What is Archer from hackajob?

A lot of people arrive with the same questions. Is it a job board? Interview prep? Just for tech? Archer from hackajob does a few different things, so it is fair to wonder. This page lays out plainly what Archer does, who it is for, and what happens after you create a profile. If you are deciding whether it is worth your time, this should answer it in about five minutes.

What Archer is not

A few things people sometimes assume, and where we land on each.

It is not just a job board. Job boards show you every listing and let you apply to anything. Archer is matching-first: you see and apply to the roles Archer matches you to, not a directory of every open job. If you signed up to apply to one specific role and cannot find it, that is usually by design, and the FAQ below explains why.
It is not just for tech. Our brand history started in tech, and tech is still the largest category by job volume. Archer now works across every professional category: product, sales, operations, finance, marketing, legal, science, design and more.
It is not interview prep. We offer a free interview prep tool that helps you practise the questions you are likely to get, plus a range of free blogs and articles. That is one tool, not the whole platform.
It is not a CV writer. We have a free CV checker that shows you how a modern matching system reads your CV, but we do not write CVs for you. AI-generated CVs are increasingly flagged by employers, so your own words serve you better.
It is not free for employers. It is free for candidates, always. Employers pay us, and that means we care about getting the match right on both sides: people who genuinely fit for the employer, and roles genuinely worth your time for you.

What Archer actually is

A matching platform with three core pieces.

Archer, your AI advocate in the job market. Archer reads your full profile, your skills, experience and the preferences you have set, not just keywords, then weighs it against open roles across hundreds of companies and surfaces the ones where the fit is real. You do not browse listings. Matches come to you, each with a reason.
A profile you build once. A profile is more than a CV. It includes your experience, your real skills, the salary you are looking for, where you want to work, the kind of company you would consider, and the things you definitely do not want. The more complete it is, the better your matches.
A dashboard where everything lives. The roles you have applied to through Archer, interview requests from companies that reviewed your match and reached out, and where each conversation stands, all in one place.

How Archer works in practice

Step 1: You build a profile. Roughly 10 to 15 minutes of real experience, skills and preferences.

Step 2: Archer matches you to roles. Continuously. New roles appear when a real fit comes up, each with a plain explanation of why you match, so you apply with confidence instead of guessing.

Step 3: You decide what to do with each match. Apply directly if you are interested, pass if it does not appeal, or save it for later. Your profile stays private to the employer unless you choose to apply.

Step 4: Companies can also reach out to you. Some employers use Archer to contact candidates themselves. When one sees you among their matches, they send an interview request that lands in your Requests tab. You choose whether to accept, and they only get your contact details if you do.

Step 5: You track everything in one place. Applications, interview requests, scheduled interviews and offers, in one dashboard, whether the activity started with you or the employer.

Privacy and control

Your personal details stay private until you choose to engage. Employers cannot browse a directory of candidates and pick you out. You see the roles Archer matches you to and apply to the ones you want, and an employer only sees you once you apply. Some employers reach out directly, but they cannot get your contact details or contact you off the platform unless you accept, so no recruiter can cold-call you just because you came up as a match.

Your current employer is blocked automatically. When Archer reads your CV it picks up where you work and blocks them by default, as long as your CV is up to date, so they cannot see you or even know you are on the platform. You can block more companies in your settings any time, and if you go to block your employer but cannot find them in the list, that is a good sign: it means they do not use hackajob, so they cannot see you anyway. You can also set your profile to off the market to pause your search.

Who Archer is for

Active candidates. You are looking now and want to spend less time on roles that will not go anywhere. Matching saves you from chasing roles where the fit is not there.
Passive candidates. You are employed but open to the right move, and want to know what is out there without hours of browsing. Match-based discovery is designed for exactly this.
Anyone tired of applying and hearing nothing. If you have sent hundreds of applications and heard back from almost none, the issue is often the channel, not you. Archer is the alternative to that channel.
Any professional category. Engineers, Product Managers, Financial Analysts, Marketing Managers, Operations Managers, Legal Counsel, Research Scientists, Product Designers and Sales Executives all use it.
Most career stages. Mid-career and senior people get the most out of matching, because their experience is specific enough to match precisely. Early-career candidates can use it too, though the volume of matches is usually lower.

