Why Create a Membership Program in Your Resume Business?

A membership site — or a membership program — is an extremely valuable tool for resume writers and career coaches. It is a great way to create customer loyalty and establish a reliable revenue stream that will help your business grow. 

But the value of a membership program is often times misunderstood. The true value of membership program is not the additional sales. It's not even the cash (although that's nice!). The true value of membership programs is all about the customer. The value of the program is all about gaining new clients and hanging on to the ones you already have. 

A successful membership program requires an investment from you. An investment of your time, your money and of your expertise.

Here are some guidelines to follow for a successful membership program:

• Membership programs are the art of acquisition and retention.
• Membership programs can and will increase your revenue stream.
• Membership programs inherently builds loyalty through mutually beneficial customer relationships.
• Keep your prices reasonable and allow room to upsell. (I recommend Kelly McCausey's "Little Monthly Payments" program — but, as Kelly says, you won't get rich on a LMP, so it's important to use your membership strategically.)
• Apply the multi-level membership model to your program to entice more customers to become members.
• Nothing adds value like offering value. 
• Visibility is key.

You will also need to keep in mind some common business practices to ensure your success:

• Communication. Communication is absolutely critical to the success of your membership program. You must communicate with your members to let them know you are committed. You also want to serve as a constant reminder that your business is of value to them. They have to be made to feel as though they need you, because ultimately, you need them.

• Innovation. Whether its possible or not, you must always be certain to stay abreast of new and exciting products and offerings in the careers industry. Keep informed about what is going on in the world of job search and help your members take advantage of these new trends.

• Dedication. No matter what element of your business, be it your resume writing services, career coaching, your list or your membership site, the level of your success will be directly related to the level of your dedication. The more dedicated you are to your business and your clients, the more success you will see. 

These themes are not "new" but remain absolutely critical to the success of any resume writing business. Why? Because without communication, your clients wouldn't know who you are or what you have to offer. Without innovation, your resume writing business can never move forward. And without dedication, you will not succeed.

All of the important principles you have applied to make your business successful still apply. Your membership site and program should simply serve as an extension of your efforts.

However, what happens when their membership expires? How do you keep your clients coming back for more? The key to customer renewal is value!

You must entice with value, deliver value, and entice with value again.

For example, when initially trying to entice a client to become a member, you may offer a free special report or benefit as a perk to signing up for your program. People love free stuff! Don't you?

Once you have made this promise, you then must deliver on it. In other words, make sure you provide them with that product as soon as possible so they know you can be trusted. And reinforce your value by enticing members with value again. One of the ideas I've had for a membership site is to make resume updates profitable by tying them to a membership program. For example, if an existing client becomes a member of my membership site at $10/month, after one year, they receive a resume update certificate. Getting them to update their resume every year is a good idea anyway, and this way, you're receiving ongoing revenue from the client in the meantime too … while also staying in touch with them regularly so you can market affiliate products and services to them too!

Incentives are absolutely critical to gaining clients and renewing memberships. The incentives you offer should add a high perceived value to your clients without costing you much if any resources at all. You may want to offer a set discount for membership renewal, exclusive free bonus materials for returning members only, or both! Just be careful not to give away everything for free. You must be strategic when offering incentives.

There are many reasons membership programs are valuable. But clients are at the heart and soul of what makes this so true. Without members, there is no revenue stream. And without a revenue stream, your membership site has no value. Therfore, the true value of membership marketing is the customer.

If you apply these basic marketing principles to all that you do, coupled with the knowledge of how to provide value to the job seekers you serve, and a well-devised membership campaign, and you will achieve success.

Now, get out there and make it happen!

Pricing and Payments: Packages vs. A la Carte

Here's another one from the Resume Writers' Digest mailbag!

Question from Alison:
I just recently listened to your presentation on Ask Better Questions and found it to be most informative — especially to a newbie such as myself just starting the process of develpment of my resume business.  

I would like your feedback on just how you went about structuring your fee schedule.  

What do clients seem to be drawn to: a fee set for each step of the process or an all inclusive package and most importantly which form provides you the best revenue source?

And finally, in what methods do you accept payment? And at what point during the crafting process is payment expected?

Here's my response!

Hi, Alison!

All great questions!

I collect a lot of data from colleagues to get a "big picture" about the industry, and I'll direct you to some of those resources on my blog that address your specific questions:

http://rwdigest.blogspot.com/2013/11/how-to-decide-what-to-charge-resume.html

http://rwdigest.blogspot.com/2014/07/how-much-do-resume-writers-charge.html

http://rwdigest.blogspot.com/2007/09/show-me-money.html

http://rwdigest.blogspot.com/2013/08/ask-bridget-should-i-charge-less-if-i.html

http://rwdigest.blogspot.com/2014/02/clients-are-less-concerned-about-price.html

http://rwdigest.blogspot.com/2009/08/timeless-advice-for-handling-price.html

http://rwdigest.blogspot.com/2007/09/45-resume.html

I had a link to this worksheet for Determining Your Resume Writing Rates in one of the blog posts, but I wanted to draw your attention to it specifically:

http://www.rwdigest.com/DeterminingYourRatesWorksheet.pdf

If you want to see the survey data and get a profile of an "average" resume writer (including pricing info), sign up here:

Get Your Free Report: Profile of Professional Resume Writers: Who We Are, What We Charge, How We Work

As for me, here's how I handle pricing:

I ask the client a series of initial questions — including whether they're updating an existing resume or starting from scratch, how long ago their existing resume was updated (if applicable), what their job target is, how soon they need the resume, how they plan to use the resume, etc. I also ask for their email address and tell them I'll send them information about my services, samples (sometimes!), and a custom quote.

