In the immortal words of P.T. Barnum "... there's one born every minute". Don't be the one. Don't be fooled by unscrupulous individuals taking advantage of the current job market. Whether you're savvy regarding your job hunt or haven't looked in years the first step in the process is your resume. Beware these scams to avoid wolves in sheep's clothing, and you won't be fleeced.
Resume Mills:
Budget companies often will take in your work here
and farm it out to organizations outside of the United States. If you can't talk directly to a writer, don't engage in the service. Do not place an order or give money until you have spoken to a live person.
Guarantees:
Let's face it, your efforts are an equal part of the
process - no document can guarantee a job. Unfortunately, many
consumers fall for this claim with companies offering a refund and cash back policy, which upon further reading requires ridiculous measures to
obtain like proof of resume distribution by certified mail or fax receipts. In today's market no one uses these methods. Ask for a copy of the guarantee and read it before you make a commitment.
One Price Fits All:
Come on, you shouldn't even have to read this
one. This is an attempt to bait the public into initiating work that
in the end will cost quite a bit more. Often low price providers will do the easy projects and either reject, not respond or ask for additional fees on the more difficult ones. The job seeker who gets burned by this scam is usually the one who makes a decision by calling services and asking, "What's your price?" rather than what do you do, how long have you been in business and when can I talk to a writer.
24 Hour Resumes: If time is of the essence you could have someone
else charge you a fee and input the document in a word template, this
is about what you will receive from an organization advertising this
service. Do you really think a resume that has little thought put into it will help you? Additionally, companies that advertise this service often face complaints of not being able to meet deadlines. Once you have waited a week for a 24 hour resume, they figure you would be happy to just get it.
Beware Top/Best 7-10 Resume Writer Listings: Unfortunately, these lists are compiled by the very organizations listed on top. You may think you are comparing services, but in the end, you are being taken for a ride.
Make certain to Google the sponsoring (not for profit) group to see if they're legitimate, or even exist at all!
Don't take a chance on your future, see a professional, minimize your time lost searching, and maximize your results. With this shiny eyed knowledge understand that not all resumes are created equal, what you need is a professional resume writer. You owe it to your career to find someone local who knows how to best present you. When you meet with someone in-person, you are most likely to get the best resume.
