Job Searching: Who are the players?

If you're looking for professional help with your job search, it's important to understand the different types of professionals who are out there. Here's my perspective on that.

To start, professional resume writers, such as myself, are hired by job-seekers. Our purpose is to create the most powerful, compelling resume possible to showcase the candidate in the best light.

Then we have career coaches. They are also hired by job-seekers and their job, usually, is to help you develop a comprehensive career development plan. This may incorporate anything from career decision-making (what type of job do you want) to actual job searching (applying for jobs, interviewing, following up, etc.).

Within that umbrella of career coaches, there may be consultants who specialize in just a single particular area, such as interviewing or networking. I'm not sure, but I wouldn't be surprised.

Finally we have recruiters, and within that job function there are internal recruiters who work for a single company, and there are external third-party recruiters who work for a recruiting firm. In both cases, their purpose is not to get you a job, it's to find the best candidates for their positions. They may be able to share their perspective on your job search strategy, but they are compensated by the employer so their focus is on finding talent.

​There may be others who offer different services but hopefully this little summary helps.

​Best of luck!