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How to Get the Most from an Employment Agency

- Jul 12, 2013

Employment agencies can be a great way to find the right job. They are dedicated, hard-working people who are there to help you find a job.

There are a few things that you can do to help your cause and make finding a job through an agency that much easier.

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Firstly, make sure that your resume is up to date and correct. They are a number of things that people forget to look at when they bring in their resume. Be sure to look closely at these parts of your resume:

a)      Name and address correct – It seems to fundamental, but you would be amazed at the number of times that this incorrect on resumes.

b)      Skills are up to date – Lots of time folks forget to list all of the things that they did at their last few jobs. Sit with someone else and tell them about everything that you did at your last couple of jobs.

c)       Contact information – Be sure to find names, telephones numbers and addresses for everyone you are listing as contacts for jobs. Also, double check current titles; they change a lot and you want people to feel you are respecting their efforts even after you leave the job.

d)      References – Make sure that your references are up to date and that they are aware that you will be using them as references. It can be a bit disorienting to have someone call about a former employer you might have forgotten. Also, lots of companies have a policy that only Human Resources can talk about former employees. Make sure you have asked if that person can even talk to potential employers.

e)      Font – A font is the style of letters that your work is printed in. Don’t choose some crazy font that makes more sense on a kid’s birthday card than a resume.

Next, make sure you go to the right type of agency. If you are looking for an administrative assistant’s job and you end up at an agency that specializes in boiler operators, you are likely to look foolish and worse, you will be wasting someone’s time.

Not wasting peoples’ time is very important. The person in front of you might not the person to find you the job you want, but it’s a safe bet that they know the right person. Treat everyone you meet, from the receptionist to the agency manager, with respect. You never know who will take up your cause.

Finally, don’t treat a trip to agency like a visit with a friend. Dress up properly and be prepared, just as you would for a job interview.

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