When you're represented by a staffing agency like Career Personnel, it's exciting to check your email and see that a job posting has been sent your way. It's only natural to want to write up your application and submit it as quickly as possible, given that many such positions have lots of demand, but it's advantageous to take a minute to read the job posting very carefully. You can end up wasting precious time if you miss something in the application and your agency rep has to contact you to inform you of this oversight — in the meantime, other applicants may be submitting their applications. When you're reading the job postings that are sent to you, make sure to check carefully for these specific instructions.
Use Of The Highlighting Tool
Some staffing agencies will request that their clients submit applications that have been highlighted electronically. In these situations, applicants will be responsible for highlighting specific areas of their resume that directly link to the job's requirements. This will save the agency rep and the employer time as they peruse the application. Failing to highlight your application accordingly is problematic because it shows that you aren't following instructions, and it may cause a delay in the submission of your application.
Consent To Exclusively Apply For You
While you might have two or more staffing agencies actively looking for jobs for you, agencies will request that you do not apply for the same position through different agencies. When you submit your application to your agency rep, it's customary for you to copy and paste a paragraph that gives the agency exclusive consent to represent you for this specific position. The agency will not submit your application unless you provide this consent, so look for this paragraph in the initial email you received and make sure that you copy and paste it per the instructions.
Inclusion Of References
Some applications won't require references, although the inclusion of them can be helpful. Other applications will specifically ask for a certain number of references presented in a certain manner. Make sure that you familiarize yourself with this detail. For example, if the application is supposed to contain the names of three references and their phone numbers, rather than their emails, make sure to submit this information properly. Including a sentence such as "References available upon request" at the end of your resume will cause a delay in your application as your agency rep asks for you to provide this information.
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