The recruitment industry is currently booming, there seems to be an agency on every corner advertising all manner of jobs. But as an employee and prospective candidate what is the right path to take, do you go it alone or do you employ a recruitment agency? There is little doubt that an agency can do you good when looking for work but you would be foolish to think that an agency will act as your personal recruitment service hunting out jobs for you at all hours of the day; this however, is a common misconception.

The role of a recruitment agency is to find candidates for companies rather than the other way round, if your skills are needed you will get a call, if you are not needed the phone will remain silent. You will still need to keep up your own job searching efforts in conjunction with those of the agency, fundamentally, diligence is key, keep in regular contact with your recruitment agent, by making a pest of yourself it is usually possible to receive more job offers.

When looking at recruitment agencies to join it is advisable to study the classified ads carefully and regularly. Be wary of a recruitment agency that seems to post the same job over and over again; this can indicate that they are simply obtaining a database of potential candidates rather than recruiting actively. It also important to be suspicious of jobs that offer it all, in the recruitment industry if it is too good to be true, it usually is.

When applying for a job through the agency make sure to enquire about all of the details. A reputable agency should be able to supply you with information on the salary, the location and size of the business and the skills and experienced required for the job role. Most recruitment agents will not give the name of the employer, do not worry this is normal; if they fail to give the other information however it is not probably worth pursuing.

Before signing up for anything, ensure you read any contracts thoroughly, the devil is in the detail and making sure you understand the fine print is essential. If you feel you do not understand the contract that the recruitment agency has presented, take it to a legal professional to get another opinion before signing up. It may also be the case that the job you applied for does not exist and the agency is just using the advert to increase their database, this kind of activity should be reported to the authorities.

The recruitment agent should be able to supply you with a written copy of the job description if you are going for an interview. It is in fact in their interests to supply you with this so that you can study it and use the information to your benefit in the interview. Avoid going for countless interviews for jobs that you neither want to do nor are qualified for. This can be detrimental to your self esteem as well as your future job opportunities, highlight this to the agent if you feel you are getting nowhere. Do not be pressured into a job you do not want, if you are not enthused before you have even got the job, what are chances of enjoying the work?

There are plenty of recruitment agencies out there who work well with there applicants and help them find the perfect job. While there may be some unscrupulous operators in existence, by following this advice it should be possible to find an agency that will fulfil your needs and find you the job you are looking for.