A managed job search, sometimes called reverse recruitment, flips the usual model. Instead of a recruiter working for the employer, a consultant works for you: finding roles, tailoring your CV and cover letter to each one, submitting the applications and networking with hiring managers, every working day, until you accept an offer.
Misaar runs this service in Saudi Arabia as the Taqadam program. This article explains how it works in practice, what you still have to do yourself, and when it is worth the money.
What a consultant does each week
- Searches job boards, LinkedIn, company career pages and their own network for roles that match the targets agreed with you.
- Sends you each role for approval. You never get applied to a job you did not want.
- Tailors your CV and writes a cover letter for each approved role, mirroring the posting’s keywords.
- Submits the application and logs it in your dashboard with the date, the role and the status.
- Messages hiring managers and recruiters from your LinkedIn profile to surface roles before they are advertised (on Taqadam+).
- Reports in a weekly strategy session: what was applied to, response rates, and what to change.
What you still do
You approve or reject roles, you attend interviews, and you make decisions on offers. Expect to spend 30 to 60 minutes a week reviewing the dashboard and talking to your consultant. Interview preparation is included on Taqadam+, but you still need to practise.
How long it takes
The honest answer is that it depends on the market for your profile. Across Taqadam clients, the typical engagement runs three to six months from kick-off to accepted offer. Candidates with in-demand skills and flexible location preferences have landed in a month; executive searches and niche specialisations have taken longer than six.
What it costs
Taqadam is a one-time fee, not a monthly subscription, and the current prices are always on the program page. Taqadam+ adds outreach to more than 200 hiring managers, LinkedIn Premium, weekly coaching and a 90-day interview guarantee: if you are not invited to interviews within 90 days, the program is repeated free.
When it is worth it
- You are employed and cannot spend the 10–15 hours a week a serious search takes.
- You are applying to many roles and getting no interviews, which usually means a document or targeting problem that a consultant will fix in week one.
- You are relocating to or within the Gulf and do not know the market.
- You are senior enough that the best roles are filled through networks, not job boards.
When it is not
If you are a fresh graduate applying through government programs or a large employer’s graduate scheme, you mostly need a strong CV and interview practice, not a managed search. Start with a free CV review and we will tell you honestly which it is.