FAQ

How do I provide you with the information you need to write my resume?

You have two options. If you have an existing resume, you have all thefoundation information available. You can simply email it to us here.

If you don’t have an existing resume or your resume is outdated, youcan download the Information Gatherer form from our website here. Once you have completed the form, you can email it to us. 

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 the end results of your achievements.

After this intensive investigative session, we’ll devise a list of questions about your experience, actions you took, and results you achieved, and email them to you for your response. Most people don’t tell the whole story, instead providing open-ended information that leaves the reader struggling to interpret their meaning. Our probing questions will stamp your resume with the individuality that is vital to making you stand out in a crowd—assuring that nobody else can look or sound like you. This part of the process serves a dual purpose: first, to allow us to get the best information from you to prepare your career marketing tools, and second, to prepare you for those tough interviews using the CAR approach (Challenge Action Result).

Top Margin's intensive information gathering is what sets us apart from our competitors. We spend the time to get to know you through your responses so your presentation is relentlessly high-impact from beginning to end. We make your resume unique, just like you.

May I look at my resume before it is finished?

Yes. As soon as your documents are created, you’ll receive an email inviting you to visit your secure collaboration area to download and review them. Substantial thought has gone into the placement of text, formatting and wording by this stage, and 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 cheerleader, we believe your document should maintain the integrity and professionalism as originally conveyed. It would not be in your best interest to revert to the comfort of your previous (non-working) approach that made you sound like one of the pack. You deserve the best; mediocrity is not an option if you are a client of Top Margin! You can be assured that if your changes are solid and worthwhile, they will be implemented. If they reflect poorly on you, we will tell you why they are a problem. In the end, though, you have to feel that your resume represents you, and you can trust our years of experience to make this happen. We are completely committed to helping you get interviews—and it is a journey best taken together!

How long does the process take?

This varies depending upon how quickly you submit the necessary information and how quickly you respond after you receive your review draft. On average, resume and cover letter development is around 14 to18 days from receipt of order to final delivery. The delivery time on some of the top-end packages, which have a lot of different components and services, is typically longer due to the sheer amount of hard work we invest in preparing them for you.

We make no apology that quality and ensuring you get interviews are the aims of the exercise. If you are looking for a resume factory that churns out cloned resumes to meet 24-hour deadlines, we need to be frank—we are not a match. Top Margin carefully and painstakingly creates individual packages for each client and we will not compromise ourselves—or you—by producing a second-rate resume just to meet a deadline (a deadline for a job that, incidentally, you may miss out on anyway by submitting an inferior/rushed application).

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 to us

Step 2. Making Payment

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

Step 3—Behind the Scenes/Timelines

1. Your custom file is created for online collaborations
2. Preliminary documents are made ready for you to download.
3. A list of probing questions will be developed specifically to expose your real strengths and achievements.
4. We commence writing when your answers are received. The first draft will be delivered via email within 10 business days.
5. You are afforded two weeks to review documents for accuracy and content, and given two separate opportunities to make changes.
6. Upon our receipt of your final release form, your package will be completed. Documents will have password protection and metadata removed, be converted to the formats outlined in your package choice, and emailed to 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 not a retailer of a manufactured product. 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.

We won’t compromise our hard-earned reputation and integrity by rushing out a cheap, quick project like a resume factory. We deliver top quality, full-price, personal service, as you would expect when you deal with any professional. If your employer said to you tomorrow, “I hope you don’t mind us putting a little less in your pay packet this week,” what would your reaction be?

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

Top Margin never sacrifices quality for expediency. If you need a resume “yesterday,” we are not a match. Because it stands between you and an interview for the position of your dreams, we are meticulous in getting your resume right. We do not take this responsibility lightly. Top Margin is not a template-driven, one-size-fits-all service with a team of writers writing to a formula. You are unique, and so is your resume. 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 jobs.

Please remember this is your career! Your future! If something is urgent, it means you haven’t planned properly. A career move needs to be well thought out, strategically planned and prepared to take you through the different phases of experience and growth. It should not be a knee-jerk reaction after you’ve taken a fancy to a newspaper advertisement you just discovered. 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 9500-plus resumes for every occupation under the sun! From IT 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! In the unlikely event that you’re in one of the few occupations (astronaut, lion tamer, or deep sea diver specialising in lost relics), outside our repertoire, Top Margin has access to a worldwide network of specialists through our involvement with the Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches, Career Management Alliance, Association of Online Career Professionals, and Career Directors International. A specialist who is willing to share relevant expertise at a moment’s notice is never more than an email away.

What is included in your resume packages?

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

Do you do Key Selection Criteria for Government Applications?

Yes...and no. Let us explain. 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 such as Top Margin to create them for you. Key Selection Criteria are required for all public sector applications. 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. At Top Margin we have built a reputation for success and integrity. We will not accept key selection criteria projects for unqualified candidates because it is a waste of your time and your money. Time is a precious commodity and we can't always find the time in our schedule to fit these projects in -- if we can't meet your deadline we'll tell you so and refer you to another firm.  Contact us please here and check with us to see what our schedule is like. Before you do that though, 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 do anything, look carefully at the criteria in relation to your skills and experience. They must be a match! 

Do you guarantee I will get an interview?

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 as you send it; 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; 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. Some services offer you a rewrite if they don't get it right the first time. We get it right the first time!

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

Top Margin is an Internet business. We deal exclusively via electronic means (email, Internet, and fax). This way, you have the time you need to think. Will you have all the information we need in your hour-long, person-to-person interview, or will you have to call back? Can you afford to take off time for second and third meetings? Can you afford the extra fees associated with this person-to-person service? Top Margin offers real value for your money along with the convenience of being able to take your time and think about career issues in detail. You will not be rushed out of the office with a copy of a resume that you have barely had a chance to absorb.  

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. This report will serve in your interview preparation and as part of your interview portfolio. We supply you with a password and website address to take the profile. A 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, your 30-second elevator speech, 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.

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
• CPRW (Certified Professional Resume Writer) from the prestigious trade association Professional Association of Resume Writers & Career Coaches
• MCD (Master Career Director), CERW (Certified Expert Resume Writer), CARW (Certified Advanced Resume Writer), CWPP (Certified Web Portfolio Practitioner) from Career Directors International
• CMRS (Certified Master Resume Specialis (Association of Online Resume and Career Professionals)
• 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.

Top Margin's resumes 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, including the prestigious Best Resume award at Career Directors International Annual Resume Writing Awards 2000, making her the most decorated writer in the Career Directors International association.

As a member of the Career Management Alliance, Top Margin is bound by a Code of Ethics. We pledge to you, our client, our allegiance to all ethical and appropriate business dealings. Our integrity has been the mainstay of our many years in business.

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?

As mentioned in an earlier answer, 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 Top Margin is providing a service and not a product, a no-refunds policy is enforced. However, Top Margin is relentless in ensuring you are entirely happy with the document. 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?

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 snail 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. After receiving our summary, if you would like to commission a new resume package, we will deduct $10 from the price of your selected package. 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 more experience. 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.