Job hunters guide

For Europeans searching for a US job from Alabama to Wyoming searching for a job, or more to the point, your perfect job can be a nightmare and sometimes causing you to hit your head against a wall. Sites such as intjobs.org which specialize in international jobs are a godsend. There are many online job search sites that you can go through to find your dream job. If you’re in the process of looking for a new job then do not despair - there many things you can do to make job hunting a far easier and relaxing procedure. One of the things that can help in your job search is utilising recruitment consultants.

For recruitment consultants, job hunters like you are equivalent of a lottery winner walking into a Ferrari Dealership - a precious and money making commodity. If you’re unaware, a consultant makes commission for every successful recruitment on behalf of an employer. In a way you could think of them as Sales Consultants in that they make a commission for every job vacancy they fill. However, this can at times make some consultants money hungry, meaning that they do not necessarily take your best interests at heart. Consultants work for the employer, so sometimes they will tell you that they are giving career advice, but you should not always trust it as this will, more often then not, fit in with their commercial objectives.

Aside from the above, there are good recruitment consultants that can be a greater asset in your job endeavors for which you may choose to use a facility such as the above or the wider known Fish4 job search to widen your net. As long as you approach them with the right attitude and understand the rules of engagement recruiters can be useful team members.

Before signing up with a recruitment consultant remember to carry out your research to see what job market they are specialists within. Most recruitment agencies specialise within one or two areas within the job market. It is a fairly good idea to sign up with a 'preferred' consultant as this gives you the opportunity to form a relationship, which could work in your favour as they will more than likely submit you for job vacancies before anybody else.

It might be worth your time and effort to ring up any companies you would like to work for and find out which consultant they use which allows you to ensure that you are signing with the right recruitment agency. If your are aiming for a more senior role, slightly above your stations you may even consider attending  a reputable institution such as the LMC for some  leadership training or management training during the process.

An interview with a recruitment consultant is important because in addition to giving you the opportunity to sell yourself it allows you to find out what the consultant is about and whether you like them. Are they going to be of any help to you?

Make sure that you’re always well prepared for an interview. Do your research before the meeting, find out about the recruitment consultant and have an idea of what you want to work with. What are your strengths and weaknesses - asking your friends and family can help if youth not sure about this. Be clear of what you have to offer.

According to the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) and the industry body for consultants, it is standard practice among its members to ensure that candidates agree each application before forwarding it on to employers. Therefore it is a good idea to make sure that the agency is a member of REC before you sign up.

If a recruitment consultant tells you to submit your CV or fill in a form and they'll put you on the database, the chances are you are wasting your time.

In job ads, consultants commonly use "lively working environment", "excellent career prospects" and "first-rate remuneration" as a means to attract your interest.  Guess what? Yep, when the job offers on the table it might not have all that was promised in the ad in the first place! Make sure that you are clear with the terms of the employment and obviously if think that the job is right for you before you accept it, it is worthwhile getting some independent advice.

After all these warnings, most of you are probably thinking of treating recruitment consultants with suspicion; this will not help you in your job hunt. Message boards such as the  Fish4 recruitment site , and Reed as well as Recruitment Consultants can be very useful. They can get you the job you are after and they will try to sell you jobs that they want to fill. However, it is recommended that you put this aside and be open, friendly and understanding with every consultant that you meet on your job hunting adventure.