Singaporean man sparks online debate after spending $200 on professional CV rewrite

SINGAPORE: A Singaporean man has sparked a lively discussion online after revealing that he spent $200 to have his CV professionally rewritten in an effort to improve his job prospects.

According to his post on the r/askSingapore subreddit, the $200 package consisted of “1 CV rewrite and 1 LinkedIn profile rewrite along with 60 days unlimited rewriting for both”.

He also explained that this decision was not made lightly. Before seeking professional help, he had meticulously rewritten his CV multiple times and even used AI tools to refine it. However, his efforts yielded disappointing results.

“Out of 50 job applications, I only got like one interview and two KIVs [keep-in-view responses],” he wrote.

“[After this] I reached out to a company in Singapore who basically saw a lot of problems with my resume/CV and offered to rewrite it. To paraphrase what the person said: My professional summary isn’t enough to convince hiring managers; Not enough core competencies/skills and will affect my Applicant Tracking Systems’ score; Lacking key contributions,” he said.

He then asked the Reddit community: “Just wondered if anyone else here could share any experience with professional resume writers and whether anyone got interviewed or job offers after having their resumes rewritten by these professional companies. [Is it] worth it?”

“I did once. They were pretty good”

His post attracted a range of responses, with some arguing that investing in a well-crafted CV is a good move.

“I think it should be worth it if nobody was able to guide you. Unless you know what you’re doing or you know how to paraphrase from AI, it’s alright to get such services although some people online might debate otherwise,” one said.

“I did once. They were pretty good, to be honest. But that was before ChatGPT etc came to the market. I fear for these CV writers. They may lose their jobs/relevance real soon,” another chimed in.

“I think if anything, the placebo effect of having spent the money might help with confidence ahead,” a third commented.

“$200 is frankly not that expensive, since your CV and LinkedIn profile is like a personal branding or calling card that at least gets you pass the front door of establishments. If done well, it could be a good base for years ahead, or even get you in the spot for high-level postings,” a fourth shared.

Others, however, had a different take. They felt that the man could have turned to other AI tools or at least sought advice from online platforms (like Reddit) for free instead of paying a professional for assistance.

“Not worth it. They are trying to milk you; what you need to understand is with CVs, you can actually search through google and free online,” one argued.

“I wouldn’t bother, you might want to prompt AI better to get to a more interesting CV,” another added.

“Lol waste of money,” a third remarked.

In other news, a 25-year-old woman took to social media to share how uncomfortable she’s been ever since a male colleague started giving her unwanted gifts and attention.

Posting on Reddit’s ‘Ask Singapore’ forum on Wednesday (March 12), she explained that it all started on Valentine’s Day when the colleague, apparently in his mid-30s, silently approached her from behind and placed a heart-shaped box of chocolates and snacks on her desk before walking away without a word.

Read more: ‘His behaviour is making me very uneasy’: 25 yo woman expresses discomfort after male colleague started giving her ‘unwanted gifts and attention’

Featured image by freepik (for illustration purposes only)