We have launched Top Dog CV to help solve the issue, that the majority of job seekers struggle when it comes to writing a CV. It’s hard to know what you should include, what you shouldn’t, how to sell yourself and present your CV in a way that gets the reader’s attention, giving you a fighting chance of being selected for an interview.
However…. we have hit a bit of resistance from job seekers who clearly have a need for such service, but have a few concerns stopping them going ahead and using Top Dog CV to craft them a professional CV, increasing their chances in securing a new job by getting onto that all important, interview short list.
We have addressed a few of the main issues below, and also be assured that Top Dog CV which has been born out of SDW Recruitment Limited, a specialist recruiter that has been trading since 2002 and has a great reputation. We have actual offices based in Southampton, and you can always speak to a real person. We are straight talking, no BS and no sales pitches. We don’t offer a silver bullet to go from an entry level role to senior management one, or to double your salary or anything unrealistic like that. However, we do promise to craft you a simple, effective and informative CV which showcases your skills & experience the best we can.
So, here we go with some of the main reservations we have encountered…
1. Authenticity and Personalisation
Concern: Job seekers might worry that the CV won’t truly reflect their unique personality, skills, and experiences.
Our Response: It’s important to provide your CV writer with as much information about you, your experience & aspirations as possible and the CV writer can ensure they craft a bespoke, authentic & personalised CV for you. At Top Dog CV, every CV we create is personal & bespoke to each client.
2. The Cost
Concern: Some people may find professional CV writing services to be expensive & feel that they can do it themselves for free, so why should they pay for such a service.
Our Response: Different companies have different pricing structures, some offer a complete re-write from scratch, personalised meetings that last a couple of hours and charge accordingly (upwards of £200). Some, offer a very basic formatting service, and it is literally a copy and paste of your existing CV onto a template. At Top Dog CV, our popular CV writing package costs just £79 and sits in the middle of these two. It is not a complete re-write and a face-to face 2 hours consultation (can be arranged), nor is it a quick copy and paste service. We take the time, get to know you and re-write your CV, showcasing your skills, experience & aspirations to make sure your CV stands out, clearly & concise and the reader can easily find what they are ideally looking for in a candidate. Consider it an investment in your career & like any investment, you should see a significant return, and investing in your CV is no different.
3. Trustworthiness of the Service
Concern: You may question the legitimacy and expertise of certain CV writing services. is it a faceless, online transaction? Will you pay and never hear from the company? Will they keep your credit card details and commit fraud? Are they based in the UK, with actual offices and can be easily traced? Do they have extensive experience in recruitment, HR & job applications?
Our Response: Look for reviews, testimonials, and examples of CVs they’ve produced. Choose a service with a good reputation – do your due diligence, what is their background? Where are they based? Just call them for a no obligation chat. Run a quick search on LinkedIn – you know the drill.
4. Lack of Control or Input
Concern: As a job seeker you might feel uncomfortable relinquishing control over the creation of your CV.
Our Response: It’s all about collaboration – it’s your CV, and ultimately you get to say what goes in it. You get a copy in MS Word and PDF, so you can always amend it, go back to it and tweak it to what you feel comfortable with and we would always suggest a little tweak for each job you apply for anyway, as each one will no doubt need slightly different skills, which you should highlight. Communication with the writer can help ensure the CV reflects your preferences & although they are the expert, you are paying so, ultimately you choose what goes in your CV.
5. Style vs Substance
Concern: Some worry that a professionally written CV might prioritize aesthetics over the substance of skills and achievements.
Our Response: We couldn’t agree more. It is all about content and the clear way it is presented, highlighting your accomplishments and qualifications. A few exceptions, maybe if you work in graphic design or certain areas of marketing, you may want an all fancy presentation laid out CV – but for 98% of job roles, a clear, concise CV wins the day.
6. Privacy and GDPR
Concern: Job seekers may be uneasy about sharing personal and professional information with a third party.
Our Response: Choose a service with a clear privacy policy, and make sure they have measures in place to protect your data. We have one and all our data is stored GDPR compliant.
7. Does it work and promises of a silver bullet
Concern: Job seekers might question whether a professionally written CV will actually increase their chances of landing a job. Some CV writing companies market unrealistic expectations to sell their services.
Our Response: Look for services that provide success stories or case studies. Remember that a well-crafted CV is just one part of a successful job search strategy. If you have never studied medicine, you are not going to walk into a job as a brain surgeon regardless what the CV writing company tells you.
8. One-Size-Fits-All Approach
Concern: Users may worry that the service will use a generic template for all CVs, lacking customization and/or understanding of specific industries.
Our Response: Choose a service that tailors the CV to your specific industry & job level. Our background is very much logistics, administration and management roles – however we can be fairly broad across most industries, but for example we would not add much value to a medical professional, as we would struggle with the terminology. Just ask them, what experience do you have writing CVs for job seekers who work in…….. industry?
Our main advice would be, just be wary of CV writing services that promise too much. A CV is an important tool, but it’s not a magic solution for landing any job or doubling your current salary. However, for a cost of a night out it could pay dividends and should certainly improve your chances of getting on the shortlist for an interview, which is the most important first step – the rest is up to you…
If you would like to discuss our CV writing service, please do not hesitate to give one of our friendly team a call on 023 8033 6633 or email hi@topdogcv.com