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My 4 month job ended a couple of weeks ago, since then I've been looking for another with little luck and satisfaction. Earlier today I received a call from a woman from some staffing agency who said she had my resume and wanted me to come in and interview so she could set me up with a job.

 

I'm confused. I never contacted this agency, or any agency for that matter. I don't know how she got my resume (I know I should have asked but I didn't think of it at the time) She said I would come in and fill out information about myself nd be tested.

 

Is this something I should do? Is it legate? I'm not thrilled with the idea but I'm desperate and super depressed about being out of work.

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When you're down on luck staffing agencies are great because they pay by the hour and they will find the jobs for you (without having you job hunt yourself), and they are completely legit (you'll receive a w2/w4 at year end)..and some even include benefits.

 

As to how they found youre resume and contact, likely it was from either monster/hotjobs, etc. wherever else you uploaded your resume.

 

Usually the way these staffing agencies work is, they find and sign up as much work candidates as possible (with the proper qualifications). When time comes (the company/places you would be working at) they will have clients looking for a temp or a temp-to-hire candidate, they contact the agency. Usually the agency will recommend who they see fit (with the proper qualifications), and send the company your resume. If the company likes your resume, they will either ask you to start work immediately/ or to come in and have an interview with them personally.

 

Staffing agencies arent the end all/be all of finding a secure job or even a job for that matter. If one isnt cutting it for you, sign up with others. Due to the screening process of candidates for their clients, its quite common not to hear a peep from the agency even after signing up, so dont get discouraged. If they do get you a gig, it will likely be a job that fits your field...and its their job to care because they get a portion of the money also. Staffing agencies play a very big role in employment nationwide, so nothing to worry about. Even if it's just you going in to sign up, doesnt mean you should stop job hunting.

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not all staffing agencies are legit, I wouldnt give you social security number to them. Staffing agencies usualy find you bottom level jobs and you usualy will be considered a temp worker and get no benefits from the company that hires you. Dont let a staffing agency be the end of your job search.

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Allina, I would ask her how she got your resume. You may have been referred by a former employer of which may have some legalities.

One thing I know in "legalities"

No employer is permitted to tell ANYONE you were fired. If called, all they can say is, "____ is no longer with us."

That is by LAW!

I've been with American Express 18 plus years.

I was told to try a temp agency because I was sick of the department stores always cutting my hours. I couldn't afford it.

I was lucky.

Our company now uses Kelly. There is a Kelly right inside the building.

It may take a year before you are hired as a full time employee. But your experience while under the agency counts.

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Thanks guys, I'm still not 100% sure about this, I think I'm going to go but if it doesn't 'feel' right I'll leave. It's probably fine but I don't think I want to go through a third party, sounds like the possibility for conflict and drama. Plus I don't want to go through different jobs each week.

 

Zona, I didn't know that companies couldn't say that, though I was not fired from my last job, I was fired from Starbucks when I was 19 :laugh:

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When I was in college, I tried a temp agency and got nowhere with them.

Did you take a test with the agency you are with? Typing, MS Office, etc...

 

I took one and the lady said the testing computer was broken because I typed 85 wpm. It was at a time when wpm's and 10 key's were required on resumes. :laugh:

 

You're mileage may vary.

 

The other agency calling you seems flaky, did they mention a company name? They could get your name & number from any place including referrals.

 

Have you considered a PT job which could lead to an internship at a company?

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actually being a temp is a good way to find a new job. if you do a bang up job the company may ask you to join them full-time. they would usually have to pay a fee to the temp agency, however.

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Allina, you have nothing to lose by checking it out. As a former branch manager of a staffing agency, I always used to scout new "talent" on sites like Yahoo Jobs and Monster. This may very well be perfectly legitimate.

 

I once had a client who requested an engineer. At the time, I didn't have any available engineers in our list of active employees. But I found one in the area and called him asking him to come in for an interview because I think I had a job for him. He was unemployed and surely felt that he had nothing to lose.

 

I ended up putting him on that assignment and he was subsequently hired on as a permanent employee. When I left my job he had been working for them for three years.

 

So you see, you have nothing to lose. Leave if you aren't comfortable. Just tell them that you'll think about it or something.

 

Good luck, Allina!

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Generally these agencies have a website, if you want more info about the one that called you up i suggest visiting their site.

 

If you're still skeptical about staffing agencies or want to know more about them before signing up for one, google "staffing agencies" and you will find a plethora of valid sources which are very informative.

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I went, I didn't like it, it just didn't feel right. I talked to the woman for a little then told her thank you for your time but I want to continue the job search on my own. Thanks guys.

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