When you're in the market for a new job, it's often a good idea to seek assistance from employment and recruitment agencies. There are several different types of companies that help match job seekers with companies that have positions to fill.
Staffing Agencies
No matter where you live, there's a good chance that there are a number of staffing agencies in your local area that provide services to employers and individuals who are looking for jobs. Depending on their focus, employment agencies can focus on temporary placements, professional direct hire positions, and "temp to perm" or "try and hire". Depending on client needs, these services may recruit applicants locally, nationally, and/or internationally. Some staffing agencies are local businesses and others, such as Express Employment Professionals, are franchises within a worldwide network of offices.
It's important to understand that there is no fee to job seekers when working with a reputable staffing agency. If you approach a staffing agency and are asked to pay any type of application fee, that's a sign that you need to move on to a different company. Staffing agencies earn their revenue from the employers with whom they are able to successfully place candidates in open positions. That is one of the reasons that working with a staffing agency can be so beneficial when you're looking for a job. Top notch staffing agencies are diligent in helping match applicants with open positions. It's in a staffing agency's best interest to find and place qualified candidates in positions as quickly as possible, because that's how the company earns a living.
Headhunters and Recruitment Firms
There are recruiting firms as well as individuals who perform the same services as independent contractors. These types of companies are often called executive search firms and their employees are often referred to as headhunters, as are those who perform recruitment services independently. Rather than relying on job seekers to apply for open positions, they go out and actively recruit candidates for positions their clients need to fill.
Recruitment firms and headhunters typically focus on finding people for executive and other top level positions for organizations. Typically, they specialize in a few particular areas and focus on building a network of contacts within their areas of specialty. When a company contacts an executive search firm or an independent headhunter with a staffing need, the recruiter begins reaching out to his or her network to find people in similar positions who might be interested in changing jobs.
As with staffing agencies, there is no fee to job seekers for working with a headhunter. However, read the terms of any agreement you sign very carefully. Often, the fees clients pay to recruitment agencies are paid out only after the employee stays on the job for a certain period of time. If you leave the position before the specified time frame, you may be responsible for paying some, or all, of the placement fee.
Working with Employment and Recruitment Agencies
When you're ready to look for a job, the first decision you'll need to make is what type of career you are seeking. You'll also need to decide what geographic area, or areas, you'd like to work in. Once you have a clear vision of what you are looking for, you'll be able to make an educated decision about working with employment and recruitment agencies.
There are many benefits associated with utilizing the services of employment and recruitment agencies when looking for a job. Spend some time looking at the options available to you before you select one - or a few- agencies to work with. Look for a company with experience placing people with a background similar to yours in the area, or areas, in which you want to live. That way, you'll be working with an organization that already has relationships with employers who might have positions that you are a good fit for.
