Frequently Asked Questions

How long will it take to get my resume developed?

This varies depending upon how busy you are and whether you can meet your project "milestones" that we set for you (these milestones are returning all questions we send you within a week of us sending them to you). On average, resume and cover letter packages take around four to five weeks for most people. Some of the top-end solutions with different components and services, always take longer. Quality and ensuring you get interviews are our aims. Top Margin carefully and painstakingly creates individual strategies for each client and we take the time to position you carefully so you can communicate your unique promise of value. 

How much does it cost to get a professional resume written?

All packages are fully disclosed in our packages and pricing area.  

May I look at my resume before it is finished?

By the time the resume is created, six or seven hours of extensive preparation has been invested in getting to know you and your achievements, so the first draft is usually close to the final presentation. Some people like to change words here and there (if they’re not familiar with terms or would have trouble carrying a word or concept to interview, for example). Naturally, your suggestions and feedback are welcome, but as your coach, mentor, and career management strategist, we believe your document should maintain the integrity and professionalism it originally conveyed. You can be assured that if your changes are solid and worthwhile, they will be implemented--we will advise you and you can trust our experience. We are completely committed to helping you get interviews—and it is a journey best taken together! 

How does your service work step-by-step?

Step 1. Your choice

1. You email your existing résumé to us, or… 
2. You download our Information Gatherer form from our website, complete it, attach to an email, and send it to us

Step 2. Making Payment

As a service-based business, payment is the next step. Your resume is fully customised to you and your needs, and it cannot be used by someone else. Once your online form, worksheets or existing resume, and payment have been received, step 3 begins.

Step 3—Behind the Scenes/Timelines

1. Collaboration HQ is established--an exclusive online collaboration area created for us to chat, gather and share information.

2. Preliminary questionnaires are made ready for you to download.

3. Probing questions are developed following review of the information supplied so that we can expose your real strengths and achievements. 

4. Writing commences when your questions are returned. The result: dynamic, branded documents will be delivered to you within 7-10 business days. 

5. Two separate opportunities are provided for you to review and further refine the documents.

6. You sign the final release, and final documents are released to you. 

What do you do that is different from what I have?

The difference between Top Margin and other firms is in the detail. When we receive your information, we’ll scrutinise it carefully--drilling down into the core of what you’re saying. We’ll question your background experience in light of your desired career path and quiz your achievements for context and extra power.

Our probing questions will stamp your resume with the individuality that is vital to reinforcing your unique promise of value—ensuring that no-one else can look or sound like you. Top Margin's intensive information gathering is what sets us apart from our competitors. We spend the time to get to know you so your presentation is authentic and unique -- just like you!

Are your prices negotiable? Do you give discounts?

When you purchase a resume it is not like the purchase of a refrigerator, washing machine, or TV. There are no wholesale mark-ups or profits to be cut for a more attractive price. Resume writing is a specialist field. It takes a long time and a great deal of investment in education, books and training to become an expert, and this expertise cannot be undervalued.

Top Margin is a professional service provider like your accountant, solicitor, or doctor—all specialists, all expertly trained and knowledgeable. Our intellectual property is our value. At Top Margin, our services are fairly and reasonably priced and representative of the effort it takes to help you get interviews for jobs that will provide you with better benefits and more money. In most cases, the fee for your resume will be recovered in the first few hours of your first day at your new job.

This is urgent! The job of a lifetime is being advertised. Can you help?

Top Margin never sacrifices quality for expediency and because a resume stands between you and your future career, we are meticulous in positioning you as a unique and well-credentialed candidate. Top Margin has built a reputation for excellence and typically has a long list of client projects at any one time, which leaves little or no time for urgent projects. A career move needs to be well thought out, strategically planned and prepared to take you through the different phases of experience and growth. The most successful people are those who plan their moves strategically and carefully. 

Have you ever written for my occupation before?

