15+ factors affect the price of a professionally developed résumé / CV. What are they?

Some clients argue that prices are expensive. Others argue that prices are cheap!

But what are factors to consider when it comes to developing a professional résumé / CV?

Let’s go through a few:

1. Years of experience in résumé / CV writing and working with certain types of clients that pose specific types of challenges (local, international, fresh grads, experienced, executives, career changers, entry after long period of unemployment, etc.)
2. Years of experience in an industry that brings perspective and better understanding of expectations (ex: HR/Recruitment/Counselling etc.) Professionals come from different backgrounds. Can someone without recruitment experience who never used the Applicant Tracking System (ATS) tell you what works and what doesn’t? Unfortunately, there is so much misinformation and fear mongering out there.
3. Training, courses, self-development, and certifications: There are various programs. It’s not just about résumé / CV writing, it can be also be about job search, interview preparation, career coaching, etc. Programs range anywhere between $200 to $3500 each!
4. Memberships: In several instances, professionals have to keep an active membership with one or more professional association, which means incurring yearly fees to stay up to date with the latest trends of their industry.
5. Type of targeted résumé / CV that needs to be developed: Reverse chronological vs hybrid, ATS friendly vs Networking, designed with complex graphics elements and color or not. Levels of complexity differ. There is a lot of strategy involved and there may be a Graphic Designer on the team!
6. Packages offered: It’s rarely just about a résumé / CV. Packages can include cover letters, LinkedIn profile development, other marketing documents as well as hours of follow-up on progress in job search/interviews and hours of coaching. Some price according to years of experience of the client or career level, while others have a one price for all since they believe that the process is almost similar.
7. Process: Whether it’s fully customized or based on available templates. Some take dozens of projects a week, while others limit themselves to a certain number per week to give each project its time. Hours towards digging for information, researching the industry, and the job itself should also be taken into consideration.
8. Positioning: Depending on the professional positioning, some have résumé writing as a byproduct of another main activity they do whereas others have it as a main one.
9. Structure: Whether the professional is providing one-on-one services on his own or if they are part of a team employed in a company which also affect the number of clients per month. This not only affects capacity but also quality of service. Some writers write using one template for everyone in black and white, other will make sure that the document is developed from scratch and that the design is unique to the client.
10. Online subscriptions & Transfer charges: Professionals may have subscriptions to a number of software, platforms, and stock photography websites. Also don’t forget that different methods of transfer fees incur different charges to take into consideration.
11. Target: What will the document be used for? a position in a private company, government, or an educational institution? Some even use résumés / CV for bids!
12. Niche: Résumés for women executives who make $100,000 per year, for example or for lawyers only. Some writers write for all levels from fresh graduate to senior executive, other serve one or few levels.
13. Location: A writer based in a certain country will have different operations costs than another based in a different one. Internet costs, phone bills, electricity, generators are not priced the same.
14. Where the client is looking to get hired: Local markets have different challenges than international markets. There are many barriers to consider – like getting sponsored – and work on to help the client achieve their goals. Some writers only serve the country they live in.
15. Number of languages the writer can write in: Some writers write in only language only, others can give you content in more than one. Here’s the catch: It has nothing to do with translation!
16. Awards & Publications: Some writers have been recognized and their work has been published in one or more books.
17. Results & Testimonials: Results is the bottom line that everyone is looking for. However, it’s also important to manage expectations because not all projects have the ability to yield the same results, especially in an international context.

Besides all the above, a résumé is your marketing brochure, brand & value proposition. The general understanding is that it’s supposed to cost a week of the monthly salary you are looking to make. 

It’s your door opener to the next step in your career, one that offers better conditions, and for many, in a different country. Your documents need to get noticed in a pile of hundred others to make the cut!

How much is finding a new job or a new job in a new country worth? What kind of impact will it have on you, your lifestyle, and income?