Based on the information they gave me, I quote them an individual project price (usually as a range — i.e., $349-$399, plus Omaha/Nebraska sales tax if it's a local client) for a resume and cover letter. I also look at their LinkedIn profile (if they have one) and provide an additional quote for LinkedIn profile development (which includes my 8-day "Leveraging LinkedIn For Your Job Search" program). 

I base my pricing on a $55/hour rate, but I don't include that information in the quote — instead, I might calculate that I'll spend 1.5 hours on information gathering, 4 hours on writing/draft development, and 1 hour on project finalization. That would be 6.5 hours @ $55/hour or $357.50. So my $349-$399 quote covers me if it takes as long as I expect ... and a little bit of wiggle room if it takes longer.

Because I've been in business writing resumes for almost 20 years, I have a pretty good idea of how long it will take me to write that client's resume, based on the existing information I have from them, what I think I'll need, what they already have (existing resume vs. starting from scratch) and their job target.

I collect a $100 deposit up front (via check or PayPal) and the balance is due when I deliver the resume draft. Some resume writers do a deposit like I do, some collect 50% up front, and some collect full payment up front. I like the $100 deposit approach because it covers my time to put together their custom questionnaire, but if they don't get back to me with the completed questionnaire for a while (or at all!), I'm not having to worry about me owing them services. (In Nebraska at least, services that are paid for but not rendered are technically considered to be "unclaimed property" and should be turned over to the state after a certain period of time.) I send the questionnaire via email when I receive the deposit (I don't wait for the check to clear the bank before sending the questionnaire).

You can certainly offer a la carte options (i.e., resume for this price; resume and cover letter for this price) but I find that the package approach is attractive to the customers I work with. They get a resume, cover letter, reference page, and letterhead template for one price. As I said, LinkedIn profile development (headline + summary usually) for an extra fee. 

The most important thing is for YOU to decide what YOU want to do and then take ownership of it. It doesn't matter what "every other resume writer" is doing, or even what other resume writers charge. There have been a couple of folks who have jumped right into the resume writing industry and started charging $1000 for a resume and cover letter within their first year. It's your business... it's up to you!

Hope that helps!

Bridget

PS -- Be sure to sign up for at least a Free Level membership on BeAResumeWriter.com so I can share additional resources/ideas with you. I also offer a Bronze membership for $10/month with LOTS of great benefits (special reports to help you be more effective in your work and in your work with clients, ready-to-go content you can use with your clients, access to recordings/transcripts of previous teleseminars I've done, etc.). Sign up for either here: http://www.bearesumewriter.com/join

Best Resumes For $100,000+ Jobs (Book Review)

What is it with our clients and $100,000+ jobs? I ask my almost-senior-level clients how much they want to be making, and inevitably, it's $100K.

Wendy Enelow says the magical figure is "a goal to strive for if you're not already there. Bottom-line, everyone wants to make $100,000 a year. If you're already there, then you want to work with someone who specializes in working with $100,000 folks."

Well, if you don't already know what a $100,000 resume looks like (or even if you've already created a few of them yourself!), Enelow's latest edition of "Best Resumes for $100,000+ Jobs" might still provide some food for thought. (Originally published in 1997, this version -- 2001 -- includes all new text and all new resumes.)

The reason most resume writers will purchase the book, Enelow notes, is "it's a great cheat book — (it) gives you lots of ideas for wording, formatting, style, presentation, etc."

One of the particular strengths of the book builds on another Enelow book, "1500+ Key Words for $100,000+ Jobs." The keywords section in the "Best Resumes" book is a great idea-starter.

While the actual "instructional" section of the book is very short, that is actually a plus for resume writers. Our hope, of course — as it is with any resume guide written for job searchers — is that individuals will buy the book and then fail in their attempt to replicate the superior efforts of our professional colleagues who write and contribute to these books.

Enelow has taken this "wish" one step further, including contact information for resume writers (members of the former Career Masters Institute, which she founded). For those job searcher readers who do get stumped, your name (if you were a CMI member at the time) is close at hand.

"The reason I included member (information) was strictly promotional — to get them business," Enelow says. "This way, they (job searchers) have all the contact information right in their hands."

