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Not everyone entering the workforce will need help finding a job…but many will.
If you have a friend or family member who can make an introduction and get you hired, trust me, you are one of the lucky ones.
Sadly, that is not the case for everyone looking for work.
There are a variety of reasons why someone might seek help finding a job.
Some of these reasons have to do with job search struggles. Many of them are more about convenience and efficiency. In other words, getting help finding a job is a way to work smarter, not harder.
Depending on the kind of help you are looking for and your overall budget, some career service agencies may be better for you than others.
In this article, we break down the most common agencies that help you find a job:
Reverse Recruiting – Reverse recruiting is a unique service designed to help job seekers land interviews. The service includes job searching, applying for jobs, and networking on behalf of the applicant.
Career Coaching – Career coaches give expert advice and counseling to guide professionals through their career journey. Coaches can help with everything from career discovery to leadership coaching.
Resume Writing – Professional resume writers create modern, easy-to-read, ATS-friendly resumes. Writers draw on their years of experience and resume writing certifications to create effective resumes.
Recruiting & Staffing – Recruiting and staffing agencies help hiring managers fill open positions. Recruiters source the most qualified candidates and match them with the companies that require their talents.
Free Services – Websites that provide free resources and tips to help job seekers find jobs and advance in their careers. Examples include job boards, career blogs, and resume builders.
Best Job Search Agencies
Reverse Recruiting
A reverse recruiter is someone who assists a job seeker in performing a job search, applying to jobs, and finding interviews.
While this is the most expensive option for someone seeking a job, it’s also the most hands-on.
Reverse recruiters act as your personal job search assistant. Their job duties include searching for jobs on your behalf, applying to those jobs, networking with key decision-makers, and more.
For the most luxurious option to manage your job search (with a price tag), look no further.
Find My Profession
Find My Profession is a pioneer in the reverse recruiter world. They take job help to a whole new level offering the most white-glove service on the market.
Find My Profession was the first company to offer fully managed job search services. They also have the most 5-star reviews.
For anyone who has ever asked the question, “Can I just hire someone to find me a job?” Find My Profession is the answer.
This unique service is called Reverse Recruiting and here’s what they offer:
- Job Searching: A dedicated reverse recruiter to identify highly targeted job opportunities for you.
- Job Applying: Once you have approved the jobs, your reverse recruiter will custom tailor your resume. They will also apply to jobs on your behalf. You’ll never have to fill out a pesky application again!
- Networking: Your reverse recruiter will find key decision-makers to share your resume with. The goal here is to gain you additional exposure and get your resume in front of the hiring manager(s).
- Interview Prep: Expect one-on-one personalized interview training. It can be before and/or after each interview that your reverse recruiter secures for you.
This service was designed to take all of the heavy lifting out of your job search and be your dedicated job finder agency.
$2,500 per 4-week period
Stewart, Cooper & Coon
Stewart, Cooper & Coon is a human capital strategies firm and one of the few companies that help you find jobs through reverse recruiting services.
This job search agency has been around since 1997. They offer a ton of information on their site regarding the services provided, which you can peruse at your leisure.
Similar to Find My Profession, SC&C’s reverse recruiter services help manage various aspects of your job search.
It’s called Individual Executive Placement and here’s what they offer:
- Marketing Materials: Work with a writer to develop your resume and cover letter.
- Social Media Strategy: Work with a professional to develop a social media strategy using Linkedin, Twitter, and/or Facebook.
- SC&C WebFolio: Work with a professional to develop your very own personal website.
- Interview Prep: Receive expert advice on interview tips and salary negotiation strategies.
Unlike Find My Profession, Stewart, Cooper & Coon does not actually fill out the job applications on your behalf. They also will not customize your resume for each job they find for you.
$10,000+ for the services described above
Career Coaching
Career coaching businesses are also companies that help you find a job.
Professional career coaches adopt the “teach a man to fish” philosophy.
Rather than doing all the work for you, coaches will teach you some of the valuable skills and best practices on how to find a job on your own.
