Online Job Search Services: Your Options
Looking for job search services you can use from anywhere? Here is what exists online, what it costs, and which type makes sense for you.
3 types of online job search services
The job search services landscape is confusing. Here is the taxonomy:
Career coaching (online)
Virtual sessions with a career professional who helps with positioning, resume, and interview prep.
What you get:
- 1-on-1 video sessions
- Resume and LinkedIn review
- Interview coaching and mock interviews
- Job search strategy advice
Typical cost: $100-500 per hour, or $1,000-5,000 for packages
Best for: You are unclear on your target role, struggling with interviews, or need help presenting yourself.
Watch out for: Quality varies dramatically. They do NOT submit applications for you.
Staffing agencies (remote roles)
Recruiters who work remotely and fill remote or location-specific positions.
What you get:
- Access to roles they are paid to fill
- They submit you to their clients
- Sometimes salary negotiation help
Typical cost: Free to you (employers pay)
Best for: You have a strong profile in their specialty niche.
Watch out for: They work for employers, not you. Limited to their client roles.
Application automation
Software that finds matching jobs and applies on your behalf, entirely online.
What you get:
- 24/7 job monitoring
- Automated applications to company career sites
- Targeting filters you control
Typical cost: $50-200 per month
Best for: You know your target role and need scale and speed.
Watch out for: Requires clear targeting. Does not fix a bad resume.
Quick decision guide
The right service depends on your bottleneck:
These services solve different problems. Coaching is for strategy. Recruiters are for access. Automation is for scale. Pick based on where you are stuck.
The real costs breakdown
Hidden costs to consider:
- Coaching: High hourly rate but might save months of misdirected effort
- Recruiters: Free but you only see roles they are paid to fill
- Automation: Monthly fee but saves 10-20 hours per week of manual applications
Can you combine them?
Yes. Common combinations:
- Coaching → Automation: Fix your positioning first, then scale applications
- Recruiter + Automation: Recruiter handles hidden roles, automation handles the open market
- Coaching + Recruiter: Get strategy right, then leverage recruiter relationships
The key is knowing which problem you are solving at each stage.
What Careery does
Careery is an AI agent that applies to jobs for you 24/7 on company career sites.
Fully online
Cloud-based. No browser extension. Works from anywhere.
Company career sites
Applies on Workday, Greenhouse, Lever — not just Easy Apply.
Precise targeting
You set titles, locations, salary, seniority, and exclusions.
Interview shortlisting
Highlights important emails so you do not miss replies.
What Careery does NOT do
- Not career coaching — We do not help with strategy or positioning
- Not recruiting — We do not place candidates or work for employers
- Not guaranteed results — Interviews depend on your fit and the market
How they got hired
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this a local service?
No. Careery is fully online and works for remote or location-specific job searches. You set your location preferences in the targeting filters.
Is Careery a recruiter?
No. Recruiters work for employers and show you roles they are paid to fill. Careery works for you and applies to any job matching your criteria.
How does pricing compare to other services?
Coaching runs $100-500 per hour. Recruiters are free to you but limited in scope. Careery is $50-200 per month for unlimited applications within your plan.
Can I use Careery with a coach?
Yes. Get coaching to clarify your target and fix your materials, then use automation to scale. They complement each other.
Do I need a finished resume first?
Yes. Automation amplifies what you have. If your resume is not working, fix it before scaling applications.
What if I only want specific companies?
Networking and referrals beat automation for 2-3 dream companies. Careery is for scale — applying to many matching roles across many companies.
Founded Careery in 2020 to help job seekers automate the grind and land interviews faster.
Know your target? Need to scale?
If your bottleneck is volume and speed, automation can help.
Related guides
- Apply to Jobs for Me — compare VAs, extensions, and AI agents
- Job Application Service — how automation compares to recruiters and coaches
- Job Search Assistance — full breakdown of all your options