Tips for Getting the Most from a Staffing Agency

Job hunters often feel they must embellish their skills to land a job. However, if you're looking for work through a staffing agency in Oklahoma, this embellishment could be bad for your job hunt. It's much better to be honest and straightforward when working with a staffing agency so you can be sure they match you with the right employer.

When you first go in to a staffing agency after applying for a position, you'll often have an interview with a recruitment expert who evaluates you as a candidate for many different jobs. This interview is focused on determining not only your skills but also your personality and work preferences. Some of the questions you may be asked could be:

Have you worked in an environment with executives or high-level professionals?
Have you worked in an environment that requires you to work as part of a team?
What kind of office environment are you most comfortable in?
Do you have experience with public speaking, presenting your work, or working with members of the general public?

Your answers to these questions and more will tell your recruiter about your so-called "soft skills." Soft skills are different than "hard skills" like certifications and experience with software or devices. While hard skills are often easy to test and verify, soft skills can be difficult to pin down. Unfortunately, many employers value soft skills just as much or more than hard skills - indeed, many employees are let go or sent back to the recruiter because their soft skills don't match what's needed by the company.

The best way to stand out is to offer a great mix of hard and soft skills. In other words, it's important to have technical abilities and experience to point to, but you also need to make it clear you're a team player and that you're able to adapt yourself to the needs and requirements of the job.

References are another good way to highlight your soft skills and help your application do better. Make sure you list references on your resume from jobs where you were a good "fit," or (if you don't have many professional references) with people who know you well and can speak to your personality.

The last thing you want to do is be dishonest about your soft skills. When you lie about your preferences to a recruiter, they could end up placing you in a job where you don't fit well or where you aren't happy. Obviously this isn't a good outcome for anyone. You might feel like an imposter, your employer won't be happy with your performance, and the recruiter may need to find another candidate for the same job.

Soft Skill Mismatches

What if you feel you've been honest with your staffing agency representative, but the job still doesn't feel like a good fit for your personality? In these cases, it's not taboo to ask for the agency to keep looking for another position for you. After all, it's totally possible for you to have the right skills for a job but to not be comfortable in the work environment or employee culture. Older employees might feel misplaced in a job with many young coworkers, for example, or normally reserved individuals might not like a loud and distracting office environment.

However, if you do feel like you're not a good fit for a position, you should try to be self-critical and understand why you weren't a good match. You can then discuss this with your recruiter and try to find jobs that are a better fit for you in the future. This also helps your representative - they'll get a better picture of what the work environment at a company is like and can send more suitable candidates in the future.

Other Tips and Advice

In addition to being honest with your staffing agency representative, it helps to be prepared. Here are a few more hints for what you should do when working with an agency and what you can expect in return:

If you can, arrive with a resume, but don't fret if you don't have one. Most staffing agencies can help you put together a resume that highlights your skills and experience for employers.
Plan to spend several hours there. It takes time for the agency to interview, test and work with you.
Dress as if you were going to the office. Staffing agency representatives will be able to determine immediately whether you need clothing advice, and your clothing choices can also help them determine what kind of work might suit you best.