I was a little dubious about using CV Writing Services to begin with, but after 3 months of not receiving any interest from numerous online applications (and being pretty sure it was not to do with a lack of skills or experience) I decided to give it a try. After checking a few companies out and sending off for some free CV reviews, CVpal's initial feedback was the most detailed and explained exactly where I had gone wrong. I then spoke to them on the phone and had a very valuable and not too sales-pitchy conversation, which made me feel comfortable handing over the service fee.

In less than a week I received the initial draft and was most impressed! It was beautifully presented, included all the relevant information and added key words that I can see now were really important. If I was to be really picky (with my ex-IT Teacher and new IT Trainer hat on) the only issue I had with my CV was that it was manually formatted throughout, rather than using Styles, but this is certainly something I could overlook! After going back and forth a couple of times to make some minor adjustments I felt it was time to start sending it out and seeing how well my new CV worked.

I had stopped applying for jobs for a period of 2 weeks while I was hunting for CV Writing Services and waiting for CVpal to redo mine, so on the following Monday I sent out 5 new applications. By the next day I had had 4 responses of which I turned down 1, 1 never followed up and 2 went to the telephone interview stage. One of these then went to final face-to-face interview and within 2 weeks of sending out my new CV I was finally offered a new job (which I start in the next week or so and am really looking forward to!).

There is clearly a knack to writing CVs as recruiters seem to be looking for very specific information presented in a very specific way, and the staff at CVpal clearly know what they are doing. Although it may seem a lot of money to begin with, on reflection it was definitely a worthwhile investment and I would have no hesitation in recommending CVpal's services ( I will most probably use them again in a few years when my CV needs an update!) If in doubt, give their free CV Review service a try and give them a call - I'm sure you won't regret it!

Peter Holl, Chatham

Thorough review of a lengthy and varied career. Thoughtful in terms of presentation which was never a strong pointy of mine. Knows the current recruitment market methods in a way that a candidate never can. I was very impressed by the approach and delivery.

Clive Mason, Walsall

Well, having been recommended by a family memeber, All I can say is CV Pal is fantastic. Andrew took on board my comments and CV and then transformed what I thought was a reasonable CV. The transormation of the docuement now means a more focused and punchy document which is optimised to get the best results. Recommended.

Paolo De luca, Shefford

I think this is the second time I have ever written a review in my life. I used CV pal to write my CV and cover letter and cannot recommend them highly enough both for the quality of the CV and the value for money. I have used CV writing services as I was just no good at selling myself and the format, well, it looked so outdated.

I have used two CV writers in the past, both of which failed to impress me the way that CV pal did. The first CV writer was good at pitching me but did not really listen to my goals and aims and I was left being offered jobs in a sector I was trying to escape. The second CV writer was a complete disaster it cost substantially more, gave a CV that very disjointed and looked like very little effort had been made, I tried to get it amended and made suggestions but it ended up in so much work for little improvement I just gave up in the end as I could see it was going nowhere.

After the last experience I was very nervous of throwing my money around but looked up the reviews (thanks to all those that provided them) and decided it was worth a ring to discuss the CV in more detail. I spoke to Andrew and he was amazing, what customer service this guy had. He really put my mind at ease a great deal about the issues that I had had with previous CV writers, he seemed to understand where I wanted to take my CV and made loads of great suggestions that all made sense to me. He also confirmed that it would be him who wrote my CV and was always contactable, which sold it for me. The process was hassle free throughout, I provided the information and the CV reflected that he had read and processed it all.

The CV exceeded all expectations, it looked pretty and readable, it reflected our initial conversation and it really did sound like me which was so refreshing. I have shown it to a lot of my friends that have all been really impressed. More importantly (although it might not just be down to the CV) I have been offered lots of interviews and for jobs that excite me.

I have not mentioned until now the cover letter, which was included in the price. It’s a personal choice but I wouldn’t get it done again, it was, as it obviously had to be, very generic. I tend to write cover letters specifically for each job I apply for, although this is time consuming, it really does seem to provide a much better response. Even despite the cover letter not exciting me the same way the CV did, it still offers the best value for money I have come across.

J Dade, Epsom

CVpal wrote my CV and Cover Letter, as I was struggling to secure interviews. The standard of CV well surpassed my expectations and I have since gained several interviews. I have now signed up to their Platinum Service, which allows me to get career advice, updated CVs, Cover Letters etc and I can call on them at anytime for advice. I would highly recommend this company to anyone wanting their CV or any other job related documents written.

Leeanne Walsh, Reading