I am getting ready to graduate and have my resume on Careerbuilder and Monster as well as Dice.com. I have gotten calls from Staffing/employment agencies. I have never gotten a job through one and was wondering what the Pros (if any) and Cons (if any) of getting a job through them? Anyone have any experience? Also, are there other good sites to job search online (specially for technical jobs)?
Employment agencies basically get paid by employers to provide them with qualified job applicants. They're a great way to get job leads, just as long as they don't ask you for any money. If an agency calls you up and asks for money, it's probably a scam...
Exactly. As long as you stick to the agencies that get paid from the employer rather than the potential employee, there is no real risk.
The only thing I didn't like about mine was that I was technically a temp for three months as I was paid through the service and the company compensated the service as well. That meant three months of no vacation, sick days, personal days, or insurance. I'm not sure how common that is, though.
Just don't get your hopes up if someone calls you and says that you would be perfect for a certain job, because he's probably told that to 10 other people he's recruiting for that particular job too. He gets paid to find people for jobs, not to find jobs for people. He doesn't care who fills the position because he gets paid no matter who it is. That's why he calls as many people as he can for 1 job order. I used to work as a recruiter and most of the time when we called someone, we were just trying to build up our "pipeline" for other jobs that may come along at a later date. Of course, it's not always the case but I would say if you're in a hurry to get a job, stay away from the staffing companies and do it yourself.
some are good some are bad, these people are in the business of sales... in my experience, the bad ones outnumber the good ones by far. if your in the finance/accounting field, go with robert half
I got my job through an employment agency and I am still here at my current job. As long as you do not pay them, then you should be fine. Usually the employers hire them to find them qualified applicants. Good luck on the job hunt.
Thanks to those who responded. The agency contacted me after seeing my resume on Careerbuilder but have not asked for any compensation. The person dealing with me has been real professional and real nice. I guess my main concern is that if I get a job through the agency, I would be getting paid less b/c the company would have to compensate the agency. I don't know if that's true or not but oh well. Thanks.
I have been consulting for the better part of 8 years now and when you contract, you almost ALWAYS make MORE money. That's unless you suck at negotiation. I love contract work.
Most companies pay agencies a fee of 25% of your yearly salary. I don't think it affects your pay at all. Good luck!
