Leslie Ayres, The Job Search Guru. Embrace your inner job search. Get Real, Get Smart, Get Hired with blogs, videos, job search tips and advice, career guidance, ebooks, career coaching, resume services, resume writing, cover letters, job interview tips and more.

Here are the answers to your frequently asked
Resume Questions

You know you want to take your resume to the next level, but you still have some questions.

I totally understand.

Some resume questions seem to come up more often than others, so I've compiled a list of the most frequently asked questions here.

If you have a question, but you don't see it on this page... no problem! Just contact me and I'll happily address any concerns you may have.

 

NBC Career Blogger, Author of Be Real Career Guidance System, Over 10,000 Job Seekers Helped

Why should I use a professional resume writer?

Because you’re not good at it. Seriously.

I bet you’re super-good at what you do for a living, but unless your skill set includes strong writing, heavy-duty hiring experience, and designing beautiful marketing documents, you probably aren’t so great at writing resumes.

Luckily, what’s difficult for you is easy for me.

I have writing, branding, marketing and publishing experience, and I am an active recruiter, so when I do your resume, you get all of that on your side, and the result is a resume that will be far better than you could come up with on your own and far better than 98% of your competition.

What else do I gain from having my resume done by a pro?

My clients tell me they’re amazed to see how much new confidence they gain from their new resume. Seeing yourself presented in a a positive, professional and personal way in a beautiful, well-written document puts new energy into a job search and is a great way to break things open.

There are tons of resume people. Why should I work with you?

Honestly, I’m not for everyone. If you need a stuffy corporate document or you don’t care about the quality of your most important marketing document, I’m not your guru.

But if you want an awesome resume, we might be a fit.

Resumes are one of my superpowers, and honestly, I’ve never seen a single person who has my special combination of writing, publishing, branding, marketing and recruiting.

I’m also fun and inspiring to work with, and will leave you pumped, confident, inspired, focused and ready to go. For real.
Check me out on LinkedIn to read more about my years of experience in the hiring world, and read recommendations from some fantastic people I’ve worked with.

Do you have resume samples?

No. Each resume I create is custom for the person, and the information in it is confidential. I will promise that your resume will be unique, like you, and you’ll be proud to share it.

My resumes are never overworked or pretentious, they’re not weird or gimmicky and they’re not generic or boring.
What they all have in common is that they are clean in design, contemporary in feeling, create instant positioning for a target job, and are written in the simplest but most informative language possible.

In other words, they look great, they read well, and tell the story you need to tell to get the interviews you want.

Do you specialize in certain kinds of people or industries?

Most of my resume clients are professionals in fields where competition for the great jobs is fierce so a standout resume is absolutely imperative.

The kinds of people I work with are:

  • career climbers trying to noticed by hot companies
  • seasoned executives positioning themselves for specific opportunities
  • technical people who need a more management-style resume
  • management people who need a more executive-style resume
  • entrepreneurs and consultants struggling to present their experience in a cohesive way
  • career changers challenged with showing transferable skills
  • unusual people with unusual backgrounds
  • people who really, really need to get that interview

Essentially, I specialize in creating resumes for awesome people who are looking for awesome jobs. That’s you, right?

Can I meet with you in person?

No, I do all of my work virtually. Which is much more efficient because there is no wasted travel time and fewer distractions, not to mention that my clients are all over the country. All contact is on the phone and by email.

Do you do federal resumes or CVs?

Yes, I can do any kind of resume, though my sweet spot is creating standout resumes for the modern American business world.

How long will it take to get my new resume?

My process takes time – on your part, to thoughtfully complete your information form (which is an important part of the process to craft your story), and on my part to write and design the right resume for you, and then together as we make it perfect.

Most people have their new resume in 2 or 3 weeks, a few days more with LinkedIn and a cover note. A lot depends on your turnaround and my project pipeline, too. I can occasionally accommodate a rush project but a great resume is worth the time it takes.

How many rounds of editing will we do?

Once I give you the draft of your new resume, we have one more editing call to go down your changes, questions and edits, and then I finalize your document and send it to you. If a typo slips through, I’ll fix that at any time, but the aim is to make every change during that editing call.

What kind of document will you give me?

You’ll get your final resume as a Word document and a PDF that will be immediately useable for your target job. If you don’t use Word, you are responsible for sorting out any compatibility issues.

What if I want to update it later?

It’s a great idea to keep your resume updated, since you never know who might ask for it for the job of your dreams. I recommend waiting a few months to update after you get your new job so you have something to tak about, and then keeping it updated moving forward.

Do you write cover letters, too?

I do, and am happy to write a custom cover letter template for you, but first, go read some of my blogs about how to write a good cover letter… it’s really not as hard as you think.

Will you help me with job search strategy?

We’ll touch on strategy in our interview call, but if you’re planning your path from where you are to where you want to go, it would probably be worth investing in a coaching session or series where we can brainstorm and plan together.

Can I spend more time on the phone with you?

Absolutely. Check out my coaching services. You can book as little as thirty minutes with me to talk about whatever you need.

Topics people hash out with me include:

  • boiling down insights and results from their inner job search in my book Be Real: The Simple Secret to the
    Perfect Job for You
  • preparing and scripting stories for interviews
  • how to handle sensitive situations like long periods of unemployment or getting fired
  • planning and practicing for salary or contract negotiations
  • thinking through career choices and decisions
  • preparing for an important interview

Honest input from someone who’s on the front lines of the hiring world every day, with a broad knowledge of business, a way with words, a big heart and a commitment that you get the job that’s right for you... who couldn’t use that?

