Using an employment agency, also called recruitment consultants, is one of the most typical ways of finding a job in the UK.

You will find hundreds of different agencies in the UK, from small companies of 1 – 4 people to huge multi-national corporations. You can find them on-line, in the telephone directory, by looking for their adverts in various newspapers and magazines or on the high street.

An employment agency is usually a specialist in a chosen field, so you will find different agencies for different industries. For example, there are catering agencies, nursing and care agencies, construction agencies, banking and financial agencies; in fact you will probably find at least 10 agencies for whichever sector you are looking for work in.

Temp or Perm?

When you call to introduce yourself, one of the first questions that you will be asked is whether you are looking for temporary or permanent work. Temporary means that you work for the agency (temping) and get sent to different companies on short-term assignments that can last from 1 day to 6 months. If you chose temporary work, you will be employed by the agency directly.

Permanent means that you will be sent for interviews at companies that are looking for permanent members of staff; if successful you will then have a permanent full time job in the UK.  It is basically a choice between flexibility and security, only you can decide what is right for you.

Register

Once the agent has seen your Curriculum Vitae (CV), and decided you meet the criteria they are looking for, they will ask you to go to their office and register. You will be asked to bring your N.I. (National Insurance) number, bank account details and proof that you can work in the UK, either a European Union passport, or a non-EU passport with work permit, or letter from the British Home Office. They may ask you to complete an application form and will then interview you, after which they can start sending your CV out to companies.

Recruitment consultants/agents do not charge you, they depend on finding the right people and filling jobs to earn the commission that they charge the companies. If you make a good impression and convince them that you are a strong candidate, they will work hard for you, if you don’t (e.g. you turn up late, are badly dressed and/or don’t show enthusiasm) they will quickly forget and move on to the next person.

Nothing to lose

There are no government regulations regarding recruitment agencies so it’s up to you to decide if you like and trust this person/company enough to work with them.  If you are unsure, have a look at their website to see what jobs they have; do they sound good? Are they advertising lots or just a few jobs? Are they specialists in your area? At the end of the day, there is no great risk to you in contacting an agency, explaining your situation to them and seeing what they may be able to do for you. Good luck!

By John Hillman

USEFUL WORDS

recruitment / employment agency = a business that helps people to find work and employers to find workers
recruitment / employment consultant = a person who works in a recruitment / employment agency
human resources (HR) = the department in a company which deals with employing and training people
vacancy = a job that is available for someone to do
permanent / temporary work = a job which lasts for a long / short time
contract work = a job which is for a fixed amount of time
headhunter = a person whose job is to find people with the necessary skills to work for a company and to persuade them to join this company

GRAMMAR SPOT

Phrasal Verbs connected with Work

As business was bad, they had to lay off some of their staff (make unemployed)
Mary applied for the post but she was turned down (rejected)
How are you getting on in your new job? (how well are you doing?)
I’m so tired!  I’ve been snowed under with work all week! (extremely busy)
On an impulse he threw up his job and went abroad (stopped working)
If orders keep coming in like this, I’ll have to take on more staff (employ)
His assistant had to fill in for him the last time he was ill (replace)
Once again poor Colin has been passed over for promotion (not considered)
If my working conditions don’t improve, I’ll hand in my notice (quit)
We’re looking for someone who can fit in with the rest of the team (have a good relationship with)
The union threatened to call out the workers on strike (advise, ask sb to do sth)