What are the pros and cons of finding a job through an employment agency?

April 23rd, 2008 | by admin |
Finding a job
CJ asked:


I’m having a hard time finding a good job and I’m considering using an agency to help me find work. I’ve never done this before. Can anyone give me the pros and cons? They told me that we can work out direct hire or temp to hire options so I’m not bouncing from one assignment to the next.

Kansieo.com

  1. 3 Responses to “What are the pros and cons of finding a job through an employment agency?”

  2. By Mark D on Apr 24, 2008 | Reply

    Pros:
    They have access to more employers. Many of those employers won’t advertise anywhere else.
    Also, they will allow you to seek jobs on your own still. It doesn’t take anything AWAY from your search, just adds more places to look.

    Cons:
    They take part of your pay if it’s temporary. Typically they don’t do that for permanent jobs though.
    Also, getting a temp job through them might make it harder to find a permanent job depending on your commitment.
    Temp jobs aren’t great on the resume either.

    Overall I think they add without harming your search, so go for it, but don’t rely JUST on them.

  3. By Andrea G on Apr 26, 2008 | Reply

    I have gotten most of my jobs through a temp agency (at the time I wanted to work temp to get experience) or an employment agency. I think they are really good. They do a lot of the looking for you and then set you up to go on interviews. If it is a temp to perm - they set it up and you step right in the door. This works for you as well. You can see if you like the work and the people you will be working for before you actually get the job and it wont be a detriment to your resume if you decide not to take the permanent job you just tell the person on your next interview that it was a temporary position through an agency which they normally don’t have a problem with.

    You can also look on your own as well after you register with the agency. So it is even more people looking for that perfect JOB for you.

    I would steer clear of the ones that make you pay for their services. There are hundreds that don’t. I haven’t ever paid an agency to find me work. They get paid by the people hiring you so I wouldn’t use any of them that ask you for money. - There are scammers in every business.

    But like I said I have a great job now that I got through an employment agency. Making more money than I’ve ever made. Oh, and that’s one more great thing about using agencies. You can tell the agency the amount of compensation you want and the least you will accept. This way you only get jobs interviews that you know are in your price range. The agency will usually tell you how much the job is offering before you go on the interview. Therefore, that awkward question about compensation doesn’t have to come up right away.

    Best of luck to you!!!

  4. By kelly h on Apr 27, 2008 | Reply

    I always use an employment agency to find a new job but It depends on what field you are in. I am in the finance industry. Company’s will hire employment agency’s to screen out the qualified applicants. It saves them a lot of time and trouble. It makes it easier for you too, because they are screening you for the jobs that you are qualified for and really have a chance of getting hired for. In my experience, I feel like the better companies use employment agencies..

    Just make sure that the employment agency is paid by the employer (which most are), so you don’t have to pay for their services….Give it a try, it won’t cost you anything and you could land a great job! Good luck.

Post a Comment