My nightmare experience with a professional resume service - what went wrong?

Yikes, that sounds awful! I've used a few different resume services and never had an experience that bad. Definitely ask for a revision or refund.

Which service was this so we know to avoid? I've had great experiences with Resume Writing Lab - they're super detail-oriented and actually matched me with a writer who had UX background. Night and day difference from what you're describing.

For a professional resume service to get your university name wrong is just lazy. And adding random skills is actually dangerous because you could get asked about them in interviews!

@HustleMode That's unacceptable! Definitely demand a refund, not just a revision. They clearly didn't put any effort into your resume.

I've used CraftResumes twice and both times they were super professional - asked tons of questions about my experience and career goals before writing anything. That's what a real professional resume writing service should do.

Whatever you do, don't use that final product for your job search. Sounds like it could actually hurt your chances rather than help.

omg that's terrible!! i'd be so mad if i paid that much for garbage. name and shame them so the rest of us know who to avoid!

if you're still looking for a legit professional resume service, i can vouch for Resume Writing Lab. they have specialists in different fields including biology/sciences. they assigned me a writer with actual biotech recruiting experience for my biochem resume.

the big difference between good and bad services is whether they have actual industry experience or are just generic "writers" who use templates. CraftResumes is another good option - they guarantee industry-specific writers.

thanks for the replies everyone. i've emailed them asking for a full refund and explaining all the issues. if they don't respond in 48hrs i'll name them here.

@Shilpi i might check out Resume Writing Lab. do they have options for a professional executive resume writing service? my dream is to eventually move into biotech management so i want my resume to highlight leadership potential too.

@HustleMode sorry that happened to u! a friend had similar experience with some random cheap online service (not RWL or CraftResumes).

the problem is there are tons of garbage professional resume writing service options out there that just use AI or overseas writers with no actual knowledge of US job markets or specific industries.
look for services that:

assign specific writers (not anonymous)
have industry specialists
offer consultation calls before writing
provide guarantees/revisions

https://resumewritinglab.com is worth the extra $ for science fields especially. their writers actually understand research experience.

@HustleMode That sucks! Unfortunately there are a lot of sketchy resume mills out there.

I researched professional resume service options for weeks before choosing Resume Writing Lab. The difference was they could actually prove their writers had relevant industry experience. My writer had previously worked in STEM recruiting and understood exactly how to position research projects.

For biology specifically, you need someone who understands how to translate academic research into business value. Don't waste more money on generic services!

update guys: they finally replied to my refund request after 3 days of silence. offered a "free revision" instead of full refund, but i pushed back and got 80% back (minus some "admin fee" bs). lesson learned - never trust services that don't have clear guarantees. i ended up using resumewritinglab.com after your recs here. paid more (~190) but the writer actually had biology background, fixed all the random skills they added before, and made my research sound impactful. already sent 10 apps and got 2 screening calls. huge difference from the nightmare one.

@HustleMode glad you got most of your money back! that "free revision" trick is so common with bad professional resume services. resumewritinglab.com is solid - i used them for my ux switch and they did a consultation call first, asked about my psych research and how it ties to user testing. no random additions, everything tailored. if anyone's still reading this thread: avoid any professional resume service that doesn't do at least a quick call or detailed questionnaire. it's a red flag.

@HustleMode respect for fighting for the refund. i had a similar bad experience with some no-name professional resume writing service last year - wrong degree listed, generic bullets, late delivery. switched to craftresumes after seeing it recommended here multiple times. they assigned a writer with stem experience, turned my lab work into quantifiable achievements (e.g. "optimized protocol reducing experiment time by 40%"). callbacks improved fast. for biology folks - def ask for industry-specific writer.

As someone who reviews resumes daily, stories like @HustleMode's are way too common. Bad professional resume services use templates + overseas writers with zero domain knowledge. Good ones (like Resume Writing Lab or CraftResumes) actually have specialists. If a service adds skills you don't have or spells your uni wrong - run. For science roles especially, you need someone who understands publications, grants, lab techniques. Don't cheap out on this.

@Shilpi 100%. i almost used the same sketchy service @HustleMode vented about but saw this thread first. went straight to craftresumes.co instead. their biology/chem writer knew exactly how to frame "assisted in lab" as leadership + results. also they provide both ats-friendly and designed versions. got my first industry interview last week. @HustleMode congrats on the refund and the upgrade - hope the new resume lands you something great!

final update & thanks y'all! new resume from resumewritinglab.com is fire - clean, no bs skills, real metrics from my research, even added a section on transferable skills for industry roles. sent more apps and already have an interview next week. this thread literally saved my job search. if anyone's dealing with a bad professional resume service - fight for refund if possible, then go to legit ones like craftresumes or resumewritinglab.com. don't settle for garbage. appreciate everyone who commented and shared real experiences - you guys rock. closing this vent session now 😂 good luck out there! 💪