In every walk of life there are a variety of choices for the individual. When job seeking or considering using an agency the variety of choice is no different.

You can travel the lonely road researching and sending out speculative letters to companies who you believe may be interested in your CV. The costs are prohibitive and the effort required exhaustive.

You can spend an incredible amount of time and money buying and reading local and national newspapers in the vain hope of securing the role you desperately seek. All with no guarantee of success.

Local job centres and community resource centres offer excellent advice and assistance but not always the immediacy of employment.

A good recruitment agency should have a network of companies that are seeking individuals with the requisite skills, abilities and determination. They should be aware of which companies to introduce you to and which companies are expanding, relocating, or just taking on replacement staff.

A worthwhile recruitment agency should be prepared to invest time and effort in listening to your needs, advising you on the quality and suitability of your CV, identify transferable skills and ultimately recommend changes to your CV if and where necessary.

A reputable company should also have professional personnel who can assist with training or development requirements, offer a full support role and instill confidence in you.

As in life you have the choice, make sure you don't just ask any agency to help you, make sure that you ask the right agency.