Can I hire you to write other business documents or websites?

Maybe. When I have time, I love writing websites, marketing documents and bios, as long as they are short projects. If you have something in mind, let me know and we can talk about it.

Why is it so expensive?

I aim to keep my rates as low as possible while still making sure the rate allows me enough time to create a fantastic document for you without rushing or cutting corners. A great resume takes hours and can’t be rushed.

I’ve seen examples of $49 and $99 resumes, and they were awful. Think about it. At that price, your information is just being plugged into a template and the result is bound to be ordinary. If you’re competing for a great job, you can’t afford ordinary and mediocre.

Choose a resume writer based on value, not price. Look at it this way: for most people, a new resume costs about one day’s pay, so if your new resume gets you a job just one day sooner, it will pay for itself. It’s an investment, not an expense.

Why do you have tiered pricing levels?

Not all resumes are the same. The more senior the job, the more complicated the story the resume needs to tell, both in terms of work experience and understanding the role and its accomplishments.

Tiered pricing reflects the level of difficulty at creating each resume, and there are times that I quote a custom price, too.

Do you give discounts for unemployed people?

I wish I could, but that wouldn’t make much business sense considering a large portion of my clients are unemployed.
What I do instead is try to provide free information on my site through free books and blogs and keep my rates as affordable as possible.

Can I send you a check?

I prefer PayPal and snail mail checks are problematic, but if that’s your only option, let’s see what we can work out.

Do you have payment plans?

Sorry, no. I am not set up to accept payment plans and the cost has to be paid in advance before our first call.

How The Resume Review Works

  1. Click Get Started and fill out the form. I'll respond to you by email within one business day (not including weekends).
  2. In my response, I'll send you a link to a more detailed form with some questions about your situation and the kind of job you're aiming for, and I'll give you instructions on where to email your resume.
  3. I'll include a PayPal link, and when I get notice of payment and receive your answers to the questions, I'll go to work.
  4. I will carefully review your resume, and write up my thoughts and suggestions in detail for you. Comments will include notes about the message your resume is sending, as well as specific input on ways to better structure it, notes of problems with spelling and grammar, and all of my suggestions about changes to make.
  5. Within two business days (again, not including weekends), I'll email your Resume Review Report will be a MS Word document which I'll send you as an attachment.

Please Note: The Resume Review is a report with my comments, and I don't make any changes to your actual resume. You will have to make the recommended changes to your own resume, so you should either be confident with MS Word or have someone who can help you. If you're not sure you can handle that, you might be better going for The Resume Polish instead, where I make the changes for you.

Seven-Day Upgrade Offer: Once you receive your Resume Review Report, upgrade to a Resume Polish or Resume Restart within seven days, and I'll credit you $75.

How The Resume Polish Works

  1. Click Get Started and fill out the form. I'll respond to you by email within one business day (not including weekends).
  2. I'll send you a more detailed form with some questions about you, your personal style, your personality and the jobs you want to go after, along with instructions on where to email your resume.
  3. I'll include a PayPal link, and when payment is complete and I get your form back, we'll schedule a telephone interview so I can get a better idea of what you need your resume to target and to clarify any questions and information on your old resume.
  4. Then I'll go to work, reformatting the design, and editing, re-ordering and polishing up the content to make your resume look and sound like a winner.
  5. Within two business days of our phone call, I'll email a polished resume that looks clean and clear, is more tightly written, and that presents your background in a more powerful way, so it will stand out among your competition. I'll also send you a text version with formatting changed to work best for job boards and online and corporate system postings.
  6. If there is anything you don't like, or you find any errors or typos, just let me know and I'll make it right.

Please Note: Sometimes a resume is beyond repair or polishing. If your current resume is very long, is densely packed with information that is not easy to edit, or is extremely technical, I might need to either charge you more for the extra time, or recommend that you consider a complete Resume Rewrite. If that's the case, I'll email you and let you know what I'd suggest.

Seven-Day Upgrade Offer: If you started with the Resume Review, upgrade to The Resume Polish within seven days and get a $75 credit.

How The Resume Restart Works

  1. Click Get Started and fill out the form. I'll respond to you by email within one business day (not including weekends).
  2. I'll send you a detailed form with questions about you, your personal style, your personality and the specifics of a the jobs you want to go after, along with instructions on how to return that form with your resume.
  3. I'll also include a PayPal link, and when payment is complete and I get your form back, we will schedule an in-depth telephone interview. My times for phone calls are weekday afternoons Pacific time, but if necessary, we can set up an evening call. The purpose of the phone call is so I can get to know you, to get a better idea of what you need your resume to target and, to clarify any questions about the information on your old resume, and I may have requests for additional information from you.
  4. Then I'll go to work, creating a format, layout and design that suits your personality, level, industry, and that works for the story you want to tell. I'll write the text, summarizing your jobs and accomplishments to feature your strengths as they relate to the job you're aiming for.
  5. Within three business days of our phone call, I'll send you the first draft, and we'll schedule a phone call to talk about it. Even the best resume writer won't choose the same words you would, or describe your jobs the way you would, so there will always be changes for accuracy, terminology or clarity, and this phone call is so we can work together to further refine it. I'll then make the revisions within one business day and will email the revised version to you for final proofing and changes.
  6. I'll make any final edits, and return the final document to you as an MS Word document. I'll also send you a text version with the formatting changed so it works best for job boards and corporate online systems.