If you’re looking for a new job, then working with recruiters and headhunters is a great way to start your search. These professionals work to match job seekers with open positions and can be instrumental in opening up new opportunities that you might not have found on your own. Here’s what you need to know about working with recruiters and headhunters.

Recruiters, also called talent acquisition specialists, typically work for a certain company or organization to find candidates for open positions. They are often staffed internally, in which case they tend to be volume recruiters, meaning they hire for a large number of different positions once an opening arises. On the other hand, there are also external recruiters who are employed by recruitment firms or staffing agencies and hire for specific roles. Working with external recruiters allows you to have more personalized conversations about what you’re looking for in a job and to get tailored job suggestions that match your skills.

Headhunters, by contrast, are typically independent recruiters who are hired and paid directly by job applicants to help them find the right job opportunity. Also known as executive recruiters, headhunters typically identify and locate suitable candidates for specific openings, often in senior or executive-level roles. And since they’re working on an individual basis, they will likely have more intimate conversations with you about your career goals and aspirations and can help you get ready to present yourself well during job interviews.

Because of the personalized service they provide, recruiters and headhunters usually charge either a commission fee for finding you a job or for the amount of time and knowledge they invested in helping you with your job search. In either case, some job applicants opt to have their fees taken from their compensation once they land a job so that they don’t have to pay anything upfront.

If you’re judged to be a suitable candidate for a job, recruiters and headhunters will usually forward your resume to the hiring managers and follow up about your candidacy. However, it’s important to note that recruiters and headhunters can’t guarantee you a job, so you’ll need to focus mainly on networking and job postings in order to increase your chances of getting hired.

Although working with recruiters and headhunters isn’t the only way to find a job, it can certainly be a great resource — especially if you’re looking for a job in a specialized field of work. Be sure to thoroughly research recruitment firms or headhunters in your area, read reviews, and ask for referrals in order to find the right fit. Then put your best foot forward in interviews and try to make a great impression on recruiters and headhunters. With their help, you could find the dream job that you’ve been searching for.