Best Resumes For $100,000+ Jobs

Second Edition ($24.95)

by Wendy Enelow, CPRW, JCTC, CCM

Impact Publications


Originally reviewed in the July/August 2001 issue of the Resume Writers' Digest newsletter

Creating a Career Membership Site (Part 2)

Yesterday, I mentioned a "Little Monthly Payments"-based membership site as a way to add passive income into your resume writing (or career coaching) business. While monthly recurring income is one of the best benefits of starting a membership site (getting 100, 200 or even 500 members paying you on a monthly basis for information — even at $5 each, that's $500 to $2500 a month), I wanted to share a couple more benefits.

The second benefit is expert awareness. Within the "gates" of your membership site, you can offer a wide variety of content. In addition to articles and short reports, you can do teleseminars, videos, and interviews. The more content you put into your membership site and the more members you have, the more your content and recommendations will be respected. There's no faster way to brand yourself as an expert than by creating a membership site. All your future content, products, and services will have a lot more clout as a result.

Third, membership sites offer backend sales opportunities. The income from a membership site doesn't stop with monthly membership fees. There are plenty of opportunities to make additional income from your site. You can turn members into resume/coaching clients, you can sell group programs and group coaching, and you can also re-package part of the content used in your membership site and sell it as a standalone product.

Fourth, it's never been easier to start a membership site, even if you don't have any technical expertise. If you're already using WordPress on your blog, you can use Wishlist Member to create a password-protected section of your site (they have lots of free training resources to show you how!). Or use a self-contained site like WildApricot (which is what I use for BeAResumeWriter.com) to host your "Little Monthly Payments" membership site.

I've created a comprehensive 10-page checklist to help you get started thinking about how a membership site could work in YOUR resume writing business. Download it here:
Little Monthly Payments Membership Site Checklist

And remember, to learn more about creating your own membership program, check this out:
Little Monthly Payments

Creating a Career Membership Site (Part 1)

Selling a special report for $5 can make you some decent money. But what if you could sell a special report series, and your subscribers received a new special report each month for $5. What if you had 20 subscribers paying $5, month after month? That's $100 a month. What if you had 200 subscribers paying $5 each month? That's $1,000 a month!

Wouldn't you LOVE to have a recurring income stream where you get hundreds of little monthly payments into your PayPal account each month?

Yes, I thought so! I mean, who wouldn't? Right?

Well, now you can learn EXACTLY how to do just that with Kelly McCausey's course, Little Monthly Payments. This product came about from all the buzz she created after launching a new, low cost monthly membership site ... a site that now has more than 500 subscribers (and costs $9.97 a month)! That's almost $5,000 a month!

When people asked her HOW she did that, she decided to put together this program. And it's a system that is PERFECT for resume writers and coaches. Our clients WANT and NEED information to help them be more effective in their job search!

In the "Little Monthly Payments" program, Kelly shares:

• The simple rules she used to guide her in creating a "little monthly payment" (LMP) program
• Interviews with other successful micro-continuity program owners (including ME!!) to give you a variety of perspectives
• The practical "how to set it up to run smoothly" information you need to get started
• An abundance of micro-continuity program model ideas
• Her own "Printable Brainstorming Sheets" to help you collect and organize potential ideas

If you're ready to create a recurring income stream where you can bring in hundreds of little monthly payments every month, check it out:

http://bit.ly/littlemonthlypayments

Don't miss tomorrow's blog post, where I share FOUR REASONS why you should create a membership site (and a 10-page checklist to help make it easy!)

So You Want to Be A Subcontract Resume Writer?

Every day, I get questions from resume writers. On my blog, I'll post the answers to frequently-asked questions!

Here's today's Q&A!

Question:
For the past few years, I have been contemplating the idea of working as an independent sub-contractor. I have even purchased a copy of your book on this subject. What kind of rates should I expect? Where do I start? I would appreciate any advice you can give me.

My Answer:
Most new resume writers who start out as subcontractors earn $30-$100 per resume project. There are contracting firms that pay more, but they generally want certified resume writers who have 2-5 years of experience or more. And, of course, what you'd earn as a contracting writer is generally much lower than you could earn working with your own clients directly, since the contracting writer/firm keeps 50-75% of the fee (paying the subcontract writer 25-50% for the writing portion).

To get started, I recommend you have the following:

• Your own resume and cover letter (as outlined in the "Making Money as a Resume Subcontractor" special report; see the sample resume/cover letter)
• A completed, updated LinkedIn profile.
• A portfolio of sample resumes (these should be REAL resumes you've written for REAL clients, but "fictionalized" to remove any personally identifying information from the clients). You didn't have to get PAID for these (they can be volunteer/pro bono projects, but they should be for real people). I recommend a minimum of three samples, each for a different industry/field, UNLESS you are going to specialize in a specific niche as a subcontract writer.
• Next, identify 3-4 contracting firms to contact. If they have a particular template format they use, I would also format one of your existing "portfolio" resumes in their writing style with the company's name on the sample (so they know you didn't plagiarize their format, but are instead demonstrating you can work within their template style). 

Note: You can find a directory of contracting opportunities in the Making Money as a Resume Subcontractor Special Report.

Make sure there are absolutely NO ERRORS in any of your communications -- your resume/cover letter/LinkedIn profile, your sample resumes, and your emails to the company. The #1 thing that will get you disqualified from consideration is errors! Attention to detail is a MUST as a subcontractor!

