info on employment agencies?

[tsuki-no-bara.livejournal.com]

do any of you lovely folks have (or know anyone who has) recentish experience job-hunting using employment agencies? (for permanent employment, not temp agencies.) can you recommend any good/helpful agencies, or do you know any i should avoid? do people even use them any more?

i've just started looking for a job for the first time in fifteen years - by which i mean i've been at my current job that long, not that i've been out of the workforce - i'm an office assistant/admin and also do what used to be called desktop publishing, altho for all i know it's called something different now. it means i research and assemble planning studies, basically.

conversely, if your place of employment needs an admin with a bunch of years' experience in finding the one useful piece of paper in a filing cabinet, putting off phone solicitors, putting together giant (11" x 15") books, and learning how to read her boss' mind, let me know. :D

(standard disclaimer that i have a car and am not tied to places that are t-accessible.)

Comments

[elements.livejournal.com]

I got my current job through Randstad - starting as a temp and moving into permanent. I think that's how it goes a lot these days - and the agencies that place people as temps also place people permanently.

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

http://www.johnleonard.com/

This is worth registering with (BTW, you can and should sign up with multiple agencies). They got me several interviews.

[josephineave.livejournal.com]

Hollister Associates is one of the top players for admins.

[blinkidybah.livejournal.com]

Avoid PSG

[ftwhiterabbit.livejournal.com]

Hola!

I've used employment agencies in the past - both when I worked as an admin assistant, and as a marketing professional - and I would like to offer a few tips in case you're still searching.

First, do some research into what a reasonable salary is for the type of work you're seeking. Salary.com is a good starting point.

Next, DO NOT let an agency bully you into accepting a significantly lower salary. If they have an opportunity available that pays less, they'll swear up and down that that's the best salary you can ever hope to get, but that's not necessarily true. You have to understand that they get paid for "butts in seats," and they will often prioritize that over your stated job/career needs. So go in knowing what a fair salary is and hold out for it unless you're in a desperate need for A JOB, ANY JOB.

Research agencies and apply with several of them. Some are far more generous than others when it comes to salary, benefits, flexibility and overall friendliness. FWIW, I recall Randstad offering unusually generous benefits a few years back.

Also, keep in mind that we're still in the midst of The Great Recession, so it may take a while to find a job, and you may have to settle for less money. Don't take it personally if it takes a while. (And again, be careful not to get shoved into the first available opening by a commission-happy agency!)

And yes, employers really do still use agencies, for better or worse. I'm in a professional marketing role at a Fortune 500 firm, and everyone on my team, whether temp or perm, was recruited by an agency.

Another job search option that may seem weird but can actually work is Craigslist. My current firm has used it, and I landed a plum professional role that way a few years back. One reason employers turn to Craigslist is that it's free (I think CL may have started charging a nominal fee, but it's still a LOT less than what an agency charges!) and it takes away the middle man when searching for candidates. Again, it's counter-intuitive but worth a shot. That said, it might be especially tough to land an administrative job that way, given the large volume of postings and applicants, but it can't hurt to try.

Good luck!

[tsuki-no-bara.livejournal.com]

thank you! this is helpful! i wouldn't have thought seriously of using craiglist, but yeah, can't hurt.