Using the Right Employment Agency

Using an employment agency can be a benefit by having a professional job searcher be your advocate. Some things to consider before signing up with an agency.

How much do they charge? Some employment counselors and agencies charge the job seeker a fee but most do not - the employer pays the fee. There are many agencies where the counselors work on commission - they need to find you a job before they get paid and the employer pays the agency fee.

Are they exclusive? Signing up with an agency should not inhibit you searching for a job on your own or even using multiple agencies. If they require you to be exclusively with them, I recommend you select an agency that allows you the freedom to get your own job if you find it unless they can make some guarantees regarding how long placement will take or other areas that are an incentive for you to use only that agency.

Are they the right agency for you? Ask them what type positions they place the most and how long it usually takes for a highly qualified job seeker to get employment through their agency. For example, if 95% of their placements are general office or office related and you are a Software Developer, then that agency does not match well with the position you are seeking. All agencies have companies they work with and also have a reputation for the type of positions they can be counted on to fill. Companies who need office personnel will migrate to an agency that handles a lot of office clients. Companies that need technical or management expertise will migrate to those agencies where those individuals with those skills are most available.

Does the counselor assigned to you understand your skills and experience? This one can be more challenging. If you get to an agency many of them will assign clients on a 'batting order' so you may just get luck of the draw when you arrive. The counselor you get may or may not fully understand your qualifications and the position you are after. It is OK to ask the counselor if they work with people like you and even ask them if they fully understand the position you are applying for. Having a counselor who does not understand the position you are seeking will reduce the chances they can effectively market you when they do talk with a hiring manager. Ask them how many people with your qualifications they have represented and placed in the last 60 days. If you don't like the response ask the agency for another representative who can better represent you.

Competition for Placement. Since agencies and counselors usually work on commission, they are going to work harder for clients who are best qualified. Counselors represent multiple clients so it is natural they will want to place the best qualified client first since they are easier to place while building their own reputation in the community of companies they work with for finding 'highly qualified people'. So realize you are in competition even within the agency you choose. The counselor will want to push you ahead of the line if your resume is strong and readily describes your skills and qualifications. You need to come to the agency dressed as if you were going to an interview with a potential employer. Act professional. Be articulate in describing your abilities and experience. Be specific in what job position you are seeking. Give a firm handshake that signals confidence when introducing yourself and make eye contact. All these things are important otherwise you can easily become 'just another client'. You want to be their best client.

Check out their web site, call them on the phone and do some discovery on these items before you begin. If you decide to use an agency, treat it like going to an interview with an employer by being well prepared.

Sell The Employer on An Upgrade

I have fellow Employment Counselors who use a technique I call the 'upgrade'. It works like this: Most companies and hiring managers have someone on their team who requires more supervision, is chronically late or tardy, just cannot seem to get the results expected, or any other issue that makes them a 'not preferred' employee. When these counselors talk to hiring managers they ask them to consider an 'upgrade'. In simple terms that means 'I have a good employee who might be willing to work for less money to get the job'. This plants the seed in the manager's mind that it might be a chance to let the poor employee go and replace them with someone better and possibly for less pay without a direct offer to take that option.

Some people have a problem with this approach. It can seem cutthroat, after all you are wanting the employer to get rid of someone in exchange for someone else. But if you are out of work and looking for an opportunity, which role would you prefer? I think many would like to be the 'upgrade' option so they can get to work and perform well for any employer and contribute to the overall improvement of the organization. When you get the opportunity to speak with a hiring manager about your skills and experience, consider offering to take a position for less pay if you are so inclined. You don't have to mention the 'upgrade' to the manager but planting the seed that you will work for less pay than the job normally would offer they will likely consider taking you and getting rid of problem personnel. Its worth a shot.

How Are You Using The Internet to Job Search?

How are you using this great technology called the Internet to find your next job? Hiring managers are inundated with emails with resumes attached. How are you going to get through that maze so the hiring manager looks at you? It's like fighting through an obstacle course. While the Internet is a great tool for getting information about you to a hiring manager, it is even better when used to narrow down your search to companies where your skills match their needs. Let me explain.