This is absolutely a job you can do from anywhere. However, you will need reliable Internet and phone access. (Some contracting firms require client contact for their writers. You must be able to call clients or receive calls from clients and talk to them without interruption or background noise).

The #1 thing that is important once you've been hired on as a contracting writer is MEETING DEADLINES. 

This is crucial. Miss one deadline and you'll likely be let go, so make sure you can meet the deadline when accepting a project. No excuses. 

The second most important thing is RECORDKEEPING. 

It's up to you to keep track of client documents, deadlines, revision requirements, and most important -- what you're owed! As I said: Attention to detail is key!

YOUR FEEDBACK:

Colleagues -- did I miss anything? Any other advice you have for this new resume writer?

Tools I Use In My Resume Writing Business

I'm often asked what tools and resources I use in my resume writing business. Here's a list of them!

1&1 Domain Name Registration and Website Hosting

Affordable, easy-to-use domain name registration (starting at $.99/year for domains, and $5.99/month for hosting). You can register multiple domain names and point them all to one website easily, allowing you to promote your different services and products but drive traffic (website visitors) to specific pages of your main website.

AWeber E-Mail List Management and Autoresponder

Every resume writer needs to build a mailing list with very little technical know-how. AWeber walks you through the process of creating your opt-in form (and will even host it on their site for you, so you don’t even need a website to get started with building your mailing list). AWeber offers both autoresponder messaging (you can pre-schedule a series of emails to go out at designated intervals when people join your list) and broadcast emails (send a message whenever you want). Your first month is just $1, and just $19/month after that (for up to 500 subscribers).

Audio Acrobat

If you host free or paid teleseminars, are interested in podcasting, or want to create audio training programs, check out Audio Acrobat. Offers complete ease in creating and hosting audio clips — no technical skills required! Offer client coaching? Record the calls and offer them as a bonus to your client! And check out “sizzle lines” — record special content and give prospects or clients access. Free 30-day trial, then $19.95/month for the Basic Plan.

Clickbank

An online market to bring buyers and sellers together. If you create an information product, Clickbank is a great way to find affiliates to promote your offer. If you’re looking for affiliate offers to promote, Clickbank is a great way to find relevant products to recommend. It’s also a great way to research what clients will be interested in — find products that are hot sellers!

Constant Contact

The most popular solution for building a mailing list. A more “user-friendly” email list management program than AWeber...with social media management tools built in. If you’re looking for a program that will allow you to easily create a client e-mail newsletter and the ability to send broadcast emails easily, check out Constant Contact. Offers a free 60-day trial, and prices start at just $20 after that.

Elance

Looking to outsource some things you can’t — or don’t want to — do yourself? Elance is a great place to go to find project-specific vendors, including website designers, copywriters, transcriptionists, researchers, and more.

Fiverr.com/Vikiana

Need an ebook cover or website banner made? Check out Vikiana on Fiverr.com. Don’t be put off by the poor grammar on her page — she does excellent work, fast, and starting at just $5.

EventBrite

The easiest way to offer free or paid registration for your next live or virtual event. There’s no cost to you if you don’t charge for the event, so if you want to host your first free teleseminar, consider using EventBrite. If you’re charging for the program (again, in-person or online), you’ll pay a small fee to EventBrite for each ticket sold, plus either a PayPal processing fee (if you want registration funds to go through your PayPal account) or you can use EventBrite’s credit card processing (with associated fees). Total fees add up to about 6% of sales, but you only pay for what you sell, and the registration pages are extremely easy to set up.

Fotolia

If you have a blog, Fotolia is an extremely inexpensive way to acquire photos and illustrations to accompany your posts. It’s also a fabulous choice for photos to use to illustrate your information products (ebook artwork, for example). A stock photography site, it offers a massive amount of choices, starting at about $1 per graphic. Make sure you purchase the correct “rights” for how you want to use the graphic. (For example, you’ll pay a bit more for graphics you want to use on an ebook you’re selling than on a blog post.)

Payloadz

The easiest way to sell digital information products (ebooks, special reports, forms, guides, audio programs, etc.) online. The Payloadz Express option is for low-volume sellers and is a great way to get started. The full Payloadz option offers an affiliate program to help you find folks to promote your products, and their online store will also provide additional visibility for your products.

PayPal

Some people hate it, some people love it … most just see PayPal as the easiest way to accept credit cards without having a full scale merchant account. I gave up my traditional merchant account so I wouldn’t have to deal with the hassle of PCI compliance, and PayPal has been a great solution. It also processes recurring payments for my BeAResumeWriter.com membership site.

Joan Stewart — The Publicity Hound

If you’re looking for ways to get free publicity for your résumé writing business, you need to check out Joan Stewart’s offerings. She’ll teach you “tips, tricks, and tools” for free publicity.