Since 1990, Top Margin has produced more than ten-and-a-half thousand resumes. From programmers to executives, from boilermakers to truck drivers, from marketing managers to nurses, teachers to production managers, actresses to sound engineers—it would be a rare occupation indeed that has not passed our desks! Top Margin backs up our expertise through a worldwide network of specialists via our involvement with  Career Directors International, the Career Management Alliance, Association of Online Career Professionals and strategists at Reach Communications. Specialist expertise is never more than an email away.

Do you do Key Selection Criteria for Government Applications?

Key selection criteria can be frustrating, hair-pulling and challenging! One thing they always are is time intensive whether you choose to create them yourself, or whether you choose a professional firm to create them for you. To get your foot in the door you need to be specifically qualified in all the key areas and you need to articulate your strengths succinctly by using specific examples of your expertise. Due to the time it takes to complete these applications we have decided to discontinue this service. We can however refer you to an expert so Contact us please here if you would like a referral. Note: Please ensure you are qualified to be a viable candidate. If you don't have the qualifications, you don't have the experience, the background or the knowledge in the key areas, you will not get an interview, no matter how nicely it is written and how well it is presented and formatted.  So before you invest your considerable time and money, look carefully at the criteria in relation to your skills and experience. They must be a match! 

Commonsense Limitations: Do you guarantee interviews?

Top Margin stands by the quality and consistency of our work. If you are not happy with something in your document we will work with you, explain your options, and offer alternative solutions so that the integrity of the document will not be compromised.

Interviews are something over which we have no control. For instance, you could count yourself out of the race by attaching your perfect resume to an email and then spelling the recruiter’s name incorrectly; you could be two years of out high school and applying for a job as a CEO! We cannot control jobs not suited to your experience, jobs outside the scope of your resume, or jobs in short supply; your competitors; the environment of the moment; recruiters or employers preferences for progression lines, or any mistakes you make after the resume is in your hands. We do not guarantee what we cannot control. We can, however, control the resume development process and ensure that you’re happy with the documents.  

 Web Portfolios-Tell Me More!

There are seven main ways that a web resume portfolio can provide the "wow" factor in elevating your personal brand: networking, leads, phone calls, appointment scheduling, meetings, interviews and throughout the job offer phase.  Put your website URL everywhere! Get that web site address in front of potential employers, interviewers and networking colleagues. When you email your resume, always direct the recipient to your career web portfolio. When you prepare a cover letter to accompany your resume, be sure to add a closing section that mentions your career web portfolio. Prepare, or have printed, business cards, which present your web portfolio address along with traditional contact information. Add your career web portfolio URL to your email signature line. Make your signature sell you whenever you send email, communicate on chat boards or send job search communique. Include your career web portfolio URL in the contact information on your resume, cover letter, follow up / thank you letter and any other documents.

Commonsense Limits: What won't it do? 

• Having your career portfolio on the Internet will not generate leads for you by itself. Having a web presence will not magically draw leads to you from cyberspace. 
• Having a career portfolio will not open doors for you by itself. Your resume, broadcast letter, or networking contact is the door opener with recruiters and hiring authorities. Your website can help solidify a recruiter's initial interest into a telephone interview, but your credentials themselves must ignite the initial curiosity.
• A career web portfolio is not a substitute for excellent interviewing skills. When the conversation comes around to you and your abilities, you can use your web portfolio to quickly and impressively illustrate your talents and accomplishments. But, the primary determining factors for your success will still be how well your skills match the company's needs, and how well you interview. If you are running a close race with another candidate, the web portfolio can put you a nose ahead, but you still have to run the overall race like a winner. 

Do you make personal appointments? I want to talk face-to-face

As an Internet career management consultancy, we deal exclusively via electronic means (email, Internet, telephone and fax). This way, you have the time you need to think. Top Margin offers the convenience of being able to take your time and think about career issues in detail.  

How do the DISC profiles help me?

Behavioural assessments identify your special talents, your communication style and how your positive characteristics can be valuable in the workplace. Successful job searching has become a very sophisticated process. These reports help you with your interview preparation and in recognizing your communication style and those of other around you. Each profile is around 20 to 25 questions and takes about 10 to 15 minutes to complete online. Your report will be sent to you in PDF  (Adobe Reader) format via email within minutes.

