What problems do you face writing your CV?

• Do you know how to write and present your CV professionally?
• Do you know what to include or leave out of your CV?
• Do you know what employers are looking for on your CV?
• Are you getting a good response from your current CV?
• Are you worried about being considered too old or young or lacking experience for the position you want to apply for?
• Are you under or over qualified for the position you are seeking?
• Have you changed jobs frequently, or are your returning to work after pregnancy, early retirement, illness, redundancy or unemployment?
• Have you got time to write a CV that will do justice to your unique skills?
• Can you write a CV that will beat the 100's of other applicants and get you that all-important job interview?

What types of CV services are there to help you with your CV?

• CV typing services: these typically charge less than £100 and tend to employ word-processing and administrative staff who have little knowledge of recruitment or copywriting. To make any money at all, each member of staff will need to type up several CVs every day - so they will spend very little time on your CV (typically an hour or two). These firms only attract junior staff, as they cannot afford to pay them very much.
• Semi-pro CV services: these typically charge between £100 and £200. They may employ staff with some knowledge of recruitment, possibly from either an HR or recruitment background. But, they won't have the vital copywriting skills that will make your CV stand out from the crowd. These firms will not be able to spend very long on your CV (typically just 2 hours) as they only have a little more money to spend on their staff's wages than the CV typing services.
• Professional CV services: these typically charge over £200. These services should employ staff with recruitment experience from either an HR or recruitment background. The better services also employ staff with specialist copywriting experience, which enables them to produce a CV that will make you stand out from the crowd. These services spend far longer on your CV (typically 5+ hours), compared to either the CV typing or semi-pro services. Although professional CV services cost more than the other types of CV service, they can produce a far better CV than either the CV typing services or the semi-pro CV services.

Why should you choose a professional CV service like Bradley CVs, rather than a CV typing service or semi-pro CV service?

• Your CV will be written by professionals who are experienced in writing interview-winning CVs. They know what employers and recruitment agencies are looking for and they have the copywriting skills to make your CV stand out from the 100's of other people who have applied for the same job as you.
• A professionally written CV will therefore dramatically improve your chances of being interviewed and cut the length of time you spend looking for a job. Semi-pro and CV typing services lack the recruitment and copywriting experience and therefore can do little to improve your CV.
• You may have certain problems that you need to overcome in preparing your CV, which require specialist advice. A professional CV service will have suitable experience in this area, whereas CV typing and semi-pro services may lack the expertise to advise you.
• If you are unsure about what information to include on your CV, or if your CV lacks any real achievements, then you need a CV service that includes a telephone consultation. Professional CV services employ skilled interviewers who will be able to uncover your real skills, strengths and achievements (even if you do not think you have any).
• CV typing and semi-pro services often neglect to include a telephone consultation, and they may lack professional interviewing experience. They may, therefore, fail to uncover that vital piece of information that will get you that all-important job interview.
• As well as helping you obtain an interview, a professionally written CV can continue to work in your favour at the interview itself by carefully focusing the interviewer's mind on your major strengths / achievements and it may therefore ultimately help you win the job you desire.
• A professionally written CV should also boost your next salary because it clearly conveys the benefits of employing you, as it directly highlights your key strengths and achievements - so a professional CV could pay for itself.
• Always remember your CV is your investment in your future - with it rests your hopes and dreams for the future. If your CV is not as good as it could be, then you may get few interviews or none at all. Can you really afford to trust a CV typing or semi-pro CV service when so much is at stake?
• Spending money now on your CV may save you a lot of time, effort and unnecessary disappointment. You will probably spend many hours looking for a new job and sending off your CV. This time will have been wasted if all you get are rejection letters because your CV is letting you down.

Checklist to ask a CV service:

The questions below should help you uncover which type of CV service you are talking to:

• What background does the person who will be preparing your CV come from? (You want to find out if they were previously just in word-processing / administration or whether they have a background in recruitment and copywriting.)
• How long has the company / CV writer been producing CVs? (Ideally you want a company / CV writer with at least 5 years experience - rather than a company / CV writer with little experience of actually writing CVs.)
• Is a telephone consultation included in the price? Will this be with someone who has professional interviewing experience? How long is the consultation? (Ideally you want at least a half hour consultation with someone with professional interviewing experience.)
• Can you show me an example of a CV you have prepared? (If they will not show you an example CV, steer well clear!) Does the CV look well presented or are they using a very dated layout? (Some services use layouts that are 10+ years out-of-date!) Does the CV have a profile / summary at the top of the first page? Is there a list of major achievements under the profile / summary section? Does the CV demonstrate any copywriting skills?
• What results has the company / CV writer had? Can I see some testimonials? (You want to find out whether they can actually produce CVs that get their clients interviews.)

