You might be asking yourself, “Can I just pay someone to find me a job?”
Believe it or not, the answer is YES!
A lot of people think recruiters can be paid to help find a job. Sadly, that’s not the case.
But don’t worry, there are some great companies out there who you can hire to find your job.
First off, let’s talk about one of the most common questions I get.
Can I Hire a Recruiter To Find Me a Job?
As I mentioned above, the answer is no. You cannot hire a recruiter to find you a job.
Recruiters and headhunters are paid by the hiring company to fill a specific position. They don’t work with individual job seekers.
Rather, they work with hiring managers to find candidates that meet their criteria.
This doesn’t mean that you will never work with a recruiter.
Recruiters are instrumental in helping fill open positions. Chances are, you’ll cross paths with a recruiter or two in your job search.
The point is, you should never pay a recruiter to help you find a job. They are compensated by the hiring companies, and accepting money from you would be highly unethical.
Enough about recruiters. You didn’t come here to learn who you can’t pay to find your job. So let’s get to the good stuff.
Who Can You Pay to Find a Job?
There are hundreds of companies out there that provide job search services. But not all job search services are created equal.
Your financial investment, spare time, and career aspirations all play a factor in determining the best company to hire for your job search.
Below are the three main experts you can pay to help you find a job:
- Reverse Recruiters
- Career Coaches
- Resume Writers
Each service is unique and designed to help you with a specific aspect of your job search. Let’s dive into each option one by one!
Reverse Recruiters
These are the people we suspect you are really trying to find!
Reverse recruiters take care of the entire job search process for you. This is the truest form of a person you can pay to find you a job.
Unlike traditional recruiters described above, reverse recruiters do not get paid by companies or hiring managers. Instead, they are paid by (and actively work for) you, the job seeker.
Reverse recruiters are trained in the art of job searching. It’s what they do full-time every day and, oh boy, does it make a difference!
You wouldn’t expect to be an expert at flying a jet after just one or two tries, would you?
The same is true for job hunting. Rather than learning all the ins-and-outs of job searching, you can just pay an expert to do the work for you.
You can hire a reverse recruiter to help you with:
- Finding highly targeted jobs that meet your criteria
- Filling out daunting job applications on your behalf
- Networking with key decision makers
- Preparing for interviews with expert advice
There are only a handful of companies that provide this service. Some companies will only fill out applications for you, while others will provide a more complete concierge-type service.
The most premium reverse recruiting service on the market is provided by Find My Profession. They were the first to offer this type of service and have perfected the process like no other.
By far, reverse recruiters offer the most hands-on approach to job searching. They are a direct answer to the question, “Can I just pay someone to find me a job?”
With the immense value that they provide, don’t be surprised when you see services like this costing upwards of $2,500 per month.
Career Coaches
Next on the list we have career coaches.
While not as hands-on as reverse recruiters, career coaches provide excellent coaching on all things job searching.
You might be thinking, “I don’t want to pay someone to give me a bunch of homework!” And, I totally get it. But, hear me out.
While career coaches will require more of a time commitment on your end, they are a fraction of the cost of reverse recruiting services.
Rather than doing the work for you, career coaches are highly knowledgeable professionals who can help you avoid countless mistakes. This is a great option for anyone who wants expert advice and has the time to manage their job search on their own.
You could hire a career coach to help you with:
- Discovering the right career
- Job search strategies
- Networking strategies
- Interview preparation
- Salary negotiation
- Improving presentation skills and mental roadblocks
- Providing encouragement and a sounding board during the process
Just like with any service, it’s important to choose a high-quality coach. To save you time, we’ve created a shortlist of our favorite career coaches.
Resume Writers
When it comes to paying someone to find a job, resume writers are usually the first people that come to mind.
And for a good reason. There are more than 50,000 resume writers in the U.S. alone!
Resumes are a fundamental part of any job search. Whether we like it or not, most jobs won’t even let you apply without a resume.
You could hire a resume writer to help you with:
- Resumes/CVs
- Cover letters
- LinkedIn profiles
- Professional biographies
- Personal statements
Resume writers are not all the same. Writing resumes that actually get results requires a thorough understanding of your work.
We stress this point more for resume writers than any other paid service simply because there are so many low-quality resume writers in the industry.
When you are looking for a resume writer, check for the following: experience in your line of work, number of edits/revisions, online reputation (reviews), and industry certifications.
By ensuring the basics above, you will save yourself countless headaches and disappointments.
To help you avoid some of the lower-quality services, we’ve vetted various resume writers. Check out our list of the best resume writers with detailed reviews.
Key Takeaways
As we mentioned at the beginning of this article, yes, you can pay someone to help you find a job. Reverse Recruiters, career coaches, and resume writers are the best options to hire for your job search.
Traditional recruiters and headhunters are a less effective but free alternative if you just need some extra eyes and ears out there passively looking for you.
As always, remember to stay positive. Your job search is temporary and you don’t have to do it alone!