Have you ever used a recruitment agency to help in your job search and how did it go?

I used an agency and they were useless! I went all the way up to London, dressed smartly, went to their offices and did their tests and profiling, and then...

I never heard from them again! I won't be using a recruitment agency again, I was totally unimpressed with what I experienced.

I think recruitment agencies are rubbish, I'm signed up with loads of them and they never come up with anything useful. I think job hunting by yourself is much more effective, don't wait for the middle man to do it for you.

They are only out for themselves, personally I do not like to be viewed as something to be "sold", I am an individual and I can do it my own way!

Had some positive experience of a couple. They are looking for experience outside of just having a degree. thats key. Need to position yourself above/beyond the masses.

Just to dd to Spozza... They do the leg work on your behalf. You are there to be sold into a job - they do the selling for you. Be happy about it!

Try graduate-recruitment . com  or hays. Some good ones out there.

Many people spend 2-3 hours at a recruitment agency,  learn nothing about jobhunting from this process and feel that they wasted their time. You can spent your time researching companies you are interested in and apply directly to the company and even if you are unsucessful at least you can learn about the sector of work you are interested in after reading up about the company. I have found most agencies unhelpful and the good news is that you are more likely to get an interview and be given a chance if you apply for a job without going through an agency because companies want to save money in this recession and they will be happy to save money if they give you the job and don't pay the agency to get them staff.

Im split on this, Iv had some good experiences with agencies when trying to find temp jobs, but when it came to my full time career I found surfing the job boards much more helpful! I don't know if I trust someone else to pick a job for me but to be able to find thousands of jobs in one place and pick for myself seemed to work. I found my job through www.technojobs.co.uk - I'm IT specific though and thats their specialism. There are loads out there for all types of roles though.

This is a tough one, as I have personal experience of them being completely useless, but I have also been fortunate enough to have found at least one or two which have been great.  Like any firm, the quality of service they offer differs greatly so you just have to be careful who you choose. Certainly NEVER PAY FOR THEIR SERVICES!!  I graduated this year with a 1st but have struggled to find work because I'm lacking experience. So I have sought help from GRB Graduate Recruitment Bureau, MR etc... Their advice is sound because they are industry experts. The key is keeping in touch with the consultants by phone and email so they remember you, get a feel of your personality and enthusiasm and then they will think of you when a suitable role comes up. GRB even offered me temp work to help boost my CV whilst I carried on my job search.

The key is definitely to try plenty of agencies, never ever pay them, and be pro-active with them. Definitely don't give up after one bad experience!

Recruiters can make life a lot easier for you, offering advice and letting you know about jobs that are not publicly available. As in all industries, you get some good and bad consultants. My best advice is to keep looking until you find a consultant that understands your needs and sends you jobs regularly.

Rob