charging Enough: 2008 Industry Survey Reveals Average Rates." The 2008 Resume Writers' Digest Industry Survey results revealed that the average resume sale is $300, but the most frequently reported responses ranged from $125 to $600. So while most resume writers don't charge $500, there are a lot that do ... and are all of their clients idiots? I don't think so.

In fact, Wendy Enelow wrote an article for the Summer 2009 issue of Resume Writers' Digest that, in part, addressed the "what do you charge?" issue. She wrote:

"I was stunned by the resume pricing numbers that Bridget shared from the survey ... absolutely stunned!!" She believes the prices are much too low.  She went on to write, "In my opinion, resume pricing should never be a fixed fee, but rather a range. For example, to say that all mid-professional resumes cost $400 is ridiculous. One client may have had two sales jobs and your writing job is quick and easy. The next mid-professional client has had six jobs (four of which he was fired from and worked for less than one year) and lots of other "issues." That writing job will take you twice as long to write, if not longer."

Your thoughts?

2008 Resume Writers' Digest Industry Survey Results

The 2008 Resume Writers' Digest Industry Survey revealed a shift in the resume writing industry, with veterans retiring and the length of time writers having been in the industry skewing shorter. In the 2008 survey, 13 percent of writers have been in the industry for more than 20 years; another 14 percent have been a resume writer for 16-20 years. Twenty-one percent have been writing for 11-15 years.

On the other end of the spectrum, a quarter of writers surveyed have been in the business fewer than five years. Another 25 percent have been writing resumes for 6-10 years.

Nearly half of the 176 resume writers who completed the survey are self-employed full-time. Another 25 percent are self-employed part-time.

Certification has lost a bit of its luster among resume writers. Forty-four percent of respondents reported they are certified as a resume writer; 7 percent are certified as career coaches. Another 23 percent are certified as both. Interestingly, however, more than a quarter of respondents are not certified at all.

Most resume sales -- nearly 70 percent -- include not just the resume but also a cover letter. References and other supporting documents are often part of the sale (12 percent).

Show Me the Money!
For those that reported an hourly rate, charges range from $10 to $400/hour. The most frequently reported hourly rate was $50; the average rate was $93.42.

The average resume sale is $300, but the most frequently reported responses ranged from $125 to $600.

The average hourly rate in the 2007 survey was nearly identical ($94/hour); however, the average resume sale in 2007 was reported to be $629. The difference may be attributed to economic factors or possibly the absence of some higher-charging resume writers from this year's survey.

January continues to be the busiest month of the year (26%), with September (18%) a close second.

For the complete survey results write-up, purchase the back issue of the Spring 2009 issue for $3.

Media Tips for Resume Writers

In November of last year, I partnered with a local PR expert (and former TV news reporter) to offer a "Media Training 101" session for mental health therapists. I've adapted some of her tips for my resume writing colleagues.



Tips to help you feel confident and comfortable during media interviews.

• Know what you're being interviewed for. Be sure to ask the reporter what the story is about and what information they want to get from you. Once you have this information...
• Craft your message. Be able to state it briefly and succinctly in one or two sentences. Some people find it valuable to write or type out the main point they want to get across during the interview.
• Stay on message. Sometimes the reporter gets sidetracked and the story changes dramatically. If you feel this happening, and you have a stake in getting a specific message out...
• Reel the interview back to its original focus. It's okay to say, "The point I want to make is..." or "I don't understand why that's important to this interview."
• Take charge. If the interviewer fails to address something you feel is important to the story, raise the issue yourself.

- Contact Margaret Bumann at (402) 618-6313 or e-mail margaret.bumann(at)cox.net for more information about upcoming media trainings or to schedule a media training workshop for your group, association, or organization.