Starters Guide to Employment Agencies and Headhunters
Both Employment Agencies and Headhunters exist for one purpose, to make money. While many unemployed people are attracted to the glamor and promises that agencies make; remember their job is to fill job vacancies, not hold your hand until you find a job!
Employment agencies may be either general, or industry specific. As job trends change, so do agencies in how they target markets. Here are some tips on how to pick a good employment agency.
Do some pre checking
There have been some absolute horror stories surrounding what goes on behind the scenes at employment agencies, and I myself have encountered a couple that were less than satisfactory. Before you even make contact with one, do some checking with your Department of Labor, and make sure that that they are a legitimate registered business.
Ask the Employment Agency questions
Your initial contact with an Employment agency is probably going to be via telephone. It rarely does you any good to simply walk in off the street, as the only person you are likely to meet is the Receptionist who will give you an appointment time to come back. Your questions should include such things as; what industry does the Agency cater to, what is the procedure for registering for work, and if there any skill and computer testing.
When you visit the Employment Agency
Think of your appointment with an Employment Agency as an interview and present yourself accordingly. Dress appropriately for your industry and always take along two copies of your resume/references and two pieces of Government identification. Be prepared to fill out questionnaires relating to both your skills, and the places you are interested in working in, and be ready for reading, writing and computer testing that may take several hours.
Registering with Headhunters
In Canada, it is illegal for any Agency or Headhunter to charge a fee to find you a job, while this is often standard practice for working Professionals in the USA. There are two types of Headhunters; those that operate their own business seeking to match Professionals with relevant Careers, and those that represent a certain industry or even one Individual Corporation. If you reside in the USA, it is not uncommon to pay a fee to a Headhunter to find you a specific job, within a specific industry, in a specific geographical area. Different States have rules as to how much they may charge, so check before you pay!
It is the second type of Headhunter that typically participates in job fairs, and visits graduating College and University students. Being headhunted in this way is usually fairly attractive, and often represents the start of your professional Career within a particular organization. The Headhunter, or Recruiter as they are often called, receives a commission for each position they fill.
Finding a job through a temporary or permanent employment agency or through a Headhunter can alleviate a lot of job searching. Typically you need only apply once, and then they do all the searching to fit you with an appropriate job site. From personal experience I have found it favorable to register with two employment agencies, that way if one doesn't work out, you have something to fall back on.