Robert Middleton — Action Plan Marketing

I’ve been using Robert Middleton’s marketing ideas for service providers for years — he offers extensive training for how self-employed professionals can attract their ideal clients. His free, 24-page “Marketing Plan Workbook for Attracting Clients to your Professional Service Business” is the best guide to defining your ideal client and creating a client-attracting core marketing message is the best I’ve ever seen.

Smart Blogging Skills (Kelly McCausey)

Blogging and article writing are two of the best ways to attract clients (and generate website traffic) as a résumé writer. This self-paced, 15-week program is a great step-by-step guide to either starting a new blog, or improving your existing blog. Although she emphasizes WordPress as a blogging platform, many of the techniques can be applied to any blog.

Vistaprint

Your resource for inexpensive, high quality marketing materials (business cards, fliers, signage, specialty products, and more) for promoting your résumé writing business.

Wild Apricot

If you want to create a membership program for your résumé writing business, Wild Apricot is a robust solution that is also extremely easy to get started with. It offers a free, advertising-supported level all the way up to multiple professional levels (depending on the number of subscribers you have).

Some links in this post are affiliate links. Affiliate links mean that if you are led to a site and make a purchase, I may earn a commission from that sale.  Not all links are affiliate links. Some are purely for sharing. You are under no obligation to make any purchases from my link. I only recommend products and services that I use or am personally familiar with.

Resources For Resume Writers

Are you familiar with these resources that can help you as a resume writer?


Start, Operate, Profit! The Ultimate Resource for Building a $100,000 Resume Writing Business
(3rd edition)
Teena Rose’s excellent book to help you start or grow your resume writing business — “the definitive resource for those getting started or who want to be the best they can be.” The book’s contents encompass business structure and naming, business planning, marketing and advertising, pricing, customer relations, resume writing strategies, add-on products, and more. You can also visit the link to receive a free 19-page preview of the book. Available for immediate download as a digital file.


Making Money as a Resume Subcontractor Special Report
Looking to earn extra income as a résumé writer? Subcontracting can be an excellent source of supplemental income. This 45-page special report includes profiles of resume writers who subcontract, information on what subcontractors pay, how to contact them (including a sample cover letter and résumé), results of the Resume Writers’ Digest Subcontracting Survey (average compensation, turnaround time, workstyle, etc.), keys to success (from the contracting writer’s perspective), what to look for in a contract, and more than 30 listings of contracting individuals and firms (including requirements, workstyle, turnaround time, compensation, and more). Available for immediate download as a digital file.


Write Great Resumes Faster
Make more money with less work! Are you ever stumped on where to start when writing a resume? Do you keep track of how long it takes you to write a résumé? Looking for ideas on how to create better resumes to win your clients an interview? How much more money could you make if you could write resumes even just a little bit faster than you do now — without sacrificing quality? This special report contains hundreds of ideas and resources compiled by Bridget (Weide) Brooks, CPRW. Hundreds of copies of this book have been sold to résumé writers — many consider it an “indispensable resource” they use for inspiration when they get stuck. Available for immediate download as a digital file. (Third edition.)

Developing Strategic Alliances and Partnerships With Recruiters
Are you thinking about developing a referral relationship with a recruiter, but are wondering where to start, and how to structure it? This special report has the answers. Topics covered include: How to find recruiting firms to partner with, questions to ask a recruiting firm (or to research) if you are approached for a referral relationship, what operations issues you should consider (like how to track referrals, compensation, and scope of commissionable work), how you should decide what to pay for a referral (and when you might not have to pay for high-quality, new clients at all!), Contains case studies from actual resume writers. Available for immediate download as a digital file.


Find more ebooks and special reports here:
BeAResumeWriter Resources

How Much Do Resume Writers Charge?

I received this question via email yesterday from a career professional:

"Bridget, do you have any information -- or from your own experience -- about the average price charged by resume writers? I think in one of your programs you mentioned something like $500? I think this is probably high. I have been looking at some websites, and they charge $179-$199 for a professional resume. $500 probably is for a resume writer who is well known in the industry. Can you forward me pricing information? Thanks."

Here's my response:

I do have current statistics on pricing for resume writing services in the U.S. 
The figures for an average resume and cover letter have been pretty steady for the last 3 years -- around $500. The average number of resumes written by professional resume writers is 2-4 per week, according to the 2011 survey data.

• 29% of resume writers charge $100-$299 for a resume and cover letter
• 35% charge $300-$499
• 12% charge $500-$699

"Resume mills" -- with multiple writers -- tend to charge less than a single writer web site. 
Certified writers generally charge more than non-certified writers. Resume writers who charge more than $1,000 per project tend not to put their prices on their website -- they quote client projects individually.

I pulled up five random websites from thenrwa.com for illustration:
-- http://www.WriteStepResumes.com/Services.html (Alabama) - $199 to $399
-- http://www.awriteresume.com/services.htm (Arizona) - $299 to $1199
-- http://www.eischensresume.com/services (California) - $200 to $750
-- http://www.Career3D.com/services.html (Colorado) - $297 (resume re-write)
-- http://www.srbcg.com/reacutesumeacute.html (Connecticut) - $299+

All are substantially above the $179-$199 rate ... but again, none of these are "resume mills."

