Spending Money on Job Search

Spending Money on Job Search 4 Think twice how you spend money on your job search, executive recruiter Todd Porter warns. This is an insightful comment that was left in response to Job Search Coach Rita Ashley's article 7 Rules To Find the Right Job Search Coach for You here on JobMob. 1) Job search coaches Let me comment in general on both getting a coach and paying for help in recruiting. In most cases, this type of money spent is money down the drain. Everyone should use mentors and people they can learn from but actually paying for services normally results in little success. I believe strongly in coaches but I have not seen one that can guarantee they will get you a job. This is not to say you won’t get results from paying but normally the price is more than the value. Let’s say you want to start running to get back in shape. Would you go out and pay $1,000 a month for a coach? Probably not. Is it worth $20 or $40 to engage a coach at the local gym for a couple of months? Probably and if not it’s a minimal loss. Would you read books or magazines on running and ask friends who run? Probably.eval The major problem with coaching is the ease of entry. Anyone can become a coach (like they can become a recruiter). Just because they have a title doesn’t mean they know how to do the job. Some people would pay $1,000 a month for a coach. I suggest their probability of success would be directly tied to their ability and desire to compete. So when you look at these kind of services, cost is not always a determinant of how successful you will be. Don’t overpay for what you can get cheaper. There are loads and loads of areas where you can get free advice and job search help. Most is community-based. The majority of people would benefit greatly from this information and service, as much or more than services they have to pay for.eval 2) Resume writing One area you might cautiously pay for is resume writing. Even with this, there is a threshold of a reasonable price. I know two guys that do resumes for money. One charges $300 and the other $1,000. They both have a lot of customers. I can tell you the one that does it for $300 is better (in my opinion) than the guy who does it for $1,000 but that second guy has a great sales pitch. 3) Recruiters Quick word on recruiters who can help in your job search with advice and coaching. Recruiters will work with good candidates in their area for free, because our customers pay us. Recruiters will not work with everyone because our time is limited. We need to work with the ones we feel we can place and the kind of individuals our clients want to hire. If you are having trouble finding a recruiter to work with, it’s because you don’t have the skills or background the recruiter's customer wants. Conclusion I would just suggest “buyer beware” in ALL cases where someone wants you to pay them for job search help. About the author Todd Porter started H.T. PROF Executive Search in 1997. Located in Atlanta and Boston, the company recruits primarily for Israeli companies hiring anywhere in the U.S. He can be reached directly at TPJOB [at] HTPROF [dot] COM. If you liked this article, you'll also enjoy An Open Letter to the Recruiters of the World From Job Seekers Everywhere.