Resume Writer Pet Peeves (with PDF)
The following post explores Resume Writer Pet Peeves.
Are you thinking about hiring a Resume Writer? Working with a professional Resume Writer should be a collaborative experience built on communication, trust, and mutual respect.
Read: Is Resume Writing a Scam?
Related: Best and Worst Resume Services on BBB
However, certain client behaviors can complicate the process. Below are some of the most common missteps job seekers should avoid when engaging a Resume Writing professional.
Here’s what you need to know.
Overview
Working with a professional resume writer is not a passive transaction—it’s a collaborative process that depends on communication, trust, responsiveness, and realistic expectations.
While most engagements go smoothly, certain behaviors can create unnecessary friction, delay progress, or make it harder to produce the strongest possible final document.
Understanding these common pitfalls can help job seekers get better value from the experience and build a more productive partnership with their Resume Writer.
Baggage
Some clients enter into the Resume Writing process with unresolved baggage from a past experience.
These clients are eager to communicate what went wrong with their last Resume Writer. This is akin to going on a first date and telling your new dating partner about everything that went wrong with an “ex”. It’s totally unrelated, doesn’t really add any value, and makes the other party wary of how things will go from the very start. If you have baggage from a past experience, try to keep it to yourself, learn from it, and use it to anticipate potential problems.
Distrustful
Trusting your Resume Writer is essential when working collaboratively to build your new Resume.
When shopping for a Resume Writer, you should study their background, education, and credentials to develop your own sense of trust. Distrustful clients may enter into a Resume Writing engagement without a sense of who they’ve hired (or why). This makes granting carte blanche and trusting the expert nearly impossible, which upsets the rhythm of the process.
Subjective Opinions
Your personal opinion of the Resume is largely subjective (beauty in the eye of the beholder).
What’s more important than your personal opinion is how effective the document will actually be in the marketplace. Overly judgmental clients are usually quick to express their feelings without considering the subjectivity of their opinions. You can avoid being judgmental by trusting your Resume Writer and resisting the temptation to immediately undo everything.
Overbearing
Professional boundaries are the code of conduct to follow when working with your Resume Writer.
Most boundaries are pretty obvious ones. They are based on societal norms like common courtesy and the golden rule (“do unto others as you would have them do unto you”). Overbearing clients may lack the consideration to respect certain boundaries. Examples of overbearing behavior include calling your Resume Writer multiple times a day or constantly requesting changes to the resume without clear direction.
Perfectionist
Striving for excellence in the Resume Writing process is a good goal. However, striving for perfection is counterproductive. Understanding the difference between excellence and perfection is critical.
When it comes to the practice of Resume Writing, excellence is the goal (not perfection). This doesn’t mean spelling and grammar are unimportant. Your Resume must be thoroughly proofread. But, perfectionist clients typically operate on arbitrary, unrealistic, and subjective standards that are impossible to meet. Perfectionists should avoid being overly scrupulous and instead redirect that energy into finding good job opportunities.
“Strive for excellence, not perfection, because we don’t live in a perfect world.” ―
Rushing It
Time is the single most precious asset in life. We’re all on the clock.
On a daily basis, most Resume Writers have 6-8 hours of productive working time to dedicate. Of course, this assumes your Resume Writer will avoid distractions, maintain good health, and steer clear of countless other factors which eat into available time. Rushed clients prioritize their own needs and timeline with little appreciation for how much time is available. Most reputable Resume Writers offer rush service for an additional charge. If you’re in a hurry, it’s best to consider paying for faster service.
In Conclusion
In conclusion, I hope this article isn’t too harsh. I am super grateful for every JobStars customer over the years and I hope this article helps you make the most of your engagement with your Resume Writer.
If you’re ready for professional help to build your ATS-friendly and visually appealing Resume, please fill out the Contact Us form or Submit Your Resume for a risk-free evaluation. JobStars is an A+ BBB-rated service that has earned multiple consecutive Complaint Free Awards. We look forward to hearing from you!
Download the ’10 Tips for Working With Your Resume Writer’ (PDF)
About the Author: Doug Levin
