Frequently Asked Questions
Get answers to our most commonly asked questions.
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How Does the Resume Restoration Process Work?
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Submit a booking request through our online form with your contact information and preferred availability. A member of our team will contact you within one to two business days with available appointment options. Once your appointment is confirmed, you will receive a booking confirmation with instructions to email us your current resume and 1–2 positions you are interested in applying for so we can prepare for your session.
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Meet with your resume writer via Zoom. During your 60–90 minute one-on-one consultation, we work collaboratively with you to review, refine, and strengthen the content of your resume to ensure it clearly communicates your experience, skills, and value while aligning with the roles you are pursuing.
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Select your resume design. Once the content has been finalized, you will choose from our portfolio of 18 professionally designed resume templates.
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Receive your completed resume. Within three business days, you will receive your professionally formatted resume by email. You will then have time to review the document and work with our design team to finalize any edits.
What if I Don't Currently Have a Resume?
In order to make the most of your consultation time, we do ask that you provide some form of working draft or background information before the session.
This can include:
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A copy of your current or previous job description
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Bullet points outlining your roles, responsibilities, and accomplishments
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A list of positions you’ve held and key achievements
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Any older resume or career document, even if it is outdated
Our consultation sessions are highly collaborative and move quickly, as there is often a significant amount of information to review and refine. Having a starting point allows us to focus our time on strengthening your positioning, refining your accomplishments, and developing a strong professional narrative.
If you do not have a resume to begin with, you can download our free resume template from the Resources page, which provides a helpful structure for organizing your experience before the session.
Do I need a professional resume writer in the age of AI?
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Do I Need to Provide Job Posting Prior to My Session?
No, providing job postings is not a requirement. While many clients find it helpful, it is completely optional.
Approximately 70% of our clients share 1–2 job postings they are interested in applying for. This helps us better understand the types of roles they are targeting and allows us to tailor the resume more specifically to those opportunities, including aligning with the language, qualifications, and expectations outlined in the postings.
The remaining 30% of clients do not provide job postings, and we instead focus on positioning their experience more broadly for the types of opportunities they are targeting, including those seeking board-level or governance roles.
AI tools can help generate resume content, but they cannot replace the value of working one-on-one with an experienced resume writer who understands how hiring decisions are made.
Employers often receive hundreds of resumes for a single posting, and standing out requires more than simply listing responsibilities. A professional resume writer works with you to strategically position your experience, highlight your accomplishments, and translate your career history into a clear and compelling professional narrative.
Through our live one-on-one consultations, we collaborate with you to refine your messaging, ensure your resume aligns with the types of roles you are targeting, and present your experience in a way that resonates with recruiters, hiring managers, and executive search firms.
In addition to strategic content development, we ensure your resume is professionally structured, carefully edited, and visually refined, creating a polished document that clearly communicates your value.
What type of professionals do you work with?
How and when do I pay?
We work with professionals at every stage of their career.
Over the years, we have supported thousands of clients ranging from individuals preparing resumes for university applications and entry-level roles, to experienced professionals pursuing senior leadership, executive, and board-level opportunities. Our clients come from a wide range of industries and professional backgrounds.
While you are the expert in your field, we are specialists in ours. Our expertise lies in working collaboratively with our clients totranslate their experience into targeted, impactful career documents that strengthen their candidacy.
Through our one-on-one consultations, we combine your subject-matter expertise with our expertise in career positioning, resume strategy, and professional presentation to create resumes that clearly communicate your value to recruiters, hiring managers, and executive search firms.
Once your resume service is complete, you will receive an email invoice with instructions to submit payment securely through our website by credit card or via e-transfer. Please note that your final folder will be provided once payment has been received.
Are formatted resumes ATS compatible?
How do I make edits to my resume?
Once your service is complete, you will receive a final folder containing three versions of your resume:
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Your professionally formatted PDF resume (recommended for submitting with applications)
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A formatted Microsoft Word version for minor edits
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An ATS-compatible version designed for online applications submitted through Applicant Tracking Systems
The formatted Word version allows you to make small updates independently, such as adjusting wording or making minor content edits. However, larger updates that impact formatting (such as adding a new role, expanding responsibilities, or restructuring sections) are best completed by our team to ensure the design and layout remain consistent.
If you would like us to update your resume, two options are available:
1) Email Updates
Send Erin the exact updates or additions you would like made. If you are editing existing content, please mark your changes using the editing tools in Preview or Adobe Reader. Erin will update the formatted document for you.
The cost for these updates typically ranges between $49 + GST and $99 + GST, depending on the scope of the changes.
Erin can be contacted directly at erin@resumerestoration.ca.
2) Resume Update Consultation (link to services page)
If you would like to review your updates together, you may schedule a 30–45 minute Zoom session to discuss the additions or changes you would like to make. Following the meeting, Erin will update your formatted resume.
If you would like to proceed with this option, please complete the booking request form (link)
3) Editing Your PDF Using Adobe Acrobat Pro
You may also choose to purchase Adobe Acrobat Pro, which allows you to make edits directly to a PDF document. Because our resumes include detailed formatting and design elements, making larger changes without design experience can be challenging, so this option is typically best suited for minor adjustments.
What software do you use to format resumes?
When your service is complete, you will receive three versions of your resume:
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A professionally formatted PDF version (recommended for submitting directly to recruiters or hiring managers, and adding to an ATS application as an attached PDF)
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A formatted Microsoft Word version for minor edits
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An ATS-compatible version specifically designed for applications submitted through online Applicant Tracking Systems (which is a unformatted word version of your resume)
Many modern ATS platforms can successfully read well-structured formatted resumes. However, because some systems can vary, we provide a clean, simple, unformatted word document (which we refer to as your ATS compatible version) to ensure your information is accurately parsed when applying through online portals.
This approach allows you to benefit from a professionally designed resume for direct applications while also having a version optimized for automated systems when required.
When applying to an ATS, be sure to review our resource - https://www.resumerestoration.ca/_files/ugd/aca0af_34115c82baee44b0ae209fa409f322b2.pdf
What if I am unable to complete the process right away?
We understand that life and work commitments can sometimes interrupt the process.
Following your resume consultation, we ask that clients proceed to the formatting and design stage within two weeks so we can maintain project momentum and ensure your resume is completed in a timely manner.
If we do not hear from you or are unable to move forward with the formatting portion of the service within this timeframe, we will issue an invoice for the consultation time and work completed to date.
You are always welcome to re-engage with us at a later time to complete the formatting and finalization of your resume when your schedule allows.
Our resumes are professionally formatted using Adobe InDesign, an industry-standard design software that allows us to create clean, polished, and visually refined documents while maintaining strong structure and readability.
Once your service is complete, you will receive a final folder containing your formatted resume in PDF, a converted Word version, and an ATS-compatible version for online applications.
If you would like the original InDesign file, please feel free to request it. We are happy to provide the .INDD file upon request.