Although some agencies have better reputations than others, you are really not looking for a specific agency, but a specific counselor. Ask friends and people you know who they've used. Don't just get names; learn about the type of relationship which was formed. Determine if that's the type of person you would work well with. If you can't get a referral from a friend, call the personnel department of a few companies and ask who they use. Get the name of the counselor they work with rather than just the name of the agency.
There are numerous advantages to finding a good counselor. A good counselor will try to identify your strengths and understand your personality so you can be better matched with the job's requirements and the culture of the organization. A good counselor will refer you only for the type of position you've indicated you want.
Unfortunately, really good counselors are too few and far between. If you can't find a specific counselor to use, try to find a good agency. Study the want ads and determine which ones seem to have the most jobs similar to those you are looking for. Then ask to speak to the office manager and ask who that agency's best counselor is. Make it clear that by best you do not necessarily mean the highest paid. Ask for the person who will be most helpful to you and who will truly help you get the right job. Once you have made it clear what you want, trust the judgment of the office manager. If you do not take this approach you will simply go to an agency, fill out their form and be assigned to the next counselor whose turn it is to see a client. That's not how you want to do it.
Once you identify the person you'll work with, set up an appointment. You'll be asked to fill out their "application" form, which, when signed, also becomes their contract with you. The counselor will then ask questions, almost like any personnel screener would. You should treat it as an important interview. If you sell yourself well, this person will be working for you. Present yourself as a marketable commodity. After all, the number of phone calls this person makes on your behalf will be directly proportional to how likely the counselor believes he or she can place you.
Ask the counselor what he or she will do on your behalf and ask what you can do to make the counselor's job easier and more productive. Set yourself apart from all the other people this counselor will meet this week. Make this counselor want to help you. Yes, this counselor would like to receive a commission from placing you, but it is possible to make this person take a personal interest in you as well. You will receive more attention from the counselor if you can create this type of relationship with him or her. Tell the counselor that if you get good results you will be glad to refer your friends.
Show the counselor how focused you are. Tell the counselor exactly what you want to do and what types of jobs would be attractive. Also provide a list of approximately 100 companies and indicate that those are the ones you will be contacting on your own. This will help prevent confusion later. If the counselor mentions you to a company and you also apply to that company on your own, the agency might still seek to collect a fee from you, claiming that you obtained an interview through their efforts. Tell the counselor that you are willing to consider companies other than those on your list, but you have developed this list on your own and will market yourself to those companies.
Tell the counselor you intend to stay in touch, and then call weekly. Make the calls short, but ask if any interesting positions have opened up. If you see an ad which looks interesting, call the counselor and ex press your interest. The counselor may have had a reason for not referring you to that position, but if you indicate an interest, the counselor may recommend you for an interview.
Typically the counselor will arrange an interview with the employer and then confirm the time with you. At that point the counselor will give you details about the job and provide some vague information about the firm, but will not reveal the name. On the day of the interview the counselor will generally invite you to the office to prep you for the interview. At that time you will be told who the employer is. Agencies are very protective of their leads and often will not reveal them over the phone. Once you've been out on a couple of interviews and have demonstrated that you are committed to working with the counselor, you might ask the counselor to give you the name of the organization sooner so you can do your own research. Although the counselor will likely hesitate, he or she may give you the information. Cooperate fully with the counselor. For example, the counselor will ask you to call shortly after the interview to discuss how it went. The counselor will then speak to the employer and ask the same thing. The counselor will be working as an intermediary to help the two of you form a sort of marriage. Your cooperation will help the counselor do his or her work more effectively.
Before an interview, learn everything you possibly can about the organization from the counselor. Ask about what types of questions you will likely be asked and what the employer's hot buttons are. If other people from the agency have already been referred, ask what types of questions were asked so you can better prepare. Also ask to be the last person interviewed. If that's not possible, at least ask not to be the first person interviewed. Being the last person interviewed is always beneficial because you are the one best remembered. It also enables the employer to compare you to everyone who went before you. Assuming you did a good job of selling yourself, you will be more likely to be invited back for a second interview than if you had been the first one interviewed.
Read the employment agency's contract carefully. Make sure you understand everything in it before you sign. Because they are regulated by the state they operate in, most agencies will have a contract that is worded very similarly to the others.
You should know whether you or the employer will pay the fee. If you will pay the fee you may be able to negotiate this point with your new employer. You might ask the employer to pay half the fee. Or you might ask the employer to reimburse you for the fee (or half the fee) after you have been with the organization for a year. It is also important that you know what you owe if you stay only 30, 60, or 90 days. Generally, you will pay 20% of your earnings if you stay under 60 days, but the full fee if you stay over 61 days. The full fee could be equal to more than a month's salary. Since terminations often take place during the so called 90-day probationary period, if you have doubts about the sincerity of the employer, your ability to handle the job, or your willingness to stay for a year, the best thing may be to turn down the position.
The contract for many agencies will read, "I agree to pay the full fee if within six months of a referral to an employer, I accept a position with that employer as a result of that referral, even though it may not be the position originally discussed." The key phrase is "as a result of that referral." Determine in advance whether the opportunity to interview for the new position was due to a previous contact that had been arranged by the counselor.
