The job market is a competitive place these days, almost regardless of industry. Whether you’re blue collar, white collar, work from home, or a specialist in some field, chances are you’ll have a relatively hard time getting hired if you don’t have a top-tier resume that can help distinguish your application against the glut of others in an employer’s slush pile.
Unfortunately, many of us aren’t the best at writing professional documents, let alone crafting a high-quality resume that paints a clear picture and compelling story about our accomplishments and professional goals. The good news? There are plenty of professionals whose entire job revolves around crafting perfect resumes for certain positions or industries.
These resume writing services or businesses are online platforms that allow professionals to work with skilled writers who can help them come up with an ideal resume for their desired position or industry.
Some resume writing services will ask for some basic information about your resume, then do some surface-level editing and fine-tuning. Others will ask for more comprehensive information and can draft a new resume from scratch that fully represents who you are as a professional.
But resume writing services can vary in terms of price, features, extra perks, and even more. Plus, there are lots of different resume writing services to choose from – it’s tough to know which are really worth your time and money.
That’s why we put this guide together. Below, you’ll find 12 of the best resume writing services you can use in 2022. Choose the one that works best for your budget and professional needs and you’ll be more likely to see great success in your job hunt. Let’s get started.
Let’s Eat, Grandma
First and arguably most effective is Let’s Eat, Grandma, also abbreviated as LEG. Founded in 2004, LEG offers a comprehensive selection of career advice and resume writing services for job seekers looking to gain an edge with their next interview.
What’s included? LEG offers a phenomenal resume writing service that includes a few different packages based on the services or benefits you want. For instance, its starter package costs $209 and includes a cover letter in addition to general resume writing assistance. Or you can go for the accelerated package, which is $349. This includes a profile review for your LinkedIn page.
LEG’s offerings continuing this general trend, offering more features for more money. For $595, you’ll get the premium package that includes a second version of your cover letter or resume, cold emails to recruiters, and even thank-you notes for recruiters.
All this is to say that LEG offers a lot of benefits for those who can afford them, although even their basic starter package is among the most expensive on the market. The good news is that you can get in touch with this resume writing service with a phone call free of charge if you want to investigate more about what exactly they offer and the potential benefits you might enjoy.
Bottom line: this is a great resume writing service for those who want the best of the best and don’t care too much about the cost.
The Muse
The Muse was founded in 2011 and it offers career advice and resume writing services for new job seekers for comparatively affordable prices, especially compared to LEG. For instance, the basic “Mentor” plan costs $119 and gives job seekers an opportunity to chat with a professional resume writer through phone calls or Skype sessions. The same plan also includes some resume updating by that same professional.
The “Coach” plan costs $225. It includes everything from before, as well as two rounds of resume edits and a 45-minute chat with a phone or Skype call. “Master” costs $479 and includes a 60-minute chat plus unlimited resume updates for up to two weeks. This offers potentially tremendous value for money if you’re a job seeker who likes to constantly go back and rewrite your resume multiple times depending on different positions or goals.
Ultimately, The Muse is a good, affordable resume writing service that’s best suited for job seekers who need something decent without costing too much overall. However, the earlier plans can feel a bit limited due to the aforementioned time limits.
Monster.com
Monster.com is another great resume writing service, even if it isn’t quite as comprehensive as some of the options above. It’s also one of the oldest online resume writing services, having been founded in 1994. These days, most people use Monster.com for its job board feature, allowing them to easily apply to open positions in a variety of industries and businesses filtered by local area or interest.
But Monster.com also offers resume writing services under three plans. The basic plan is pretty affordable at $129, though it doesn’t come with a cover letter. That only comes with the deluxe plan, which costs $169. The premier plan includes a resume, cover letter, and an additional profile makeover for your LinkedIn page, offered a relatively reasonable price of $349.
Even better, Monster.com will rewrite your resume free of charge if you aren’t happy with it within 60 days. However, keep in mind that any big revisions have to be requested within five business days.
All in all, it’s a decent resume writing service for those who want something comprehensive without being too expensive, and an especially good choice if you already use Monster.com for the job board feature mentioned earlier.
TopResume
Next is TopResume, which was founded in 2014 and is thus one of the more recent resume writing services to crop up over the last few years. It includes a team of over 1500 resume writers and offers a number of benefits right off the bat, such as free resume scanning free of charge. Like most resume writing services, TopResume includes three plans to choose from.
