Who should run my job search?
To apply to many tech roles with a tailored application for each, use an AI job agent such as Dreamwork (our publisher), Jobright or Simplify, for $0 to about $40 a month. For senior or niche roles, let recruiters find you; the employer pays them. Hire a career coach for direction, a resume writer when the resume fails, and go it alone when referrals will get you in.
By the editors of The Handoff Updated First published
| If this is you | Call | Who pays | What it costs you |
|---|---|---|---|
| You want to apply widely to tech roles, and you want each application tailored rather than sprayed. | AI job agent | You | Free tiers exist. Paid plans we read run about $20 to $40 a month. |
| You are senior or executive, or in a niche field where companies fill roles through search firms. | Recruiter or headhunter | The employer | Nothing to you. The employer pays a fee, often 20% to 33% of first-year pay. |
| You do not know what role to aim for, are changing careers, or keep losing at the interview or offer stage. | Career coach | You | Coach listings we read ran from $75 to $499 an hour. |
| You fit the roles you apply to but get no callbacks, and you think the resume is the reason. | Resume writer | You | Packages we read ran from $179 to $1,899, once. |
| You have a short list of target companies and people who can refer you. | Doing it yourself | No one | $0, plus your hours. LinkedIn Premium Career is $39.99 a month if you want it. |
Costs come from each provider's own pricing page or filing, read on November 8, 2026. The sources page lists every one. Two rows can both be true: a senior engineer can take recruiter calls and run an agent at the same time.
Who pays a recruiter, a career coach or an AI job agent?
Who pays decides who the option works for, and that is the fastest way to sort the five. An agency recruiter is paid by the employer, often 20% to 25% of the hire's first-year cash pay on contingency and about a third on a retained search SHRM. That is why recruiters are free to you, and also why they spend their time on the roles they are paid to fill rather than on your search.
Career coaches, resume writers and AI job agents are paid by you, so they work for you. A search you run yourself costs nothing but your hours. The table sets the five side by side.
| Option | Who pays | Works for | Cost to you | What you still do |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AI job agent | You | You | $0 to about $40 a month on the plans we read | Choose targets, review or spot-check applications, interview |
| Recruiter or headhunter | Employer | Employer | $0 | Everything outside the roles that recruiter is filling |
| Career coach | You | You | $75 to $499 an hour on the listings we read | All of the applying |
| Resume writer | You | You | $179 to $1,899, once | All of the applying |
| Doing it yourself | No one | You | $0 | Everything |
How recruiters get paid explains contingency, retained, and contract fees in full.
When should an AI job agent run your search? Paid by you
An AI job agent is software that finds openings that fit your resume, writes the application, and fills in the employer's form. The split that matters is who presses submit. Simplify's free Copilot fills the form and you submit Simplify; Dreamwork, LazyApply, JobCopilot and Simplify+ Autopilot can submit for you.
An AI job agent is the right call if you work in tech and want to apply widely without sending the same resume everywhere. Dreamwork (dreamworkhq.com) is built for that case. It ranks live roles against your resume, writes a tailored resume and cover letter for each, and applies on a paid plan. See how Dreamwork works, or read our full guide to AI job agents for the others.
When should a recruiter or headhunter run your search? Paid by the employer
A recruiter fills an employer's opening. Robert Half's annual report says its placement fees are paid only by the employer and no fee is charged to candidates Robert Half SEC filing. You do not hire one; you get found by one.
A recruiter is the right call for senior and executive roles, which companies often hand to retained search firms, and for niche fields where a few specialist recruiters know every opening. Keep your profile current and answer their messages.
When should you hire a career coach? Paid by you
A career coach helps you decide what to aim for and how to win the interview and the offer. A coach does not apply for you. Coaching is self-regulated, so check credentials such as the ICF's ACC, PCC and MCC International Coaching Federation.
A coach is the right call if you are changing careers, are unsure which role fits, or keep reaching final rounds without an offer. Hourly rates on Leland's career listings ran from $75 to $499 when we read them Leland.
When should you pay a resume writer? Paid by you, once
A resume writer rebuilds your resume, and often your cover letter and LinkedIn profile, for a one-time fee. TopResume starts at $179 TopResume; Let's Eat, Grandma runs from $439 to $1,899 Let's Eat, Grandma.
A resume writer is the right call when you are qualified for the roles you apply to and still hear nothing back, or when a long career needs a sharper story. The writer fixes the document, not the number of applications.
When should you run the search yourself? Paid by no one
In a search you run yourself, you find the roles, write each application, and work your network. It costs nothing but hours, and it is the best way to run a search that depends on referrals to a short list of companies.
Doing it yourself is the right call if you know exactly where you want to work and know people there. It is also the slowest way to apply to a lot of roles.
Questions people ask
What is a job agent?
The phrase has two meanings. Traditionally a job agent is a recruiter or employment agency that matches people to openings and is paid by the employer. In 2026 it also means an AI job agent: software that finds openings, writes application materials, and submits applications for you, paid for by you.
Do I need a recruiter or an AI job agent?
You cannot hire a recruiter to run your search. Agency recruiters and headhunters work for the employer that pays them, so they call you when you fit a role they are filling. If you are senior or in a niche field, make yourself easy for them to find. If you want to apply to many tech roles yourself, an AI job agent does that work for you. Many people use both.
How do AI job agents work?
They read your resume, find openings that fit it, and fill in the employer's application form. Some only autofill the form and leave the submit button to you, such as Simplify's free Copilot. Others submit on their own, such as Dreamwork's Autopilot, Simplify+ Autopilot, LazyApply and JobCopilot. The better ones also tailor the resume and cover letter to each role.
Are job agents worth it?
A recruiter costs you nothing, so taking the call is always worth it. An AI job agent is worth it if you plan to apply to many roles and would otherwise spend hours on forms; paid plans we read run about $20 to $40 a month, and several have free tiers. It is not worth it if your search runs on referrals to a few companies.