What is interview telecoaching?

Telecoaching is a method of coaching via telephone. We arrange, on your behalf, sessions with Annemarie Cross, an expert in interviewing techniques and author of Ace that Interview. Prior to these sessions, you will be surveyed regarding what you’d like to cover in these sessions, such as behavioural interview techniques, how to hurdle tough questions about sensitive topics (job hopping, demotions, sackings), and much more. You’ll receive extensive information via email that you can read after your sessions. 

What is 360 Reach? 

What do people think about you? 360 Reach is the first and leading web-based personal brand assessment that helps you get the real story about how you are perceived by those around you. It gives you the critical feedback you need so you can expand your career or business success. It's an integral part of the personal branding process and an indispensable tool for thriving in today's professional environment. Whether you are a job seeker, a consultant or entrepreneur or an HR manager looking to motivate and educate your staff, 360 Reach will provide you with the actionable insights you need to succeed.

Why should I choose Top Margin and not a local resume writing service?

Top Margin is committed to setting benchmarks for quality in both product and customer service. We fully back our promises and services, and we have aligned with industry professionals with similar objectives. With several resume-writing certifications...

• MRW (Master Resume Writer), CCM (Credentialed Career Manager) from the Career Management Alliance
• CERW (Certified Expert Resume Writer), MCD (Master Career Director), CARW (Certified Advanced Resume Writer), CWPP (Certified Web Portfolio Practitioner) from Career Directors International
• 360 Reach Certified Analyst, Reach Communications
• CMRS (Certified Master Resume Specialist (Association of Online Resume and Career Professionals).
• CPRW (Certified Professional Resume Writer) from the Professional Association of Resume Writers & Career Coaches
• Master Resume Writer Lifetime Achievement Award, Career Directors International

...Top Margin has the backing, knowledge and support mechanisms your local service may not be able to provide. We have been published internationally in more than 22 career publications. We are the only Australian resume firm to have this distinction to date. Gayle has personally won 13 first-place TORI Awards (20 awards in total) for her writing craftsmanship, making her the most decorated writer in Career Directors International.

How do I pay for my resume? Is this a secure site?

We commence work upon receipt of your payment in full. Our payment gateway is managed on a secure server by one of Australia's largest banks and encrypted to the highest levels legally allowable. You can safely enter all personal information together with your credit card details. Top Margin accepts Visa, MasterCard, Diners Club and American Express. You may also take advantage of your Internet banking system to transfer funds directly into our account. Sorry—no cheques, money orders, or bank cheques, as they require too much time to process and clear.

Some of the words on this website are spelled incorrectly!

Well-meaning people raise this issue from time to time. Mostly we receive such comments from our North American visitors who believe that words such as centre (center), organised (organized), specialise (specialize), recognise (recognize), colour (color), licence (license), defence (defense), and so on are not spelled correctly.

Top Margin is an Australian company. Australians adopt the English/European spelling style. Americans have adopted the American/English spelling style. As we are primarily talking to our Australian audiences, we use the spelling adopted by our country. However, we are also experts in writing for the North American market, so please be assured that that when we create a resume for you, we’ll spell it your way!

Do you give refunds?

Top Margin is not selling a refrigerator, TV, or washing machine. We are developing documents specifically for you, based on your experience, training, and career desires. Top Margin cannot resell this service to anyone else if you change your mind. Because we are providing a service and not a product, a no-refunds policy applies. However, we are relentless in ensuring you are entirely happy with the package you purchase. You will be asked to sign off on the document(s) only when they are complete and you are satisfied.

Do you include paper copies and folders?

