Using an Employment Agency to Find a Job: The Pros and Cons

Using an employment agency can be worth your while. There are several reasons to use one to help you find gainful employment. Depending on what you're hoping to achieve, whether it be flexibility, more money or just a job period, check out the pros and cons of using an employment agency.

What is an employment agency?

An employment agency is a company that matches employees to open jobs. The fee associated with the service is paid by the company seeking the employee. With the exception of head hunters, the fee will always be paid by the company and you should beware of any agency asking for money from you.

There are tons of agencies and some even specialize in a certain field. You might want to consider using several different agencies to ensure the most exposure.

It's important to ask the agency questions before you sign up with them:

• Who are some of your clients?
• What industries do you specialize in?
• What pay range can I expect for my skills?
• How can I advance? (What can I do to increase my pay?)
• What kind of training is available?
• What is your policy for being hired on full-time by your client?
• Do I get paid for overtime?

With everything in life, there's an upside and a downside to these agencies. Be fully informed before deciding to use an employment agency by considering the pros and cons.

Pros:

Temporary Work

Temporary work allows for the freedom to choose a job that fits your schedule. This is great for college students, mothers, or retirees.

Payment

Joining an agency typically costs you nothing. The agency will choose an inflated hourly rate to charge the company seeking an employee, pay you a specified hourly wage, and pocket the rest as revenue. Because businesses are not providing you with company benefits, you can sometimes get paid more than others who are receiving benefits.

Permanent Opportunities

Working through an employment agency may offer you the opportunity for more permanent employment at places you might not otherwise be able to get into. It's not guaranteed that you will find full-time employment at these companies, but they've certainly been known to hire on temps that have done an outstanding job on their temporary workload.

Cons:

No Job Security

Being a temporary employee, you never know where your next job is coming from. If you depend on having work 5 days a week, it's an unrealistic expectation.

No Benefits

Some employment agencies actually do offer benefits, but they are few. This can be a major issue with many employees as the benefits they are missing include health insurance, vacation and sick time.

Poor Treatment

Because you are a temporary employee, you will often be left out among the other permanent employees. A user on Yahoo Answers suggested that "companies treat temps like red-headed step children."

A Moment's Notice

As a temp, you are required to be ready to go at any given moment. It's likely the agency will call you with little notice to report somewhere for work. It's also very likely that you will get called moments before you leave for a position to be notified that your services are no longer needed.

If you've decided that an employment agency is right for you, check here for a list of agencies and head hunters in your area.