Looking for a Resume Writer? A Reddit-Inspired Guide to Choosing a Resume Writing Service

Updated August 2026 · 12 min read

You’ve probably seen us mentioned on Reddit—or you’ve seen people argue that resume writers aren’t worth the money. Fair enough.

We’re Let’s Eat, Grandma, a professional resume writing company, so we’re obviously not a neutral observer. But we’ve been writing resumes for professionals for more than a decade, and we’ve seen both excellent and terrible resume services from the inside.

So here’s our attempt to give you the straight answer. We will also include when you probably shouldn’t hire us, what to look for in a resume writer, how much professional resume writing should cost, and what actually separates a good resume from an expensive rewrite.

The Short Answer: Is a Resume Writing Service Worth It?

Sometimes.

A professional resume writer can be worthwhile if you’ve already tried writing your resume yourself, you’re struggling to explain your experience clearly, you’re changing careers, you’re pursuing a more senior position, or you’re simply spending hours on your resume without getting the results you want.

But you don’t automatically need a professional resume writer.

If you’re early in your career, have relatively straightforward experience, or simply need a second opinion on formatting and wording, free resume communities, career centers, trusted colleagues, or AI tools may give you enough help.

The biggest reason to hire a professional isn’t that they can type faster than you. It’s that an experienced writer can help identify the strongest parts of your career story, ask questions that uncover accomplishments you may have overlooked, and position your experience around the jobs you actually want.

The quality of the process matters just as much as the final document.

 

What Reddit Gets Right—and Wrong About Resume Writers

Reddit is skeptical of resume writing services for good reason.

There are low-quality writers, generic templates, AI-generated resumes, exaggerated promises, and companies that charge hundreds or thousands of dollars without doing much more than rewriting someone’s existing bullet points.

We’ve seen some of the same problems.

But some common Reddit advice about resume writers needs more nuance.

“Resume writers are a scam.”

Some are. That doesn’t mean all professional resume writers are.

A legitimate service should be able to explain who is actually writing your resume, how they learn about your career, what their process looks like, what you’ll receive, and what happens if you don’t like the draft.

If a company won’t tell you who you’re working with or makes unrealistic promises about getting you a job, that’s a legitimate reason to be skeptical.

“Just use ChatGPT.”

AI can be incredibly useful for resumes.

It can help brainstorm accomplishments, identify repetitive language, improve grammar, generate ideas, and give you a starting point.

But there is an important difference between generating resume language and understanding someone’s career.

The best resume writing process involves asking questions, understanding context, challenging vague accomplishments, deciding what deserves emphasis, and making judgment calls about positioning.

AI can be part of that process. It doesn’t necessarily replace the human expertise behind it.

“Nobody reads resumes anymore. ATS does.”

Applicant tracking systems matter, but the idea that resumes are simply fed into a robot that decides whether you get hired is an oversimplification.

ATS software can help employers organize applications and search for relevant information. But eventually, your resume needs to communicate your value to an actual person.

A good resume should be both machine-readable and human-readable.

“You don’t need a two-page resume.”

There’s no universal rule that says every resume must be one page or two pages.

A recent graduate may have a perfectly effective one-page resume.

An experienced executive may need two pages to communicate a substantial career.

The goal isn’t to hit an arbitrary page count. The goal is to include the information that helps an employer understand why you’re qualified—without burying it in unnecessary detail.

“I can write my own resume.”

Absolutely.

In fact, we recommend trying that first for many people.

You know your career better than any writer ever will. The challenge is that being close to your own experience can make it difficult to recognize which accomplishments are actually compelling to an outside employer.

A professional writer should bring perspective—not invent a career for you.

What Should You Look For in a Resume Writing Service?

Before paying for a professional resume, look for these things:

1. A real human writing your resume

Find out whether your resume is written by a person, generated primarily by AI, or produced through a combination of both.

2. A discovery process

A quality writer should need information that isn’t already sitting on your old resume.

They should ask about accomplishments, challenges, leadership, scope, results, career goals, and the jobs you’re targeting.

3. Relevant experience

Your writer doesn’t necessarily need to have performed your exact job.

But they should understand your career level, industry, target roles, and the expectations of the people who will read your resume.

4. Real examples

Look for actual resume samples—not just testimonials saying “I loved my resume.”

You should be able to see what the company’s work actually looks like.

5. A revision process

Nobody should be expected to perfectly capture your career in one draft.

You should have a reasonable opportunity to provide feedback and correct anything that doesn’t sound like you.

6. Transparent pricing

You should know what you’re paying for before you buy.

