Employment

Career Management: Career Placement

Career placement is a somewhat misunderstood term. There are businesses that advertise career placement services, but this can have different meanings. The truth is, none of these services can actually promise you a job. They should, however, be able to provide you with opportunities.

Career Placement Services
Staffing firms offer help with career placement. Some firms specialize in temporary positions, while others are dedicated to placing full time employees. As a temporary worker, or temp, you are not considered an employee of the company you work for. Your employer is the staffing firm itself. It signs your paycheck, which is essentially a cut of what the client (the company where you physically work) is paying the staffing firm. You should never have to pay the firm a fee for its services.

Firms that focus on full time, permanent staffing operate a bit differently. They will send you on interviews with potential employers, who decide themselves whether to hire you. If you are hired, you will actually be employed by that company. Your new employer will pay the staffing firm a finders fee for referring you. Again, you should not be asked to pay anything to a staffing firm.

Both types of firms have a screening process applicants must undergo. They want to determine if you are marketable to the organizations they work with–in other words, do you possess skills and experience that are in demand. Remember that just because you register with a staffing firm, you cannot just sit back and relax. You should still continue to network, send resumes and keep your interview skills sharp.