Friday, February 14 - "Are Professional Resume Writers Worth It?"

Happy Friday!

Here’s what’s on the job description for today:

1. New roles from a widely-beloved apparel brand.

2. Today’s Question: “I am struggling to get interviews and have been considering paying for a resume writer. Is it worth it in your opinion?”

IN HIRING

Lululemon

• Starting out as a way to sell yoga pants, the company has now expanded globally becoming a brand many personally associate with.

• With jobs in many of the countries represented by the readers of this newsletter, this company is worth reviewing for those interested in fitness, retail, or the brand.

• Here are a few of the most interesting roles available

  • People & Culture Coordinator - Click here for full details

  • New Store Opening & Flagship Analyst - Click here for full details

  • Retail Brand Experience Manager, South East Asia - Click here for full details

Click here for the company’s career page

TODAY’S QUESTION

Today’s Question: “I am struggling to get interviews and have been considering paying for a resume writer. Is it worth it in your opinion?”

Recommendation: resume writers, like many industries, are filled with crap and genius. Here’s what I’d do in your situation:

• First, I don’t even believe in such a thing as a perfect resume. You can alter your resume to include key words, responsibilities and other relevant highlights of your career but your chances also depend on the other applicants and their resumes.

  • Given that resume writers charge thousands for their services and there is no guarantee, I’d probably steer clear.

  • If you’re just getting started in your search and know your resume is the worst thing ever written (we’ve all been there), you can use one but I’d use every free resource available first.

• Second, according to this research, the reader only spends a few seconds on your resume anyways. about 2/3rds of that is spent on location, job titles and companies.

  • If you’re going to focus your effort on anything, make sure the format is easy to read and your first few bullets are highly relevant.

  • Once you know how little your bullets get read, it’s hard to understand how you’re going to get serious value from a resume writer.

• Finally, I want to be clear that I can almost know with 100% certainty there are some amazing resume writers.

  • My issue is how do you differentiate them from the crap?

  • All you have to go on is reviews and marketing. I can tell you first hand that reviews are not hard to get with effort and persistence and good marketing doesn’t equal good quality.

Conclusion:

I would do everything in my power to take full control of my job search before hiring anyone, including someone like me. Only reach out when you feel in need.