Temp Agencies / Permanent Placement Firms
Temp agencies, or temporary work agencies, are another place you might consider submitting your resume. A recruitment firm will help to find you long-term career-oriented employment. A temp agency (sometimes also called a staffing agency) seeks to fill a short-term position. Often the line is blurred between recruitment firm and temp agency, because workers who get a temporary job can eventually become full-time, and workers who are hired full-time are occasionally put on a temporary probationary period.
Should I apply to a temp agency?
If you are a student or a new graduate who is only seeking a job, rather than a career, consider applying to a temp agency. Recruiting firms tend to handle more senior roles, but each agency has a specialty to be sure to do a bit of research before sending your resume.
How do temp agencies work?
Temp agencies collect the money you earn from the employer, and then give you a portion of these earnings. You would be their employee, not the employee of the firm who you work for.
There are two different ways that a temp agency can make money. One, they can take half of your wages (so that if you would have earned $24/hour you now only earn $12). This way they can pay you even if they cannot find a position for you. The second way is for them to take a smaller amount of money from your paycheck (so that if you would earn $17/hour you now only earn $14/hour). With this system, you will only get paid for the hours you work, and are not guaranteed payment.
You will be assigned to work at a company, where you will learn the job and work until they no longer need you. Temporary work is often uncertain.
How do recruiting firms work?
Recruiting firms are hired by companies to fill jobs they have available. These can be either permanent or contract jobs, but you become an employee of the company, not of the agency.
Firms normally post their available positions on their websites, and you apply electronically for the jobs you are interested in and qualified for. There is normally no cost to register with or use and agency, since their fees are paid by the client companies.
Recruiters usually do initial interviews before passing your resume to their clients, and then work with you through the interview and offer stage, acting as a go between during interview, reference checks and offers. Even though recruiters technically work ‘for’ their clients, they are paid to make successful placements so they also act as your advocate with the company as well.
