Have you considered working with a recruiter?

If you are a job hunter currently and have been hitting some dead-ends in your job search, working with a recruiter can be a potentially be the detour you need to get your career back on the highway. However it is important to keep in mind the nature of recruiters and recruitment agencies in general. 

It must be noted first and foremost that unlike employment agencies that cater to the job seekers, recruiters are working on behalf of the companies that hire them and not the individual who contacts them. 

This is because the recruiting agencies are given specific spots by the companies themselves to get filled. As such, the recruiters are looking for individuals with very specific qualifications and will not waste time on those resumes that do not offer  extremely high matches with the positions they need to fill. 

With this in mind however, the job seeker can work with a recruiter in effective ways. Draft cover letters that not only hone in very specifically on the assets you have to offer, but also lists keywords in the career or industry you are searching for a job within.  

Then target your resume to those recruiters and agencies that are involved in your specific career or industry. 

Finally, even after you are in a job keep in touch with the recruiter periodically. This is an important aspect of career management for you never know if you can land yourself in an even better position with more money and more perks!