Talent Inc. Review: Can You Land Paid Writing Jobs Here?

Introduction to Talent Inc.

Website: Talentinc.com

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This New York City-based company is not your normal freelance writing site. They do offer jobs to writers who can work remotely and provide the flexibility one might expect from a freelance position.

But, at the same time, they are a typical company. They are big, have many employees, and tout themselves as “world’s largest resume and personal branding service.”

So, they are freelance-ish in my opinion.

Talent Inc. has a modern and attractive design. Those interested in writing for money should look for the “resume writer” posting in the careers section. There you can apply for ongoing work with Talent Inc.

Did I get freelance work with the site? Not yet, but will update this article when and if I do.

Getting Started with Talent Inc.

After finding the “resume writer” posting on the career page, I found the apply link on the top right.

It brought me to a page that required items like name and contact information. Like a standard job application page, the site requested a resume and cover letter. After submitting this information, I was done.

Pretty simple.

What attracted me to Talent Inc. was the freelance-like nature of the “resume writer” position. In fact, in my freelance career there have been numerous resume writer positions among the freelance sites I navigate.

But, Talent Inc. is probably the best choice among those offering positions in the field. Why? Because:

• Talent Inc. is an established brand. They own three career sites including TopResume, TopCV, and TopInterview.
• They have 500-plus employees.
• Talent Inc. is also a New York-city based company, which tells me they can survive a tough environment and keep “growing,” according to the position description.
• It is an offshoot of an already-established “branding” company, Universum Global.
• The site is very professional. It has the look of a successful site that you’d like to join.
• And, although my focus has been on freelance, Talent Inc. offers more – freelance with the promise of a full queue.

The job description was also very tantalizing, from a freelance perspective.

Do you have excellent written and verbal communication skills? Are you an experienced writer? Talent Inc. is looking for candidates to join its virtual team of resume experts!”

These attributes are in line with freelance writing ethos. That and the site is looking for some customer service skills, which is likely in the quiver of a freelancer. Working full time in this industry can be difficult. Often, one needs a service industry position to supplement a writing career.

Plus a freelancer who communicates well with clients, and thus has good customer service skills, does better.

All in all, the posting made the resume writing position a great opportunity.

Reviews of Talent Inc.

But, the reviews about Talent Inc. are not as attractive as the job posting.

They are mostly negative — Not all, but most.

There were a number of issues with the site according to Glassdoor.com, which has more than a dozen reviews on the resume writer position. And on a side note, having that many posts says a couple of things:

• Talent Inc. is venerable.
• They have a lot of work available.
• And, maybe there were a lot of angry freelancers.

In general, most of the reviewers said the site doesn’t pay enough. This includes comments from new contractors who say rewrites can be overbearing and thus take away from the original $20 or so originally told they would be paid for the content.

Also according to reviews, a finished project could be outright rejected. This means $0 for a couple hours of work. Reviewer complained about the ego hit that comes with a rejection, a reported lack of “caring” from the site, and that clients were often cruel.

More seasoned resume writers said the pay never rises. So, if they get good there is no increase in compensation to match their skills. And many of these seasoned writers are the ones who rewrite the rejected items.

Reviewers that had good things to say about Talent.com were often short. They agreed the pay was not amazing, but “fair,” and the site provides plenty of flexibility. There was also a lot of positives about the working attire standard – “pajamas.”

As a prospective freelance writer looking for paying work, I am concerned by these reviews.

There seems to be a lot of kinks that need to be ironed out before writers can feel comfortable at Talent Inc. And, in my opinion, although they say they are looking for strong writers, really they are looking for writers with resume experience.

Those that find success at Talent Inc. likely have this experience or are good writers that can handle a steep learning curve.

Landing Jobs at Talent Inc.

I am still waiting for a response. My resume submitted about a week ago.

This article will be updated with work and payment information upon acceptance.

Pros and Cons of Talent Inc.

Doing research into Talent Inc. made me concerned. There were several aspects of the job that seemed appealing, but the general slog experienced by many reviewers put me on the edge of despair.

Here are my thoughts prior to hearing back from Talent Inc.:

Pros

• The work is flexible.
• The site seems like it gives decent writers a chance.
• The pay is “fair,” based on what I’ve seen and in comparison to other freelance writing sites.
• Talent Inc. has a lot of resources for writers.

Cons

• Work is paid for upon acceptance.
• Possibly lots of rewrites.
• The specter of a high learning curve.
• No room for advancement?
• Talent Inc. wants competent writers, U.S.-based or not.

Recommendations of Talent Inc.

Online review are a big part of my personal online experience.

Whether it’s looking for work, a recipe for guacamole or buying a Cuisinart, I look to the reviews.

They give me prospective. I know people who are mad are more likely to write comments. But if there are a lot of bad reviews, there could be a problem.

And there were a lot bad reviews of Talent Inc.

They basically portrayed the work environment as cold, robotic, low-paying, and with a reported high rate of turn-around. To sum it up, they called Talent Inc. a “content mill” – in the full pejorative sense.

So I wait in anxiety for my possible acceptance – not anxious. The slog, a term that seems fitting based on what I read, is not something I relish. This is especially the case because resume writing is not a skill listed on my resume.

But, I would recommend Talent Inc. if resume writing is among your skill set. Talent Inc. seems like a good place for those looking for paying work in the resume industry. And, success means gaining experience. I would say new writers interested in a career-finding focus should try it out as well.

Nathaniell

What's up ladies and dudes! Great to finally meet you, and I hope you enjoyed this post. My name is Nathaniell and I'm the owner of One More Cup of Coffee. I started my first online business in 2010 promoting computer software and now I help newbies start their own businesses. Sign up for my #1 recommended training course and learn how to start your business for FREE!