Yes, I Am A Resume Writer

Photo of me from 2001.

Twice last month I had the opportunity to talk to a couple of resume writing colleagues, and both of them asked, "Bridget, do you still write resumes?"

Of course! I started out as a resume writer, and I still write resumes. Not as many as I did a few years ago when I was a subcontract resume writer, but yes, I still write resumes, cover letters, bios, and even LinkedIn profiles.

I was reading an article in the February 2014 issue of Inc. about "origin stories" and thought I should share mine here, so you can understand where Resume Writers' Digest and BeAResumeWriter.com came from.

You probably already knew that I wrote my first resume at age 12, but you might not know that Jon and I started our business right out of college in the spring of 1996. In fact, I remember calling to arrange an appointment to see an office space while sitting in the hallway at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (my alma mater) between classes our senior year.

We started our business with the goal of serving SOHO clients -- Small Office, Home Office businesses. Soon, we'd change that to helping individuals and small businesses market themselves -- people with resumes, and businesses with newsletters and other print pieces.

In high school, I had taken second place in the "Job Interview" category at the Future Business Leaders of America State Leadership Conference. Students were asked to write a resume and cover letter for a job at "Merit Corporation" and then interview with businesspeople who volunteered as judges at the conference. My "genius moment" was when I decided to specify what Merit Corporation was. Usually, students created a very generic resume and cover letter to this "mystery" employer. I decided it would be more effective to identify the type of business Merit was through my cover letter and resume so that the employer could have a more realistic interview. After all, he or she was supposed to be representing Merit -- and yet, most interviews were extremely generic, because neither the student nor the interviewer had anything specific to talk about. (Somewhere around here I have the floppy disk with the resume and cover letter I wrote.) In examining my scores from the judges, I learned that what kept me from winning the category was my attire -- my first lesson in the importance of dressing for success. (I wore a black-and-gold skirt and jacket -- the judges were expecting blue or black only).

Anyway, my Yellow Pages ad was a client magnet, and I was writing a couple of resumes a week. But I was young (21) and knew there was a lot I didn't know. In 1998, I wanted to pick the brain of some of the industry's leaders -- people like Wendy Enelow and Louise Kursmark -- but I didn't think if I just asked them directly that they would talk to me. (I have since learned that people in our industry are some of the most generous you'll find anywhere!) But at the time, I thought, "Well, I could interview them for a publication, and then they'll talk to me!" (I had a few magazine articles published in national publications while I was in college while I had majored in journalism/public relations.) So I decided to start a trade newsletter, Resume Writers' Digest, to get answers to the questions I had as a resume writer. In time, it grew to several hundred subscribers, paying $60/year for six print issues.

In 2004, I got distracted by other things in my life and business, and decided to stop publishing the newsletter. I brought it back as an occasional online publication starting in 2007, because I was still writing resumes … and I still had questions!

Then, in 2011, I decided to start a membership site for resume writers to share the content I was creating for my own clients. I figured other resume writers could use the information with their clients too — so I license the content to subscribers to use with their clients. Instead of starting from scratch, resume writers can take the Pass-Along Materials and use them "as is" or customize them. Most of the ideas for the Pass-Along Materials come from my work with my clients.

So yep, I'm still writing resumes.

"I Showed The Resume You Wrote To My Friend and She Said..."

Ugh...there are few statements that elicit that feeling of dread for a resume writer than the one that starts with, "I showed the resume you wrote to my friend and she said..."

I received an email from a resume writing colleague today. She wondered what to say to a client who had circulated her resume to friends and family and received "mixed reviews."

Here was my response:

You tell your client, "I appreciate you showing your resume to others for their feedback. Everyone has an opinion about resumes, and sometimes the feedback can be useful and we can use it to improve your resume. I am happy to discuss any feedback you receive, including explaining the strategy behind why the information was presented the way that it is in your current resume. However, the ONLY opinion that matters when it comes to your resume is the hiring manager for the kind of job you're targeting. If you're submitting your resume for the kinds of jobs you and I targeted with this resume, and you're not getting interviews, then we need to chat. Otherwise, I'm confident that the document we've collaborated on is going to be effective in helping you reach your dream job."

If the client persists with wanting changes based on opinions from family and friends, you will agree to make changes — on two conditions:

1. This will be considered an "additional version" of the resume, and you will charge them your hourly rate to make any changes (payable in advance) AND
2. They will need to sign a hold-harmless statement that you are making the changes to their document against your professional judgment and that you will not stand behind that document like you would their original document (including any guarantees or warranties, either expressed or implied).

The most common reason for a jobseeker to ask others for feedback is fear and doubt. They are anxious about their job search and they are seeking reassurance from their friends and family members. Unfortunately, the people they are soliciting feedback from aren't the best judge of what they need in their job search. They may unintentionally sabotage the jobseeker because they want to "help."

Recognize that your client is operating from a place of uncertainty. Reassure them that they have made the right decision by engaging the services of an expert to help them in their job search — but that they need to trust your experience and expertise in order to be successful.

Clients Are Less Concerned About Price If They Get Value

Many resume writers tell me that their clients are price-sensitive. But they may not actually be price-sensitive … they may be value-sensitive.

Why can some resume writers charge $2,000 for a resume, when you have a hard time getting $350? The answer isn't necessarily in the skill of you as a resume writer, or the financial situation of the client.

More likely, the difference is the value that the client perceives from his or her investment.

What is the first question people often ask when they want to purchase something? "How much does it cost?" And, that's only after we've turned the object over and over looking for the price tag.

Price is simply a dollar amount assigned to an item or service. You may have even set your resume writing prices arbitrarily — lots of other people are basing their resume writing services on an hourly rate of $50/hour, and according to the 2011 Resume Writers' Digest Annual Industry survey, and nearly a third of resume writers charging $300-$499 for a resume, so (you think to yourself), I'm going to charge $350.

