4 Myths about Signing up to a Recruitment Agency IM HIRED

4 Myths about Signing up to a Recruitment Agency Debunking the hear say   Recruitment agencies are everywhere and youll be hard pushed to complete your job search without crossing paths with a recruiter. Its a billion pound industry with new agencies popping up every day. On one hand that should mean more choice and support for job seekers, but like any industry there are the good, the bad and the ugly. As a recruiter, my Linkedin is filled with posts about recruiters who go radio silent on their candidates and the nuisance calls about irrelevant jobs.So here are some of the most common myths about recruitment agencies that might not be quiet what they seem. They take a cut of your wages Recruiters obviously dont work for free. And neither do recruitment agencies but that doesnt mean they take a cut of your earnings. As a candidate any help you receive from a recruiter to find employment should be absolutely free. So how do these agencies turn a profit? Well simply put the employer pays them, which is completely separate from you being paid your wages. They are just for temporary jobs This is a common misconception, recruitment agencies will usually support applicants find either temporary or permanent positions. So dont rule them out if youre only considering perm vacancies. Occasionally, even temporary positions themselves will have a temp to perm arrangement. Be sure to ask the question before dismissing roles. Review the jobs available within an agencies, they maybe only involved in recruitment or they could also be your employer if youre successful in the recruitment process. They arent specialists   Recruiters definitely do specialise and thats not just in terms of employment contracts. Agencies offer specialist teams that will only focus on recruitment for specific industries. Research agencies online and pick the one that suits your skills set and the sector youre applying to. For example, as a recruiter I specialised in engineering positions, meaning I would support applicants interested in these types of roles. This gives a recruiter an insight into the industry and means theyll be more aware of available roles. There is plenty of choice recruiters specialising in call centre work, construction, teaching or law enforcement  and even recruiters who only recruit recruiters (there really is a recruiter for everything.) They cant help me   If youre searching on job boards youre bound to come across a lot of roles that are only advertised by agencies. So why wouldnt they be able to help? You might prefer the DIY approach but this could mean losing out on some fantastic vacancies. If youre applying online dont discount the recruitment agencies roles. You dont necessarily have to register to get your CV seen by the employer. Not only do recruiters promote vacancies, they could provide you valuable tips and advice on CV writing or interview techniques. The elephant in the room Now I couldnt write a post about recruitment agencies without covering the subject of radio silence. I hear so often about poor service from recruiters. But whilst I sympathies, one bad recruiter doesnt represents the entire industry. Before working with any recruiter Id suggest you investigate  a little bit. Look at company reviews or testimonials and be open with the recruiter. Ask about how they will communicate throughout the process. Good luck in your job search whether you do it alone or get some expert help.