I get this question a lot. “Do you work out of Adelaide?” I turn on the TV and see the Crows losing again or Premier Steven Marshall’s ridiculous excuses.

I look at the empty streets of Adelaide and Port Adelaide and sometimes, I wish I was somewhere else. Maybe Hawaii or Tahiti – just for a while.

I know why prospective clients ask. They want to know that the resume writer lives in the city they trade out of. Another reason is that if it all goes pear-shaped, they can get their money back easily, without having to fly to Sydney or Melbourne and scrounge around the back streets for a dodgy address.

If you look on Google Maps, you’ll see all of these places stating they work out of a Walkerville Hotel or King William Street (when it’s really North Terrace on the map). Look closer and you’ll see that their phone numbers are 1300 numbers or numbers which connect you to virtual offices. They use a simple strategy to trick Google (it’s a Black Hat technique which Google hates) to suggest these are real trading locations. It’s a con.

Starting with a lie is not a great way to introduce yourself to a prospective client. Some established franchises actually do have professional writers in every state. That’s great! I welcome the competition.

The problem is the money these out-of-state Google Map spinners spend on marketing, is passed on to the clients.

They don’t offer personal service. They won’t help previous clients in a crunch.

Sitting in offices in Sydney or Melbourne and being completely unknowing about the Adelaide or Wollongong labour market, won’t cut the mustard.

Who will write the better resume? Someone who lives locally and knows the job market or someone who works a 1000 kilometres away?