Why should you choose Bradley CVs, rather than any other CV service?

• Your CV will be produced by a company that was established in 1993 to provide you with the CV writing service you deserve and to assist you get the job you desire.
• Your CV will be written by one of our highly skilled Consultants, who are experienced in both recruitment and copywriting and therefore know how to produce an interview-winning CV that will get you noticed by both employers and recruitment agencies.
• Your Consultant was specially selected from 100's of applicants who applied to Bradley CVs - we rejected 100's of applicants who currently worked for our competitors or ran their own CV writing business or worked in HR / recruitment.
• The majority of unsuccessful applicants were from an HR / recruitment background and clearly lacked the necessary copywriting skills required to sell your skills and experience to an employer.
• Whilst the other applicants typically came from a secretarial background and therefore lacked both recruitment knowledge and copywriting skills.
• Of the 100's of applicants who applied to Bradley CVs only a handful actually possessed that unique blend of recruitment knowledge and copywriting skills that we require to produce an interview-winning CV for you.
• We recruited this handful of successful applicants to work for Bradley CVs as Consultants, because only the best can be relied on to produce a CV that will get you noticed by employers.
• During your telephone consultation, your Consultant will identify your individual skills, achievements, career aims and job targets. This will assist your Consultant to match you with employers' and recruitment agencies' requirements.
• You may have a variety of problems to overcome (unemployment / redundancy, changing careers, changing jobs frequently, lack of qualifications / experience, being too young / old, returning to work after illness, an extended holiday or maternity leave). We are experienced in handling these sort of problems on your CV, so that they do not stop you from getting a job.
• Every CV we write has a unique summary and major achievements section, showing-off your key skills, strengths and personal qualities, telling an employer / recruitment agency at a glance why they should invite you for that all-important interview.
• Your CV will be produced by a company that gets results (please take a look at the testimonials from our clients) and believes in setting high standards (Bradley CVs advised the National Advisory Council for Careers & Educational Guidance on the development of nationally recognised quality standards for CV Writing).
• We believe in both professionalism and keeping up-to-date with the latest trends in recruitment and Human Resources (HR), through our continued involvement with the REC (Recruitment & Employment Confederation) and the CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development). Click here to learn more about the REC and CIPD.
• Your CV will have one of our modern CV layouts tailored to your particular needs. Bradley CVs is continually updating the CV layouts and wording we use, through in-depth research and by talking to both employers and recruitment agencies to identify the latest trends. Please take a look at the 3 example CVs on our website: Example CV, CV for BBC TV, CV of our Managing Director / Principal Consultant.
• Click here if you want to learn more about Bradley CVs.

Testimonials

Bradley CVs has had many complimentary comments from our clients - a few of which are reproduced here. To see further testimonials please click here:

"I applied for 7 jobs and obtained 7 interviews. 100% success! What more can I say!" said Mr Jack, who was seeking a career move and has obtained a new job with a prestigious company.

"The CV you wrote for me has been very successful and helped me get a job. In one instance I got into the second round of interviews with a national company on the strength of my CV and cover letter alone" said Mr Nicholson, who was made redundant from his previous position.

"I faxed the CV and a cover letter last night after business hours to a large bank; at 9:30 this morning, I received a call from them stating that the hiring manager had reviewed the resume and wanted to schedule an interview. Assuming they started at 8:00 a.m., that means it took only one and a half hours for the CV to have an impact!! Thanks again for your help. Brian Smith."

Bradley CVs professional CV service

Just like any other professional service, we charge an hourly rate, which is currently £75 per hour. The number of hours it takes to prepare your CV depends on which of our services you choose (Starter CV, High Profile CV and Premier CV) - these services are described below. Each service is charged at a fixed fee - so that you know what you will be paying in advance. If you would like to calculate the number of hours we will spend on your CV please divide the figures quoted by our hourly rate of £75.

When comparing our charges to other CV services please remember that you get what you pay for. Some other services may well be cheaper, but if they do not produce an interview-winning CV then you will have wasted your money. Can you really afford to compromise your CV and therefore your chances of getting a job by opting for the cheaper CV typing or semi-pro CV services?