There are different types of career coaches. Some of them focus on leadership coaching while others hone in on interview training. There are also coaches who dive deep into your passions to determine what job types may fit you.
These services will typically be more affordable than reverse recruiter services. However, you should expect to devote more hours to your job search with this method.
Below, we’ll highlight some of the best career coaching services available on the market.
A Path That Fits
A Path That Fits has helped 1000+ people over the last 15 years. All of their career and life coaches are seasoned experts with at least 10 years of experience.
The coaching options include career discovery, leadership coaching, and job search coaching.
They offer group sessions as well as one-on-one coaching. Their one-on-one coaching option actually combines one on one coaching with all the benefits of their group coaching.
The company uses a mindfulness-based approach to bring clarity and concrete action to your career to get results.
A Path That Fits is confident that you will be happy with the services you receive. They offer a 14-day money-back guarantee on their group coaching packages.
$1195 – $3500 per program
The Muse
The Muse is a very well-respected career resource for job seekers around the world.
Most career coaching services employ coaches internally, but The Muse is a platform hosting a variety of freelance career coaches.
This method can take away from quality control and uniformity; however, it does allow for a bit more customization.
You’ll be able to choose from a variety of career coach levels. The levels are Mentor (least experience), Coach (mid-level), and Master Coach (most experienced).
Their coaching services include interview coaching, salary negotiation coaching, leadership coaching, and job search strategy.
$99 – $599 per 60 to 75-minute session
More Career Coaching Services
There are many great career coaching services to choose from. Check out our complete list of the best career coaching services.
Resume Writing
Professional resume writing services are the most common places to help you find a job. They create marketing materials with an expert touch that is sure to land interviews.
A quick LinkedIn search for “resume writer” in the US yields more than 493,000 results. With so many people out there claiming to be professionals, it can be hard to know how to choose a resume writer.
Positive online reviews, resume certifications, interview guarantees, and attractive resume samples are some of the most important factors when choosing a resume writer.
Find My Profession
Find My Profession is a top-rated resume writing service that has been featured on sites such as Forbes, Times, Inc. Fast Company, Zety, and more. They were even selected by CNET as the Best Resume Service for Executives.
Their expert staff of writers has experience in more than 85 industries/professions, and they will match you with the best writer for your background and goals.
What makes their resume writing process so special is the one-on-one attention they offer.
Find My Profession does not outsource their work. They never use a cookie-cutter template. You will speak directly with your resume writer. You also receive unlimited access to their direct phone number and email.
All Find My Profession clients receive a personalized phone consultation, a 3 to 5 business day turnaround, and a 60-Day Interview Guarantee.
$395+
ResumeZest
ResumeZest is trusted by professionals from companies including Google, Amazon, Apple, Oracle, GE, Adobe, Uber, and Facebook.
Their resume writing team has written resumes for more than 75 industries.
A 60-day interview guarantee backs up every resume they write, and each resume is also ATS compliant and keyword-optimized.
The company offers affordable pricing and quick turnaround times. You will work with a high-quality, certified writer and receive excellent customer service.
They are also members of the Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches (PARW/CC).
$279 – $479
More Resume Services
There are dozens of amazing resume writing services to choose from. Check out our complete list of the best resume writing services.
Recruiting & Staffing
Recruiting and staffing agencies are traditionally not considered a service for job seekers. However, you may still be able to get some help from them. So we included them on our list of companies that help you find jobs.
Recruiters work for organizations to fill open positions. So, they won’t work directly for a job seeker. You’ll never have to pay them a fee, but it’s unlikely they will go out of their way to help with your job search.
It still doesn’t hurt to network with a few industry-relevant recruiters in your target location. You can let them know that you’re on the job hunt, and the types of roles you are targeting, should they ever come across anything that’s a fit.
Randstad
Randstad was founded in 1960 by Frits Goldschmeding. They are in the business of matching smart people with great jobs at all career levels.
Randstad is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to recruiting and staffing. They have an internal staff of 5,700+ in North America and a presence in 38 countries.
