Dear J.T. & Dale: I’m a vice president at company that is slowly dying. I need to redo my resume. When I look at executive resume writing sites, every service claims to be the best and wants anywhere from $500 to $1,000 to write a resume that gets attention. So how does one pick the best one? — Ken

Dale: Curious, I just put “resume writing service” into Google, and it offered me three-quarters of a million hits. Visiting a few, they quoted amounts much less than the range you suggested. Perhaps the companies you’ve encountered are offering additional services. So you’ll need to get details as to what’s included, as well as references and examples. Moreover, a good consumer is a knowledgeable consumer, so I urge you to do some background reading. I’d start with one of Kate Wendleton’s books, either “Building a Great Resume” or “Packaging Yourself: The Targeted Resume.” You’ll either decide you don’t need a service, or you’ll know just what sort of resume you want.

J.T.: Or, you might reach out to one or two of the most reputable executive search firms in your area (head hunters), and talk to them about confidentially marketing you to prospective employers. Oftentimes, they’ll do your resume for you as part of the chance to promote you to their clients. Keep in mind, their clients pay them a hefty fee for finding you, so making you look good on paper is worth it to them — and it makes the resume redesign FREE for you!