Other CV services can only charge less than Bradley CVs by spending less time on your CV and by employing word-processing / administrative staff. Bradley CVs employs staff with extensive experience in the recruitment industry and an in-depth knowledge of copy-writing, which enables them to produce a CV that will get you ahead of your competitors. Your satisfaction with the completed CV is guaranteed with Bradley CVs (click here for our guarantees).

Starter CV

If you are a student or you have recently graduated in the last year (and have never worked full-time before), then our two-page Starter CV is suitable for you. For £249 you can have a CV that is specially designed to help you find a job. The jobs' market is highly competitive and your Starter CV will show an employer what you specifically have to offer and why you should be invited to that all-important job interview.

A telephone consultation is a vital component of our service and this will take approximately three-quarters of an hour. During your consultation we will identify your career aims, job targets, skills, experience and achievements. We will probe your educational history, any work-related experience and outside interests. This enables us to check that you have not left out anything important from the initial information you have provided. The telephone consultation therefore gives us extra insight into your abilities and allows us to write a more imaginative CV, which should encourage an employer to take your application further.

After the consultation, your CV will be produced taking into account your specific career aims and job targets. We will use our copywriting skills and detailed knowledge of graduate recruiters' requirements when preparing your CV. A proof copy of your CV will be sent to you, so that you can modify any part of your CV as you wish. Your proof copy will normally be sent to you 2 to 5 days after the consultation (if you have a specific deadline please mention this when ordering). We will then make any changes you require to your CV and send you the final version.

Please telephone 0845 200 7927 or outside the UK +44 1606 784 334 between 9am and 5pm (UK time), Monday to Friday (calls to 0845 numbers are charged at local rates) or email if you require further information about our service or if you have any questions. To order a CV please click here.

High Profile CV

If you are applying for a professional, technical or management position then our two-page High Profile CV will be suitable for you. For £397 you can have a CV that is specifically designed to attract attention and get you noticed by the senior decision-makers. These positions are often highly sought after and competition can, therefore, be fierce. The High Profile CV can cut through this competition and will work hard on your behalf, putting across to employers the specific benefits of employing you and stating why you should be invited for that all-important job interview. If you would prefer a three-page CV then we can produce a three-page High Profile CV for £497.

A telephone consultation is a vital component of our service and this will take approximately three-quarters of an hour. During your consultation we will identify your career aims, job targets, skills, experience and achievements. We will probe your work history, recent qualifications and outside interests. This enables us to check that you have not left out anything important from the initial information you have provided. The telephone consultation therefore gives us extra insight into your abilities and allows us to write a more imaginative CV, which should encourage an employer to take your application further.

After the consultation, your CV will be produced taking into account your specific career aims and job targets. We will use our copywriting skills and detailed knowledge of recruiters' requirements when preparing your CV. A proof copy of your CV will be sent to you, so that you can modify any part of your CV as you wish. Your proof copy will normally be sent to you 2 to 5 days after the consultation (if you have a specific deadline please mention this when ordering). We will then make any changes you require to your CV and send you the final version.

Please telephone 0845 200 7927 or outside the UK +44 1606 784 334 between 9am and 5pm (UK time), Monday to Friday (calls to 0845 numbers are charged at local rates) or email if you require further information about our service or if you have any questions. To order a CV please click here.

Premier CV

If you need the best possible CV you may want to consider our Premier CV Writing Service. This service is tailored to meet your individual needs and is especially recommended for senior managers or for people requiring highly technical CVs (e.g. IT permanent/contract or engineering personnel). The Premier CV Writing Service is £597 for a two-page CV (or £797 for a three-page CV), which includes a far more in-depth telephone consultation than is included with the Starter CV or High Profile CV, so that we can prepare an interview-winning CV for you. An outstanding final product is guaranteed as we consult you thoroughly at every stage of the production of your Premier CV to ensure your complete satisfaction with it.

The telephone consultation usually takes about one and a half hours (twice as long as the consultation included with the Starter CV or High Profile CV). During your consultation we will identify and thoroughly probe your career aims, job targets, skills, career history, experience, achievements and recent qualifications. Talking to you at length ensures that we build up a complete picture of you and your requirements. This enables us to check that you have not left out anything important from the initial information you have provided. This also gives us an excellent insight into what makes you tick and what you are good at, even if you are a little shy about your own abilities. An in-depth consultation will therefore allow us to write a far more persuasive CV that will clearly highlight your skills and strengths and make an employer really want to meet you for that vital job interview.

