Average Resume Writer Profile: Existing Client Base

Having been in business for a number of years, our “average” resume writer has worked with thousands of clients – yet she doesn’t have a formal strategy for client retention and reactivation. Heck, she doesn’t even have an updated database of clients. She’d like to create a program to tap into those clients – like a $8/month continuity service that provides an annual update, an online archive of the client’s documents, access to job search information, and a discount on related services (like background checks, salary reports, and resume distribution services)… but it’s not something she wants to develop or administer.

She’d also like some marketing support. One of the biggest challenges of working by yourself is balancing the workload. She’d like to send out a quarterly newsletter or postcard, but what if she got 30-40 returning clients all at once? She’d be swamped. Plus, updates don’t pay as well as new projects – even if you charge by the hour. So it feels better to just keep focusing on getting new clients.

Next Time: Average Resume Writer Profile: Marketing/Advertising/Public Relations

Profile of an Average Resume Writer

I always create a profile of the “average” resume writer, based on the statistics from the Resume Writers’ Digest annual Industry Survey.

This year, instead of including the profile in the issue with the survey findings, I’m creating a multi-part profile of the “average” resume writer and posting it as a series on my blog.

She (resume writers as a whole are overwhelmingly female) is in her early-to-mid-50s and is a full-time business owner. She has been writing resumes for 11-12 years and currently works from a home office. She is certified as a resume writer and belongs to the Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches (PARW/CC). In the past, she also belonged to the Career Management Alliance (the “Alliance”), but her membership lapsed a few months ago and she hasn’t gotten around to renewing.

She spends 22 hours a week writing 4-5 new resumes and fulfilling other services for her clients, including updates, some career coaching – most of it for free – and a few resume distribution projects. She spends another 10 hours a week on administrative tasks (billing, recordkeeping, tax compliance), and marketing.

Her average resume packages is a resume and cover letter, for which she receives $275 to $325. That likely includes 30-60 minutes of “free” advice for the client on using the resume or providing instruction in the job search process — usually doled out in phone calls and emails after the resume draft has been delivered.

Her gross monthly revenue is between $4,000 and $5,000 — netting her around $38,000 after taxes annually.

Next Time: Average Resume Writer Profile: Existing Client Base

NRWA Elects New Board

The National Resume Writer's Association has elected its 2008 Board of Directors.

President: Robyn Feldberg
First Vice President: Bonnie Kurka
Second Vice President: Kevin Morris
Treasurer: Donna Turner
Secretary: Tessa Weeks
Certification Chair: Abby Locke
Ethics Chair: Shauna Bryce

Region 1 Representative: Kimberly Schneiderman
Region 2 Representative: Eleanor Farmer
Region 3 Representative: Claudine Vainrub
Region 4 Representative: Josh Fields
Region 5 Representative: Lori Norris
Region 6 Representative: Melissa Bermea

Mentors

The importance of a mentor in starting and growing your business cannot be underestimated.

Tonight, I said good-bye to one of mine. My Uncle Arch (Don Begley) died tonight at the age of 75. He was a friend, a client, and a mentor. When my now-husband and I decided to start our business in 1996 (when I was just 22), Uncle Arch was a great source of encouragement and ideas. He also invited me to join his Friday-morning tips group, introducing me to a network of business contacts. Although I eventually had to give the group up (Friday mornings at 7 a.m. were too much for this night owl), will never forget him taking me under his wing.

My thoughts are with his wife of fifty years (my Aunt Rosalie) and his five children (David, Steve, Chris, Barb, and Becky) and their families.