Is Archer free?

Yes, always. There is no premium tier or upsell. We do not charge candidates for matches, for applying, for the dashboard, or for the CV checker and interview prep tools. Employers pay us, and that alignment means our incentive is to surface relevant, real roles to you. The free tools work without signing up for the platform at all.

Is Archer from hackajob legit?

Yes. hackajob has been around since 2014 and is used by more than 200 companies to hire, from Wise, dunnhumby, Amex and Tesco to BT, BBC, Sky, Barclays, HSBC and GSK. We are ISO 27001 certified, SOC 2 Type 1 and GDPR compliant.

We will be upfront about the limits too: some industries and seniority levels see more matching activity than others, and a match does not guarantee a job, since the employer still chooses and the interview still matters. What we promise is that the roles you are matched to have real reasoning behind them, and that the companies on the platform are real, paying customers.

Here is what two candidates told us:

Before hackajob, I was sending over 100 applications on Indeed and hearing nothing back. Archer picked roles tailored to my experience and qualifications, and it made all the difference. - Lewis C., Sales Executive

The matching was spot on. Senior DevOps roles that actually aligned with my skills. No sales calls. No gimmicks. Pure job search. - Niladri, Senior DevOps Engineer

Frequently asked questions

What is Archer from hackajob in one sentence? Archer from hackajob is an AI matching platform that connects you to relevant jobs at over 200 companies based on your skills, experience and preferences, so you apply to roles that genuinely fit and employers can send you interview requests directly. It is free for candidates.

How is Archer different from LinkedIn or Indeed? LinkedIn and Indeed are job boards that show you every listing and let you apply to anything. Archer is matching-first: you build one profile and Archer surfaces the roles where you are a real fit, each with a reason. Your profile stays private until you choose to apply, and your current employer is blocked by default.

Is Archer just for tech jobs? No. Tech is the largest category by volume, but Archer works across every professional category, including product, sales, operations, finance, marketing, legal, science and design.

Is Archer really free for candidates? Yes, always. There is no premium tier or upsell. Employers pay hackajob, which is why our incentive is to surface relevant, real roles to you. The free CV checker and interview prep tool work without signing up at all.

Can my current employer see I am on Archer? No. When Archer reads your CV it picks up your current employer and blocks them by default, so they cannot see you or know you are on the platform, as long as your CV is up to date. You can block any other company in your settings too.

How long does it take to start getting matches? It varies. Some people see matches within days; for others it takes longer, depending on how closely your profile fits open roles and how many employers are hiring for your experience right now. A complete, accurate profile gets you matched faster.

Does a match mean I will get the job? No. A match means there is real alignment between your profile and the role, with reasoning you can see. The employer still chooses and the interview still matters, but the roles you are matched to are a genuine fit.

I saw a role but cannot find it to apply. Why? Archer is matching-first, not a directory of every open job. You see and apply to the roles Archer matches you to, so a role you spotted elsewhere may not appear unless it is a strong fit. Keeping your profile complete and accurate widens what you are matched to.

Is Archer a recruitment agency? No. Archer is a matching platform. No agency recruiter manages your search or takes a cut. You build a profile, Archer matches you to roles, and you deal with employers directly through the platform.

Why do I have to make a profile instead of just uploading a CV? A profile carries things a CV cannot: your salary expectations, where and how you want to work, the kind of company you want, and what you do not want. Archer reads all of it to match you well. A CV alone leaves most of that out, which leads to weaker matches.

Ready to see what Archer surfaces for you? Create your free profile in about five minutes, and let Archer match you to roles you genuinely fit.