Employment Agencies: How to Find the Best and Get the Most Out of an Employment Agency
Employment agencies (and head-hunters) can often form an invaluable part of your job search campaign. So make sure that you include agencies as part of your job search plan.
Below, you'll discover how to find the best agencies and how to get the most out of agencies, so that they work hard on your behalf and put your CV forward to an employer, rather than someone else's CV.
Employment agencies are not normally allowed to charge you for finding a job - they receive a fee from the employer for filling a vacancy. Modelling agencies though are allowed to charge a fee for putting together your professional portfolio.
A Great CV Makes Employment Agencies Take More Notice of You
Always make sure you send agencies a first-class CV. If your CV is poor, then they just won't bother sending it to an employer, they'll send someone else's instead - remember they get paid by the employer to sift out the poor CVs! A good CV makes their job much easier.
If you need help putting together a professional CV, then make sure you choose one of the best CV writing services, as there's a big difference between the best and the worst CV services, which can make or break your search for a job.
How to Find the Best Employment Agencies
When you're deciding on which employment agencies to contact, it's usually best to start with a recommendation from either a colleague you trust or a friend (in the same profession as you).
There are some great agencies out there who will really help you to find a job quickly, but equally there are some agencies who will do little or nothing to advance your search for a job.
Make sure that you contact several agencies, don't just rely on one agency. It's usually best to pick an agency that specialises in your particular profession / sector.
As well as large agencies, you should also consider smaller agencies that are located in your local area.
Don't totally rely on employment agencies, try some of our other job search methods too.
Employment agencies can be found using our Recruitment Agency Finder UK. You may also want to look in the Yellow Pages.
A list of employment agencies also appears in the Executive Grapevine (which can normally be found in the reference section of a public library). Alternatively you may find agencies advertising the sort of vacancies you want to apply for, either in newspapers or in trade journals / newspapers.
Getting The Best Out of an Employment Agency
Always contact the employment agency directly, preferably on the phone - as you want to build a businesslike relationship with the agency.
If you just email them your CV, you risk it being filed straight in the waste bin or just being lost in their database.
A good agency will normally want to meet you directly or at least speak to you on the phone, if they consider you a candidate that they can place with one of their clients (the employers).
Picking an employment agency that specialises in your profession / sector is a good idea, as they will be able to give you an insight into the current state of the job market for your particular sector / profession.
Speaking to one of their consultants, may also help you decide on a possible career move, what type of employers you should consider, etc. You may get ideas that you wouldn't have thought of on your own.
A good agency can identify the positions that you would be considered for and the one's you stand no chance of getting, plus they can tell you what they think your next salary and benefits package should be - you may even be worth more than you think!
An employment agency should always ask your permission prior to them sending out your CV to an employer - but this doesn't always happen.
Never let two agencies put forward your CV for the same job, because if an employer gets the same CV twice, they won't want to pay both agencies. The agencies won't like it either, so just tell the second agency that the employer already has your CV and that you don't want to be put forward twice.
When you see an employment agency that you are registered with advertising a job that you would be interested in, contact them immediately and tell them that you'd like to be considered. Don't expect the agency to automatically remember you, jog their memory to ensure that you are included in the shortlist.
Need Help Creating a Great CV for Employment Agencies?
A great CV will make employment agencies take more notice of you, if you would like some help then check out our CV writers who know exactly how to create a first-rate CV that will make employment agencies what to put forward your CV to employers. You might also want to take a look at our CV tips.
Other pages you may like:
- FREE Reports: How to dramatically improve your CV / resume, salary negotiation tips, job hunting secrets.
- Want to Improve Your CV? A professional CV writing service can dramatically improve your chances of securing an interview
- Introduction
- Job hunting methods
- Advertised jobs
- Letter writing
- Example ad/letter
- Agencies
- Recruitment agency finder UK
- Speculative letters
- Networking
- Redundant or Unemployed
- Jobs for 17 year olds
- Part time jobs for 16 year olds
- Jobs for 16 year olds
- Jobs for 15 year olds
- Jobs for 14 year olds
- Jobs for 13 year olds
- Jobs for 12 year olds
- Jobs for teens