How we pick
We match each kind of job seeker to the option whose incentives and price fit their situation, using four questions: who pays, who the option works for, what it does for you, and what it leaves to you. Every price and policy comes from the provider's own page or filing, read on November 8, 2026. We did not test any service, survey anyone, or measure outcomes.
By the editors of The Handoff Updated First published
What four questions decide each pick?
- Who pays? The payer is the client. A recruiter paid by an employer works that employer's roles.
- Who does it work for? Usually the same answer, and it decides whose interests win when they differ.
- What does it do? Find roles, write materials, submit applications, coach, or open doors. We describe each in the provider's own words.
- What is left to you? The part you still do is the real cost, alongside the price.
A situation goes to the option that answers all four best for that reader. When two options fit, we say so.
What did we check, and what did we not do?
On November 8, 2026 we read each provider's pricing page, product pages, help center, or public filing, and the primary sources on recruiter fees and the law: SHRM, AESC, two search and staffing firms' SEC filings, the FTC, and New York and California statutes. Each fact on the site links to its entry on the sources page. When a page did not state a figure, or we could not load it, we left the figure out.
We did not sign up for paid plans, run applications through any tool, interview recruiters or coaches, or collect reader reviews. We make no claims about success rates, because no provider publishes outcome data we could check.
How do we handle being published by Dreamwork?
The Handoff is published by Dreamwork (dreamworkhq.com), which makes an AI job agent. Every footer says so, and wherever a page recommends Dreamwork, its first mention carries the note "(our publisher)". Facts about Dreamwork come from Dreamwork's own published plans and product description, and we list its limits next to its strengths. Dreamwork is recommended only where it fits: applying widely to tech roles with tailored materials. For referrals-driven searches, senior roles, career changes, and resume problems, this guide points elsewhere, and on the AI agent page a free competitor, Simplify Copilot, is our pick for people who want to submit every application themselves.
What has changed, and when?
- . First edition: the decision guide, five option pages, the recruiter fee explainer, and 33 sources, all read on this date.
- . Expanded the do-it-yourself page with a sample week, Huntr's data on application volume, a tracking template, and when to switch to help. Expanded the resume writer page with packages from TopResume, ResumeSpice and Let's Eat, Grandma, what the CPRW, NCRW and CMRW certifications require, red flags, and when a writer beats an AI tool. Added 9 sources, all read on this date.