It can feel like a slog when you are hunting for a job and you want a career in finance, accounting or administration. Getting a staffing agency to help you find a job is very tempting. But there are plenty of staffing agencies out there- what should you look for in an agency?
Specialization
The financial industry is rapidly evolving and so are most fields that you might care to specialize in. You don’t want to be left out of the loop of the industry that you are trying to enter because your temp agency decided to place you in an unrelated field. You also don’t want to be placed in a position you don’t have training for or that won’t advance your career. Your staffing agency should know that not all jobs in a field are the same, and the recruiters should know which jobs in the field really work for you.
Another aspect of specialization is that a placement agency is really as good as its contacts. When it focuses on a few fields, the recruiters develop a feel for the companies that need workers and what sort of workers will fit with what company. This means that you get placed quickly and often in good jobs.
Flexibility
The type of job you are looking for can vary from time to time. If you are ready for the forever job, it would be great if you could rely on the same recruiters that found you the contract position that could have become a permanent placement. On the other hand, you may be in a place in your career when you want to try multiple companies or simply want the flexibility to work between semesters. A company that can offer you different types of placements will be able to accommodate your needs.
Coaching
You have been trained to become a financial analyst- but nobody taught you how to write a resume. Should you include a cover letter? Should you include that time that you volunteered for the Red Cross on your CV? It’s nerve-wracking to consider because this is the first impression that you are going to present to your potential employers and you don’t want to screw it up.
Fortunately, there are boutique agencies that will offer a little help with your interviewing techniques, CV writing, and other job-hunting skills. That is their area of expertise- they know what companies are looking for and they can help you perfect those little steps that will land you in the job that uses the skills you went to school for.
Awareness of Cultural Fit
Every company has its own culture and they often want to hire people who would feel comfortable in their company. After all, if you are the sort of laid-back soul who wants to hang Halloween decorations in the break room and work in a team then you will feel stifled and uncomfortable working for a place that insists that everyone work on their own and frowns on decorations. You’re going to spend over 40 hours out of every week in this place- that is 1,440 hours of your year. A recent study found that 38% of people want to leave their job because of the corporate culture, and no one wants to be one of that 38% slogging through a whole 8 hours in such a miserable condition.
That feeling is not as nebulous as it sounds, either. People who don’t fit in with their company aren’t as productive as they could be and they don’t learn as much.
Placement agencies that are aware of this make sure that you are placed where you are comfortable and will fit in with the staff.
Any staffing agency with these qualities should be helpful to you in your career. If you are looking for a staffing agency, contact us. We specialize in finding administrative, financial, and accounting jobs for aspiring workers and we would love to lend you a hand in your job search.
