Would you pay $250 for a resume and cover letter??

[bowlica]

So I was on Linked In and saw a link for tips on what to include on resumes. I quickly noticed that my resume is quite outdated. I've worked at the same job for 16 years..right out of college. I've kept my resume updated with the increasing job responsibilities that I have been given but I know that it's not that attractive by today's standard. I talked to the guy and he gave good pointers. Then later I was told to get the resume updated and a cover letter it would be $250. I think that is a small investment to make that could make a big difference one day but I'm not searching for a job and I'm very stable where I am. But it's always the uncertainty that would make me want to have an attractive updated resume. What would you do???

[y4m]

Absolutely not. No stranger is going to describe what I've done in my jobs better than I can.

Ask some friends to send you resumes to use as a template if you don't feel you have the word processing skills to do it well.

[Deleted]

no

[CloudBee]

No. You would do better emailing your friends, asking if any of them could review of know friends in the same field. Networking, don't outsource to someone who does generic resumes.

[ejpint]

No. But I recruit and hire for a living, so I think I have a pretty good grasp of how to create an attractive resume.
Have a friend look at it for you.

[Deleted]

IMO if you can't do a good job yourself then yes. My job is to look at resumes all day and I have helped a significat # of people at church and in my social ciricle revamp their resumes for FREE.

I just dont understand why people dont just shell out the $ as an investment to get them professionally done if they KNOW they cant do a good job themselves. Now with that said make sure they company/person you select to pay for this service can and does do a good job.

[bowlica]

Thanks so much..I will network...You guys just saved my $250...

[drloretta]

The last time a friend of mine spent that kind of $ on a resume service, she hated her resume and had to rework it.

With the plethora of resume and CL templates out there, and tips on how to make it shine, it shouldn't be that hard to spiff it up yourself.

That said, I still occasionally entertain the idea of becoming a certified resume writer...

[Deleted]

No

[noodleoo]

Nope, especially since you are not actively looking right now. I think you can get a lot of free info on the web and advice from friends and family. If you were making a big career change and could easily afford it, maybe. But you aren't even looking! Update it on your own for now.

[agnes]

No way. Heck, people have had help with their resumes from the posters here.

[Deleted]

Absolutely not.


When I was applying to grad schools, I sent out my resume and essays to contacts who are currently employed in my field, other graduate students, and a professor who previously worked on a grad admissions committee.

The feedback I received was much more valuable than any generic feedback I could have gotten from a paid service.

[StJess80]

No.

[heygrey]

no. this is a project you can do yourself with a little effort.

[Deleted]

Apparently I did a good job of putting together my CV, because a colleague who looked at it said "you got your money's worth" thinking that I had outsourced it.

[glynn2009]

No

[aspentosh]

Definitely not.

[downtoearth]

I think of it as an evening activity, not something I'd pay $250 for someone to "spin" for me if I wasn't looking for a current job.

[amity]

Obviously, I am in the minority here, but I had my resume professionally written (just resume, not cover letter) when I relocated to a new state and changed careers. I have kept the same format over the years and been able to add to it and revise it over the years. I love it and I feel like it has gotten me a foot in the door many times.

I believe I paid around $200 and it was by far one of the best investments of my career.

[MrsManners]

May 22, 2012 13:24:35 GMT -5 amity said:

Obviously, I am in the minority here, but I had my resume professionally written (just resume, not cover letter) when I relocated to a new state and changed careers. I have kept the same format over the years and been able to add to it and revise it over the years. I love it and I feel like it has gotten me a foot in the door many times.

I believe I paid around $200 and it was by far one of the best investments of my career.

My friend had his done and felt the same way. I think his was $150-200. He swears it helped him get his current job that he loves. As a hiring manager, I will tell you that there are some formats that are MUCH easier to read and that the info I'm looking for jumps off the page. However, I would probably not pay to have it done unless I was actively going to be using it to look for jobs, not "just in case".

[cricketwife]

No.

[cowboyjoe]

No.

There are plenty of free resources on the internet about resumes. I would also have a friend look it over and maybe even some of the ladies here.

[chessie]

May 22, 2012 13:24:35 GMT -5 amity said:

Obviously, I am in the minority here, but I had my resume professionally written (just resume, not cover letter) when I relocated to a new state and changed careers. I have kept the same format over the years and been able to add to it and revise it over the years. I love it and I feel like it has gotten me a foot in the door many times.

I believe I paid around $200 and it was by far one of the best investments of my career.

I would do the same. I kept the same format for years as well and to break away from it - was pretty hard. Most the people we know aren't in the same field so its not like they could really assist, both DH and I, had ours redone professionally - they look so much better. We used it as a tax right off.