The prospect of job hunting, especially during the current economic slowdown, can be extremely daunting. Many people face job hunting with a mix of anticipation and trepidation. Anticipation since that next job may be the one that can make dreams come true, and trepidation due to the gut wrenching processes of actually getting that great job. After all, job hunters are now facing an employer-favoring market, where employers can list any number of qualifications necessary for the position they are advertising. In addition, hunting for jobs is a very time consuming process. Searching for job openings in the newspaper and online, sending out CV's and application materials, and sitting around and biting nails while waiting for a response. It is possible, of course, to send your CV through a job portal, but how personal is that? The CV joins a pile of a million other CV's.
What every job hunter really needs is someone that knows how to sell their skills and match them up with the best opportunities that employers have for their skill set. And that's where the great recruiting agencies come in. Recruitment Agencies that cover a broad range of fields, such as Monster UK and Manpower UK are all over the job market. Most of the ads job seekers answer are posted by recruitment agencies. There are also niche based recruitment agencies, that specialize in a specific field and recruit for it, such as finance, education, and hi-tech. Agencies such as this include Top Employers, who specialize in new graduates, Aqent for Marketing jobs, and
ITJobVacancies.com for the IT industry.
If you're not sure what you're niche is, it's best to start with the general employment and recruitment agencies. The best general recruitment agencies in the UK currently include Monster UK, Manpower UK, and Search. Each agency has their pros and cons, and can suit different types of job seekers.
Job hunters who like to take full control of their job search are ideally suited for Monster UK. Monster's site is user-friendly and places the job seeker in the driver's seat. It is possible to look for jobs, create a unique page that sells the job seeker's skills, and employers can search the database for people who match their requirements, making it easier for the employer to find you. On the down side, Monster UK is utterly online based. There is no personal relationship with a recruiter who knows you very well and can help you find that perfect match.
Manpower UK is of course part of the world-wide Manpower empire, one of the top names in general recruitment just about everywhere in the world. They recruit for varied fields, from temporary administrative to construction and building. Since Manpower UK are office based, the candidate meets and creates a personal relationship with a recruiting consultant. In addition, Manpower has a fantastic reputation with employers, and maintains long term contracts with a great deal of companies all over the UK. The biggest down side of an agency such as this is that there isn't a true personal touch. The focus of the company is very general, and it's easy to get lost in the shuffle.
Search is a recruitment agency that tries to blend the online and offline world as seamlessly as possible. They have offices scattered all over the UK, as well as an awesome website, enabling the job hunter to search for jobs online, find the right division for them within the company, such as Financial Services or the Scientific division, as well as receive CV advice. Search also provides a service called JobMail which is fantastic for lazy job hunters. All the latest vacancies meeting your criteria are sent directly to your mail. Again, this is an agency that is great for the self-motivated job hunter.
General Recruitment agencies don't always get the great openings, however. In the past two decades, the job industry has evolved and fragmented in fields and specialties. The skills and personalities suited for the IT and computer industry are not the same as those required by the Fashion industry. In the past few years, niche recruitment agencies blossomed addressing this very issue. The greatest boom in specialist agencies was driven by the hi-tech boom, but many other niche agencies appeared soon after.
Perhaps the most wide-ranging niche of all is the new graduates niche. Agencies that want to place new graduates must cover a wide range of fields, but limit themselves to entry-level positions, or graduate positions. New graduates can be utterly intimidated by the job hunting process. Old pros at the hunt have experience and become much less frazzled than the new graduate. A new graduate has recently been flung into the world from the safe haven of University, and is usually utterly agog at the options that lay before them. Top Employers, for example, concentrate their efforts on finding new graduates their first jobs, and have a user-friendly website.
Whether you are new to the job market or an old hound at sniffing out those great jobs, a good recruitment agency can assist you in finding what you're looking for. But always remember, the more involved you are in the search, the better that job will suit you in the end.
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