Supplementary Search Support

At the University of Salford's Careers Blog for Postgraduates, Tahira Majothi discusses the ups and downs of working with recruitment consultants when searching for jobs. "Like anything in relation to job seeking, you get back the effort you put in," Majothi says, adding that "registering with [recruitment] agencies doesn't mean you get to put your feet up, have a cup of tea, and wait for the job offers to roll in." While recruitment consultants can "work to source opportunities on your behalf" — which is particularly helpful for people who are already employed full-time — they can only do so when they're kept "up to date of your contact details, change of circumstances, or constraints as to what you can ... do," Majothi says. In addition, she says that consultants often must be "chased" for progress updates. "Ring or call in on a weekly basis," she says. However, while recruitment agencies are a great resource, Majothi says job-seekers shouldn't use them as a crutch. "Make effective use of all available resources," she says, adding: "Don't underestimate the power of networking."