If your purchasing resume... is going to be fighting for attention in a highly competitive market, or if you're finding it difficult to express your job qualifications in an unbiased - yet promotional - manner, a professional resume writer might be able to help.

Do you absolutely need a pro? No – if you've got time and a bit of talent, you can write a resume that can compete in the marketplace. But the best professional resume writers bring something to the table that's hard to come by: marketing insight. There's a real skill in selling a candidate to an often cynical audience (i.e. recruiters and hiring officials) with nothing more than words on a page.

As a former resume writer... you should know that 99% of the time I was able to improve the resumes that were sent to me. Sometimes dramatically. So, I'm acutely aware of the benefit to having a pro on your side in your job search.

Although I don't write resumes myself anymore, I've taken a hard look at some of the more popular resume writing services on the Web. Prices range from $89 to $249. But like everything else in life, there are some good services out there, and some you should probably avoid.

If you're interested, here's how I rate the Web's most popular Resume Writing Services.

-- David Alan Carter

P.S. If pressed for time, see my quick recommendations of the Top 3, below...