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Finding work through a recruitment agency – Live Q+A recap
Tuesday 4th October 2011, 9:19AM BST.
This discussion is now finished. Scroll down to the comments section to recap the discussion.
With the recent implementation of new rules entitling agency workers to similar rights as permanent staff, once they have completed 12 weeks of comparable service, recruitment companies are hitting the headlines.
And with an estimated 1.4m agency workers in the UK, it’s clear that their services are proving popular amongst job-seekers – particularly in these difficult times.
But how does the process of finding a job through an agency work? And how can you stand out as the idea candidate to ensure you find employment?
Our live Q+A aims to help out. Ask the experts how they choose the best candidate for a position and how you can leave the best possible impression.
Meet our panel:
Luke Adamczyk – Financial Director – First4Staff
Born in Wolverhampton, Luke started his career in recruitment in 1997 and has amassed over a decade of experience in various sectors, including Education.
He became the Financial Director of First4Staff in 2005 and has also implemented the DFCS (Department for Children, Schools and Families) Quality mark guidelines into the business and wholeheartedly supports the principal of the badge.
Glyn Rowley – Branch Manager – First4Staff
Glyn Rowley has been with First4Staff since 2007 having amassed nearly 15 years recruitment experience in some of the U.K’s biggest recruitment companies.
He has recently been appointed the AWR compliance officer and continues to build the First4Staff brand.
Our panel of experts will be online from 1pm on Wednesday 5 October to give out advice and you can leave your questions for them to be answered in the comments section below.
Check back on Wednesday to join in the live debate.
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Good afternoon and welcome to this live Q+A on applying for work with recruitment agencies.
I’d like to welcome Luke Adamczyk and Glyn Rowley from First4Staff who will be answering questions on how to stand out as a candidate and how the recruitment process works today.
Could we start by just asking Luke and Glyn to tell us a little bit about your own career paths and the work that you do?
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Good afternoon to you all, I started my career in recruitment in 1997 and have amassed over a decade of experience in various sectors, including Education.
I became the Financial Director of First4Staff in 2005 and I have also implemented the DFCS (Department for Children, Schools and Families) Quality mark guidelines into the business and I wholeheartedly supports the principal of the badge.
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Hi
I’ve heard that there are new rights in place for agency workers which are supposed to be closing the gap betweeen agency employement and contract.
What do you think are the benefits of gaining employement through an agency rather than conracted work?
Lucy
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Hi Lucy,
The new rights for temporary workers basically allow after a 12 week qualifying period a temporary worker would gain the same pay rights as permanant empolyees in the same roll. This includes holiday and overtime premiums amongst other.
The benefits of finding employment via an agency still give flexiblity to the worker in respect of days available and period of employment required, however it will continue to be an option to find permanent employment.
Many employers require staff for a short period of time thus allowing the flexiblity of employing staff for periods of increased work etc.
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Do these new rights affect current agency workers as well as new ones?
And are they already in effect or when do they come in?
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Hi Todd,
Yes, these effect all agency workers from 1st October 2011
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Marie Couchman ‘Marson’ writes on our Facebook page:
“I am looking for part time office/admin work is this something that is available through an agency or is it only full time”
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Hi Marie,
Thanks Todd. Yes we are recruiting both full and part time administrators in a number of fields.
Please forward your CV and a covering email to james@first4staff.net
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Should you always wear a suit (provided you are a man!) when going for an interview?
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I would say yes definately due to the fact that first impressions count. People will form an opinion within the first 10 seconds of meeting you and if you do not look the part it could go against you, even if you have all of the right qualities for the position. If you do not have a suit then trousers, shirt and a tie will suffice.
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So many job ads I see ask for qualifications that I can’t match. Is it still worth applying for the job?
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Its always worth throwing you hat in the ring.
If you have the experience, then at times that can be far more valued than the qualification.
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If you haven’t got the experience, as WWFC84 says, is there anything you can do on your application to bump up your other skills and show an employer that you deserve an opportunity?
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Todd I would recommend putting in something to show that you have worked as part of a team for example you have played a team sport and excelled. You can also touch upon achievements out of the work place.
There are many attributes that will catch an employers eye.
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Can you explain what the role of a recruitment agency is and how you match up people with roles? What can agencies offer people looking for a job?
