Thursday, October 10, 2013

Working With Contract Agencies - Cheryl Landes


At the WIN workshop, Cheryl Landes, Founder and Owner of Tabby Cat Communications, covered all aspects of working with contract agencies. In her presentation, Cheryl, a full-time technical writer, provided tips on how to work with agencies that place us on temporary assignments. She also described the current climate at the agencies and how job seekers can navigate this intricate maze so their resumes will be noticed and presented to hiring clients.
The methods for contracting agencies include: job boards, agencies’ websites, phone, email, face-to-face meetings (recruiter appointments, networking events, job fairs) and professional networking sites like LinkedIn. She advised that when you apply for assignments posted on web sites and job boards, you should not apply through email links provided. Instead, you should call the agency and ask for the recruiter handling the opening. When you talk to the recruiter, you should ask specific questions, express interest and email your resume directly to him/her so that it is presented to the hiring client.
In conclusion, contracting work through agencies will continue to grow. Cheryl explained that understanding the agencies’ and clients’ needs and keeping abreast of contracting trends are crucial to your success. Being flexible and continuously marketing yourself to agencies is also important.

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