Professional resume writers - worth the $?

[MissM.RN, BSN, RN]

Hello,

I'm wondering if anyone out there on AN has used a professional resume writing service? If so, was it worth the $? Do you think your resume was much better after using the service?

I think my resume has good content, but I'm unsure if I have highlighted the right things that nurse managers/HR are looking for. In 2 months I will be a new grad RN (BSN). Would anyone be willing to take a look at my resume? Thanks a lot for any/all advice!

[llg, PhD, RN]

I don't think the professionals resume writers are worth the money for most nurses. Unless you have some special circumstance, I wouldn't recommend spending much money. Maybe if your school offers a cheap/free service ... then that might be worth it, but don't pay big bucks. Most such services are geared towards business employers, not nurses -- and their products often smack of a "hard sell" approach that is off-putting to most nursing hiring managers who prefer a resume with more emphasis on substance and less on style.

[MN-Nurse, ASN, RN]

I don't think the professionals resume writers are worth the money for most nurses. QUOTE]

If someone has basic skills and can work off examples and templates, I agree totally it is not worth it.

I had an HR person who looked down her nose at me and suggested I get my resume redone professionally. I called around for some quotes for someone to take a look at mine. The resume was done, all the information was on it. Figured I'd spend around $100.

I found that professional resume writers are a useless bunch of overpriced moronic vampire ripoff artists who prey on people looking for jobs in a bad economy. Every one of those useless jerks I called wanted around $500 "to start" and laid the hard sell on me about how I would never find a job without their help.

I gave up on those idiots after a few calls. A few days later I was offered a job.

I wrote the HR person who gave me the above advice and told her, "Unfortunately I am no longer available. I (and my crappy resume) recently accepted a New Grad Residency position at a local magnet hospital."

[NursingPro]

I had my resume rewritten after 15 years of experience and what a difference it made. I used a Professional & Executive Resume Writing ~ When Quality Counts! and dealt specifically with a woman named *****. She had a ton of experience in nursing resumes and input information that I wouldn't have even thought of, but was important. Face it not everyone can write well, I paid around$ 200.00 but was not pressured in anyway. I know they are based out of Miami, FL but service all over the place. I not only got a new position, but my managerial skills stood out and I was hired in a position of supervision that I should have been paid at my old employer.