Question:
I was laid off a little more than a year ago. After an unsuccessful job search, I took an overseas government contract job. I think the main thing that kept me from landing a good position back in the U.S. was a lack of training or experience in a couple of very specific areas of IT (VoIP, Linux and advanced switching/routing). When I return from my overseas engagement, what would be my best bet for finding employment: going through a staffing agency or trying to get a job on my own?
 

Katherine Spencer Lee responds:
Your circumstance suggests that you’d benefit from working with a staffing firm. Your difficulty with your previous job search, your time away from the domestic IT environment, your concern about your skill set and your experience with contract work all match up with the advantages these firms can provide. Even for IT professionals who don’t share your specific career concerns, staffing firms are often worth considering. Here’s why:

Put a team in your corner
A job search can feel frustrating, especially in uncertain economic times. While using a staffing firm shouldn’t prevent you from building your network or pursuing leads on your own, it does decrease the pressure on those efforts to produce immediate results. Typically, you visit the firm once, register and take some skills tests. From that point on – assuming you’ve chosen a good firm – a team of well-connected professionals works to find you a suitable position.

Some staffing firms make it easier to go without permanent, full-time employment by providing access to health benefits or even paid vacation time. Most also offer some type of career guidance that can help you determine the next steps on your employment path.

Even a brief absence from the fast-changing IT field can leave you feeling like you’ve fallen behind. Fortunately, good staffing firms aren’t just conduits to jobs – they also offer free training to help you fill in perceived gaps in your skill set. If a work assignment isn’t sharpening the skills that will keep your career moving forward, you can augment the hands-on experience with specific training.

Broaden your work options
Many IT professionals are drawn to staffing firms by the flexibility of consulting or project-based work. These positions expose you to new technologies, work environments and companies, providing constant opportunities to broaden your skill set and marketability. You also have greater control over your work hours because you can accept or decline assignments based on your availability. In addition, most staffing firms also can help you land a full-time job, drawing upon their relationships with employers to provide opportunities you might not have otherwise been aware of.

In any job search, finding a position is only half the battle. All too often, an initially attractive position becomes a career detour or even a dead-end. To address that concern, staffing firms offer not only project work and full-time positions, but also project positions that can lead to full-time employment.

Because these arrangements allow both you and the employer to “test-drive” your working relationship, it’s one of the best ways to get a steady start in a new direction. This arrangement is especially well-suited to people whose interviewing or job-seeking skills don’t quite match up to their actual work performance.

Do your part
A productive relationship with a staffing firm starts with careful selection of the right firm. For skilled IT professionals, the best ones specialize in technology. (A staffing manager who seems out of touch with currently in-demand technology skills is one red flag.) Look for a firm that’s been in business long enough to have built solid relationships with respected employers. Finally, steer clear of any organization that requires you to pay even a small fee. Reputable staffing services don’t charge you for job-hunting assistance.

When you begin working with a staffing firm, be forthright about the types of opportunities you prefer, including the technologies that interest you most and the types of work environments you tend to thrive in. After you’ve started a work engagement, stay in touch with your staffing manager and let him or her know of any concerns.

While some job seekers may still think of staffing firms primarily as a way to find a job ASAP (regardless of how well it fits their career goals), their potential benefits are much greater. For many IT professionals, staffing firms provide the tools, support and connections necessary to lay the foundation for a more fulfilling career.