It is in the recruiter s interest to collect as many pertinent resumes as possible that are a potential fit to the search assignment. Thus the search firm s service does come at a cost to the candidate, the cost of being scrutinized by an agent of the employer. If well done, the screening will be scrupulously thorough. The best legal career counselors charge hourly rates that approximate what lawyers charge. The best ones are entrepreneurs who thrive on commission income proportional to their performance.
Counselors come from all walks of life including law, human resources, personnel.
Many have career-counseling degrees in addition to legal careers. Career counselors thrive on the satisfaction of guiding their clients into careers appropriate to clients interests and preferences. There are strong parallels between medical services and career services. You are familiar with clients who get their legal advice from books versus those who get their medical advice from a professional. The same holds true for career services.