In my former life as an arts marketer, we were sometimes faced with a whole lot of tickets that just weren’t selling. Now this could be for a myriad of reasons, but with a cast rehearsing, the event advertised etc, cancelling a show was not going to happen. So what to do?

May sound strange, but giving them away was never an option. Why?

Because if something is FREE, then what is its WORTH?

NOTHING.

In an economic climate such as this, many people will have found themselves recently embroiled in a murky underworld, otherwise known as online recruiting.

For those job seekers using the internet to search for that next career move, there are so many multiple options; it’s enough to make your head spin. Job Boards, recruiters’ websites, classified ads, resume writers, Blogs Microblogs, Facebooking and Tweets. There’s advice at every turn.

It shouldn’t take a rocket scientist to work out when something looks dodgy or unprofessional. If you are entering into any type of agreement that requires payment in return for recruitment services, make sure you are clear on what is expected between both parties.

BUT, there are plenty of reputable websites out there to help you in your employment search that do charge for their services. It’s up to you to do your research on their sites thoroughly, and decide whether they deserve your hard earned cash. As my mother would always say; ‘Buy cheap, buy twice’, ‘no such thing as a free lunch’ and many many other clichés.

If you want something doing, you usually have to pay for it!!

We all have strengths and we all have friends and contacts. Now, I have no problem formulating my resume, but I can’t change a tyre – what’s the difference? We all need to throw money at the services we can’t afford the time or the skill for ourselves.

Basically, whilst you cannot, or more to the point, should not pay somebody on the basis that you will get a job in return – to pay for the help you require in your job hunt is neither illegal nor unusual. Typically , shady companies and forum meddlers have ensured the topic of paying for recruitment services and aides is a hot discussion across chat rooms.

We say, do your research, know where your strengths lie and decide which parts of the process are worth your pennies, because again – free services are usually just that – worthless.

If you want to get in touch with international jobs, particularly in Dubai, UAE, there are dozens of top recruiting websites, most of which offer free registration and services for job seekers. You can also visit our website, TeleportMyJob.Com, we strive to place jobseekers in touch with hundreds of new career opportunities in the Middle East and across the globe.