Professional Growth is the basic package and costs $179. Career Evolution is a step above that at $219. In addition to the basic resume overview and editing offered by Professional Growth, comes with a 60-day guarantee for resume success or your money back, plus cover letter editing. Last is Executive Priority, which costs $349 and includes everything mentioned earlier as well as a LinkedIn profile update.
Generally, TopResume’s writers are responsive and easy to get a hold of, so this service might be a good choice if you like to constantly collaborate and update your resume through teamwork. However, the “test resume” mentioned earlier is a bit lacking – given that this is totally free, however, you can’t complain too much.
ZipJob
ZipJob is even more recent than TopResume, having been founded in 2016. The service is dedicated to easy resume writing and professional results – in fact, it’s a service built from the ground up to help people who find resume writing to be a boring and time-consuming chore that only serves as a barrier before a job interview.
Fortunately, ZipJob’s various resume writing plans are relatively affordable. The first is called “Launch” and costs $139. This includes resume optimization services to help your resume stand out from the other ones in a pile. Next is “Fast Track”, which costs $189 and includes both a cover letter and a 60-day guarantee that you’ll get more interviews than you did before or your money back.
Last is “Premium”, which costs $299 and includes all of the features mentioned before as well as expedited delivery, which to ZipJob counts as three days.
The last package is relatively underwhelming for the price uptick – there’s a solid $110 between the highest-priced plan and the middling tier. However, that middling plan is pretty good value for money, especially when you consider the 60-day guarantee or your money back.
It’s a good service overall due to these aspects and because ZipJob offers a free resume review without having to pay for any of the packages beforehand.
LinkedIn ProFinder
LinkedIn ProFinder is, of course, connected to the website that most people use for their career profiles and professional connections. It began in 2016 and it’s best to think of this service as a kind of freelance job board for resume writers or editors than a dedicated writing service or firm.
Fortunately, any resume writers on this platform have to have at least 10 recommendations in order to provide their services, so you can at least rest assured that you’re getting a set level of quality with each order.
Users can submit requests for resume writers through the ProFinder platform, and they can receive up to five bids at a time. Once you find a freelancer that you like, you can hash out a price – freelancers usually offer quotes by default.
However, the overall quality is contingent on you researching your freelancer and feeling confident with your choice. There are certainly freelancers who provide subpar work and there’s no way to get your money back if you end up choosing one of them.
All in all, LinkedIn ProFinder could be one of the most affordable resume writing platforms in the industry or it could be one of the most frustrating depending on who you get. It’s a little different from the other platforms and services on this list, but this will make it attractive to those who don’t mind doing a little extra research before getting their resume written or edited professionally.
iHire
iHire is another relatively older resume writing service, having been started in 1999. This service specializes in connecting both job seekers and employers, and it offers ancillary resume writing and editing bonuses as well.
Specifically, it offers a tool that can help score your resume against certain jobs, as well as a resume builder platform, automated critiques, and professionally written resumes for purchase.
Like most services, customers are able to select a plan based on how many years of experience they have and what professional level they’re looking for. The entry-level plan costs $345, while the professional resume plan is priced at $395 and is intended for job seekers who have between 5 and 20 years of experience. Last is the $495 plan designed for candidates looking for executive positions.
The plans aren’t very different from one another, though the packages are designed to work with longer and more detailed resumes as the prices increased. Ultimately, it’s a good service if you want a resume fine-tuned for exactly where you are in your career. Plus, iHire’s resume writers have their clients complete a questionnaire to help them focus on which parts of your resume that you want to be highlighted or written extra well.
Top CV
Top CV is based in the United Kingdom and is a decent international resume writing service. Specifically, Top CV is known for its ability to emphasize career stories or unique aspects for each candidate, helping job seekers brand themselves as specialized and valuable assets to potential companies. So far, they’ve helped over 400,000 professionals worldwide, though most of their user base is, of course, based in the UK.
Anyone using this service will first need to complete a detailed questionnaire that helps their resume writers include anything necessary in your resume and highlight appropriate areas. Top CV uses over 1200 resume writers from over 65 industries, so most professionals should find someone who can write a decent resume for their desired position.
The entry-level package includes a CV designed and formatted for specific keywords: this could be invaluable in today’s digitally-driven hiring environment. Higher-priced packages include additional features and services, such as revised cover letters, LinkedIn profile updates, and more. The services all also come with a 60-day guarantee to rewrite your resume free of charge if you don’t double the number of job interviews you get within that timeframe.
Knock ‘Em Dead
Knock ‘Em Dead is something of a specialized resume writing service – it can provide industry-specific resumes better than many other providers. Once you sign up, you’ll receive a resume written specifically for the position or industry you dictate, plus a customized cover letter to help you grab the attention of hiring agents at a business or enterprise.
