Labor Ready

People in most cases apply for the services of an employment agency when they are stuck in their job search and are not getting calls for interviews. Search firms have contacts in industries and at companies that you might not even be aware of. They can help market a resume and provide an applicant with additional exposure to potential employers.

The terms which describe the people and companies that earn a living helping job seekers find jobs can be confusing. Here is a description of who's who and who does what in the world of employment recruiting. The traditional employment agency assists job seekers in finding work. Some firms charge the job seeker, others are paid by the employer. Search Firm/Executive Search Firm can be industry specific (i.e. banking or retail) or skills specific (i.e. accounting or information technology).
There are two main types of agencies: Contingency Employment Agency and Retained Search Firm. Temporary (Temp) Agency is an employment agency that finds employees to fill temporary jobs. The recruiter/headhunter/search consultant is the person a job seeker will actually work with on his job search. One may be approached by a headhunter trying to recruit him to apply for a new job working for a firm she/he represents. Alternately, a resume may be sent to a recruiter or a candidate may apply for a position that a headhunter is trying to fill.