If you are a Project Manager are you sending your resume to every opening seeking a Project Manager or just focusing on those companies wanting a Project Manager where your specific skills and experience match up well with their projects? You are wasting your time sending a resume to companies whose products and services don't match your background and demonstrated successes. You cannot simply hope the hiring authority will spend time searching through your resume to figure out how you match up - you better tell them how you match up and do it quickly.



Use the Internet to research and perform discovery on companies like the one you worked at previously or companies where you were successful. And don't worry if they don't have any open position posted. As we all know most of the better positions are not posted and get filled through networking with someone who knows someone or has contact with the hiring authority in a company who may be looking. It has also been my experience that hiring managers who find the right person will work to get them on board even though there are no current openings, regardless of the economy or business climate. They understand having the right person at the ready pays dividends and will strive to get them hired. If they cannot get them hired, they will certainly make that call when they can make the hire. Be prepared to give them enough info about you that they will stay in touch so when conditions change you will get called.



It may sound old school but snail mail can still work great at getting your resume read by a hiring manager. It is also a good method to get past the screener or recruiter and get direct to the person who makes the decision. If you are an Accountant, find out who in the company manages the financial groups, the VP or President of Accounting or Financial. Do some research on them to find out who they are and check out their bio to find out their background. Then craft a letter of introduction and send them your resume by snail mail expressing your skills and why they need to hire you. If you have done your research you can personalize your letter of introduction by using phrases such as 'like you, I have been in the financial and accounting field since I graduated from college 12 years ago'. You can use phrases and keywords that people in the accounting field are familiar with. Find a way to 'connect' with that manager by spending quality time in your research. When you have given enough time for snail mail to work, make a direct call to their office and introduce yourself. See if they have had the opportunity to look at your resume then make an assumptive marketing pitch like 'when can I come visit with you to discuss job openings on your team? I am available anytime tomorrow.' If they turn you down you can keep their number and make another follow-up call in a few weeks to see if conditions have changed.



Don't get discouraged and be persistent. As an employment counselor I talk to hiring authorities daily to market and promote my clients. To find a hiring manager who really wants to discuss my client and consider an interview I have to call a lot of companies. About 1 in 5 calls made I get to talk with a hiring authority but when I can speak directly with them I usually get an interview even though they might not have any positions open. Worse case they want to see the resume of my client so I can leave the door open to a follow up call to discuss more options.



It is not easy being unemployed. Desperation can set in and you can easily waste time and do a lot of busy work that will not get you that interview. But you can improve your odds at getting an interview by being smart in how you use the Internet and all it has to offer. Take control of your situation and plan how to market yourself as opposed to flooding the web with your resume in hopes you will be discovered.

I Will Not Participate In The Recession

I have decided to not participate in this recession, at least the negative side. I don't deny it is there but I also will not use it as an excuse to just sit around and wait for something good to happen. I am a positive individual always looking forward. I tend to be independent, think for myself and certainly don't consider myself a victim. So I am looking beyond the negative side of this financial time period. I am, however, looking to fully participate by helping others during this difficult time of finding employment. My 'gift' is helping others.

As a professional Employment Counselor, I have found it very rewarding to work with individuals helping them get interviews and eventually find jobs. It is a pure joy to have them get a job offer and see how happy they are to get back to work. With so many people out of work during this time, I want to use my talents to help as many people as possible. Thus this web site, resumecoachonline.com. My son is putting the site together using his artistic and creative talents to bring us online to a broader community of individuals seeking help with resumes. Our objective is to put forth a medium where unemployed individuals can find a low cost but quality alternative to obtain professional help with their resume. Having been unemployed myself at times throughout my work history, I understand that making a decision to obtain help can be a hard choice financially: do I spend the money for professional resume help or do I need the funds to help pay the electric bill? So we plan to keep the cost as low as possible so we can pay our expenses while using the site to offer assistance to those who need it.

I am looking forward to this new venture with a primary mission of helping others improve their chances of getting an interview. And maybe I will like this blogging thing too.