Should You Ever Pay for an Online Job Search Service?

John Krautzel
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Many popular job search sites do not charge fees for job seekers to log in, post resumes and wait to hear back from employers. In these cases, the people performing the hiring may pay to post ads, much like a traditional classified advertisement in a newspaper or an industry magazine. However, sometimes it may be a good idea to invest a little money in a paid job search.

A few websites have premium services beyond a regular search. Premium services include putting you in touch with higher-quality positions, career counseling tools and customer service. If you want help customizing your resume or cover letter, a premium service could come in handy.

Because you pay for a job search on some websites, you should expect that the jobs you have access to go through a higher level of scrutiny.  You also get regular customer service when you have questions about a company or service. Some companies provide feedback on your submissions to help you improve your resume or application.

You can pay a recruiter to match your specific skills to jobs available. The recruiter does most of the work for you, so you do not waste your time looking for positions that do nothing for you. Recruiters have insider tips and information that could lead to jobs that are not found on regular job search websites. One benefit of hiring a recruiter is that no one sees your resume posted online.

A recruiter can also help you negotiate a higher salary. A few recruiters and headhunters receive payment based on a percentage of someone's salary. Much like a sports agent, it is in the recruiter's best interests to get a higher salary for his clients.

Although not necessarily the industry standard, a premium job search service can help you narrow down your job search quicker and easier. You could also gain access to higher-quality positions, but paid job search services do not necessarily guarantee success.

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  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson •

    @John thanks for your comment. Certainly, should go without saying, you should always research any company that offers premium searches for a price. For some people, hiring a recruiter or using premium features on a job site is totally worth it because they don't have the time to be spending hours combing through job posting after job posting. Another benefit is that your resume is only going to be submitted to companies that fit your portfolio. Having said that, I, personally, have never paid for a recruiter or for a job site and have always found jobs. So it depends on how you are set financially and time-wise when it comes to finding a new job. Recruiters are great because they don't get paid a commission until they have placed the right candidate into a position so they will work harder to get you placed. But, yes - always do an online search and find out how others feel about it before you part with any $$$.

  • JOHN L.
    JOHN L. •

    Before you pay, I'd advise looking for online reviews or testimonials from people who have used the service first. This usually helps you spot the ones that offer legitimate value and those that are just after your money. One thing I wouldn't pay for is to have my resume blasted out to a bunch of job sites indiscriminately. For less than $50, it might sound like a great value, but think about it. Half the sites probably don't specialize in the industry you're targeting. Even for the sites you're interested in, they will probably get some things wrong when translating your resume into the format for their profile. That means you'll have to go to each of those sites, check your experience and contact information, and make necessary changes-- and isn't that just as much work as setting up the profile yourself?

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