Top tips for picking the right recruitment agency

You’ve made up your mind; it’s time to start looking for a new job, or another level in your career, so what is the next step? You no doubt take to your favourite online search engine to find the perfect job, but before you can even start sifting through the available positions, you need to recognise which of the millions of recruitment agencies is the right one for you.

It’s important to find an agency who understands the sector in which you wish to work. Therefore, if you work in a specialist role you need to find an agency which covers that area and works closely with major employers in that field.

The advantages of using a specialist division

• Specialist recruiters are proactive in their search for roles, which means jobs are advertised with them before going on to traditional job sites, so if you are going specialist, you could get in first above other candidates.
• You are also less likely to go up against hundreds and thousands of other applicants, which will increase your chances of getting to the interview stage.
• Specialist divisions are specifically placed to offer the best job opportunities.
• You can benefit from focused guidance and support during the recruitment process.
• They are more likely to meet your requirements.

If you are looking for a more general role, choose a recruitment agency who manages job vacancies for people at all levels and from a variety of industries.

The advantages of using a generalist recruitment agency

• Increases your choice of industries and companies.
• Consultants may send your CV to jobs you might have otherwise not considered.
• They can give objective feedback on your application and how to promote yourself.

At Acorn you get the best of both worlds, as we are a multi-specialist recruitment agency with a wide range of specialist divisions like construction, nursing and IT, plus many others, supported by a large network of branches across the UK.

When you are conducting your job search, make sure to use a recruitment agency which is accredited to governing bodies such as REC (the Recruitment and Employment Federation) and has been awarded quality marks.