The Malaysian recruitment agency game — useful tool or time sink?

Worked with 4 recruitment agencies this year during my job search. Honest assessment.

When agencies are genuinely useful:
- They have exclusive mandates for roles not posted publicly
- They know the hiring manager's personality and priorities (the good ones do)
- They can negotiate your package at arm's length
- For specialised roles in finance, engineering, or legal where agency relationships matter

When they're not useful:
- When they're just mass-emailing your CV to every possible match without telling you
- When they're clearly more interested in filling their quota than finding you the right fit
- When they refuse to tell you the company name before submitting your CV

Red flags in agency recruiters:
- Can't describe the company culture or tell you why the role is open
- Pressures you to accept before you've completed your diligence
- Submits your CV to companies without your explicit permission

Best practice: Work with 1—2 agencies maximum and build a real relationship with them. Brief them on exactly what you're looking for. A recruiter who understands your priorities will find better matches.