It has been a while since I talked about resumes here on the blog, and honestly, that is on me. But lately, a handful of people have reached out asking about resume services, and I figured that was a pretty clear sign it was time to bring the topic back up.
So let me set the record straight: yes, I write resumes. It is absolutely a service I offer through Copywriting For You, and it is one I genuinely enjoy doing.
Am I a “Formally Trained” Resume Writer?
Here is where I will be straight with you. I did not complete a formal certification program in resume writing. What I do have is something I would argue matters just as much, if not more: real experience on both sides of the hiring process.
I spent years as a job applicant myself. I have been through the excitement of landing interviews, the anxiety of layoffs, and the frustrating experience of sending out resume after resume and hearing nothing back. Along the way, I had conversations with many recruiters, including several at the executive level. Those conversations gave me something no classroom could: direct, actionable input on what hiring managers and recruiters actually want to see, and what makes them pass on a candidate before finishing the first page.
That experience, combined with over 25 years of professional writing, is what I bring to every resume I write. My clients get a document that checks every box.
What Goes Into a Resume I Write?
Every resume I put together includes the following:
- A clean, professional header with easy-to-find contact information. And just to be clear, we are well past the era of listing your home address. That space is better used elsewhere.
- A strong professional summary that frames who you are and what you bring before the hiring manager reads another word.
- A skills section that calls out what you actually do well, written with the role you are targeting in mind.
- Work experience, written to cover your most recent 15 years. Here is the thing. Today’s recruiters and hiring managers are not scrolling back to what you did in 2005. If you have more than 15 years of experience (and many of my clients do), we talk about how to handle the older material. The answer is usually LinkedIn and, if you are not already there, Alignable. Your resume does not need to carry all of that weight.
- Educational background, along with any relevant certifications you have earned.
- Additional accomplishments and any volunteerism you want to include. These details often set candidates apart, and they deserve a spot on the page.
Why I Only Use One Template (and Why That Is the Right Call)
I offer one template style. It’s a single-column format. If you were expecting something fancier, I understand the initial reaction. But here is why this matters.
The Applicant Tracking System, or ATS, is the software that scans your resume before a human ever lays eyes on it. Many companies, even large ones, are running older versions of these systems. A resume that looks polished and modern to you can get scrambled or rejected entirely by an ATS that cannot read multi-column layouts, text boxes, or graphics.
The single-column format reads cleanly across virtually every ATS. Simpler, in this case, is genuinely smarter. I have seen this play out over and over again with clients, and the feedback I continue to receive confirms it. Getting your resume through the ATS is step one. Everything else comes after.
Pricing That Does Not Make You Wince
I remember going through a layoff years ago and looking up resume writing services. The prices stopped me cold. When you are out of work, or worried you might be soon, spending $200 or more on a resume feels like a lot to ask. And $200? That’s cheap. Many resume writing services charge $400 or more for the resume alone, and revisions may incur additional fees.
I built my pricing with that memory in mind. Here is how it breaks down:
- Resume only: $125
- Resume plus a LinkedIn profile refresh: $175
- Resume plus LinkedIn refresh plus a custom cover letter template: $225
And if you want to mix and match? Go for it. A lot of my clients prefer to handle their own LinkedIn but want a solid resume and a cover letter template ready to go. That combination runs $175.
How the Process Works
We start with a phone call, somewhere between 15 and 30 minutes. This is where I learn about you, including where you have been, where you want to go, and what kinds of roles you are targeting. If you already have job descriptions saved for positions you want to apply to, have them available to pass along to me. Matching your background to the specific language in a job posting is one of the most useful things we can do together, because the keywords in that description are often exactly what the ATS is scanning for.
From there, I need your existing resume. No resume yet? Not a problem. We capture what we can on the call, and I follow up with a short list of questions to fill in the gaps.
After that, I need you to stay reasonably available for questions, draft review, and any back-and-forth. The full process typically wraps up in two to five business days, depending on my schedule at the start of the project and how quickly information comes in on your end.
What you end up with is a clean, focused, ATS-ready resume that is built to get past the software, catch a recruiter’s attention, and land in front of the person with the authority to call you in.
Ready for a Resume That Actually Works?
If your resume has been sitting in a folder on your desktop, or you are starting from scratch and are not sure where to begin, I can help.
You can reach out through Upwork, where we’ll set up a contract before our call so everything is clear from the start. If you prefer to connect directly, you can email me to discuss your project. I’ll send a deposit invoice for 75% of the agreed scope, which is due before we meet.
Once your resume is complete, I’ll send a final invoice for the remaining balance. Simple, straightforward, and designed to keep your project moving forward.