What can I expect from a meeting with someone from Adecco?

mooed_music

I'm trying to start a new career in IT. After putting my resume in a few places online I received a call from someone from Adecco asking to meet and start a conversation about what I want out of a career. This seems like a scam or at least too good to be true. What's the catch? Is this a service I have to pay for? What should I expect from the meeting tomorrow? Should I wear a suit?

Thank you.

Zomboidicus

They're a legitimate employment agency. They do all the HR screening, drug testing and general employment process on behalf of the company that you will work for (or at least for the one I worked with in the past.) Downside is that companies have to pay Adecco for their services, so you may receive a lower wage than what you are actually worth. Especially so since they're not an IT-specific recruiting company. Think of it as a temp agency, and make sure to find out whether the position is simply temp or contract-to-hire kind of deal.

That being said, go for it only if you don't have a lot of choices or really struggling to get IT jobs.

You should probably still wear a suit, but you shouldn't have to over-do it.

TomkoTech

It's a staffing firm.

goldenlight

I would only use them if I was unemployed. Maybe they treat people with heavy experience differently ? Decided to seek out my own employment opportunities.

MacGuffin

mooed_music wrote: »

Should I wear a suit?

If you are comfortable doing so then do so. I'm amazed I'm old enough to talk about the "good old days" when everyone wore a suit to interviews and job fairs. There seems to have been a shift to dress more informally through the years and I decided a couple years ago to stop wearing a suit to interviews unless I get the distinct impression I am expected to do so.

They are not necessarily expecting someone in a suit to appear. They expect someone who looks the part. I found that by wearing a suit I was somehow giving the impression I was looking for a manager position and I'd be treated as such. When I wore a dress shirt, tie, and tan or black slacks I'd put the interviewers at ease.

I've found things go along much more smoothly when you dress for the part. That applies in many aspects of life.

SweenMachine

MacGuffin wrote: »

If you are comfortable doing so then do so. I'm amazed I'm old enough to talk about the "good old days" when everyone wore a suit to interviews and job fairs. There seems to have been a shift to dress more informally through the years and I decided a couple years ago to stop wearing a suit to interviews unless I get the distinct impression I am expected to do so.

They are not necessarily expecting someone in a suit to appear. They expect someone who looks the part. I found that by wearing a suit I was somehow giving the impression I was looking for a manager position and I'd be treated as such. When I wore a dress shirt, tie, and tan or black slacks I'd put the interviewers at ease.

I've found things go along much more smoothly when you dress for the part. That applies in many aspects of life.

Once again, whenever someone posts this I would just like to remind them that in my experience, hiring people to work at a help desk for most of the last 7 years (almost all from staffing firms) I would be immediately taken aback if someone didn't wear a suit. Only one person out of at least 200 I have interview didn't have a suit.

I live in Chicago, so take that for what its worth.

I don't think anyone thinks someone in a suit is looking for a management position. They are expecting the candidate for the job they are hiring for.

(I don't think you are wrong MacGuffin, and a tie/shirt combo works, I am merely mentioning my experience hiring)

As far as Adecco.. Worked with them 10 years ago, they are just like any other staffing firm... there is no harm going to this interview, esp if you are just starting out. They are probably just filling a quota anyone, but being on file or on someones radar, when you are just starting off isn't really a bad thing in my opinion.

-scott

InfoSecChica

Hi mooed_music:

As a previous poster stated, Adecco is a staffing firm. And a very legitimate one, at that. I think they may even be the largest in the U.S. or neck and neck with Robert Half. Anyway, if you're just starting out in IT, I say go for the interview. Using a staffing firm is a fantastic way to break into IT. It's how I did it 10 years ago (Abigail Abbott was the firm that got me started) when I was placed in an application support position (help desk) for a large mortgage company supporting their loan origination system. After 3 months, that mortgage company hired me as a permanent employee.

Also, even if you don't have IT experience per se, as long as you're pretty handy on the computer, you can often use the work experience you already do have to get an entry-level IT job. Usually that means help desk type work, but, hey, it's a start. For me, because I already had a few years working in the banking and mortgage industry (as curtomer service), that was very attractive to that mortgage company I started my IT career with since they needed someone who understood how mortgage loans worked and knew how to deal with people over the phone, and they'd teach me the technicals of supporting the loan origination system.

Anyway, you really have nothing to lose in going to the Adecco interview. It could be the break you were looking for to start your new career.

Tremie24

Meeting probably won't be more than 20 minutes, and I would imagine you two would be talking about jobs, career and going over your resume. Then you'll probably never hear from them again. I wouldn't get your hopes up too much, but hey this could be different.