When
selecting a resume writer you should consider the following:
Does
the provider have a phone
number
so you can contact them, or will they phone you? You should
ring
them, have a chat and feel comfortable with their ability to complete
your application before committing. Providers that only use
email
may be operating from overseas, and therefore aren't the best choice
for completing your Australian government application.
Make
sure you are aware
of the cost and timelines
upfront. All credible providers will be able to give you a
quote
(based on your level of experience and the selection documentation)
prior to you deciding to use them. Do not choose a provider
who
charges an hourly fee and isn’t able to give you a solid
indication of how long it will take them.
Has the
writer ever worked as a public servant and sat on recruitment panels?
If the writer has never worked for the government then they have most
likely never sat on a government recruitment panel. How can
they
give you reliable advice if they have never assessed a government
application before?
Is the
writer a recruitment expert?
Not only are you going to be paying for an application, you are going
to be paying for advice on the best way to get the job.
Taking
advice from someone who is not an expert in recruitment would be like
getting advice on running a marathon from someone who has only ever
watched marathons before. You want advice from someone who
has
done it.
How
recent is the writer’s government / recruitment experience and
/ or what have they done to keep up to date? Things change all the time
and if the provider is writing your application based on how things
were done ten years ago, it isn't going to help you now!
How
many applications have they written? Most
selection criteria writers can handle no more than 15-20 applications
per week. That's about 800-1000 per year. If
your selection criteria writer has written less than 1000
applications, you know that they're not in it full time, or they
haven't been in it for long. Your selection criteria
writer
might boast 'hundreds of applications' which you think is impressive,
but this is not really a lot if they are serious about their business
and have a good solid history of helping people with
their selection criteria. Your selection criteria
writer
should be boasting 'thousands of applications!!'
Professional
memberships don’t necessarily add credibility.
There are a number of overseas organisations that offer easily obtained
memberships or certifications for a fee, and these include Career
Directors International and the Association of Online Resume and Career
Professionals. Again, almost anyone (even you!) can complete
a
short course and get Certified Advanced Resume Writer
certification. In Australia there is no regulatory body for
resume writers and providers will often promote their memberships in
order to gain your confidence. While these memberships show that the
writer is serious about what they do, it does not mean they are the
best writer.
Does
the provider have testimonials?
You have the right to ask for full written testimonials and customer
feedback and not accept small excerpts that may be posted on websites.
The best way to find an application writer is to ask around for
recommendations.
We have a team of great independent professional application/selection
criteria writers that we can refer you to. For details,
please
contact
us via the website.
