If you’re unemployed and looking for a job, it’s likely you’ll be saving your pennies. The idea of paying money to get a job could be tempting. But what about all the free services already out there? Do you really need to pay money to find a job, or is it something only desperate people should do?
The truth is that whilst paying money can sometimes be non-beneficial, in many cases it can help to not just boost your chances of getting a job but boost your chances of getting a good job. After many rejections, you may start to grow despondent and set your sights low, settling for a menial job that don’t really want. By paying money for assistance, you could help to open up your options and not be left taking the first job offer that you receive.
That said, there are times when you shouldn’t pay for job search help. This guide can help you to determine when you should and shouldn’t be willing to pay.
Qualifications and training
If you can’t get a job because you’re not qualified, paying to get this qualification is almost always worthwhile. This could be anything from a medical degree to forklift license. There are similarly special training schemes such as bar schools and personal training courses that give you all the know-how needed to pursue a certain career.
Some employers may pay to put you on a course or help with training. This can be worthwhile looking out for. Apprenticeship schemes work similar to this, giving you a qualification whilst you work. Unfortunately, they’re only available to young people and are low-paid, making them unsuitable for many. If you do want to opt for an apprenticeship, do your homework first – find an employer that is willing to train you and not one that is simply looking for cheap labour.
CV writing
If you’re getting no replies from employers and feel that your CV could be to blame, you consider hiring a resume consultant. These professionals can help you to write a winning CV. They’re particularly useful if writing isn’t your strong point, or if you feel you have nothing to offer on your resume and need some help.
Hiring a CV writing service may not be appropriate when applying to all jobs. If you’re applying to a writing or marketing role, they may be looking for some of your own personal flair and writing talent. That said you may still be able to benefit from pointers on layout and the type of content employers are after, although you can probably find such advice online.
Hiring a recruiter
Recruiters or head-hunters are experts at finding a job that fits your profile. They are different from traditional recruitment companies in which companies pay agents to find employees. With a recruiter you pay. A good recruiter can help you find top-end job vacancies within your specs. They may be able to contact employers who aren’t even advertising jobs – employers that you may not have even considered. There are limits as to the kind of jobs a recruiter can help find for you. Those with a very specific job in mind may know more than recruiter in some cases, in which case it’s better to go without.
Paying to use a job listing site
There are lots of paid job listing sites out there. Many of these claim to have a better selection of jobs to offer, but in many cases this isn’t true. Some of the bigger paid listing sites are often trustworthy and could help to broaden your search. As for smaller ones, be careful as many of these can be scams, often promising to offer many job opportunities within a niche but actually having very few listings to offer at all. There may even be fake ads on some of these sites.
In most cases, you’re best off using free listing sites such as Indeed and Reed. Listing sites shouldn’t be the only method of finding jobs either – consider emailing companies directly with your CV and an application letter, even if they’re not advertising vacancies. Some employers may be considering hiring new staff and you may be able to get in there before they even have a chance to put out an ad. Emailing directly can also often show intuition and enthusiasm in most cases.
