A Reputable Staffing Agency Can Be a Valuable Asset in Your Job Search
In many respects, looking for employment can be likened to a full-time job, with a major difference being that the job search effort does not come with a salary or hourly wages. A concerted effort is required on the part of the job seeker to perform a number of tasks that require an investment of personal time and likely some expenses too – which can be made all the more complicated if the job hunter is already working on either a full-time or part-time basis while trying to secure alternate or more rewarding work.
It takes time and focus to carry out the fundamental steps that can be involved/required in a job search, including:
- Preparing a resume and a covering letter
- Searching print and/or online job postings
- Distributing resumes – online or by mail
- Completing applications/submitting forms
- Networking with family, friends, contacts
- Scanning social media sites e.g. LinkedIn
- Follow-up activities with hiring managers
- Coordinating/preparing for any interviews
This process can indeed be quite in-depth and time-consuming, yet it can also be quite frustrating as there are no guarantees that a new job will be in the offing at the end of the search day, in a manner of speaking. Very often, the number of jobs available is not consistent with, nor sufficient for, the number of people looking for those jobs.
So what recourse does a job hunter have but to continue to ‘pound the pavement’ to try and find employment? One viable option would be to capitalize on the range of services and expertise offered by a staffing agency like Winters Technical Staffing in Toronto.
An agency providing staffing services such as Winters Technical Staffing can be a valuable asset to job hunters in terms of focusing, streamlining, and expediting their job search efforts. The benefits of collaborating with a staffing agency would include:
- Directing search efforts toward selected and more feasible opportunities
- Access to immediate-need job opportunities including non-public postings
- Stronger and broader networking with employers and hiring managers
- Guidance and coaching on refining the content of resumes/cover letters
- Insight on compensation levels – potential support for salary negotiations
- Agencies have a vested interest in satisfying job seekers and employers
When selecting a staffing agency, it will be important for job seekers to align themselves with a reputable and well-respected firm. This is not only significant from the standpoint of representing and presenting a professional image to employers on behalf of the job hunters, but also from the perspective of ensuring that the rights of these individuals are respected as well as protected under all appropriate employment laws and regulations.
Therefore, the first step in choosing an agency will likely be to confirm their membership in a national association known as ACSESS, an organization that advocates and certifies the maintenance of professional ethics and standards within the staffing agency industry.
Steps to Help a Job Hunter When Selecting a Staffing Agency
Similar to most other important decisions, whether they involve money, time, or both, preparation and research will play key roles in making an informed and confident choice when individuals look to align with a staffing agency to enhance their job search efforts.
In addition, the job hunter is responsible for demonstrating the type of character and the work ethic that will convince a staffing agency to reciprocate in aligning its personnel and resources as well. To firmly establish this collaborative working relationship, job hunters may wish to implement the following steps/process:
- Setting priorities
- Create a list of personal preferences and employment expectations
- Type and hours of work (full-time, part-time, flex), location, salary
- Also note any types of jobs and/or industries that are not of interest
- Setting the stage
- Prepare a strong resume – to stand above the crowd/candidate pool
- Identify major skills, education/knowledge, training, work experience
- Make sure all of the information is current as well as factual/accurate
- Researching
- Identify various staffing agencies that generally align with goals/needs
- Investigate ‘fit’ through online research, networking, agency websites
- Submit resumes to those which appear to be most interesting/aligned
- Interviewing
- Consider any and all interactions to be the equivalent to an interview
- Be prepared, behave appropriately/professionally, exhibit confidence
- Evaluate the agency too – assess comfort/confidence in their abilities
- Following-up
- Remain in contact in a professional way – with appropriate frequency
- Reiterate interest in working together – share all updates or changes
- If unhappy with (lack of) results, sever ties respectfully and move on
While it is important that a job hunter select a reputable, well-respected staffing agency, it is equally vital that said agency can provide the necessary services to help achieve the desired outcome from a job search effort.
Contact Winters Today
To align your job search with a trusted ACSESS-affiliated staffing agency, call Winters Technical Staffing at 1-866-932-5248 to book your initial consultation.
