Resume Revisions for a Fee – Yay or Nay?

A job-seeking candidate recently told us that they paid for a RESUME REVISION from Ladders.com.

She sent off her resume to Ladders.com and received a revised one around 3-4 days later.

SHE PAID $500.

That’s right  – $500 for a revised resume which in our opinion was extremely copy-heavy and looked more like a Jane Austen novel than a resume. We actually thought her original resume was better!

Here’s what we think are the Pros & Cons of Fee-based Resume Revisions based on our professional point of view:

PROS:

–Time Saving: We know how overwhelming it can be to revise/update your resume especially if you’re currently working so if time is a problem for you, then maybe a resume-revision service is a solution for you

–Professional Experience: Some services claim that they have “experienced” professionals from HR-related fields and writing backgrounds which is an advantage when working on your resume

CONS:

–Expensive: With high fees (like the $500 flat-rate fee from ladders.com), it maybe difficult to part with your hard-earned income especially if you’re currently unemployed

–No Guarantee: Unlike the ubiquitous “Your Sanctification is Guaranteed” motto from Mens Warehouse, many companies will only give you one round of revisions so if you don’t like the revised resume version that you paid for, chances are you won’t be able to request another round of revisions or a refund

-Impersonal: Sure it’s easy to revise a resume just based on formatting, spelling/grammar changes, etc. but without meeting you or at least having a conversation with you over the phone, how can these “professionals” actually revise your resume to fit your needs? Resumes are highly personalized and shouldn’t be changed using a “cookie-cutter” format.

Resumes should also be highly targeted toward the kind of opportunities you’re seeking and be full of specific accomplishments that speak to your target market.  You know your experience better than anyone else, so ultimately, you should be the best author of your resume.

So we’d love to know from you job-seekers if you think that paying for a revised resume is worth it (whether it’s from ladders.com or hiring a copywriter).

With Ladders.com charging a flat rate of $500 for a one-time revised resume, do you think it’s a YAY or a NAY?