If you type in “resume writers” into your search browser – you will see the first big sites to come up are fondly referred to by reputable resume writers as “resume mills”.

These are companies with a lot of writers who generally have pretty slick websites and offer cheap resumes. I have often seen resumes offered on these sites for $199 and even “executive level” resumes offered for $299. I can’t attest to the quality or authenticity of every one of these companies but if you are tempted to save a few bucks and go with one of these mills, here are a few things to think about and do before you take the plunge:

1. Generally in life, you get what you pay for. I like that my resume prices are not only a great value but I include a lot of “extras” and “bonuses” because I want my clients doing back flips about my services and I want to help them in a holistic way with their entire job search. I also offer a full money back guarantee if someone isn’t fully satisfied with the quality of my work (which to date I am happy to say I have never had to use). But I can’t and don’t give my services away for next to nothing. And I generally don’t invest in services that do because there is always a catch. I might not know where or what it is – but I know its there – either in lack of quality, lack of experience, lack of service or dependability etc…

2. Before you do anything CALL and talk to a live person. Some companies are involved in fraudulent business practices. Talk to a live person – ask some questions and trust your gut.

3. LOOK at their resume samples. Once you do that, go to Career Directors International and search for certified and/or award winning resume writers. Now look at their samples. I have so very rarely seen these samples look the same because when you are a reputable, award winning and certified resume writer your charges are in line with the market. A good – a really good resume is a critical piece of your job search pie. Its not the place to skimp. Its your career. Get the best writer you can afford. You are worth it.

4. Get realistic. Generally here is what I have seen as averages for good/great/excellent resume writers: $299 to $450 for a new grad resume, $550 to $800 for a entry to mid management resume and $800 to $3000 for VP to C level “executive” resume packages. If you are making determinations in this range – generally you are in a good spot.

If the resume service or writer seems drastically lower than the figures in #4, my suggestion to you is that you check with the major Career Services Associations, look up some members websites and conduct your own comparative analysis.

My godsister sent me the most beautiful and inspiring 6 minute video today of Patrick Hughs. I wont spoil it by sharing what it’s about except to say the power of a positive attitude and love are truly powerful beyond belief! May Patrick be an inspiration to us all – especially during those times as job seekers we feel we are swimming against the current!

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=9xwCG0Ey2Mg

In the past few weeks, we’ve seen numerous articles on how long it’s taking to find a new position today, the need for job seekers to be entrepreneurial and the growing trend for people to have multiple jobs concurrently.

That’s why this upcoming webinar is so darn important for you to attend. It’s about how to live, survive and even thrive in this changing economy of ours. You need to attend, even if you desperately want to return to “cubicle nation.” Why? Because it’s really about taking back control of your life again.

Sign up for free right here:
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/844810859

Session Overview
The collapse of our world economy in 2009 brought tremendous hardship, but also tremendous opportunity. If no work configuration is secure, we are all self-employed. This gives us many ways to earn a living, if we just know the way to research opportunities and market ourselves as employee and entrepreneur.

Join Pamela Slim, business coach and author of Escape from Cubicle Nation as she guides you through a way to develop a career strategy that will translate to any work configuration.

In this session you’ll learn:

The starting place for any career path: a sound life plan
The critical steps to start a business
How to build a supportive tribe of supporters, peers and mentors to further your opportunities

Pamela Slim is a seasoned business coach and writer who helps frustrated employees in corporate jobs break out and start their own business. Her blog, Escape from Cubicle Nation, is one of the top career and marketing blogs on the web. A former corporate manager and entrepreneur herself for more than a decade, she deeply understands the questions and concerns faced by first-time entrepreneurs.

You can sign up here now:
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/844810859

I wanted to take a moment to wish everyone a very happy new year!

My husband and I just finished our goals for 2010. It was really fun to brainstorm, dream together and get on the same page!

One of my professional goals is to help as many job seekers as I can start off Jan 2010 with clarity, action and results!

If one of your goals for 2010 involves hitting the job market – you are going to want to have a powerful resume that clearly communicates why someone should be interested in hiring you. My resume and cover letter package is a great investment already at $579, but for the month of January, I am offering a special price of $497 to my ezine readers. This is a great deal no matter where you are at in your career, but if you are an upper-level manager or senior executive, and you have seen the resume samples on my site – you know this is a serious opportunity not to be missed.

All you have to do to is follow this link: http://www.maryelizabethbradford.com/resume.php
scroll to the bottom of the page and sign up! When you check out just use the coupon code: NEWYEARS, to get your discount.

To sweeten the deal even more –I will personally email you a copy of my $79 eBook: Secrets of the Unadvertised Job Market…Revealed, for free with your order.

