Answer: A telephone interview with your writer isn't necessary, but advisable.

Telephone interviews with clients take time, and time is money. That's why companies that offer telephone interviews typically charge more for a resume. Is it worth the extra money?

My attitude is that anything the writer can do to access your strengths, your unique skill set, your potential contribution to a company, the better. And if it cost a few bucks more, well, it will likely pay for itself in terms of a shorter and more productive job search.

The "consultative interview" is what we're talking about; a one-on-one, personalized service and a hallmark of the better resume writers. Used to flesh out work experience, unique abilities and career goals. Expect one to last 30 minutes to an hour or more, either in person (if your writer is local) or over the phone.

Now keep in mind that you will still most likely be filling out an online questionnaire. Even the best resume services typically use a questionnaire to gather up the basic information about you. Between that, and an uploaded existing resume, your assigned writer now has the necessary starter information and will be able to cut to the chase more quickly over the phone.

All things being equal, those companies relying strictly on an online questionnaire and nothing more will likely produce a sub-par resume compared to those willing to spend some time over the phone to get to know you. Try to budget for it--and seek--the latter.