RECENT GRADUATES! YOU MAY FIND THIS NEWER ARTICLE EVEN MORE HELPFUL:
“SHOULD I SIGN UP TO A GRADUATE RECRUITMENT AGENCY?”
WASTE OF TIME – OR WORTH A SHOT?
Are you a recent graduate looking for a job? With only 60% of university leavers finding work in the first six months after graduation (according to the Higher Education Career Services Unit), you’ll need to be smart about your job hunt. You’ve probably heard mixed stories about recruitment agencies – so what’s the truth? Is it worth signing up, or are you better off going it alone? Graduate Fog speaks to Marie Warren, a careers adviser and blogger who works for the recruitment agency recruitmentrevolution.com
What is a graduate recruitment agency?
“A graduate recruitment agency is a business that specialises in working with employers to place a graduate into a role that suits the candidate. Graduate recruitment agencies can often take two forms: those that specialise in a single area e.g. teaching, IT or marketing, or those that cover a wide range of industries.”
How is going via an agency different from applying to the employer directly?
“Working with a graduate recruitment agency is slightly different from applying for a normal job because it will usually consist of an email or, more likely, phone interview with the recruitment consultant so they can ascertain your skills, experience and preferred your career path. The consultant will then forward on your CV to any relevant jobs and, because they are working closely with the organisation, can help prepare you for an interview if the application is successful.”
That sounds great – so they work on a graduate’s behalf, to find them a job?
“No, not exactly – although that’s a common misconception about graduate recruitment agencies. A recruitment agency will be paid by the company, not the graduate job-seeker, once a candidate it successfully hired. Their goal is to fill their vacancies, not to find you a job. But obviously if you’re a good fit for one of their vacancies, then it’s a win-win.
What are the benefits of signing up with a graduate recruitment agency?
“It may seem like more effort than a traditional application but it can significantly increase the chances of a graduate attaining a position. The other bonus is that it won’t cost you anything – and even if you don’t get the job you’ll gain insight, advice and tips about future applications from the recruitment consultant who will also give you plenty of support as you go through the application process. At the very least, you’ll come away with some free CV advice and some fresh interview tips.
“The jobs they’re looking to fill may not be ones you’ll hear about otherwise – this is because graduate recruitment agencies often have strong links to the industries they recruit for. Some graduate recruitment agencies are actually the preferred provider of recruitment services in the industry and therefore are better positioned to place a candidate’s details in front of the correct people.”
Anything else we need to know?
“Never be tempted to fib to a recruitment consultant about your skills, qualifications or experience. It is much better to be honest. This will ensure he or she has the correct information to hand and that you won’t be put forward for a job you don’t want or aren’t right for.
“Remember also that graduate recruitment consultants will often be working with several candidates at once. Don’t sit by the phone waiting — after a couple of days, call them to check on the application and ask for verification about when and where your details have been sent to prospective employers.”
(Please note this is a “Graduate Fog Classic” article from our archives, originally posted in March 2013 and refreshed on 25 March 2014).
*HAVE YOU HAD ANY LUCK WITH GRADUATE RECRUITMENT AGENCIES?
Did they help you find a job – or was it a waste of time? What advice would you give to graduates considering signing up with a graduate recruitment agency?
I never had any luck with graduate recruitment agencies after graduating in 2008. I registered with three or four popular agencies including a local agency, Graduates Yorkshire. However, 2008 was a tough year. I graduated BA Hons History 2:1 and had 3 months work experience with Derby Local Studies Library. All the vacancies were either in the South East or were Science-related or Research posts requiring at least a Masters degree or were Business Management vacancies. I continued to scan the email alerts for three years with no change.
In my opinion, graduate recruitment agencies are a useful tool for the right graduates. I don’t know whether they give a true indicator of what most employers are looking for or if the recruitment agencies simply take the quickest and easiest route to making a living by narrowing their scope to the top 100 graduate employers.
I would definitely advise graduates to register with graduate recruitment agencies. You have nothing to lose.
You do have nothing to lose, Brian is right.