Be cautious of services that make the price difficult to understand or immediately push expensive upgrades.

7. No guaranteed job promises

A resume writer controls the quality of the resume.

They don’t control the hiring manager, applicant pool, interview process, internal candidates, company budget, or hundreds of other variables.

Be skeptical of anyone promising that a resume will guarantee you a job.

How Much Does a Professional Resume Writer Cost?

Professional resume writing can range from relatively inexpensive freelance services to several thousand dollars for executive-level career services.

The price generally depends on:

• Your career level
• The complexity of your background
• Whether you’re changing careers
• The number of documents included
• The amount of strategy and consultation
• The writer’s experience
• Whether LinkedIn and cover letter services are included
• The level of revisions and support

Don’t automatically choose the cheapest service.

But don’t assume the most expensive service is automatically the best, either.

The better question is:

What am I actually getting for the price?

A $200 resume that simply rewrites your existing document may be less valuable than a $700 resume that involves extensive discovery, strategic positioning, multiple rounds of collaboration, and a writer who understands your target career.

Professional Resume Writer vs. ChatGPT

Both can be useful.

ChatGPT may be enough if:

• You need help brainstorming
• You want grammar corrections
• You need help turning notes into bullets
• You’re comfortable researching resume strategy
• You have a clear understanding of your accomplishments
• You mainly need a starting point

A professional resume writer may be more useful if:

• You’ve been applying without getting interviews
• You don’t know how to position yourself
• You’re changing careers
• You’re moving into management or executive leadership
• Your experience is complicated
• You’ve been in the same company for many years
• You struggle to identify your accomplishments
• Your resume doesn’t sound like you
• You want another person to challenge your assumptions

You don’t necessarily have to choose one or the other.

Many professionals use AI as a brainstorming or editing tool while working with a human career expert for strategy and positioning.

When Hiring a Resume Writer Probably Isn’t Worth It

We’re a resume writing company, but there are situations where we’d tell you to save your money.

You probably don’t need a professional writer if:

• You’re a college student with limited experience
• You already have a strong resume and simply need minor edits
• You enjoy writing and researching resume strategy
• You have access to a strong career center or mentor
• You’re comfortable tailoring your resume yourself
• You’re applying to only a few positions and aren’t struggling with your current approach

There’s nothing magical about paying someone to write a resume.

The value comes from getting expertise, perspective, strategy, and time back.

Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Resume Writer

Before you purchase a service, ask:

Who will actually write my resume?

How will you learn about my career?

Will I speak directly with my writer?

How many revisions are included?

Do you specialize in my career level?

Can I see examples of your work?

How do you approach ATS optimization?

Will you tailor my resume to the roles I’m targeting?

What happens if I don’t like the first draft?

What exactly is included in the price?

Do you use AI in the writing process?

Do you offer a satisfaction guarantee?

If a company can’t answer these questions clearly, keep looking.

What Makes a Good Resume Writer?

A good resume writer isn’t simply someone who knows how to make a resume look polished.

They should be able to do three things:

Extract

Find the accomplishments, skills, experiences, and career stories that actually matter.

Position

Connect those experiences to the roles you’re trying to land.

Communicate

Turn complicated professional experience into language that’s clear, specific, credible, and easy to understand.

The best writers also know when not to write something.

Your resume isn’t supposed to contain everything you’ve ever done. It’s supposed to make the most relevant parts of your career easy to see.

What the Resume Writing Process Should Look Like

A good professional resume process shouldn’t feel like filling out a form and receiving a document two days later.

Ideally, you’ll go through something like this:

1. Career Discovery

Your writer learns about your background, accomplishments, goals, and target positions.

2. Strategy

You determine what your resume needs to emphasize and what can be removed or minimized.

3. Writing

Your writer turns your experience into achievement-focused, targeted resume content.

4. Collaboration

You review the draft and provide feedback.

5. Refinement

The resume is revised until the content accurately represents your career and goals.

6. Finalization

You receive a polished, ATS-compatible resume that’s ready to use.

How Let’s Eat, Grandma Approaches Resume Writing

Let’s Eat, Grandma was founded around a relatively simple idea:

A resume should sound like the person behind it.

Our writers don’t start by throwing your old resume into an AI tool and asking it to “make this better.”

We start by learning about you.

That means digging into your accomplishments, asking questions about your work, understanding where you want to go next, and identifying the parts of your career that deserve more attention.

We use technology where it helps. But the strategy, collaboration, and storytelling remain human.

That’s particularly important for professionals with complicated careers, leadership experience, career changes, or years of experience that don’t fit neatly into a standard resume template.

