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Tips for getting the most from an employment agency

have been missed because they were buried within the depths of the CV. Short paragraphs with underlined titles also help to split up the text into an easily digestible format.
Don't leave any time gaps in your work history without a suitable explanation. Agencies can imagine all kinds of nefarious reasons for you not working for any period of time!
Include your reasons for leaving previous roles. It may be that you have been unfortunate in being made redundant several times, but if this is not explained on your CV you will look like a "job-hopper" and your application may be cast in doubt on that basis.


Hobbies and interests are important because they flesh you out as a person, but employers will raise an eyebrow when candidates produce a reading list of the books and authors they've read, or describe all their favourite movies within an obscure genre. It's just not interesting and not relevant to a role in Finance eg.



INTERVIEW
Take the Agency interview very seriously: The agency represents their clients and if a candidate is rude, smells of alcohol and cigarettes (avoid pub lunches before interview!), is overly casually dressed, or appears disinterested, then the consultant may inform the client of their reservations; or in the case of alcohol fumes arrange another interview. It is surprising how often agency staff find themselves interviewing people that reek like they've just come from a German beer festival.
If you cancel an agency interview twice, it is unlikely you will be offered a third chance unless you have a rock solid reason. The agency will keep a record of this for up to a year and it may harm your chances if you would like to be considered for any subsequent roles at that agency.
Use the interview as an opportunity to go through your options with the consultant. Ask their advice on avenues that are open to you. Importantly, make sure that you are happy with the category you are being filed under: if your agency heavily relies on a database system you could be skipped over for a juicy role that suits if you have been mis-categorised.
Be open to what roles you will consider. The consultant is trained to spot opportunities that can use your transferable skills and progress your career, even if it is not something that you had hitherto considered.

CONTACT
Candidates sometimes object to not being called regularly. Sometimes it can be a couple of months before a suitable role comes in which will prompt a call. Agencies find it impossible to keep in


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