I spend a good part of my day critiquing resumes for senior executives. I do this free of charge, so that I can get leads and close sales. I’m very honest in these critiques, and when I see a great looking document, I say so. I also give free pointers on how to improve it, although I don’t give away the store. After all, a mechanic will diagnose what’s wrong with your car, but he won’t show you how to fix it. If you’re mechanically savvy you can do it yourself or if you’re not, you can hire him, because that’s how he makes his living.
I make my living writing resumes, and in all honesty the majority of my clients are earning far more than I am. But I plug along because I enjoy it and I know that someday the tables will turn and my hard work will pay off.
However, today I was a bit flabbergasted at a reply to one of my free critiques, that I spent about 20 minutes of my time on. Most people take the time to say thanks. Not this one, it read:
Dear Recruiter
Not sure how I got this job other than a whole lot of praying and hard work rewriting my own resume instead of paying 595.00 USD to your resume writers.
Hmmm. Am I reading too much here? A professional resume opens up so many doors of opportunity, and that is an investment in itself. But what most people don’t realize is the network we have, with recruiters and HR Directors. Everyday is your job interview and how you treat people in your job search speaks volumes about you… even more so than your resume. So if someone offers you free advice that you requested, be gracious, and say thank you, instead of slamming them.
One thing I’m grateful for: this person showed me in advance what a pain in the butt he’d be to deal with, so I’m glad he won’t be hiring me or one of my colleagues. No amount of money would be worth the grief. I wish him well in his new position and hope that it’s all he’s asked for.