After the consultation, your CV will be produced taking into account your specific career aims and job targets. We will use our copywriting skills and detailed knowledge of recruiters' requirements when preparing your CV. As we talked to you at length during the telephone consultation, we will be writing about someone we know well, and we can therefore describe your attributes and achievements in their most favourable light. A proof copy of your CV will be sent to you, so that you can modify any part of your CV as you wish. Your proof copy will normally be sent to you 2 to 5 days after the consultation (if you have a specific deadline please mention this when ordering). We will then make any changes you require to your CV and send you the final version.

We spend a total of 8 hours preparing your Premier CV (11 hours for a 3-page Premier CV), far longer than we spend on either the High Profile CV (just over 5 hours for a two-page CV or seven hours for a three-page CV) or the Starter CV (just over 3 hours). This includes a telephone consultation of one and a half hours and a further six and a half hours carefully preparing your CV. This ensures that your Premier CV really meets your requirements, focuses on your strengths and delivers a CV that is of the highest quality to win you the interviews that you desire.

Please telephone 0845 200 7927 or outside the UK +44 1606 784 334 between 9am and 5pm (UK time), Monday to Friday (calls to 0845 numbers are charged at local rates) or email if you require further information about our service or if you have any questions. To order a CV please click here.

What is included with the Starter CV, High Profile CV or Premier CV?

A telephone consultation with an experienced interviewer, production of your CV by a CV writer highly qualified in both recruitment and copywriting, a proof copy of your CV (sent by email, fax or post), a final electronic copy of your CV in Microsoft Word format (sent by email or posted to you on a diskette), 12 laser prints of your CV on top-quality Conqueror paper (you have a choice of white or vellum paper), and postage and packing.

Your CV will be prepared in Microsoft Word format (compatible with Word 97 / 2000 / XP / 2007), which is the standard format requested by recruitment agencies and employers. If you require further proof copies please note that there would be an additional charge. CVs are sent by 1st Class post to UK addresses and by airmail otherwise. Express delivery of the final 12 laser prints by DHL / FedEx / UPS is available for an additional charge of £60 (this is usually a next day service to most destinations in the world).

If you cannot be reached on a UK (01 or 02 STD code), Western European, North American or Australian land-line then additional call charges may apply unless you call us yourself.

Professional Cover Letters

With employers receiving so many CVs these days a well written covering letter will really make your application stand out. Bradley CVs can prepare a general covering letter, a speculative letter or a letter in response to an advert for £149 if ordered with a CV, saving £30 compared to the normal price of £179. This includes 2 hours of your consultant's time, during which they will expertly write your covering letter, and match your skills and experience to an employer's requirements.

Worried about missing out on your ideal job?

Do you worry about missing out on your ideal job at the salary level you want, just because you lack the necessary skills to find the job, handle the interview and negotiate a decent pay rise? If so, then we have a full range of services that can help you. For further information please click here.

The methods of payment we accept

We accept payment by credit / debit card or you can send us a cheque from a UK bank account or a cheque made out in Pounds Sterling from an international bank with an account in the UK. Your credit / debit card details will be taken down when we telephone you to arrange a mutually convenient time for the telephone consultation part of our service. We accept the following credit and debit cards: Switch / Maestro, Delta, Solo, Visa, Mastercard, Eurocard, American Express, JCB.

Ordering your CV

Your order can be placed on our secure order form (click here to order now) or by telephone, email, post or fax (please click here for further details). Please note that we do not prepare CVs on a face-to-face basis.

Contact Us

Please telephone 0845 200 7927 or outside the UK +44 1606 784 334 between 9am and 5pm (UK time), Monday to Friday (calls to 0845 numbers are charged at local rates) or email if you require further information about our service or if you have any questions.

• CV service (including prices)
• Free email guide: Is your CV letting you down?: How to dramatically improve your CV
• Ordering a CV
• Cover letters
• Testimonials
• Example CV
• CV for BBC TV
• Guarantees
• Why should you choose Bradley CVs?
• Who are the REC/CIPD?
• Contact us
• Terms & Conditions
• Complaints Process
• Privacy Statement
• CV distribution - send your CV to 1000's of recruiters at one go - click here to learn more