If you have researched professional resume writing services, you have come across various resume guarantees.
Different resume services offer different guarantees, everything from satisfaction to money-back guarantees.
Some guarantees are explained precisely and some are stated on a badge on a website with no further explanation.
The best guarantee is the one you don’t have to use, right?
Of course! But some resume writers want to show you that they stand behind their work. And having some recourse if you’re not satisfied is a good thing to have.
There are four main types of resume guarantees:
- Satisfaction Guarantee
- Interview Guarantee
- Job Guarantee
- Money-Back Guarantee
We will discuss what these resume guarantees mean for you and what you need to look out for.
Satisfaction Guarantee
A satisfaction guarantee, often marketed as a 100% satisfaction guarantee, is the most common type of resume guarantee.
Different companies use different words to explain this type of resume guarantee. This guarantee has a pretty broad meaning, so you may need to do some digging to see what it entails.
A satisfaction guarantee could mean:
- You will get a revision of your resume if you aren’t satisfied with the initial draft (most common).
- Your revision period may be limited by rounds of edits or number of days.
- Your revision period may continue until you are happy with your resume.
- The advertised timelines will be followed by the company.
- No real explanation is offered by the company.
This guarantee gets a little tricky because what one service calls a satisfaction guarantee another calls their standard editing period.
You may also come across a service that doesn’t mention a guarantee but does mention your satisfaction. Ask them how they support their clients after the resume is finalized. Some services prefer not to have a guarantee but will continue to work with you if you are not satisfied.
Let’s take a look at a few examples of satisfaction guarantees.
We guarantee that you will be 100% satisfied with your resume. If not, we will rewrite it as many times as necessary to assure your 100% satisfaction with the content you receive.
These services offer an unlimited number of edits for an unlimited length of time.
Now, here’s a guarantee with a limited number of days to use it.
Your 100% satisfaction is our priority. We will do unlimited edits up to 10 business days after you receive your resume draft until you are happy and accept your final copies. After the final copy is accepted further edits will be an additional charge.
While evaluating a satisfaction guarantee, it’s important to read all the details. Look for the terms and conditions on the company’s website.
What you need to know:
- Is the guarantee explained thoroughly and what exactly is guaranteed?
- Are there a set number of resume revisions?
- Is there a set time period for resume revisions?
- What happens if you are not satisfied after the resume is finalized?
Bottom Line
This is usually the least comprehensive of the guarantees. If you would like a guarantee in writing or beyond an editing period, this may not be the way to go.
Interview Guarantee
Okay, so what happens after you receive the final copy of your resume? You thought you were satisfied with your resume, but now you’re using it for your job search and it’s just not working the way you thought it would.
Interview guarantees address this.
This guarantee promises that the resume will get you interviews, usually within a certain number of days (typically within 30 to 90 days).
If you don’t get any or more interviews, you will be provided with some sort of service to help you. Some companies will rewrite or revise your resume for free. Others will provide guidance on how to better use your resume in your job search.
An “interview” can mean different things to different companies. Some consider a screening call from a recruiter an interview.
Here are some examples of interview guarantees:
This is our 60-Day Interview Guarantee:
If you don’t receive noticeably more interviews after using our resume writing service, we’ll rewrite your resume one time at no additional charge. Simply send us a message or give us a call, and we’ll get started on your rewrite.
And a few other examples:
If you are not receiving at least 2x more job interviews within 60 days of receiving your professionally-written resume, we will assign a senior writer to rewrite it again one time, absolutely free!
We guarantee that any resume we write will produce 2x more interviews or we will rewrite it and/or work with you throughout your job search until it does – free!
A criticism of this guarantee is whether a second resume will really be better than the first.
Yes, it can!
The rewrite of your resume will have more information for the writer to use (feedback received, the jobs you’re applying to may be slightly different than you initially thought, etc.). You may also get to work with a different, or more senior, writer with a different perspective.
What you need to know:
- What does more or any interviews mean?
- What time period does the guarantee cover?
- Do you need to apply for a certain number of jobs?
- Do you need to show proof of anything?
- What do you receive if you don’t get interviews?
- Can you get a different writer for a rewrite?
Bottom Line
Interview guarantees give you extra reassurance and an extra shot to make it perfect. Make sure you read the fine print and understand what you need to do and what you will get with the interview guarantee.
Job Guarantee
Everyone looking for a job would love to see this guarantee plastered across a resume service website. However, a resume guaranteed to get you a job is a rare promise. Not many companies offer this type of guarantee.
After all, a resume, no matter how excellently written, designed, and executed, can not guarantee a job on its own. There are many factors, including the market and your interview, involved in getting hired.
These guarantees often seem like a marketing ploy.
Here’s an employment guarantee example:
If don’t get hired within 60 days of receiving your new resume, we’ll revise it, refund your money, and pay you an extra $50*!!!
(The asterisk goes on to say what kind of extensive proof is needed to receive the refund and payment!)
Be sure to check the fine print and see if it’s too good to be true and what’s expected of you to receive this type of guarantee.
What you need to know:
- Is there a catch?
- How long do I have to find a job to be covered?
- Do you need to apply for a certain number of jobs?
- Do you need to show proof of anything?
- What do you receive if you don’t get a job?
Bottom Line
Resumes are designed to get you interviews, not get you hired. If you see a job guarantee, read through all of the terms and conditions.
Money-Back Guarantee
Resume services that offer a money-back guarantee often combine it with any of the above kinds of guarantees.
Money-back guarantees are not really standard in the resume writing industry.
Here’s an example of a money-back guarantee:
We are so confident that our resume writing services are able to assist you in your job search that we are offering a 60-Day Money-Back Guarantee.
(However, they do not clarify the criteria or requirements for claiming the refund.)
In some cases, the money-back guarantee will require you to submit the refund request within just a few days of receiving the order or before any work has been done. Will you know by then if you even need a refund?
We offer 3 business days to request a refund if you are dissatisfied with the order outcome.
Also, in most cases with a money-back guarantee, there will be conditions that you have to fulfill. You may need to apply to so many jobs or show that the company was negligent.
What you need to know:
- In what situations can you request a refund?
- Do you need to show proof of anything?
- Can you still use the resume if you get a refund?
- How long do you have to request a refund?
- Does the time to request a refund start after your purchase or after receiving your resume?
Bottom Line
A money-back guarantee is great, but read all the terms and conditions to make sure you can actually exercise it.
Key Takeaways
Not all resume writing services guarantee their work.
The services that do guarantee their work, do so in different ways.
For any resume service you are considering, read the fine print of their guarantee and see if it still adds value to the service for you.
If their guarantee isn’t explained, contact the service and ask about it and ask for it in writing.
We would love to help you with your resume and we want you to succeed! Find My Profession offers a 60-Day Interview Guarantee that goes beyond the editing period and is our way of working with you to get it right!