It’s estimated that over 85% of jobs aren’t advertised – and my eBook shows you step by step how to tap into this market! Most people think the “hidden job market” means networking and social networking. But it’s so much more than that. And I cover everything – all the strategies and everything you will need to tap the hidden job market – a perfect pairing with your newly designed resume! This isn’t boiler plate material either, in fact you won’t find this information anywhere else…and my clients tell me this book turned their whole job search around. You are going to be delighted with this bonus …I promise!

For many years I have had the honor of helping professionals all over the world reach their career goals and I want to thank all of my blogreaders for the opportunity to help you – in whatever form that is!

Here is that link again: http://www.maryelizabethbradford.com/resume.php ( *Remember – the coupon code to get your discount is: NEWYEARS.

Warmest regards,

Mary Elizabeth

P.S. Questions? Feel free to call me directly at 830-331-9398 or email me at maryelizabeth@maryelizabethbradford.com.

If you didn’t catch my free teleseminar, my team has posted an audio recording of the call here:

http://www.job-searchsystem.com/teleseminarrecording.htm

We covered:

The two barriers most job seekers hit that cause instant disappointment and anxiety – and how to avoid them.

The 3 essential components you must have right to launch a turnkey and successful job search. This is the same information my clients pay me hundreds of dollars and hour to show them how to do – and its proven to work to get you quality interviews and offers.

My two best job search time saving strategies that immediately free up your time preserve your energy and enthusiasm for your job search!

How to find and capitalize on industries that are hiring!

I also revealed some very personal info. that I have NEVER shared before – but that helps to explain why I have dedicated my career to empowering jobseekers with the secrets of the hidden job market!

Here is an important opportunity for you and your business that you won’t want to miss… For 2-days ONLY, Ali Brown is holding a special Holiday Sale on her award winning products for business and personal success. What a fabulous way for her to thank her customers!

The sale just started TODAY Thursday, December 10, at 11am Eastern. Eager to snatch your products right away? Here’s the
link:
http://www.autowebbusiness.com/app/?af=942498

Which ones do YOU want to grab for 30% 0ff?

1. “Online Success Blueprint System” – Follow this easy 7-step program system on how to use the Internet and information products to skyrocket your profits AND your free time.

2. “Beyond the Blueprint” – Learn how to add multiple streams of income to your current business, including teleseminars, affiliate programs, masterminds/retreats and other revenue generators.

3. “Business Building Blocks, Your Solid Foundation For Growing A Million Dollar Company” – Get “back to the basics” and learn the secret to running your business like a million-dollar company.

4. “Simply Irresistible! How to Sell More From the Stage…
Easily, Effortlessly, and Authentically” – Learn the authentic way of selling from the stage and generate greater income from your speaking engagements.

5. “The 7 Mindset & Manifesting Secrets of Multimillionaire Entrepreneurs” – Understand how to tap into faith to help manifest miracles in your life over and over again — whether it be clients, sales, money, opportunities, or love.

Don’t delay so that you can start applying these amazing teachings and strategies right away so that 2010 will be your best ever for yourself and your business.

Learn more and get your products here:
http://www.autowebbusiness.com/app/?af=942498

I love Ali’s products and have used them for the last 2 years. She is the real deal – and it’s always nice to get a discount! Check them out!
-MEB

Are you a certified resume writer who would like to provide your clients with gold star job search coaching that helps them successfully tap into the hidden job market?

Last week, I was honored to be interviewed by Laura DeCarlo, President of Career Directors International, on my brand new Job Search Success System and affiliate program for resume writers. The interview is about 15 minutes long and you can listen now here

I am so excited to announce the official launch of my brand-new affiliate program! If you are a resume writer what this can mean for you is:

You can provide your clients with a system that leads them through how to set up and manage a turnkey job search that focuses on the hidden job market and truly gets them great results.

You can be free from career and job search coaching you may not wish to do.

You can very easily create a significant additional passive stream of revenue for your business.

I have been helping all levels of job seekers tap into the hidden job market and secure more interviews and get bigger offers in both good and bad markets for 15 years.

If you would like to talk with me personally please feel free to call me at 830.331.9398 or email me at maryelizabeth@maryelizabethbradford.com.

***Listen to the interview here: http://www.audioacrobat.com/play/W3Q4BD64.

***Check out the Job Search Success System website here: http://job-searchsystem.com/.

***Register to be an affiliate here: https://www.mcssl.com/SYS/?m=130706&c=s.

*Please note, to protect the integrity of my affiliate partnerships and success of my clients I am ONLY accepting affiliate registrations from certified professional resume writers.

WAYYY back in 2003 I became a member of Career Directors International. By far this is one of the wisest decisions I ever made.

