Recruitment has become a business in its own right with new agencies and websites opening everyday. An increasing number of employers are now advertising vacancies online. There is also a growth in online recruitment agency. Employers will use online agencies to advertise job vacancies. Online recruitment also means that employers can hide what they are doing from their competitors – this is especially useful to an employer who may have head hunted in the past and is therefore treated with suspicion by other employers. Employers can also recruit for posts where they themselves have no expertise but rely on the agency to sort out what is needed for them. With most of these agencies prospective candidates will submit their details along with their resume or CV.

When it comes to online recruitment the primary client for the agency is the employer – this means that the agency will be considering the employer’s needs before those of any potential employee. Recent breaches in online security mean that you should thoroughly check out how secure an agency’s site might be before you submit any of your personal details.

One of the benefits of using online recruitment is that you do not have to be in a specific place at a specific time. This means that you can apply for jobs through such an agency any time of the day or night. Online agencies are invaluable if you are moving house and want to find a job in the area to which you will be moving. You can also apply to register with a number of such agencies and undertake short term temporary contracts which will give you a variety of work experience.

It is usual to send your resume/CV to a number of different agencies, but make sure that these agencies serve a particular type of job market. Once you have done this then you should make regular contact with the online recruitment agency to see how your application is progressing. They should be able to tell you whether they have put forward you CV to an employer and what you might expect from that i.e. do you stand a good chance of gaining an interview or are you a rank outsider with that particular employer.

Certainly the rise in online recruitment agencies has taken a lot of the hard work out of looking for a new job. Some figures suggest that around eight out of ten job seekers now use online recruitment sites in their search for work. Many traditional employment or recruitment agencies now have their own websites where people can submit their details rather than visiting the actual office. The rate at which such agencies are growing means that job seekers now have a far wider choice of employment and a greater chance of securing a position that suits their needs.
Joining the police force is unlike any other career move. Police recruitment methods are entirely different to any other type of recruitment – apart, perhaps from the military or government positions. Most recruitment methods are fairly straightforward. Employers advertise for staff either through a recruitment agency or by advertising in newspapers, job centres and shop windows. While initial police recruitment may involve some sort of advertisement the recruitment process is far more complicated. Just because you obtain an initial interview does not necessarily mean that you are a suitable candidate.

Police recruitment often involves evaluating candidates’ psychological responses and their personalities. Different forces will have their own ways of undertaking these tests but most will, nevertheless, involve this type of testing. The police will also want to test whether the candidate will abide by the police ethical code. It is now preferred that prospective candidates for the police force have a college degree. Don’t expect police recruitment procedures to be the same everywhere you go. Some agencies will require different education qualifications to others. In the US candidates with a college degree would get preference because it is believed that this educational qualification means they have a better understanding of the issues facing the country. It is also believed that greater educational qualifications also mean that the candidate will have a better understanding of human rights and equality issues.

Another thing that will vary between departments is the physical requirements. Those involved in police recruitment often prefer candidates over a certain height and below a certain weight. Most departments would also expect candidates to undergo a full medical before they are offered training as a police officer. Physical fitness is generally a requirement for joining the force. There are a number of other factors affecting police recruitment, for example if a person has been convicted of a felony as an adult then this would generally disqualify them. People with a drink or drug habit would also not be considered as suitable candidates. Some departments would also disqualify candidates if they have a poor credit rating.

In the UK police recruitment begins with an application form and this is one way of filtering out people who might not make suitable police officers. Once candidates have successfully completed these forms they are then put through a rigorous testing process to assess their suitability for the job. Candidates who pass these tests successfully will then be put through a probationary training period which is also the final selection process in police recruitment. Research suggests that out of all potential candidates for joining the police only one out of seven will pass all the rigorous testing first time.