"But I don't like agencies....."



Many people refuse to use agencies because of a friends experience with a particular agency. Fine, then don't use that agency. But equally don't make all agencies out to be the same. Don't prejudice your chances of finding work because of one experience.

Have you ever owned a car that cost you money all the time?

Did you stop owning cars because they are all bad?

Probably not, so why not think about agencies as a means to an end?

* How agencies work

Personally, I think that the vast majority of agencies great. Yes they are in it to make money, hey they are a business. But please don't think they make money from you because they don't.

The way it usually works is that an employer places a vacancy with an agency and the agency is responsible for finding suitable candidates.

The agency either gets paid a one off fee by the employer for finding someone that the company actually employs.

The agency is paid a fixed amount for employing a person or a group of people for temporary positions. The agency pays the candidate a fixed hourly rate for work they do on this short term contract. They are being paid a "finders fee" if you like for locating suitable people for the job.

* Making Agencies work for you

You should always remember that if an agency is looking for a job for you, then you are the customer, they are working for you!

Now don't go in there demanding things :-) but you should be able to chase them a little for the results you want.

The best approach is to locate 5 - 10 agencies that you can work with easily. Ideally they should be located where you can actually visit them in person on a regular basis.

This is important because they see so many people all the time and you should build up a relationship with your client advisor so that you are in their mind when a suitable position becomes available.

Lets say that you have registered with five agencies.

Week 1 – Talk to the lst agency every day Monday – Friday, call in to see them in person at least once. On Wednesday speak to all of the other agencies by phone, check in and see if they have located anything suitable.

Week 2 – Talk to the 2nd agency every day Monday – Friday, call in to see them in person at least once. On Wednesday speak to all of the other agencies by phone, check in and see if they have located anything suitable.

Week 3 – Talk to the 3rd agency every day Monday – Friday, call in to see them in person at least once. On Wednesday speak to all of the other agencies by phone, check in and see if they have located anything suitable.

Week 4 – Talk to the 4th agency every day Monday – Friday, call in to see them in person at least once. On Wednesday speak to all of the other agencies by phone, check in and see if they have located anything suitable.

Week 5 – Talk to the 5th agency every day Monday – Friday, call in to see them in person at least once. On Wednesday speak to all of the other agencies by phone, check in and see if they have located anything suitable.

Then go back to week one again.

If you have more agencies (say ten) then you will have to contact two of them each day increasing your chances of getting an interview.

Why chase agencies? Many agencies use computers to store information about clients, some still use a rolodex, either way, by talking to a person at the agency you are making them bring up your details, this means that you will be fresh in their mind, it also means that they can see how keen you are to find work.

Now when a suitable vacancy turns up who do you think they are going to call first, you or the guy who joined the agency the same time as you but who they don't really remember?

You can almost guarantee you will be called first.

* Part time agency work

You may have heard people telling you that "it is easier to get a job while you are in work" - well it is true.

Employers tend to think that you are more reliable and harder working if you have been employed even on short term contracts through agencies.

This is usually because they see that you don't like doing nothing (as they see it). Of course we know you have been busy looking for work and that this is a full time job in itself. But often they don't realise this is so.

Working part time like this allows you to earn some money and it also allows you to meet other people. I know many people who found their chosen line of work by doing agency work. The fact is, you are meeting a lot of people, making more contacts and that means you can have more people helping you to find job leads.

I have used agencies myself and if I was ever unemployed again, then I would register with 5 - 10 on day one. What's more, I would take any temporary jobs that came my way though them to help them understand what kind of worker I am. This will help you in the long run, believe me, I know. I've been there.

Good luck.

Steve Richards

http://www.911resume.com