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Todd,
The role of an agency is to select the right candidate to a specific roll for an employer.
At First4Staff all CVs are held on our vast database which are matched daily to vacancies using our ‘Teamwork’ system.
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Thanks Glyn,
I’ve heard about keywords being important in CVs before. Is this a similar thing – for example, if a vacancy asks for a specific qualification, then you have to have it written in your CV to be considered by the system.
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Absolutely,
Key words are important in the selection of candidates.
Many employers first look at CVs are to scan over for the key words and qualifications.
First4Staff take all the key points and qualifications for our Teamwork system.
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What qualities do you look for in a candidate, both personal and professional? How can they impress a recruiter?
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First impressions are key. I expect a candidate to be punctual, smart and above all keen!
If they are willing to listen and want to be there then you are ahead in the game straight away.
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do you think that agencys have a future with the country in the mess its in and with the new guidelines?
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Hi Fred,
Thats a very good question.
Employment agencies will always feature in the UKs job market. With some 1.3 million agency workers the new legislation will simply improve their rights
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What advice would you give people about creating a good CV? What do employers look for and how can a person stand out from the crowd?
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Make sure that your CV is not a mini novel as current statistics state that employers receive an average of 10 applicants per position.
Make sure your personal statement is accurate and to the point also bullet point your skills and achievements so that the employer can clearly see what your main atributes are.
This will help people stand out in a pile of CV’s.
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How long would you say the average CV should be Luke?
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I would say that a CV should be a maximum of 2 pages long. Condense your CV as much as you can.
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Glyn mentions the flexibility of working as an advantage in a previous answer – do you think that this is something that is becoming more popular at the moment?
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Todd,
I think flexible working has always been popular.
We find more and more students are approaching us for work to assist with the increased tuition fees.
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That’s interesting – what kind of work do you suggest to students? Are there lots of part-time roles that don’t interfere with studies out there?
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Students are resticted on hours they can work in term time, however many students tend to go for data entry or general production rolls
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Why should I bother signing up with a recruitment agency? From most people’s experience, agencies only really want to know someone when they think they can get the candidate in for an interview or better. Once the client says no, they don’t really want to know the candidate, whatever their skills. Why not just wait to see roles that are advertised and then apply to the company direct?
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Gareth,
People are the core of everything we do. Our reputation has been built on providing
tailor made services to candidates and clients alike, matching the right candidate
to the right position ensuring complete customer satisfaction
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Hi. Whats the best way to prepare for a job interview?
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Hi Jan,
I would highly recommend doing a bit of background research on the company that is interviewing you, this will help you a great deal when the interviewer asks you the inevitable question…. “What do you know about the company”
Also come and see us at one of our First4Staff offices in Wolverhampton, Cannock or Telford for some face to face advice from our experienced managers and consultants.
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There are plenty of recruitment agencies to choose from at the moment. How should a job-seeker decide which one to sign up with?
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Its very difficult to choose an agency, ask your friends and reletives for their experiences.
But in reality the more agencies you approach the more replys you’ll receive
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Are there agencies that specialise in particular sectors? Is this worth looking into for a job seeker?
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There are specialist agencies and yes depending on the field of employment required that could be a first step in the right direction.
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Can you explain the difference between temporary agency workers and people who find a permanent job through an employment agency? Are they employed by the agency or the company?
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Todd,
This depends on the hirer or end employers.
Some employersprefer to trial employees on a temporary basis before offering a permanent contract, however others may wish to take on staff directy from day one.
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Would you recommend getting someone to help me write my CV or can I just get online tips to help me out?
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Hi Sam,
there are many services available for assisting you with your CV, however they may incur a cost.
My advice would be use a MS word template and look online for more ideas.
Keep it brief yet informative leaving your prospective employer intersted in an interview.
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Finally, are there any other tips that you’d offer to job-seekers that we haven’t already covered today?
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Yes, Even if you think that you do not have the relevant skills/ experience still apply for positions as a lot of employers network and talk to each other on a regular basis so if your CV stands out then you could be recommended to go for other position within another organisation.
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It is now 2pm and this live Q+A has now finished. A big thank you to Glyn and Luke from First4Staff for taking part today and sharing some useful advice.
Join us in two weeks time for a live CV session where we’ll go through the ins and outs of creating the perfect CV and find information on all Q+A sessions here.
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