However, they never worked for me. Never once received a call!
I went with the graduate recruitment company in London. They were pretty good. I went to interviews at 2 different companies. The second interview I went to I got the job and have been here ever since…!
I’ve had work with the normal, admin-type temp agency, the first lasted a year, but the second only two days (so with the ridiculous benefits system I’d’ve been better off not getting it, and someone without family help could conceivably end up in rent arrears – or even, if say a lodger, evicted – for doing two days work).
If you are dependent on them, you end up feeling they are basically parasitic gatekeepers (if you work for £7 an hour, the agency may get paid, say, £12 an hour) and on the low end basically just sit back and get CVs sent to them, but if they pluck you out of the void you have a far better chance of getting a job than applying through open competition with hundreds of others – especially for that year-long agency work for the Civil Service.
Don’t assume it’s as easy for graduates to get even bog standard office work through them as it apparently used to be though (e.g. Tanya’s de-stapling gig for Office Angels). There’s a hell of a lot of competition.
On the plus side, anyone with the gift of the gap and who could manage sales related roles may want to consider becoming a recruitment consultant – I see adverts all the time trying to convince graduates to become them. I guess, if you can’t beat ’em…
Haha.. Alex! I have been contacted about several recruitment consultant roles, especially specialist ones in retail and fashion, which I have experience from. It is not the right path for me, but if you can manage a stressful sales role and are good with people it might be a good opportunity.
Yeah,it was rightly said, Graduate recruitment agency helps those graduate who seeks for a job after completion.some agency offers a good designation post, but they were not paid well and given a lot of burden of work for polishing the skills.IF you managed the skills of sales.Then,yes it is for you.
Hi Alex.
You make a great point about the necessary qualities of a successful recruitment consultant- they do need to be a people person and passionate about sales so anyone like this may want to consider a career in recruiting.
The issue you raise about getting paid £7 an hour when the company gets paid more than that can be true of temping agencies. However, Recruitment consultancies are completely different and do not take a cut of employee’s wages.
Similarly, ‘bog standard office work’ is often the type of roles that high street temping agencies deal with and, on the other hand, consultancies work in placing graduates and experienced professionals into appropriate roles for their level of expertise. But again, as you addressed, there is fierce competition out there.
The Graduate Recruitment Bureau have some brilliant reviews which you might be interested to read on Google and review centres from past employees, companies we have worked with and candidates we have found great roles. There is more information on our recruitment consultancy on our website should you like some more information about how we work. Thanks.
The ‘latest’ trend as part of the recovery seems to be to employ more and more people through temping agencies and “permanent” means slightly longer than a temporary contract. People shouldn’t try to kid themselves that they can avoid temporary and insecure employment for many years after graduation. Then again, it doesn’t matter what I think, do or say, employers rule and will exploit me, you and everyone they can get away with exploiting, while at the same time promising rosy times ahead – benefits, bonuses, payrises, progression. What a load of rubbish!
IT recruitment consultancy provides the better opportunities for the fresher’s and even experienced ones in finding the jobs for them.
Making connections with recruitment consultants will open up opportunities throughout your career. Some will be more helpful than others. Don’t rely solely upon recruiters, but not including them in your job search would inhibit the amount of roles available to you.
It’s important for recent graduates to remember that recruiters are not career advisors. You need to be clear what it is that you want and why you are appropriate. Good luck.
On mentioning above there seem to be lots of roles in recruitment, I’m no E temping in admin for the actual temping agency 😉
Do not sign up for graduate recruitment companies they are useless! I signed up for graduate fast track and had an interview with them. They liked my profile and gave me a list of companies I should interview with. They ‘couldn’t find’ the job I had originally applied for and travelled 3 hours to interview for. I had to show them the advert on there own website and they we’re still none the wiser.
1. They don’t care what job you say youre looking for they just want one that will get them better commission.
2. They mislead you with great job advertisments with amazing pay.. rarely do these jobs exsist. I found 5 on their website with pay over £22k. When I spoke to them they said I should not be aiming for anything over £18-20 and no graduate job they have pays over that!
