A CV plays a key part in the recruitment process and needs to be done right
A CV writing service can make a real difference to your search for your next position or a new career path. There's a modest initial investment, of course, but you're paying for expertise and experience. The end product is a professional, high-quality advertisement for you. It tells your story and fits your working life and qualifications into this seamlessly. It will also help you to see not only into the next job, but perhaps into a series of positions and a lucrative career trajectory.
So, let's look at the specifics. Is a CV rewrite worth it? How can paying for a professionally written CV provide a return on investment?
What are the benefits of hiring a CV writer?
It's all about presentation
Most of us would think nothing of paying a little bit extra when it comes to our interview outfit. Perhaps you get a haircut or a manicure to make sure you're looking your best. But to get through the door, your CV has to be as polished as your appearance. This is where a CV writer comes in. Just as you'd never attend an interview in jeans and trainers, it's just as important for your CV to present you in your best light too. A CV writer, like a good stylist, can look at how you're presented and tell you exactly what's missing.
Getting past the gender gap
For women, there is a proven “gender confidence gap”, meaning they're more likely to undervalue their achievements and be less ambitious in applying for roles and seeking competitive salaries. The Harvard Gazette shed light on this tendency, showing the disadvantage for women in processes involving assessment of their own strengths and weaknesses. If that applies to you, there's an immediate financial benefit to hiring a professional to correct for this bias and to make sure you're presenting your best self through your CV. Your CV is your passport to success, so don't take any chances with it.
Helping you to secure the best salary
The more competitive the employment market gets, the more sophisticated a job your CV has to do. So, it's no longer just a matter of setting out your experience and qualifications; your CV has to create a story, not only showing your career progression to date but also giving this narrative texture and helping you to create a personal brand. What are your strengths? Why are these particularly important? How do you make all of these things come together to present a candidate that employers won't want to pass over?
A major part of this is qualifying as well as quantifying your experiences. Your CV shouldn't just tell a prospective employer what you've done, it should explain why that was important and what qualities you brought to the achievement. How did you make a difference? What role did you play? A professional writer will know how to encapsulate these factors in an authentic way. The result? Prospective employers see value in hiring you, at a competitive salary, rather than being put off by fluff.
Why should I pay for a CV?
Any document is improved by a second pair of eyes (or third, or fourth), so you might show your CV to friends or colleagues. Their feedback will almost certainly sharpen your offering, but people who have a personal relationship with you might well hold back or put a positive spin on their comments. Paying for a CV will give you unbiased and unvarnished advice, honestly critiquing your experience and competences, but also identifying areas where you have underplayed your strengths.
When you engage a professional CV writer, you're not just paying for words or design; you're paying for their industry-specific knowledge. You're paying for a shortcut to the sector you want to work in and for a polished application that demonstrates this knowledge. Don't waste time second-guessing what the employer is looking for or expecting you to say, get a professional to tell you.
How much should I pay for a CV?
There's a great deal of choice available online, from free CV reviews to career consultancy. The level of investment will depend on where you are in your career. If you're looking for that first step on the ladder, a basic package for around £99 will suffice – less than a month of daily cappuccinos. Beware cut-price offers though - while it might seem a good idea to find someone on Fiverr or go for a cheap package, bear in mind that you get what you pay for. A good service should offer the option of a cover letter and also include the cost of revisions. A better service would offer LinkedIn profile services as well. For a really thorough service – for example, later stage careers or changing up careers – expect to pay up to £250. If they're charging more than this, question whether what you're getting that justifies the extra expense.
The bottom line: return on investment
From November 8 through December 5, 2018, our US counterpart TopResume commissioned a study of recruiters and job seekers to understand the way a professionally written CV impacts the hiring process. The results were definitive: an investment in a professionally-written CV gives job seekers a competitive edge over those whose CVs were self-written. In fact, recruiters perceived candidates with professionally-written CVs to be worth 7% more than those without them.
They also perceived these candidates as more polished and better able to deliver results, and they felt more confident about the prospect of presenting these candidates to clients. Of the candidates who received a free CV review, those who purchased a professional rewrite reported finding a job at a 32% higher rate than those who didn't. Of those candidates, 68% secured that job within three months of having their CV professionally written and 42% of them moved on to a higher-level position.
How much does CV writing cost?
Not as much as you'd think! Our professional CV writing packages start at just £99 and can even be paid for in installments.
So, is a CV rewrite worth it?
We certainly think so!Our professional CV writing service has helped over 600,000 professionals to land more interviews and get hired faster. Choose from our selection of CV writing packages and let our team of CV writing pros help you to land your dream job.