Feature Article: How Doing Resume Reviews for Indeed.com Helped Me, My Business, and Job Seekers
By Alison Smith – Radical Resumes, LLC
Providing 10-minute video reviews of resumes for Indeed.com was an unexpected gift, resulting in three wins!
- My business has soared since the start of my Indeed.com assignment; coupled with Norine Dagliano’s 5-star Writing Excellence course, my confidence to develop robust resume strategies has resulted in nonstop, consistent referrals and projects.
- My knowledge of different industries has expanded exponentially; some resumes that previously caused anxiety do not phase me.
- In addition to the NRWA professionals, I can collaborate with over 50 Indeed.com writing professionals who share the same passion and mission of helping people find a path to employment satisfaction.
While 10-minute training videos will never compete with what we do as full-service professional resume writers, this service is perfect for helping interested job seekers learn resume basics and serve as a fundamentals boot camp for any daring resume writer!
Background
After completing the “Writing Excellence” course in September 2020, I wanted more opportunities to apply the breadth of what I learned during the summer-long class. Based on an article in the NRWA’s September 2020 newsletter, Indeed.com (an NRWA partner) was in search of experienced resume writers to perform video reviews of resumes. It sounded interesting, so I applied. My expectations were neutral.
The Adjustment
After applying, interviewing, and onboarding with Indeed.com, I completed Indeed’s detailed internal resume writer’s training and began video-recording my initial resume reviews. My initial reviews were much too complex, and my video recordings exceeded the allotted 10-minute timeframe. Was this for me? I wasn’t sure. I needed to find a way to become more efficient; I received supervisor feedback, studied best practices, learned from other reviewers, and developed a successful plan of attack. Working for Indeed.com was out of my comfort zone, but this experience keeps benefitting me by stretching, challenging, and honing my resume-strategy skills like no other exercise could—with pay!
The Process
I review approximately 100 technical resumes per month. I receive the submitted resume, a parsed resume, a questionnaire, client notes, and a link to three jobs for each client. I respond to the client’s submitted questions and concerns, develop a tailored resume strategy, and guide the client through the process of writing front-loaded, results-based bullets and keyword-rich resumes. Via screen-only videos, I demonstrate methods to identify keywords and ways to tailor the resume to the specific job.
Pay
Reviewers earn $30-$40/hr. by completing 3-4 resume reviews/hour, providing a 10-minute resume review-training session.
Some resume writers are classified as 1099 independent contractors, while others are W-2 employees of iWorkGlobal, with access to a full range of benefits. As part of the agreement, you have full access to Upwork’s freelance Platform, which includes your own public profile page, free connect points, and a daily deluge of potential clients outside of Indeed.com; fees apply.
Interesting Indeed.com FAQs:
- Indeed.com has 52 active resume writers.
- 700+ orders for resume reviews are received each week.
- Average rating for resume services is ~4.5 out of 5 stars.
- Indeed.com’s goal: "Our intention/goal is to grow our capacity for and volume of orders for resume services by 10x or more, and we're looking for more writing professionals!"
Indeed, New Services & Pilots
Indeed’s Resume Help service line offers additional resume services and is currently piloting and beta-testing two new service offerings:
- FREE automated instant online resume scan tool. (Active)
- Rewritten client resume and 5-minute video review. (Active)
Alison Smith is a retired engineering manager who is passionate about helping job seekers achieve more than they thought possible. She specializes in optimizing technical resumes and encouraging others. She owns Radical Resumes and is based in Birmingham, AL. Find her on LinkedIn or at RadicalResumes.org.