I then sighed up to 1st Place Graduate recruitment. I endured 5 hours of group assessments, pitches, exercises the whole lot. I was told that employers would be there on the day and I could speak with them. I was promised that the sales jobs I had applied for would be available and I could leave with a job…. as it transpires only 1 recruitment agency was there. I was the only one that got through which may have felt like an achievement at the time but I then had an interview arranged for a job I didn’t apply for, in an industry I specifically said I didn’t want to work for and for lower money than I had been told was available…. not much of a win!
Furthermore a lot of the candidates I was with that day were desperate for a recruitment job and I had made it clear the all the board and candidates that I only wanted sales.. as you can imagine I wasn’t very popular at the end of it!
I cancelled my interview with the recruitment company and told 1st people I wanted to be interviewed for the sales roles I applied for. After going on their website they don’t actually exsist either.
So if you can avoid recruitment companies do it! They will put up attractive advertisments to get your attention but thats just to get you in and assessed to put you in a place that suits them..not you.
@Lauren, the perceived wisdom seems to cast your net as wide as possible. How true this ever was I don’t know, especially when you have the likes of the LibDem leade, Nick Clegg, confessing that he only got where he was because of family connections. Then a few more fess up and gives you the impression that not a great deal has changed in the last 200 years, where nepotism and corruption is widespread. All the top jobs reserved for aristocratic types.
never.. you should be able search for job without those cruel people. This may help: http://www.contractoruk.com/agencies/recruitment_agency_tricks.html
…or ask google..
Some very interesting points GS – surely you should be reporting this to someone so that these dubious practices can be stopped. As a graduate struggling to find a graduate job in a sector where recruitment consultancies are rife, this expose is absolutely disgusting. I personally would prefer it if graduate employers directly advertised vacancies without going through consultancies/agencies.
I know what a nightmare consultancies can be, I’ll go on my LinkedIn page to see a connection request from Dave from BS Recruitment. I then accept the request to see that Dave is sharing and purportedly ‘liking’ various posts relevant to the sector he is recruiting for. Dave then gives me a call to say that he has an interesting job with a good company near to where I live and they want to hear from recent graduates. I then agree to send my CV across to him and then hear absolutely nothing and assuming that I have been unsuccessful in getting the job.
They are a great help once you have experience. Some are better than others. Some are really good. Some are simply hiring by numbers/software . Most professional jobs in the private sector are advertised through agents of some kind or other. Many can offer invaluable advice on how to tailor your CV. And remember however little they may seem to want you if they don’t place people they don’t get paid.
Yes, To sign up with good recruitment agencies is worth to you. but the question is raised here, where should I get to know which one is for me. Have you heard of review platform “Recfluence” before which is for the candidate to make their decision about the recruitment agencies and also leave feedback for the recruitment agencies they have experience with. Also the recruitment agencies can benefit from the system to get reputable image in front of candidates by their feedback or review.
Well, From my point of view, its not a wastage of time. When we sign up to recruitment agencies, then we can sent our CV to those companies. so that they would contact us and mails us with best jobs matching with our qualifications
Often, temporary work through recruitment agencies, is the necessary first step to permanent work and not necessarily graduate employment. Sadly, graduate programme places are scarce and provide for about 10 per cent of graduates each year and that’s in a good year.
It’s a shameful waste of young talent but has been going on for decades and will probably continue for decades more. Which beggars the question? Why doesn’t anyone do anything about? Maybe employers have different agendas for not creating more graduate vacancies which pay graduate salaries, such as getting graduate calibre employees at a knock-down price.
Hi all
Just to let you know we have just published a brand new blog post you might be interested in: “Should I sign up to a graduate recruitment agency?”
As well as exploring the pros and cons, it contains expert advice about how to spot the BEST graduate recruitment agencies (so no more wasting your time with the rubbish ones!)
If you have an extra minute, don’t forget to your experiences of graduate recruitment recruitment agencies in a comment below the post.
Thank you – and have a great day!
Tanya