A very good recruitment firm. I was glad to have this firm recommended to me a couple of years…read moreago. The level of service provided to me as a jobseeker was far superior to the major chain recruitment agencies. As an independent they have a smaller recruiting base than the larger firms, but make up for it through attention to your individual needs and desires. They are best viewed as an Admin recruitment agency. Do not be put off if you have no experience in insurance, finance, etc. They put me in touch with a wonderful local business working as a PA. It was probably the best office job I've ever had. Well worth popping down to if you're a graduate looking for work and you fancy a more human approach to HR.

Manpower have been extremely good to me in the past. Upon arriving in Brighton I took up a familiar…read morerole to those new t the city or even just in need of a job quickly...Telesales. Now I cant blame Manpower for this introduction to the world of cold calling but when I inevitably left, they worked really hard for me to get a new and more interesting position and within a few weeks I was working as a Scientist! Oddly Manpower is full of women, extremely helpful and caring women.

Manpower Brighton blacklisted me because I didn't accept one of their jobs that was due to start…read moreseveral weeks in the future and took another one that started right away as I needed immediate money income or would have ended up homeless. Because of their petty vindictive attitute, particularly when I have a very good CV, they have made my jobhunting all the more difficult and they don't deserve to have a branch in Brighton.

Red Flag Recruitment is in the hideous Tower Point, a building that reeks of despair and…read moredesperation, but that's the only negative thing I could say about it. Run by two friendly, chirpy gentlemen who seem bright as buttons even first thing in the morning, it isn't so much like an employment agency as one of your friends nudging your CV to the top of the manager's pile, albeit in a very professional way. They engage with your personality, offer you a range of options and help and advise right the way through the process. It feels very much like they're on your side. Admittedly the options they have aren't going to ignite the creative juices and let loose the hounds, but if your gastronomic juices are beginning to make themselves felt, a job through these guys could keep the wolf from the door for a couple of months. Their service would be hard to fault. They really do take the stress out of applying for rubbish day jobs, down to telling you what you're expected to wear so you don't turn up feeling out of place and ill at ease, walking you over to your interview and drilling you thoroughly so that you know what the employers really want to hear. Admittedly it's more of a silk purse into a sow's ear transition, watering individual personalities down into bland mulch that call centre managers can stomach, but if anyone's going to do that, albeit temporarily, I'd rather it was these guys. They have the unique perspective of knowing exactly what they're doing, and admitting that you want the job for the money, not for 'career advancement' or 'broadening experience' - very refreshing.

I'm not usually one for writing reviews, but after my time spent with Red Flag Recruitment, I…read morethought they thoroughly deserved a recommendation. It was a tough few months trying to find work, and after handing my CV to a dozen agencies, hating it, stressing out and hearing nothing I was ready to chuck the towel in and move back with my folks. Red Flag on the other hand, were a total gem. Most temp agencies are stuffy, pretentious places that make you feel edgy and out of place and as soon as you walk through the doors. In comparison, the guys at Red Flag are relaxed, friendly, genuine and really on the ball. Not only did they manage to find me a job immediately, but when my temp contract ended, they had me back into another the very next day. Temping's such a one-in-one-out world, but the boys at Red Flag really look after their folks. They kept in touch with me weekly and frequently laid other options on the table should I want to jump ship and do something else. Most importantly, Simon and Toby who run the company really know the score. I just wanted to make enough money to pay the bills and enjoy my weekends, and didn't have to pretend I was thirsty to prove myself as manager material in some new call center. Their frankness and friendliness marks them out from every other agency I've been with. So if you're looking for some post-graduation temp work in Brighton and you don't want to spend hours traipsing the streets and trying to convince recruiters that this is your dream job, then Red Flag Recruitment are definitely the guys to go with.

When I returned from Sweden I decided to switch up my career and turn towards office work. Armed…read morewith my CV I gave these guys a go. I was not particularly impressed. Having a BA in art history and coming off the back of running my own business I would have thought that getting some menial office position would have been a breeze. Not so for first recruitment. They said that they wouldn't really have anything suitable except a monkey filing job for a 16 year old at 12k a year. By now I had given my details and although I walked out unimpressed, I was still pestered for about two months by the occasional call to see if I was still looking. Initially I was responding positively until they continued to offer jobs that just weren't worth my time. Eventually, I changed phones and funnily didn't think to give them the new number.

My experience with First Recruitment was very much a mixed bag. On the one hand they did land me a…read moresolid temping position (for which I won temp of month...they spelled my name wrong on the certificate I might add) that months later turned into a permanent job. However they basically harassed me with phone calls and my not answering did not seem to deter them. My then girlfriend had also signed up with First Recruitment and they even called her looking for me. I found that to be a bit much.

Brook Street is the agency with which I have spent the most time, and had the most jobs. Situated…read moreon the busy North Street, its' entrance is surprisingly well camouflaged, sandwiched between Prêt a Manger and a fashion emporium. It represents all the reliable old faithfuls of employment agencies - Telegen, ttmc, PTF et al. However, the people who work here are human (tick!) friendly (tick!) and put in a decent effort on your behalf. The space is weird and open plan and you have to sit with your back to the door and do typing speed tests, but no-one really cares about your typing speed - in the end, they're interested in whether you're personable and presentable or not, and whether you turn up on time. They'll also sell you with all their skills. If your CV is rubbish, they have a good enough reputation with employers to get them not to look at it but to judge you on interview alone. If your CV has potential, they'll rewrite it for you, or just type up a few paragraphs of their impression of you as an employment prospect. They'll walk you to your interview and stand up for you in the rare cases where someone's treated you really unfairly. If you do get a job through them, provided you do your bit and get your time sheets in, they'll pay you promptly and by BACS, none of the faffing of the less organised agencies with cheques and what not. All in all, if one must go through the employment-agency process, and it seems to be close on a rite of passage these days, you could do a lot worse.

When I moved back to Brighton just over a year ago, I signed up to what felt like millions of…read moretemping agencies. Its always sort of depressing, knowing that you're going to be overqualified and underpaid for the next how ever many weeks, until you find a permanent job. What's more depressing is when not one of the umpteen temping agencies finds you any work! Enter Office Angels! Whilst I had many meetings with recruitment agents, who all talked the talk quite well, Office Angels were the only agency that actually walked the walk. Located on Western Road, the Brighton branch is full of welcoming, friendly staff. The system is logical- you fill out a form, register and are usually asked to attend a short interview, to assess you computer skills and employment history. I was looked after by Laura- she was friendly, professional and filled me with confidence that I would actually soon be employed. Within a few days of registering, she was calling me with temping opportunities and within two weeks of moving back to Brighton, I was in an ongoing temp job that lasted three months. From the outside, Office Angels is often criticised for being girly with gimmicky marketing. Whatever, they know what they're doing and that's what counts. Temping will never pay well enough and for that reason, I will never rave about a temping agency, but if you need to fill a gap, I can recommend Office Angels!