Here is a profile of the "average" resume writer -- 
excerpted from the "Profile of a Professional Resume Writer" special report, which you can get free here by putting in your name and email address. (Offer is for professional resume writers and career coaches -- not for jobseekers, please!)

Get the Profile of Professional Resume Writers Report Here

Profile of the "Average" Resume Writer
Based on the survey information collected, here is the profile of the "average" resume writer:

She is a female in her mid-50s, a self-employed resume writer who has been writing for 11-15 years. She is certified as a resume writer who belongs to one professional association (either the Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches (PARW/CC) or Career Directors International (CDI).

Our average resume writer works from a home office primarily, but occasionally meets with clients in person -- usually in a public place, like a coffee shop (not a separate business office). She spends 24 hours a week writing, and another 15-20 hours a week on administrative and marketing activities. She writes 2-4 resumes each week, and her average package - for which she charges $350 - includes a resume, cover letter, and references document. She collects the full payment upfront for her work and uses a combination of a questionnaire and phone interview/phone consultation to gather information from the client.

As for income, she brings in gross revenues of $3,600-$5,600 each month, and she nets around $55,200 per year after taxes.

Although she has her own profile on LinkedIn, she's not actively soliciting clients on LinkedIn, nor does she do very many LinkedIn profile development/overhaul projects -- primarily because she's unsure of how to market this service and what to charge. She gets most of her clients from her website or referrals. She has a personal Facebook account, but not a Facebook Business Page (if she does have a Facebook page for her business, it has fewer than 100 "Likes" or "fans.") She doesn't have a Twitter account, or if she does, she's not using it very often.

When it comes to keeping up with trends and information in the industry, she relies on her professional association, resume books, and teleseminars (mostly free, but 1-2 paid ones a year) for information. She doesn't attend professional conferences (either in-person, or virtual ones).

Her biggest frustrations revolve around getting new clients (especially educating them about the value of a professionally written resume), and the hassles of being self-employed (recordkeeping and taxes, managing the processes and paperwork associated with client management, and having to wear "all the hats, all the time"). She's not in this just for the paycheck -- she'll often spend an average of an hour of her time with her clients to help them with other aspects of their job search (answering their questions about job searching or preparing for the interview), and won't charge them extra for this assistance. She loves the work that she does, especially when clients let her know her work has helped them land their dream job.

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Notice that the "average" resume writer charges $350 for a resume and cover letter, but the survey data found that $500 is the "average" across all survey respondents. In profiling the "typical" resume writer, I used the most commonly provided answers, not the "average" calculated. Note too that the survey is based on self-reported responses. 

Want to learn more about who resume writers are, and what we charge? If you're a resume writer, career coach --  or are interested in becoming one -- enter your name and email address in this form and you'll immediately receive access to the "Profile of Professional Resume Writers" special report, and emails with resources that will help you become more effective in your work and in your work with clients.

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10 Headline Hacks for Client Resumes and LinkedIn Profiles

The most important part of the client resume and LinkedIn profile is usually the first thing readers see: the headline.

The headline immediately alerts readers if the rest of the content is what they’re looking for. The first line the reader sees should tell them instantly if what your jobseeking client has to offer is exactly what they are looking for in a candidate for the opening they have. You can accomplish this by using a strong headline and then following it with informational sub-headlines (in the LinkedIn Summary) or a qualifications summary or bullet points (on the resume).

The headline has to convince the reader to continue reading. You only have a few seconds to capture the reader’s interest and attention. And, on LinkedIn, you have limited space — your client’s headline can be a maximum of 120 characters. On the resume, you can use more space, but the best resume headlines are generally 5-10 words.

Stuck for how to get started writing the headline? Try these headline hacks (formulas) excerpted from this special report, "Writing Better Headlines For LinkedIn and Client Resumes":

• [Job title] for [industry] at [company name] 
• [Job title] specializing in [skills/keywords] 
• [Job title] focusing on [job functions] 
• [Job title] that gets [these results] 
• [Adjective] [job title] With a Track Record of Success in [results] 
• [Job title/keyword] who does [what] for [target audience] [+ PROOF] 
• [Job title] + [differentiator] 
• [Job title] + [target audience] + [industry/field] + [achievement/results] 
• {This client} helps [target audience] [do or make what?] 
• {Client’s biggest achievement} 

Want more strategies for creating reader- and SEO-friendly headlines? Check out the special report.

Writing Better Headlines For LinkedIn and Client Resumes

When you only have seconds to capture a reader's attention, the headline is especially important. This short report gives you the tools you need to write attention-getting, powerful headlines for client resumes and LinkedIn profiles.

The report covers:

• The one question every headline must answer

• Questions to ask before you start writing the headline

• Three specific strategies to write the headline

• More than a dozen headline formulas (a cheat sheet!)

• Tips for formatting your headlines

• The role of keywords and SEO strategies in headline writing

• A 10-point "Checklist for Assessing The Headline" 

Buy "Writing Better Headlines For LinkedIn and Client Resumes."

Why Do Employers Hire?

