Can resume writing be a legitimate side hustle? Most resumes submitted by people looking for work are discarded within seconds of the prospective employer laying eyes on them. Interestingly, most people who apply for jobs come off as unqualified for the jobs they are applying for even when they are actually qualified for those jobs.

Resume writing is an art that a lot of job seekers have not mastered. You can help people looking for jobs package themselves well and get paid in the process. This is one of the most straightforward jobs you can do and you can get started today.

Your job will essentially be helping people market their skills and services better than they would otherwise do without your help. Resumes are a marketing tool. The average resume just outlines skills and educational attainments without tailoring them to the kind of jobs they are applying for. This is a mistake as an employer has no interest at all in your achievements but how you can help them get what they want.

To help your clients, you should have them clearly define the kinds of jobs they want to get and help them figure out what an employer would want to see in a prospective employee. You should help them understand that what matters to employers is how an employee can help them achieve their targets. If packaged well, a prospective employee won’t have any problems securing employment if they choose the targets they approach carefully.

How You Will Make Money with Resume Writing

You can start making money with a resume writing service in just a few hours. You should know what you are doing, though, to stand a chance of longevity in the industry. All you need to start is a computer and an internet connection. The assumption here is that you already know how to write a great resume.

The pricing should be based on the value you create. You can make as low as $30 per resume to as much as $2000 per resume. How you package yourself and communicate the value you bring to the table will determine how much clients are willing to pay. It is normal to start with low rates if you are new to the industry.

You can also offer a package deal to improve your rates. A package deal, for instance, can include a resume, a cover letter, and follow up letters. What you include in the package will depend on the needs of your clients.

If you want to systematize the process so that you can handle a lot of resumes fast and improve steadily in the quality of work you do, you can target professionals in a particular niche. This allows you to have a lot of knowledge about the industry. With time, you will know what works and what doesn’t. You will also learn the hard and soft skills that employers in that particular industry want the most. If you keep in touch with your clients, you can keep track of the kinds of resumes that get responses and those that get no response at all.

There are several avenues to meet potential clients. When starting out, you can take advantage of sites such as ResumeEdge, UpWork and FlexJobs. You should also build your own website to establish yourself as a credible resume writer.

A personal website will also allow you to create content to target people in your area. Some clients want to talk to writers face to face before they can give them an assignment. The most effective way to meet these people is to optimize your website for local search.