If you want to rise to the to the top of your industry, be the best you can be, learn ways to increase the success of your business, keep up on the latest critical career and resume trends and have the opportunity to network with one of the nicest and most supportive member-groups then CDI might be for you!

CDI seems to attract members from all areas of the Career Services industry including but not limited to:

resume writers, career and life coaches, HR executives, recruiters and more.

A few interesting CDI links here:

CDI Benefits -

CDI Member Testimonials

Join CDI

Job seekers beware. Inside the career services industry there has been a lot of negative rumblings about The Ladders…a paid job board that gives “free resume critiques” infamous for trashing even well written resumes and charging top dollar to “rewrite it for you”. Now there is a new black sheep (Fox?) on the block: Jobfox.com.

Same game, same scam and same advice…

I feel there is something especially shameful about preying on job seekers who are just trying to discern the next best moves for themselves – trying to make sure their resume is doing its job and the job search methods they employ are the right ones for them.

The Ladders has been written about extensively. Jason Alba of Jibber Jobber blogs about it here

And Nick Corcodilos rakes them over the coals here.

I found this eye opening page describing JobFox’s services. Check out the comments section here.

The BEST way to figure if your resume is doing its job in my opinion is to contact either Career Directors International or Career Management Alliance - both are big, gold standard Associations in the career services industry where a job seeker can quickly find a certified resume writer that can help them. Some of these resume writers offer free critiques and some charge a small amount for their review. There are no 100% guarantees, but by far this is the most discerning step a job seeker can take and one that serves to best shield against unscrupulous companies and practices.

Dave was an attorney with a big law firm. His dream was to move into a corporate counsel role with a big corporation. When he first hired me to write his resume and coach him, he spent a lot of time telling me about how underappreciated he was at his current firm.
When we would brainstorm ideas on how he could transition into his chosen industry, he constantly repeated that he “already tried that.” In fact, Dave spent a lot of time shooting down most ideas I knew would help him tremendously.

When we talked about job search strategies, he shared with me that he didn’t have any time. “Surely you understand,” he would say.” I am an attorney and I work incredibly long hours. Plus I have a family.” I had worked with dozens of attorneys before so I indeed understood and was experienced in helping attorneys with successful time management – but Dave wouldn’t hear it.

When we discussed his salary goals he said he had to make at least 30% more than what he currently made to “justify the move.”

Despite the building complexities Dave was creating for himself, he maintained he wanted to be in a new position in less that 60 days. When I attempted to share with Dave that it appeared that he was neither ready nor willing to do what it would take to move forward, he simply ignored my comments.

Dave never did make his corporate counsel move. He took a job with another firm… A job that a recruiter had called to pitch him over the phone. It was the first and only opportunity Dave ever explored.

The story above illustrates how brilliant professionals can undermine their own career progress through not taking responsibility for their job search goals, not being willing to step outside their comfort zone and refusing to accept new ideas.

And then there was Brian.

Brian hired me as a career coach during a major transition in his life. He drove all the way from Houston to San Antonio to meet with me in person and discuss his situation.

He was a SVP for a mid size company in Houston and he was really ready for a CMO position with a large firm. He had done his research and picked two industries he was interested in exploring further.

He knew he had one chance to make a great first impression and he wanted to do it right. He wanted help researching particular companies, identifying what job search strategies would give him the most leverage and he wanted to make sure his resume was written to best position him for a CMO title.

I will always remember how positive Brian was. He always seemed to see the glass as half full. He took responsibility for his ultimate success, and he stayed focused on the strategies I showed him to get quality interviews. He knew the power of a team approach.

Brian was busy and had a family too, but he made his career transition a priority during that window of time by creating a weekly schedule he could manage and staying committed to it.

He landed several high quality interviews and accepted an offer from a company he was truly excited about – at the compensation level that met his goals (nearly 20% more than his previous position). It didn’t happen overnight, but it did happen within four months of our working together.

One of his goals was to work out of his home one day per week. We developed a strategy and Brian successfully negotiated this into his compensation package. He and his wife were thrilled.

Brian invested in himself and in his career move because as he put it, he knew that “for every $100 he put in, he would get $1000 back.” And indeed he did.

Brian was willing to listen. That was not true for Dave.

Being “successful” has so much to do with one’s mindset. And coupled with an industry expert’s guidance, moving forward happens much more quickly and easily.

So if you want to get yourself and your job search “unstuck,” it’s a wise move to first make sure you are committed to doing what it takes to reach your goals before you hire a job search coach or resume writer. However once you are certain about your commitment to your own success, these partnerships can make getting there faster and easier and your confidence, clarity and motivation will soar.