Real Resume Writing Reviews

We don’t think you should choose a resume company based solely on what the company says about itself.

Look at independent reviews, read the negative ones, examine actual resume samples, and pay attention to what customers say about the process—not just whether they “loved” the final document.

Let’s Eat, Grandma has worked with thousands of professionals and has received recognition from publications including The Balance, The New York Post, Money.com, Investopedia, and U.S. News & World Report.

We also encourage prospective clients to look beyond our own testimonials and compare us with other services.

That’s a healthier way to make a purchase decision.

Resume Examples

One of the best ways to evaluate a resume writing service is to see its work.

When reviewing examples, don’t just look at whether the resume is attractive.

Ask:

• Does the resume quickly communicate what this person does?
• Are accomplishments more prominent than responsibilities?
• Is the language specific?
• Are results quantified where appropriate?
• Does the resume reflect the target role?
• Is the document easy to scan?
• Does it still sound like a real person?
• Could an ATS parse the content?

A beautiful resume that doesn’t communicate someone’s value isn’t a good resume.

Why Let’s Eat, Grandma?

We’re going to be upfront about the obvious conflict of interest here:

We’re a resume writing company recommending that you consider a resume writing company.

So don’t take our word for it.

Compare our process, pricing, reviews, samples, and guarantees with other services.

Where we believe we stand apart is the amount of human collaboration involved in our process.

We’re not trying to turn every professional into the same template.

Our writers work with clients to understand their individual careers, identify their strongest stories, and create a resume that is strategically aligned with where they want to go.

We’ve been doing this since 2014 and have worked with thousands of professionals.

If that sounds like the kind of help you’re looking for, we’d be happy to talk.

If it doesn’t, there are plenty of other ways to improve your resume—and we think you should find the one that’s right for you.

Here are Some Actual Reviews from Customers on Google:

Frequently Asked Questions About Resume Writing Services

Are professional resume writing services worth it?

They can be, particularly for experienced professionals, executives, career changers, and people who have struggled to turn their experience into interviews. However, not everyone needs a professional writer.

How much does a resume writer cost?

Professional resume writing prices vary substantially based on career level, service scope, writer experience, and whether additional services are included. Compare what each service actually provides rather than choosing solely on price.

Can a resume writer guarantee me a job?

No reputable resume writer can guarantee a job. A resume writer can improve your positioning and application materials, but hiring decisions depend on many factors outside the writer’s control.

Can ChatGPT write my resume?

Yes. ChatGPT can help draft, edit, brainstorm, and improve resume content. The bigger question is whether you can provide the strategic direction and career context needed to produce a strong final document.

Are resume writers better than AI?

Not automatically. AI and professional writers have different strengths. AI can be excellent for brainstorming and editing, while experienced human writers can provide context, strategic judgment, questioning, and personalized positioning.

How do I know if a resume writer is legitimate?

Look for transparent pricing, real samples, verifiable reviews, a clear process, information about who writes your resume, meaningful client collaboration, and realistic promises.

How long does professional resume writing take?

Timelines vary by company and service level. Ask about the expected turnaround before purchasing and make sure the process includes enough time for you to review and provide feedback.

Will a professional resume writer make my resume ATS-friendly?

A professional writer should understand ATS-friendly formatting and keyword alignment. However, ATS optimization isn’t simply about stuffing keywords into a resume. The document also needs to communicate clearly to human readers.

Should my resume be one page or two?

There’s no universal rule. The appropriate length depends on your career stage, experience, and target roles. The goal is to communicate relevant information efficiently rather than hitting an arbitrary page count.

Should I hire a resume writer if I’m changing careers?

A career change can be one of the situations where professional resume help is particularly valuable. The challenge isn’t simply rewriting your old job descriptions; it’s identifying transferable skills and repositioning your experience toward the new career.

What should I send a resume writer?

Typically, you’ll want to provide your current or previous resume, information about your career history, target positions, job descriptions you’re interested in, LinkedIn profile, and any other materials that help explain your experience. A good writer should also ask questions beyond what’s already on your resume.

What if I don’t like my resume?

Ask about the revision process and satisfaction guarantee before purchasing. A professional resume should be collaborative enough that you have an opportunity to correct inaccuracies and provide feedback on the way your career is represented.

Still Looking for a Resume Writer?

You don’t need the “best resume writing service.”

You need the right resume writing service for you.

Compare writers. Read reviews. Look at samples. Ask questions. Understand the process.

And if you decide that working with a human resume writer makes sense for your situation, we’d be happy to help.

[Explore Let’s Eat, Grandma’s Resume Writing Services → [CLICK HERE]