Placement Agencies - A Good Option or a Waste of Time?

Looking for a new job can be stressful and time-consuming. In addition, many of us often don't feel well-equipped to take on the task alone. Whether you have been out of the work force for some time and are less than confident in your abilities, or are switching fields and are nervous to be starting over and attempting something new, going to a placement agency may be an appealing option. In theory, placement or staffing agencies can assess your skills, strengths and weaknesses, and determine where you may need to improve in order to be ready to interview for a potential job. The goal of staffing agencies should be to match a candidate (you) up with suitable jobs from their databases. These jobs are sourced from clients (companies) looking for employees with specific attributes and qualifications to meet specific job criteria. It seems like a win-win situation, doesn't it? Having both worked for a major placement agency and with a few of them when I was looking to change jobs, I believe I have a unique (and hopefully helpful) perspective on the associated pros and cons. I'll be honest up front in saying that in general I feel there are more cons than pros, but I'll share what I know with you and let you decide for yourself. I'll also give you some tips on what to do if you decide to move forward with an agency to give you an edge over other candidates. The problem with staffing agencies As a candidate with four or 5 major agencies in my hometown I quickly found that, though these agencies talked a big game, I may be better at finding myself a new job than they were. I live in a government town and had the experience, education, and had developed the skills to qualify for many entry-level government jobs. However I had heard that some of the best jobs weren't made public and there were a couple of agencies that dealt specifically with these sorts of jobs. They were paid by government departments to find candidates that met the necessary criteria and would be best suited for the positions the departments needed to fill. This saved the departments in question both time and money testing and interviewing potentially hundreds upon hundreds of candidates on their own. The agencies I went to tested my typing speed and reading and writing skills, and after this and perusing my resume I was assured I was a good candidate for some of the jobs they were looking to fill. The issue was that after quite some time I had heard nothing back from any of these agencies. I called them back to check in, to see if they had heard anything and was assured that they were just very busy and that someone would get in touch with me very soon. I waited some more and had still heard nothing. I called again and got the same song-and-dance. Then I had an epiphany - I realized that I had been conned. These agencies weren't working for me - the candidates aren't the ones that pay the agencies, the clients are. So technically they work for them. On top of this they get only a select number of jobs from a company and once again go looking to meet very specific criteria, and this limits everyone in their database. If, however, you were to go to that company on your own and make a really good impression, you may be considered for the same job or another that hasn't even been given to the staffing agency or made public. You can also apply to far more jobs that are made public whereas only a few are given to the staffing agency to fill, and this still increases your chances of finding a good job on your own. Once I realized this I went out on my own, became my own advocate, and very soon had a couple of government job offers to choose from without any help from the agencies that assured me they would have me working at my dream job in no time. One agency called a year later, only to update my resume to see if I was an ideal match for any of the jobs they needed to fill, not to see if any of the jobs were an ideal match for me! I let the staffing agent know how disappointed I was and how I had done far better and in far less time on my own. I also asked if all agencies were as useless and while I didn't get an answer I can repeat here, I had already deduced from the other agencies I had gone to that the answer was a definitive "yes". Some time later the sentiment had been reaffirmed when I worked at a placement agency myself doing security clearances. Behind the scenes at a placement or staffing agency In this case I worked directly with staffing agents, doing security clearances for their candidates as many jobs required applicants to have some level of clearance. I saw first hand that this agency too cared only about serving the clients but made candidates believe they would find jobs for them when the majority never heard back, ever, and had their calls ignored. Not only this but the environment inside the office was total chaos Monday to Friday. The push to get perfect candidates for clients' jobs was high and the competition was insane. I had already figured out from my own experience as a candidate that the agencies worked for clients, not candidates, but now I fully understood that this was all about money. Staffing agents are salespeople who make commissions and bonuses, or at least they did at this particular agency. As a candidate your name goes into a database and certain skills and qualifications are flagged so that the only way you will ever receive a call or your resume will see the light of day again is if it meets all of the criteria set by a position that needs to be filled. Otherwise it will just sit there because the agency isn't there to help you find a job, but to help its clients find employees for particular positions. The name of the game is to fill as many positions as possible, as quickly as possible, and with the most outstanding and best-fit candidates as possible to keep the clients happy and secure continued and new business. Staffing agents are driven by bonuses and commissions but also have quotas to meet, and where I worked they were under perpetual threat of losing their jobs or at the very least being demoted if they did not consistently perform amazing (albeit unreasonable) feats. If you decide to seek help from a placement agency after all... Now that I've bashed placement agencies and may even have frightened you, I will remind you that agencies are businesses like any other, trying to make money, grow, and be successful. The problem is that they work hard to appeal to candidates and give the appearance that they are working for them when their real clients are the companies whose positions they try desperately to fill. So, if you would still like to have the extra help in your quest for the perfect job and would like to try an agency, here are a few strategies that may help you turn the tables a bit and get them to work in your favour, meeting you on your own terms. Make sure when you go in that you're a bit aggressive and make the staffing agent you're dealing with feel like he or she is the one being interviewed. Mention that you have had bad experiences with other agencies or have heard negative stories regarding some places. Try not to do this in a complaining manner, but maybe just outline some of the points I've made as concerns you have had. Let the agent you're speaking with know that you are very concerned as to whether or not an agency could do any better than you could alone when it comes to finding an appropriate position. At the same time mention that you had heard some very good things about his particular one (whichever agency you're at) and that you'd like to know what sets it apart from the others; ask the agent you're talking to how specifically he or she can help you find the job you want. By taking a bit of control in a way that doesn't seem high-and-mighty, but simply demonstrates that you're taking an active interest in your career path, you'll appear intelligent, confident, and you'll definitely stand out which is essential. You'll make an impression and will be far less likely to get "lost" in a database. In this case the agent may be thinking of jobs that need to be filled ASAP or very specific jobs where qualifications may have been met but no candidate has been a good "fit" or given a decent impression until you arrived. Now he or she will be hunting for the perfect job for you. If you decide to venture out on your own but are still having a hard time finding something in your field, you could always make an appointment with an agency and then grill the staffing agent about the kinds of companies they have contracts with for your field. Let the agency "help" but then go to those companies directly and give them your resume. Try to make yourself memorable, even in the space of time it takes to hand your resume to the administrative assistant in the lobby. Then, if you get contacted for any interviews, you can wow them in person. Aside from this, the agencies you go to may have heard of some companies that are hiring that you don't know about if they're not well-known or are not really making positions available publicly. This could give you a big advantage and, more importantly, going to companies and applying for jobs directly means that they have your resume on file for other potential positions. By going through and relying solely on an agency, your resume stops at the database level and none of these companies get to see it, and you will have lost out on the possibility of being considered for future opportunities. However you decide to proceed, make sure your resume is well-written and focuses in detail on your skills and qualifications but leave off anything extraneous. Ensure it is up-to-date and focus on your strengths but don't be afraid to mention your weaknesses - it's all in how you present them. For example, you might say you often find yourself getting caught up in work and frequently being late for dinner because you lose track of time when you're focused on an important task. And be professional, but not stiff. Be human. Be yourself. This will help guarantee that not only do you secure yourself a good job, but a good fit too. If you feel secure and comfortable in your new working environment that will go a long way to making the transition easier and will make you more likely to stay and grow with your new company. Good luck and happy job-hunting! Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5307356rn