Oct 11 2009
Is an Employment Agency for You?
It’s tough to imagine a more challenging job landscape than the one we’re facing today.
Because of budget-driven restructuring of library organizations, it was already challenging to find full-time, entry-level professional jobs. But then the economy turned upside down, and local budgets went from iffy to disastrous. Needless to say, libraries – and jobs for librarians – have been caught in the maelstrom.
Might working with an employment agency give you an edge? Possibly – it depends on what you’re looking for, and what you have to offer.
Types of Employment Agencies and Consultants
Employment agencies and consultants provide several different types of services, with variations even within those services models.
Search, recruiting, or placement agencies. These organizations look for mid-manager to top-level information professionals (directors and assistant directors, academic library deans, heads of corporate information centers, etc.). These search firms may be retained – and paid by – the hiring organization on an exclusive basis, or they may be operating on a contingency basis, i.e., they only get paid if the candidate they’ve put forth is hired.
The more visible you are as an expert in a given area, the more likely you are to get a call from a “headhunter” either pitching you job opportunities or asking if you know someone appropriate for a specific job. While they generally won’t disclose the employer’s name, they’ll generally provide a fairly detailed job description and salary range.
Questions to ask search agencies:
? Do they focus on specific skill areas, such as IT?
? Do they cover only a specific geographic area, or are they nationwide?
? Do your skills fit the level that they work with?
? How do they work with their client organizations and potential employees?
? Would it be appropriate for you to send them your resume?
Temporary staffing agencies. With jobs and projects that range from clerical to highly technical and professional, temporary staffing agencies can be a great option depending on your specific life circumstances. Generally, the agency will mark up the hourly rate they pay you by 25%-100% to the client, depending on the type of work and the staffing company. Assignments may range from a week subbing on a reference desk to 12 months doing contract work on a records management project.
Generally, you work with temporary staffing agencies by contacting them with your resume and discussing your skills and areas of expertise, and confirming your availability for work. Or, you may end up as an employee of a staffing agency by either 1) applying for a job with an organization that has outsourced all of its information roles to a contract agency or 2) working as an information employee for an organization that has decided to outsource all of its information professional roles to a contract organization. (Many government libraries follow this model.)
Questions to ask temporary staffing agencies:
? Do they focus on specific types of employers, such as public or corporate libraries?
? Do they cover only a specific geographic area, or are they nationwide?
? Do your skills fit the level that they work with?
? What should you assume for hourly compensation? (You also want to find out the payment schedule, but probably best not to ask about this right off the bat!)
? Do they offer benefits such as health insurance and if so, is there a minimum number of hours you must work to qualify?
? Would it be appropriate for you to send them your resume?
Employment consultants and career/job coaches. At some point in your career you may feel like some personal advice and counsel is in order, and coffee with your colleagues or mentors aren’t quite fitting the bill. In that case, you may want to consider hiring an employment consultant and/or career coach to help you identify and address specific career challenges. Employment coaches focus on helping you land your dream job (at close to your dream salary, if possible), while career coaches help you consider a broader approach to building a successful career path, working with people who may already have jobs but need to address specific career issues as well as with those exploring what job or career to target.
These consultants and coaches may charge a minimum fee (which can be as high as $5,000 and include a battery of tests) or by the hour (assume anywhere from $50 to $150 per hour) or by annual retainer (a twelve-month contract, say, at $500/month). Assume that there will be no guarantees of specific outcomes or achievements.
Questions to ask employment consultants and career/job coaches:
? What is your approach to working with your clients?
? Given your description of your situation, what outcomes would they hope to help you accomplish, and within what timeframe?
? What is their fee schedule?
? Can they provide references you can speak with to determine how well they have worked with other clients?
Also, you’ll want to ask yourself these questions:
? How good a fit do you feel there is between your personality and their approach? If you don’t feel relaxed and trusting of someone or an organization, trust your instincts and move on.
? If it’s important that they understand a specific work environment, e.g., the library world, how well do you think they do that? A career coach whose only experience has been in the pharmaceutical sales field may not be the best bet for someone dealing with career issues as an academic librarian.
? How clear are you about what outcomes you expect, and what level of work you’re willing to commit to in order to accomplish your goals? For example, are you willing to travel for job interviews? Can you commit to a six-month project? Are you willing to spend several hours a week on career issues?
Keep in mind that depending on what type of LIS skills you have, those skills may be easily transferable across a wide range of jobs, so that you need not limit yourself to recruiting or staffing agencies specific to the LIS field.
Is an employment agency right for you? Why not contact several and see whether or not you feel they can help boost your career (or, heck, help you land a job!).
Resources
Below are some of the best-known U.S. employment agencies in the LIS field:
C. Berger Group
Gossage Sager Associates / Bradbury Associates
Heller & Associates
http://wwwhellerandassociates.com
InfoCurrent
Infotrieve
Library Associates (LAC)
http://www.libraryassociates.com
TFPL