You can directly use the Randstad website to browse open jobs. A variety of industry-specific filters makes your search very easy.
Most of the job postings have a recruiter’s contact information so that you can reach out if you are a good fit.
Robert Half
Robert Half is another very well-known staffing agency the world over.
It was founded in 1948 by Bob and Maxine Half. Since then, Robert Half has grown into the world’s largest specialized staffing firm. The company has offices across the globe.
A publicly-traded company, Robert Half has been recognized as one of Fortune’s “Most Admired Companies” for 23 consecutive years.
Robert Half recruiters are also some of the most knowledgeable recruiters you’ll find out there.
Free Services
It’s important to note that the most value will come from a paid service (especially one of the services mentioned above).
However, that doesn’t mean there are no free places to help you find a job.
Beyond recruiting and staffing agencies, the Internet is filled with free resources for job seekers including career blogs, job search sites, and resume builders.
Below, we recommend some top resources to follow and explore if you can’t find a job.
Career Blogs
Career blogs offer free online advice for your career and job search. Be aware that not all career blogs are written by credible career experts. Below, we’ve highlighted some of our favorites.
- Find My Profession – Leading career advice blog. Their career advice has been featured on Forbes, Inc., Business Insider, Wall Street Journal, and more. Topics include job search, resume writing, interview questions, and career site reviews.
- Zety Blog – Features a large database of articles organized into various categories including resume help and career advice. Find advice based on authors’ experiences and interviews with leading hiring experts.
- Career Sidekick – Contains practical career advice from the perspective of different authors. Their main blog categories focus on getting more interviews, interviewing, and other topics.
- The Muse – Get access to career advice and company information written by career coaches, strategists, and recruiters. Their topics include job search, succeeding at work, career paths, and more.
Job Search Sites
Job search sites, also known as job search engines, are free platforms for job seekers to find and apply for jobs. Like everything else on this list, all job search sites are not created equally, but here are a few well-established ones.
- LinkedIn – Best place to connect with recruiters and conduct a targeted job search. Easily research companies, show off your accomplishments, and expand your network.
- Indeed – Largest job board with almost 10 new listings per second. This website allows you to save your resume, apply for jobs quickly, and read real reviews of potential employers.
- ZipRecruiter – Mobile-friendly site that lets you search for jobs based on salary. Matches you with personalized jobs and lets you apply quickly with a one-click-to-apply feature.
- USAJOBS – The official job posting website of the U.S government. Find and apply for federal government jobs and set up customized job alerts via email.
More Job Search Sites
Looking for even more job search sites to find your dream job? Check out our complete list of the best job search sites.
Resume Builders
Resume builders provide you with unique resume templates to write your own resume. If you’d like to save money and craft your resume without the help of a professional, a resume builder might be a good option.
- Resume.com – 100% free resume samples arranged by job titles. You can choose from hundreds of available templates based on modern hiring trends.
- Novoresume – Get personalized suggestions on how to improve your resume. The smart tools and templates make it easy for newbies who are not familiar with resume writing.
- CVMaker – Resume builder with one of the most affordable premium plans. Access a simple interface with an option to share your resumes through customized URLs.
- Visme – Create infographic resumes without any design skills. Combine an easy drag-and-drop interface, built-in icons, and a pictograph maker to create your resume.
More Resume Builders
Want more fantastic resume builders to choose from? Check out our complete list of the best resume builders.
Key Takeaways
If you need help finding a job, we recommend using at least one of the resources on this list.
Take a second to figure out what exactly you need by asking yourself, “I need a job, but where am I struggling in the job search process?”
- If you don’t have time to search for a job, or would like a professional to do the work, you may want to consider hiring a reverse recruiter.
- If you need some career guidance or aren’t sure what to do next, you may need a career coach.
- If you have been applying to jobs but aren’t receiving interviews, you may want to take a good look at your resume.
Wherever you are in the job search process, there are some great companies that help you find a job. Keep at it; you’re going to be hired in no time!