The agency route is perhaps the most popular among contractors, freelancers and the self-employed, and there are numerous advantages to it. Ultimately, agencies do take care of the three most important aspects of your job search; which positions you apply for, where you will work and your remuneration. The recruitment industry as a whole is one with a tarnished reputation and it is important to tread carefully when selecting which agencies to go through. Again it is down to experience and experience tends to come by making mistakes, we will try and help you take the yellow brick road to employment. Many contractors and freelancers approach agencies in a tentative manner, believing the agencies hold all the trump cards. That is certainly not the case. Without your expert talent, the recruiter will not be making a placement and won’t be earning a hefty commission as a result of it. Below are 3 simple tips to make the most of your agency:
Reputation, Reputation, Reputation
Tony Blair won an election based on the mantra, education, education, education, a contractor/freelancer should use the same repetition when choosing the agencies to liaise with. Make use of the Internet and ask around, industry specialism is advisable. Shortlist between 5 and 10 agencies and make contact with them. If you approach the agency, understand what it is they offer and then showcase what you can offer. If you understand the recruiter, it makes finding an employment synergy much more achievable.
Tailor your CV
It is essential that you tailor your CV to the role you are applying for in order to improve your chances. Make sure that you spend the most time on your CV, recruitment agencies are experts at flushing out stock CV’s. If you have Googled “how to make a CV” and then filled in the blanks, of course this isn’t going to wash. Recruiters have a reputation (I know…) to uphold and thus aren’t willing to put forward candidates whose past record just doesn’t stack up. Your CV is your record of achievement, remember at primary school how proud you were of your egg and spoon race victory or your level 5’s at SATS, well your CV is just a mature version of that. Tailor your text to your audience and provide the metrics that people want to see. Limit it to a page if possible, as much as this will hurt to hear, people aren’t that interested in what you have to say.
Tell them what you want
It is important to be both firm and inquisitive. You have got to ask questions, equally you have got to specify what you want and what you are and aren’t willing to do. Recruiters are in their job to make money through placements and that could lead to you being placed in a role that you don’t want. If it doesn’t fit your requirements then tell them. If you think it undersells your skillset, tell them. And if you just don’t want to do it, yes, tell them. You are more than likely in demand, contractors carry a lot of weight in the economy today and companies are constantly looking for high quality workers. Trust what you have to offer and trust that the recruiter will scratch your back if you scratch theirs. Set out where you stand from the beginning and there is no reason why the relationship can’t work.
Here at Gorilla Accounting, we understand how a contractor or freelancer can often feel overwhelmed and we have developed an efficient, technology driven, simple accountancy package.
Gorilla will offer a technology driven accountancy service to contractors and personal service companies – anyone who is self-employed and provides services through a limited company.
