| Organisations offering CV writing services usually | | | | 1% of the average salary in most industries, and it may |
| provide a menu of options to their customers. They | | | | be a once-in-a-lifetime purchase. The cost is much |
| understand that some people simply want to have | | | | higher because it involves several hours work by a |
| their CV professionally reviewed, while others are | | | | professional recruitment writer. |
| looking for a full rewrite. Others are willing to invest in | | | | Some services purport to be inexpensive CV rewrites. |
| additional support, such as interview preparation or | | | | They are conducted on a largely automated basis; the |
| even mock interviews. | | | | candidate inputs their details into an online form, and |
| As the demand for CV writing services increases, so | | | | receives a new CV a few days later. However, this |
| does the number of potential suppliers. In addition to the | | | | CV will only contain information that they input |
| well-established organisations providing CVs there are | | | | themselves and the only human element in the |
| entrepreneurs seeking to establish themselves in this | | | | preparation has been to structure and format the |
| growing market. They all offer similar services - the | | | | document. This is not really a rewrite of a CV, but a |
| main differences between them are price and quality. | | | | CV reworking. |
| The most basic offering is usually a CV review. This | | | | A full CV rewrite involves a conversation, usually by |
| costs anything from £20 upwards and requires | | | | telephone, with a consultant. Their role is to extract as |
| the CV to be uploaded onto a website or emailed to | | | | much information as possible from the customer in |
| the service provider. The CV is looked at by someone | | | | order to build a new CV which properly represents |
| with an experienced eye and ideally who is familiar | | | | their achievements and capabilities. This conversation |
| with the relevant industry. A CV for a teacher cannot | | | | can take up to an hour, or even longer for very senior |
| usually be reviewed effectively by someone who | | | | candidates. |
| specialises in IT or medical recruitment, for example. | | | | The resulting CV will look very different from anything |
| The CV review should result in written feedback | | | | the candidate has prepared previously, but should |
| which suggests improvements to format and content. | | | | accurately reflect what they offer to potential |
| These should not be generic suggestions, but must | | | | employers. While a professionally written CV is never |
| demonstrate that the reviewer has given the CV the | | | | going to guarantee a job, it will improve the chances of |
| care and attention it deserves. However, as this | | | | getting noticed by a recruiter or potential employer. |
| service is usually inexpensive, it is impossible to rewrite | | | | CV writing service providers usually offer additional |
| any elements of the CV. | | | | services such as generic cover letters, CD versions of |
| A full CV rewrite is usually much more expensive, | | | | the CV, and even hard copy CVs on high quality |
| often costing well in excess of one hundred pounds. | | | | paper. |
| This may seem expensive, but it represents less than | | | | |