Temp Agencies Skills Experience Companies Clients – No
Not really. I have dealt with employment agencies for the last 25 years. Don't get me wrong now. I have worked for some temp agencies. There are some that I choose to deal with and some that I don't. But as far as finding me a regular job, they haven't been very successful.
Most of the employment agencies today want "the cream of the crop". There are very few general employment agencis around today. They are more specialized. They want people with the highest level of skills, as well actual job experience, job longevity, and is most cases, a college degree. They don't want any job hoppers. They want either executive-level secretaries and assistants, paralegals, accountants, outside sales people, insurance and financial professionals, office managers, etc.; just to name a few.
I have called a lot of these agencies over the last several years, except for one, none of them have called me for a regular job. When I told them what my experience was, some of them told me to go and check the newspapers. Their clients are paying them a lot of money and hefty fees and they just don't want to hire anybody; especially somebody who doesn't have the skills and the experience that they want.
Even these temporary agencies have changed over the last several years. Fifteen, twenty, or even twenty-five years ago, you can just simply call up a temp agency, make an appointment, and go right in to register. Nowadays, they want to see your resume first before they decide to bring you in. They don't want to waste your time or theirs if you don't have what they're looking for. They have literally become the Human Resources departments for a lot of these companies. They too, like the regular employment agencies, have become more specialized as well.
When I was out of work back in '98, I had registered with this one staffing agency that I had worked at four years earlier. A few weeks earlier, after going through the application and testing process, they said that they could not use me anymore. They said that I refused to accept the fact that the assignment was over and that I was escorted out of the building. Well that was a down-and-out lie right there and then! That never ever happened! The company that I was at didn't have enough work; therefore, they didn't need me, and I left the building on my own! I left them one nasty after-hours message on their answering machine and I told them that I don't deal with liars.
When I was last out of work from July to October, I did contact a few staffing agencies. However, I made it clear to them that I can only work part-time. Since most of their jobs are full-time, I decided not to deal with them and go directly to the companies instead.
I just think these employment agencies are nothing but a waste of time. I am once again out of work and this time, I'm going to try and just simply go directly to the companies instead.