The service is relatively thorough and includes plenty of revision opportunities. Knock ‘Em Dead will refine and hone your resume until you’re totally satisfied with the end result – they do this with two writers per resume as well as a copy editor, as well, instead of relying on only a single resume writer.
The search optimized resume you receive will also be provided in multiple formats for easy transmission or storage. Also included with this resume writing service is a one-hour strategy session so you can boost your odds of being hired and maximize your chances of knocking your future boss dead, as the service’s name suggests.
You can also pay a little extra for more advanced resume writing packages. These include additional perks, like two hours of strategy training to help you search for jobs perfect for your needs or desires, five hours of on-demand video job search training, and an additional customized cover letter.
Prices can vary dramatically since the total effort required will depend on the industry in which your career is based. Still, this could be a fantastic choice for those who appreciate collaboration and hands-on resume writing with experts in this field.
Career Perfect
Career Perfect is a comprehensive resume writing service that includes packages and services for cover letter writing, career planning, job searching, and even interview training. But its core resume writing services are broken down into four categories for students or entry-level professionals, mid-career professionals, executives, and federal or military personnel. Over 30 years of business, Career Perfect has become one of the staple resume writing services in the field.
It’s easy to place an order with Career Perfect using PayPal or most major credit cards. After providing the necessary information about your career and resume efforts so far, you’ll be able to develop your new resume with a professional writer. Final results are usually delivered within 4 to 5 business days, and all packages include keyword-rich writing to help your resume stand out with algorithmic hiring software.
Furthermore, customers can opt for additional editing services for another fee. This includes professional resume editing if you already have a document that you feel works well enough but needs a little zing to really blow away the competition. Fortunately, each of Career Perfect’s writers have four-year college degrees and hold collective expertise in over 90 industries.
Prices can vary based on the amount of work required, but it’s usually well worth it if your industry happens to be one of the 90 covered by the above professionals.
LiveCareer
LiveCareer has been around since 2004 and offers price ranges between the very affordable $99 or as high as $299. This service covers all industries, ranging from federal jobs to academic positions to other professions. Over its less than two decades of service, it has nonetheless grown to become one of the largest resume writing services in the industry, having crafted over 10 million resumes so far for professionals in over 150 countries.
The resume writing service can be basic or more comprehensive depending on the package you choose from. In addition to basic resume writing and editing services, you can also pay extra for a cover letter writing option, or combine the two into a holistic resume-boosting package. However, you can also opt just for cover letter assistance if you already have a decent resume.
You’ll also get a one-on-one consultation with your resume writer that can range from between 10 to 20 minutes based on the package level you purchase. Most resumes are received within three business days.
All in all, it’s a potentially affordable and comprehensive resume writing service. However, it’s not the best in terms of collaboration opportunities, and your meetings with your resume writer are usually quite brief and basic. You’ll need to go look elsewhere if you want to bang out a killer resume in conjunction with a skilled writer instead of having them do most of the work with a minimum of input from yourself.
Thumbtack
Last but not least is Thumbtack – another service closer to the LinkedIn ProFinder resume writer job board than an actual service or firm. You can find potentially professional resume writers on this platform for as low as $50 a resume, although more experienced writers may charge upwards of $500 a document. Naturally, the higher-priced freelancers are usually more worth your time and money, though you can sometimes find affordable pros hidden in the slush.
However, this platform allows you to filter for different writers or preferences with lots of detail. You can, for instance, filter out different potential writers based on their target industry, travel preferences, and even the additional services they may require. This means you can sometimes meet your professional resume writer(s) in person to have long-form meetings about what you want out of their package.
The professionals on this job board send quotes to potential clients, just like with LinkedIn’s ProFinder. It’s also up to you to do thorough research on any writer you hire, as it’s quite possible to get a dud that doesn’t do a good enough job for your needs. However, Thumbtack includes certain badges for high-quality writers who have a lot of feedback – examples include “In High Demand” or “Top Pro”.
You can find even more flexible services on this job board, including resume distribution and even life coaching. Remember to check the built-in verified reviews before hiring a writer, of course. Overall, you might just find the perfect resume writer using this platform – success is more in your hands here than with many other professional services.
Summary
In the end, any of these resume writing services could help you land the job you’ve been dreaming of. Since resumes are even more crucial these days than they were before, we’d recommend checking out at least one of them before submitting your resume for professional consideration. This is even easier since many of the above services offer free consultations or resume scans before you have to put any money down. Good luck!
