Four months and nearly 200 applications in, I felt it was time for a fresh perspective — ideally someone who wasn’t just a writer, but had real-world recruiter experience and knew what today’s job market actually demands.

I built a list of over two dozen strong contenders and evaluated each one.

What I looked for:

• Years in the business
• Relevant certifications
• Specialization in tech or product roles
• Active recruiter or talent acquisition background
• Public presence on LinkedIn
• Transparent pricing

What I eliminated based on:

• Outsourcing to junior writers
• Sky-high pricing without clarity
• Generic templated approaches

I narrowed to five finalists — and didn’t go with any of them.

Instead I chose someone outside that list: his transparency, detailed posts, and recruiter mindset stood out. After I reached out, he responded with a personalized video answering my specific questions — a strong signal.

Our 2.5-hour live rewrite session was a masterclass. We walked through my resume and LinkedIn line by line, uncovering a dozen areas to improve:

• Better positioning for searchability
• Stronger emphasis on results and outcomes
• Reframing of older experiences to align with modern expectations

Now comes the real test — seeing how these changes land on live applications.

If you’re evaluating resume writers, start with the criteria above. The best ones have recruiter DNA, not just writing credentials.