How a Recruitment Firm Can Add Value to Your Career

Learn more on how a recruitment firm can help your career

Is your current job fixated on actually finding a job? It is a no-brainer that fresh graduates, anyone looking to change jobs and those currently unemployed are seeking new opportunities. But with a job market like the one in Kenya, job success is only possible with a select few. So what can you do to stay ahead of other suitably qualified candidates and fast forward your job search? 

And before you roll your eyes or cringe, here is how a recruitment firm can help. You probably already have a negative mind-set towards recruitment firms or you’ve probably been applying with one and not getting interviews. So you probably decided they are unfair in their operations. If this is you, I want to remind you that just because you are not getting interviews does not mean the position remains open.

No. Someone else is getting called to the interview and getting hired for that same role. So the one question you should be asking yourself is; why am I the one not getting interviews? Then do your best to understand how a recruitment firm works.

How a Recruitment Firm Adds Value to Your Career

It may appear easier to blame a recruitment firm for your failed attempts in getting a job, but casting blames will not help your job search or career. A recruitment firm will. But this will only happen if you pay attention to what comes next.

1. You will not find recruitment firm jobs anywhere else

You know how you can find an opening on a newspaper and still find it online on various job boards? Or how you can decide to overlook job sites and find an opening on a company’s website? Well, when it comes to dealing with a recruitment firm, the jobs you find cannot be found elsewhere. In short, the only way you will get hired in that role is by applying through the recruitment firm.

Why? Employers outsource their recruitment process to leading recruitment firms and as such they don’t have to do the hard work of recruiting. And as most companies start to understand the value of outsourcing recruiting services, your best luck in finding some jobs is in a recruitment firm.

2. You can always take advantage of their expertise

The main job for any recruitment firm in Kenya is to fill open positions on behalf of employers. This then means that they are always aware of where the jobs are, what employers are looking for and even which jobs pay better than others. As a job seeker, you can then partner with a recruitment firm, build relationships with recruiters and leverage that very information to get a new job.

This even works best for those looking to change jobs and seeking a new opportunity that comes with a better pay. If you are not sure how to use a recruitment firm to your advantage, here is a post that guides on 5 ways to do exactly that. And aside from using their expertise to get a new job, a recruitment firm can help you get better at job interviews through interview preparation. They can also help you tailor your CV to match what employers are looking for and make your job search process easier.

How you ask? Learn more in this post on how a professional CV can increase your chances of getting a job interview.

3. A recruitment firm will offer you more than a job

Anyone who has gotten a job with Corporate Staffing Services will confirm to you that the relationship does not stop after getting hired. No. Once you get a job through a recruitment firm, the relationship between you and the firm is cemented and you never have to worry about changing jobs again. Why? Because whenever you feel you need a job change, you can always approach the recruitment firm and get first priority in the positions you qualify for. Unless of course you decide it is best to cut off ties with the recruitment firm.

So, yes. With a recruitment firm you get more than just a job. You get a family and a way in to better opportunities in companies you have always wanted to work for. You get referrals to other clients and get inside information. In such a job market that is Kenya’s, this kind of advantage will help your career greatly. It is the professional definition of “knowing people” and having god fathers.

4. As long as you apply for the right job, an interview is guaranteed

Allow me to take you back to the blame game where you don’t get interviews and decide that a recruitment firm or employer is being unfair. In this post here, we explained why you could be applying for wrong jobs and in this one here, we explored what you are probably doing wrong in your job applications. Now, most of us don’t like being corrected, especially when we believe we are right and everyone else is wrong. It is a common phenomenon but one smart job seekers need to leave behind if they really need a job. Complaining about unfairness and favouritism will not get you an interview.

Instead, seek to know where the problem lies by contacting a recruiter and talking to career coaches. If you don’t feel comfortable engaging a recruitment firm or coach, then by all means talk to a contact that is in a higher position than yours. And please don’t ask a friend. Ask someone who will not be afraid to tell you the honest truth. Give them your CV and ask for a second opinion. Provide them with a copy of the job descriptions you have been applying for and see what they have to say.

If you have not been getting any interviews, you will realize there is indeed something you are doing wrong. Because if you apply for the right job, in the right industry, with the right CV and follow the instructions given, applying through a recruitment firm will guarantee you the first interview. All you have to do is understand what positions are best for you and apply for only those ones. So start building that relationship with a recruitment firm today.

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8 Comments

  1. I appreciate the support given you worked on my c.v and cover letter and have refereed my friends to you and good service given,thanks big time

  2. This is the best thing that ever happened to a job seeker.
    Getting closer to that dream job via a recruitment firm is consolingly wonderful.
    It saves a lot of heartbreaks that come with the “no vacancy” posts all over the world.

  3. Hey, I am Benjamin from Mombasa I like your articles they are usually educative and would like to know if you have offices in Mombasa

  4. Awesome article with great insights. However, I have tried getting in touch with your firm and the person who answers the phone always says that I address my issues via email which has never been replied to. Honestly speaking, am one of those who think that recruitment firms are biased in their work…. No pun intended though.

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