As a business owner, you want to stay competitive without alienating your resume clients. It's a matter of profit as well. If you come in too low, then you're leaving money on the table. (And, some clients may actually be turned off if you charge too little!)

While the concepts of price and value have gotten trapped together, they are not synonymous. Two resume prospects may initially seem very similar. Both are account executives in their mid-30s, making a salary of $45,000 a year. Their personal situations are similar — both married, with a young child at home. But when you quote a price of $600 for a resume to both of them, and one books, and the other one doesn't.

One values the impact that a professionally written resume can have on his ability to meet his career goals. Therefore, value must appeal to a prospect's needs.

Value refers to the significance that we apply to a good or service. It is tied into the perception of your business brand. Honda has built a reputation as a solidly made car. As such, people will invest more in one because it will keep their families safe and they can drive it for a long time. The decision, to buy, moves beyond mere price to what is perceived as the additional benefit that comes along with purchasing this kind of car. 

Translating Value
As you work to present your services to the prospective resume clients, consider how you will translate the value of your brand as well as the price. Time and time again, business owners who reach their customers on a more personal level with their marketing strategies are delivering value along with their price. If a customer feels that they will get value from your services (beyond the price they pay), they will buy — and continue to buy — from you.

So, how do you do that? Look at your services and ask yourself a few questions. What can you do for your clients that they can't do for themselves? In many instances, it's write an interview-winning resume. And the "interview-winning" part is the key. Lots of people can write a resume. Fewer of them can write one that engages the hiring manager or recruiter to call immediately.

What It Comes Down To
Is price or value more important? They are not the same, but communicating the value of your services to customers can keep them buying, even if the price is higher than the competition.

Loyalty may also run deeper when you build your brand on value rather than just price.

Coming Up With Content For Your Blog Isn't Hard With These Blog Post Ideas

Coming up with content for your blog can sometimes seem difficult, especially if you're not aware of all the different types of content you can create into a blog post. These 13 ideas can spark an idea for your next blog post the next time you're stuck!

1. "How To" Posts. Teaching jobseekers a tip or technique is a great type of post to create. If you're not sure where to start, always choose to start at the beginning. You can offer "how to" tips about resumes, LinkedIn, cover letters, interviewing, finding employers to contact, and more.

2. Lists Posts. Creating lists is a great way to create a useful blog post. A list can be anything from a resource list, to a list of do's and don'ts. Even a list of products that you like to use (using your affiliate links of course) is a great way to put content on your blog. Your readers will be interested in any relevant lists that you can create.

A list post can also position you as an expert. For example, you might identify the top Twitter resources in the niche you serve (be sure to include yourself!).

3. Long Blog Posts. Most blog posts that you create will usually be 500 words or so, but on occasion, it's good to write a really long post. A blog post that goes very in-depth and is about 1,500 words long is a great way to include hard-hitting, relevant content on your blog.

4. Tutorials. This is kind of like the "how to" post but it goes more into it by using photos and maybe even video to demonstrate how to do something within your niche. Make sure it's something your audience wants to learn to do. A great example would be a video about how to customize a cover letter.

5. Videos. All blog posts don't have to include text. You can create a two or three minute video blog instead of a text blog post. Include a text description, post it on YouTube, and embed it into your blog for more traffic possibilities via the YouTube audience. You can also use your videos in other places, like in your LinkedIn profile.

6. Images with Commentary. Infographics are a great way to provide interesting content for your blog. You can create images using stock photos or you can make them yourself using a quote in attractive text. It's a good idea to include some commentary because search engines do not pick up text that is on an image. Use both the "alt" tags as well as some text to describe the image. Another great idea is a "before-and-after" resume case study.

7. Short, Focused Posts. Create a very short post — 300 words or so — about one very focused issue or topic for jobseekers. If you have a short update, it's okay to put a short blog post on your website.

8. Blog Post Round-Ups. You can collect blog posts from other people who write about job search, or you can do a round-up of blogs that were on your site during a specific time period (such as "most viewed" posts this month) or important bits of information that you don't want your audience to miss. Be sure to only put a short blurb and a link to the blog posts that you did not write, because you don't want to steal someone else's work.

9. Product and Book Reviews. If you get paid or get a product free in exchange for doing a review, you must disclose it. But if you can, also purchase the products yourself and use affiliate links to earn some money for products you review and recommend. Reviewing books within the job search niche on Amazon is also a great way to get traffic to your blog, by the way.

10. Critiques and Commentary. Some of my most popular blog posts have been on controversial topics. Read something that you want to comment about online? You can give a short synopsis of the blog post, and then link to the actual blog post or article, and then you can comment on it on your blog. Be careful if your commentary is negative or critical, though, because people can get quite upset.

11. Surveys and Polls. Not sure what to write about? Make a survey or poll right on your blog to ask your readers what they'd like to read about. You can also ask their opinion about a topic in question. You can use a service like SurveyMonkey.com to create simple (free) to complicated (paid) surveys with statistics. (I personally use QuestionPro, but it's a paid service.)

12. Case Studies. This works especially well for resume writers. Collect stories about how clients succeeded taking your advice and post them on your website in a blog post. You can also conduct interviews using Skype or FreeConferenceCall.com and record it and post it as a podcast.

13. Q & A.You can answer questions sent to you via social media or email right on your blog. It's a great way to create a new blog post and help fill in your FAQ. (You'll see that a lot of my blog posts start as an answer to a question I've received from a resume writer.) If no one emails you yet, you can still find questions to answer about your niche by checking out Groups on LinkedIn and questions asked on social media.

Using these types of blog posts as ideas, you can have a never-ending stream of content for your blog.