Who Is A Professional Resume Writer

A professional resume writer is a resume expert who creates polished resumes to showcase the talents, skills, and qualifications of their clients to potential employers. A resume writer is responsible for reviewing the existing resumes of clients and analyzing them to provide detailed criticisms. Other than resume writing services, professional resume writers also provide career guidance and advice on job searching.

Most professional resume writers would help you prepare for job applications and interviews by providing advice and tips. They have in-depth knowledge of many industries and fields. A resume writer can promptly identify the expectations of employers of a particular field. This helps them create resumes that get noticed by hiring managers.

Professional Resume Writer Job Duties

A professional resume writer undertakes many resume-related job duties and responsibilities:

• Interviewing clients to identify their needs
• Discussing career goals with clients and providing appropriate career advice
• Explaining the resume writing process to clients and answering their questions on the subject
• Reviewing client resumes and providing constructive criticism
• Reading job descriptions and other material submitted by clients to ensure the new resume is tailored for the position
• Collecting information about the work experience, education, skills, and other qualifications of clients via telephone calls
• Generating compelling cover letters to go with client resumes
• Proofreading client resumes for spelling, grammar, punctuation, and formatting errors
• Creating impressive resumes to highlight the strengths of clients
• Advising clients on their job search strategies
• Directing clients to the right online tools for job hunting

Professional Resume Writer Salary

The compensation for a resume writer will depend on the company standard. The salary of a resume writer will vary based on their level of education and years of experience. If you work for a company, you will have chances of further income via commissions or bonuses. Many resume writers choose to be self-employed and have their own hourly or job-based rates.

• The median annual salary of a resume writer is $56,500 ($27.16/hour)
• The top 10% of resume writers have an annual salary of $100,000 ($48.08/hour)

Professional Resume Writer Education Requirements

There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to the educational requirements of a resume writer. Most employers prefer to hire resume writers with a bachelor’s degree in English, communications, public relations, or a related field. There are resume writers who have earned a master’s degree in fields related to resume writing.

Professional Resume Writer Work Experience Requirements

Although some years of experience in the field are expected by most employers, resume writers can start a fresh career and learn on the job. Resume writers need to develop their language skills and build extensive knowledge about the job industry. Many employers may assess resume writer candidates for their knowledge about different industries before hiring. Therefore, you should invest some time to study related topics when planning a career in resume writing.

Professional Resume Writer Skills Requirements

Some must-have skills for a career in resume writing are:

Communication skills

Resume writers need exceptional verbal communication skills. Their writing language and style must be honed to suit the requirements of the company. Good oral communication skills too are important since they deal directly with customers. A resume writer must be able t talk professionally to win the confidence of their clients and obtain all the details they need to write a perfect resume.

Discretion

A resume writer has access to the entire career history of their clients, including salary details, career gaps, bad terminations, etc. Being able to maintain the confidentiality of important client data is a must-have for a resume writing career.

Research skills

Resume writers should have sufficient research ability to inquire about a client’s work experience and collect the necessary information. Resumes oftentimes need to be upgraded and the writers should be capable of finding information dated back several years.

Editing and proofreading skills

A resume writer must be capable of promptly spotting errors and mistakes on a client’s resume to provide a well-rounded resume critique. They should also extensively review their own work to ensure that the end product received by the client is 100% error-free. Resume writers should be skilled in detecting and correcting grammatical, spelling, punctuation, and formatting errors.

Time management skills

Clients usually need to receive their finished resume within 24 hours or two-three days. During this time, the resume writer must create and review several drafts before finalizing the product. Resume writers will undertake several simultaneous projects and should have good time management skills to juggle them all.