We are trying our best to "go green" and fortunately this is a good time! Times have changed and the methods by which job seekers go about their job searches have adapted and changed too. A decade or so ago, it was rare to find a personal computer in the average home, the Internet was largely a mystery to many, and jobs were primarily sought by turning to the newspaper classifieds once or twice a week. Today, most homes in Australia possess a computer and an Internet connection, and the vast majority of job seekers look for employment at the large career sites where they can upload a resume or email it to a recruiter. Even if they don’t do it at home, many can access such services at work. The immediacy of the electronic age has revolutionized the job search process, and very few job seekers now print and send their applications by mail. Even if they do, the most inexpensive models of inkjet printers produce the type of professional output that only laser printers could accomplish a decade ago.

In reviewing our packages in 2004, we determined that paper resumes had largely become a thing of the past and Top Margin transitioned to electronic-only formats. This decision allowed us to freeze our pricing for 12 months, meet the needs of a changing sector, and, we believe, respond proactively to environmental concerns. We take great pride in minimizing the amount of paper, toners and ink consumed as our contribution to conservation.

Do you provide resume critiques and give recommendations?

Yes, we do provide a resume critique service. We review your current resume and send you a 5-6 page report detailing our professional opinion on such areas as format, overall presentation, grammatical/spelling issues, and areas that may raise red flags to an astute observer of human resources. We will also give you advice on overcoming these problems. Pricing for our resume critiquing service can be found on our Prices & Packages page.

Is there a difference between a CV and a resume?

Most people interchange these terms freely and believe they are one and the same. Certainly in different countries they tend to be known more by one name or the other. In the US, resume is the term of choice. In the UK, CV (or curriculum vitae) is the preferred term. In Australia we use both CV and resume. Technically, a CV is a different document than a resume. A resume is a marketing document, while a CV tends to be used in academic, legal, medical, and scientific circles to document papers presented, education, publications, and more.

What is a CPRW, MCD, MRWLAA, CERW, CWPP, and CCM?

Details of the Certified Professional Resume Writer designation can be found at the PARW website: http://www.parw.com/home.html and information regarding the Certified Expert Resume Writer, Certified Web Portfolio Practitioner and Master Career Director can be found at the Career Directors International website http://www.careerdirectors.com/ (Click on Certifications). Master Resume Writer and Credentialed Career Master designations are bestowed upon an elite group of career and employment professionals at the Career Management Alliance.

I would like to start my own resume writing business. Can you help?

As a mentor of up-and-coming talent, Gayle Howard has helped many people enter the world of resume writing. She suggests two things. The first is to join an association such as Career Directors International. Never underestimate the help and great ideas that can be offered to you by a group of people with experience who have found solutions to problems already! Secondly, investigate Gayle's ecourse for professional resume writers entitled “PS...You’re a Resume Expert.” You can find out more about it here PS...You’re a Resume Expert. Knowledge is power, and the more you can help your clients succeed, the better it is for you, for the industry, and for the clients you serve.

Why all the awards? Isn’t this just self-gratification?

In just about every walk of life and every career profession there is someone who excels. Someone who stands up, elevates the reputation of the industry and achieves recognition from his or her peers. The Nobel Peace Prize recognizes individuals who excel in making our world a better place; the Oscars, Grammys and Emmys acknowledge superior acting and musical performances; the Pulitzer Prize rewards contemporary writing; and the Archibald, artistic merit. The list of industries that publicly acknowledge professional excellence that in turn, inspires others to strive for similar success, is endless.

The ultimate beneficiaries of our expertise, our clients, are our greatest personal reward for the efforts we expend in pursuing excellence and maximizing our skills. But it is not just about personal rewards. It is about elevating the profile of the industry and raising the bar for others to aspire. The resume-writing industry is strengthened by people invested in surpassing clients’ expectations. Not just anyone can excel in the art of resume writing. The fast turnover of fly-by-night businesses run by stay-at-home-mums and students armed with templates and computers will tell you that. Recognition is about separating the talented from the run of the mill and inspiring professionals to reach for the sky.

Self-promotion? Hardly! Certification and professional affiliation are about giving back to the industry in a tangible way so that you, the client, can benefit through the knowledge and quality of the person who serves you.