When writing resumes, it's important to keep in mind why employers hire.

In her book, "Resume Magic" (now in its 4th edition!) Susan Britton Whitcomb outlines the 12 "Employer Buying Motivators" -- really, the reason why employers need employees.

There are 12 specific needs that a company has. These include the company's desire to:

• -       Make money
• -       Save money
• -       Save time
• -       Make work easier
• -       Solve a specific problem
• -       Be more competitive
• -       Build relationships / an image
• -       Expand business
• -       Attract new customers
• -       Retain existing customers

Keep these 12 motivators in mind when writing the resume and target the client's accomplishments towards how they can help the employer meet these 12 objectives.

Are You Risking Your LinkedIn Account to 'Help' Clients?

I pulled up Facebook today and saw a post from a colleague that said, "Logged into LinkedIn this morning under a client's account and..." and I stopped reading.

As a resume writer, you may be "helping" your clients by logging into your client's LinkedIn account and populating their profile for them. After all, "they're paying me to help them," or "they're busy" or "they won't do it right." All valid reasons. Unfortunately, LinkedIn is very clear on this point. Here's the LinkedIn Terms of Service:

You agree to ... 3) not use other's accounts



When you signed up for your LinkedIn account, you entered into a legal agreement. You're bound by this agreement if you use LinkedIn:



The prohibition against signing into someone else's account is actually listed twice in the LinkedIn Terms of Service.

Under section 10.2: Don't undertake the following: 7) Use or attempt to use another's account...




But people violate LinkedIn's Terms of Service all the time, don't they? Also under section 10.2, it says you can't "Publish inaccurate information in the designated fields on the profile form (e.g., do not include a link or an email address in the name field)."



Because everyone else -- including some of the biggest names in the resume writing industry -- are doing it, it's okay if you do it too, right?

Growing up, my Mom always said, "Well, if everyone else jumped off a cliff, would you?"

My personal stance on this is no, we should not be logging into client's LinkedIn accounts and updating their profiles. Ever.

Do you want to risk your personal LinkedIn account? And your client's? Your client is relying on you to provide them with advice. If you tell them it's okay for you to log in to their account and their account gets shut down, are you putting yourself at risk? Yes. In theory, your client could sue you.

I understand that people will say that they "don't have time" to do this themselves -- but just having a static LinkedIn profile isn't going to really benefit them. If they don't know how to manage their own LI profile, they probably shouldn't be on LI at all. It's better to NOT be on LI than to put something up there they don't use.

I liken it to the role of the resume in the job search. We help clients come up with the content (resume, cover letter, bio, LI profile content, etc.) but once we've created it, it's up to the client to actually USE it.

We don't go on the job interviews for them. We give them the tools but they must use them.

One way to emphasize this to "busy" clients is, "This is the difference between teaching a man to fish, and giving him a fish. I know you just want the fish, but I'm not doing you a favor if you don't learn how to use these tools as part of a bigger career management strategy. The benefit to being on LinkedIn isn't just having a great Headline and Summary -- it's engaging in Groups, giving and getting Recommendations, making Connections, and building a pond that is well stocked with fish for the future. I'm asking you to take an hour now to learn how to use LinkedIn, and 10-15 minutes a week going forward to manage your account so that you won't go 'hungry' in your job search again in the future."

You can give them resources that will TEACH them how to use LinkedIn. You can purchase my LinkedIn Pass-Along Materials -- a 40+-page step-by-step guide to help them set up and manage their LinkedIn account. For $20, you can put your name on it and use it with all your clients (contact me for details -- currently updating it for the "new look" LinkedIn for 2017).

If your client knows how to use LinkedIn, but you want to give him/her a document they can use to populate the LinkedIn profile -- I also give you a step-by-step guide for that (LinkedIn Profile Delivery Document)

If the client is truly *that busy,* they probably have an assistant or someone they can give your LinkedIn Profile Delivery Document to (or maybe their wife or kid) who can implement it for them.

But I personally would not risk my LinkedIn presence for any of my clients. And I don't think you should either.

In a Resume Writing Rut? Here's Eight Ways to Boost Your Creativity!

Feeling creativity drained? Stuck in a resume writing rut? Today's blog post will give you eight ways to boost your creativity. You ARE creative -- you just have to let your creativity out!

Here's how:

• Be More Mindful

There are a lot of things we do every day without even thinking. We get up, shower, brush our teeth and go about our lives mostly on autopilot. Try getting up in the morning with a new mindfulness about even the most mundane activities. Think about how your sheets feel on your body right before you get up; think about how the shower water feels; think about how the toothpaste smells and tastes, and so forth. Take new pleasure in everyday experiences and really be "in the moment" as you experience them.

• Look at the World Differently

If you drive to the store the same way each time, take a different route. If you have a viewpoint in life that is different from a friend's, take the time to give their world view some consideration. You don't have to tell them; it's simply a practice to looking at the world through a different lens, which might bring rise to new ideas and thoughts that you never allowed yourself to experience before.

