Recruitment agencies are consistently searching for qualified, skilled workers. The recruitment agency needs to fill open positions in their client’s companies. At any one time, they could have hundreds of open positions with dozens of companies that need to be filled. They will weed through so many resumes that they risk paper cuts. How do you get the recruitment agency to notice you out of all that competition?
Contact
Get in touch with the recruiting agency and ask how they accept resumes. Some agencies may want resumes faxed, and other agencies may want them sent by email. It may be unnecessary to call the company. Often, the company has contact information on its website, and will let applicants know the proper way to submit resumes to their office. Many experts suggest that you obtain a contact name when submitting a resume. You could try this approach, but be prepared for the agency to give you the basic contact information.
Carefully follow the recruitment agency’s guidelines. They will remember an applicant that didn’t follow their instructions. It’s not the way to make an impression on recruiters.
Resume
Don’t send in an old resume. A resume that’s been sitting on a hard drive is most likely outdated. Add in any current job experiences. Carefully proofread for typos too (if you need help hire a professional agency) With hundreds of resumes inundating their office, the resume with typos will be tossed aside without a further glance. Very carefully emphasize your education, experience or skills that would be of particular interest to the recruitment agency.
Don’t try to stand out from the competition with fancy fonts and colored resume paper. It’s considered bizarre and inappropriate. Let your education and experience speak for themselves. Don’t try to dazzle them with your varied fonts. Dazzle them with your job skills.
Cover Letter
A cover letter is your introduction to the recruitment agency. It informs them of your relevant experience, the type of job you’re searching for and why they should consider you for that position. It lets the recruiting agent know you are a professional. A cover letter sets you apart from the other applicants that didn’t send in a cover letter. Unlike typos, the cover letter will set you apart in a good way as long as it is done correctly.
Be sure the cover letter doesn’t repeat what is written in the resume. The cover letter should highlight accomplishments and awards that weren’t on the resume not repeat what they can already see for themselves after reading your resume.
Delivery
Once the cover letter and resume are perfectly polished, send them to the recruitment agency by their preferred method. If you’re sending your resume and cover letter by mail, email or fax, be sure the body of the correspondence is professionally-worded and free of errors. If delivered in person, dress appropriately and be professional. The agency may decide to interview you on the spot.
Never use text shorthand when submitting by email. It is considered unprofessional, and recruiters will toss your email into the recycle bin.
Recruitment agencies are important resources in a job search. Many companies will use a recruitment agency to weed out hundreds of unqualified applicants during the search to fill a position (source). They are engaged by the hiring company to make the application process run smoothly. Standing out during the interview process is essential to get to the next step which is an interview with the hiring company.
