Why You Shouldn’t Hire an Expensive Resume Writer & How to Write Your Own

Vanessa Hope
Mar 23
5 min read

Hiring a professional resume writer can cost anywhere from $200 to $1,000, but is it worth the price? In today's job market, you must tailor your resume for each job application to get through an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) and have a person actually consider your resume. Most job seekers are also interested in more than one type of position and have a variety of skills. Therefore, investing heavily in a single version of your resume is not a practical choice.

Tailoring your resume for specific jobs can be especially challenging if you're transitioning to a different industry, sector, or career altogether. For career transitioners, it's not enough to just translate your work and skills on paper—you also need to learn how to discuss your experience using the new industry's language. Writing your own resume can help you internalize the new language and you'll feel more confident in interviews. Plus, no one knows your accomplishments and the impact of your work better than you.

In this article, I will show you how to write your resume so you stand out to recruiters and hiring managers.

What Are Recruiters Looking For?

Understanding how recruiters review resumes can help you write one that stands out. Most recruiters review 100-200 resumes a day, which means they only spend about 10-30 seconds scanning each one. That being said, recruiters only review the resumes their ATS has ranked as a high match for the role. According to a recent study, 75% of resumes are rejected by ATS before they even reach a recruiter. Therefore, a resume that isn’t scannable by both an ATS and a recruiter can reduce your chances of getting an interview by 60%.

How to Get Through the Applicant Tracking System (ATS)

An Applicant Tracking System is software employers use to track and manage job applications. ATS analyzes resumes and compares them to job requirements, highlighting candidates who best match the role. Knowing how to optimize your resume to get a high ATS ranking is key for getting interviews.

Scanability - It's critical that your resume be easily scannable by both the ATS and recruiter. Use a simple, clean format for your resume. Avoid graphics, tables, and fancy formatting like columns—ATS systems don’t scan these well, and critical information may be missed. Lastly, submit your resume as a Word document or PDF.
Job Titles - Job titles are the keywords with the highest ranking in ATS algorithms. The more times the job title you're applying for appears in your resume, the higher it will rank. So, you want to include the exact job title you’re applying for at the top of your resume. I recommend including it in your professional summary as well. You also want to list your work experience with job titles representing what you did to a broad audience. For example, if your title was something like Consultant II or Senior Consultant, and you worked as a project manager, you can use the job title Project Management Consultant or Project Manager.
Top Skills - ATS algorithms scan for skills, so it's important to have a clear list of your top skills and describe your skills in your work experience. Be sure to include skills from the job description. According to a 2023 LinkedIn study, job postings with a skills match increase applicant interview rates by 79%.
Location - Include your city and state at the top of your resume to appear in location-based searches.
Keywords and Phrases - Use relevant keywords and phrases from the job description to describe your work. I recommend finding 4 to 5 job descriptions you're really interested in and using the keywords and phrases from them to describe your work experience. That way, you don't have to tailor your resume as much each time you apply to a similar role. Chances are, most of the language will align.
Dates for Work Experience - Indicate the month and year you started and ended positions to improve your ATS ranking. However, you do not need to include the month and year of your education. I recommend not including your graduation years, as it can imply an age that may or may not be accurate.

How to Stand Out to a Recruiter

Think of your resume as a movie trailer—not a full-length film. Show the range of your experience, not every detail. Aim to highlight your best qualifications while keeping it concise and easy to read.

Follow These Principles:

Readability - Make it easy to read with simple fonts like Arial and Aptos. Avoid fancy fonts that are hard to read. Demonstrate your work experience with bullets, not paragraphs, and use 1.15 spaces between them.
The top 1/3 of your resume is the most important. If a recruiter only has 30 seconds to scan your resume, you must capture their attention at the top. Put the most important details at the top. Start with the job title you're applying for, a professional summary, and your top skills.
Include a Professional Summary. You need a strong professional summary that captures your unique value. The more authentic you sound, the better. This is your one chance to make a human connection with your resume. Use this formula to write your professional summary: What you do, Who you do it for, How you do it, and Why it matters to you.
Include a Company Overview. A brief company overview helps recruiters know if your experience is relevant and saves them time. For example, Company Name - Federal Consulting Firm, or Public Health Organization, or AI and IT Technology Services
Highlight Top Accomplishments. Lead with awards and your biggest accomplishments first. When describing your work experience, focus on accomplishments, results, and impact, as opposed to duties and tasks. Use this formula: Led/Improved something + by doing something + resulting in. According to Zety, resumes with quantifiable achievements are 40% more likely to land an interview.
Include your LinkedIn URL. 90% of recruiters use LinkedIn, so your LinkedIn profile is as important as your resume. Hyperlink your LinkedIn profile URL at the top of your resume.
Length - While a two-page resume is ideal, I recommend focusing on word count and readability rather than page count. Formatting tricks can fit 1,000 words onto one page or spread 500 words across three pages. What matters most is being easy to read and concise. If you have less than 10 years of experience, aim for 500 words or less. If you have over 10 years of experience, aim for 800 words or less.

Conclusion

You don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars on a resume writer to land your dream job. By applying these proven strategies, you can craft a compelling, ATS-friendly resume that stands out to recruiters. Focus on clarity, relevance, and impact—highlighting your top skills and accomplishments in a way that resonates with hiring managers and automated systems. Remember, your resume is just the first step; use it as a tool to open doors and showcase your value. With a well-structured, tailored resume, you’ll be on your way to securing more interviews and advancing your career!

If you're a career changer who would like help translating your work experience to the private, public, or non-profit sector, I can help. I offer a resume review service, which entails comparing your resume to four of your target job descriptions, helping you craft an authentic professional summary, and describing your work in ways that will stand out to recruiters for your desired role. I will also provide feedback for optimizing your ATS ranking.

Contact Me Today!