• Go for a Walk

If you're working on a resume and feeling stuck, get up and get out. Go for a brisk walk. While you are walking, try not to think of anything but your walk for the first couple of minutes. After that, it's okay to think of the resume and brainstorm ideas as you walk. You might consider bringing a recording device with you so that you won't forget anything that comes to mind. Often, taking the pressure off is the best way to become more creative.

• Change Your Environment

One of the best things about working for yourself is the ability to change your environment. You can take your laptop to the park or the local coffee shop to do some work. Need a bigger change? Try cleaning up your office, painting it a new color, and moving around the furniture. Change helps your mind work better.

• Learn Something New

Take a class; read a book; go to a conference. However you choose to do it, learn something new. It's important that you are always learning and growing. What you learn doesn't actually even have to be related to resume writing. It can be something just for you -- such as learning how to garden, or golf. It can also be something that helps you more directly in your business such as learning how to incorporate passive income into your resume writing business. The important factor is that you make it formal enough that you do it regularly and once you've learned, move on to learning something else new.

• Get Moving

Yes, walking is moving, but you need more regular exercise in your life than a walk when you are frustrated or blocked. People who work at a desk and sit for more than four hours a day are at a higher risk of sudden death than those who have other types of jobs. The scary part is, many of us sit for more than 11 hours a day, which increases your risk of death early by 40 percent. Join a regular exercise plan or create your own regiment, and then get up every 90 to 100 minutes and move around for 10 minutes -- or buy a standing desk.

• Eat Better

The brain needs glucose to think. That's why you crave all that sugar when you are doing a lot of work and really want to stuff your face with chocolate or ice cream or both. Give yourself permission to eat more fruit while you're working, and you'll find that your brain works better. Studies show that people who eat sweets during or before a test perform better. Make the sweet something healthy like a banana or a sweet juicy peach. A green smoothie is even better.

• Take Action

Sometimes being more creative is simply a matter of going from thinking to doing. The truth is there is no such thing as a creative block. You've likely heard of "writer's block" but have you ever heard of "Cashier's Block" or "Doctor's Block" or seriously any other career that gives you an excuse not to get to work other than so-called creative professions? These blocks really don't exist. Your creativity is there for you on command as soon as you accept that it is.


Try these eight ways to boost your creativity! Do you have a tip for how to feel more creative? Share it in the comments below!

2014 NRWA Conference Preview Call: Michelle Aikman

Thinking about attending the NRWA Conference in Denver this September? I attended the NRWA Conference Preview call on Friday, May 9, and here are some of the takeaways!

Michelle Aikman

Breakout Session Speaker – Friday, Sept. 19 (9:45 to 10:45 a.m.)

"Mind the Gap: Resume Strategies for People with Paid Work Gaps"

Michelle is originally from Denver, so she said she's interested in coming home to visit friends and family. As the spouse of an active duty military service member, Michelle has personal experience with a "very mobile lifestyle" as a military spouse -- one that lends itself to gaps in paid work employment.

She noted that employers do care about gaps -- they wonder about your client's motivation, fit with the job, and more... you want to help your clients avoid an employer thinking "You didn't do anything?"

Her strategies will apply for gaps due to any type of caregiving (for children, family, or aging parents), breaks due to "soul searching," personal medical issues, and more. She'll help you formulate the correct strategy to help clients -- whether it's appropriate to disclose the reason for the gap, the impact the gap will have on the candidate's selection, and when and how to disclose the information.

Questions to examine in developing the strategy are:

• Will it (the situation) happen again?
• Is it due to lifestyle?
• Is it an ongoing problem?
• Is any accommodation required?

Michelle will help you turn your client's "boo-boos" into "boo-yahs!"

Find out more about the NRWA Conference here.

2014 NRWA Conference Preview Call: Louise Kursmark

Thinking about attending the NRWA Conference in Denver this September? I attended the NRWA Conference Preview call on Friday, May 9, and here are some of the takeaways!

Louise Kursmark, MRW, CPRW, JCTC, CEIP, CCM

Opening Keynote Speaker – Wednesday, Sept. 17 (2:30 to 3:45 p.m.)

"The Future of Resumes"

This will be the sixth NRWA Conference Louise has attended. She is going to "break down what it means to write a resume." Louise identified four trends she will examine:

• Less is more. "Lean, clean, tight writing" that can be "skimmed and scanned." Kursmark says the first glance at a resume might get six seconds of the reader's attention.
• More is more. "Write leaner resumes with rich detail, but allow people with more interest to learn more" by linking to LinkedIn, media appearances, or a portfolio.
• Why resumes don't matter. Kursmark says the "resume is the second point of determination" nowadays with more people searching on LinkedIn for candidates.
• Why resumes are vitally important. The "resume is the foundation, the work, the story" she notes. The information comes from the work to develop the resume and flows through to the rest of the career communication documents, such as LinkedIn profiles. It requires clear differentiation of the candidate, and a strong message.

Kursmark said there's a quote that she particularly likes: It's something like, "It's dangerous not to keep moving forward, because if things keep changing -- but we don't -- we are falling behind."

Find out more about the NRWA Conference here.