Job hunting is stressful in a normal environment. Add a pandemic and depressed economy, it becomes sometimes unbearable. When the employment outlook gets tough, it’s good to turn to others for help. The Tri-Valley Career Center can help you prepare and walk along side you in your job search journey. We will also help you connect to employers.

When thinking of employers, do not discount a staffing firm or recruiting agency. Money earned with a staffing firm is as green as that with a traditional employer. Plus, there many benefits to job hunting through an agency, including:

  1. Access to the Hidden Job Market
    Recruiters are working with multiple companies to fill roles in different occupations. Some agencies specialize in an industry. Others are more general. Regardless, they have access to jobs that are not advertised to the general public. Additionally, recruiters have access to multiple job openings within a single company or in a wider industry.
  2. Better Matches to Opportunities
    Recruiters have insights that are hard to get from the outside looking in. They know about companies who may not be hiring at that moment but would be a good fit for you. They know about a company’s culture, values and expectations. A good recruiter will match you to a company and opportunity where you will fit well. It is in their best interest that you are a good match. This way everyone one wins.
  3. Try-Before-You-Commit
    Recruiting agency relationships can vary widely. In some cases, you are always the employee of the agency, receiving both a paycheck and benefits from the agency. In other cases, you are a temp-to-hire employee or on contract to the company. In this latter case, you have an opportunity to try a company or industry without a long-term commitment. Should both you and the company like each other, there’s often opportunity to move over to its payroll permanently. If not, you move on and take that experience to the next position.
  4. Another Source of Feedback
    A good recruiter knows when there is a fit to an open position. They will help you succeed just like the staff of the Tri-Valley Career Center. That recruiter can help you finesse your resume for a particular job, or even help with interview answers. They also get feedback from the employer on why there wasn’t a fit. It’s another opportunity for feedback and to improve your chances of getting a job offer.
  5. Help in a Rapidly Changing Job Market
    Recruiters have a front row seat to changes in the job market. They regularly talk with the employer clients about their needs and business projections. It wasn’t long ago that a recruiter was simply a placement agency. More often now, they are the employer of record. They are at the forefront of these changes and can help you navigate through them.

Gone are the days that a recruitment or staffing firm was simply a “temp agency”. It’s time to lose that impression and make a new one. Recruitment agencies are a viable option in your job search and should be a part of your job search strategy.