Recruitment Services - How To Get The Best From Recruitment Services

For those who have not used recruitment services before their use can be intimidating. This applies to both employees and employers as both have misconceptions about what services a recruitment agency will actually provide. This is an attempt to give a clearer understanding of how best to utilise recruitment services for those involved in a job search.

The first thing to remember when using a recruitment agency is that the agent will not act as your personal job hunter. It is not their job to carry out your job search for you; they are there simply to match your criteria to jobs that may become available within their client list.

Principally there are to types of recruiter, both provide different kinds of services. The two types of recruitment agent are labelled as retained and contingency. Retained recruiters have contracts with various companies to find candidates when positions become available. They will usually receive some form of payment throughout this process.

Contingency recruitment agencies have no defined contract and fill positions as and when they arise; their payment is usually made when a placement has been secured. Both types of recruiter hope to provide as many suitable candidates as possible to give clients the greatest choice.

Many recruitment agencies provide their services to a specific industrial sector. As a job hunter this is important to remember as if you do not fit into their industry field they may not consider you for jobs. Recruitment agencies prefer to offer their services to job hunters who are settled into a specific career path. Generally they dislike candidates making a career change as this means they will have to give their clients someone with little or no experience for a proposed position.

When using recruitment services it is best to promote yourself as able to relocate. This puts candidates in a stronger position for prospective jobs. Added to this if you cannot relocate it is best to let recruitment agents know you are willing to travel to work, this will also increase chances of a successful job hunt.

Using recruitment services through personal recommendation is also advisable, especially if your contact has been successful when using a particular agency. Remember to refer to this contact when meeting with recruiters as the personal touch still goes a long way in business.

The industry as a whole is reputable, there are however a number of unscrupulous operators who should be avoided. Research a company's history before you employ their recruitment services as a poor recruiter will damage your chances of a successful job hunt. This is especially true for recruiters who contact you personally before any prior contact has been made.

Once meeting with an agency they will most likely want to know your salary history, this is not an attempt to short change you but is a vital part of their services. If they know how much you have been paid in the past it means they know what you will be expecting and can pass this information on to any prospective employers.

Make sure to keep in touch with your recruitment agent, always respond to their requests promptly to show that you are efficient and worthy of job offers. This works both ways however, try to contact the agency regularly and enquire about any possible jobs. Making a nuisance of yourself will help keep your profile fresh in the minds of recruiters and lead to more job offers.

It takes time to build a good relationship with an agency and success somewhat depends upon it. Their services however should not be a substitute for your own job hunting efforts as these should be carried out in addition to the work of your agent. If you remember this advice there is no reason why your job search should not be an unbridled success.