Aquent. A VERY disappointing job search experience and has been... FOR YEARS. I've been applying for tons of jobs over the years (HUNDREDS) via email, LinkedIn, the website, direct connections with Aquent agents, but... NOTHING. And I'm a very experienced prospective employee with great references, extensive experience and a well qualified background. Stioll, NO traction with ANY of the many roles I am being offered or applying for with Aquent. I have TONS of experience and skills, yet I can't seem to get anywhere with any one there or on any roles I apply for? NO ONE seems to respond to any of my messages, either. I was hoping for a better experience with Aquent considering how long I"ve been registered with these guys. So far my experience with Aquent has been very lacking and unprofessional, as well as frustrating.I've applied for over 40 jobs just via the website int he last year. MANY more via attempted direct communication with various agents and through sites like LinkedIn. And over the years, it's been probably in the hundreds. And I haven't heard back from anyone on even ONE job. So my frustration and disappointment is real, warranted and unfortunately, seemingly perpetual. Most responses - IF ANY - are just form letters and boiler plate replies. Otherwise, I'm just pretty much exhausted with trying to even work with or use Aquent as a viable job source. VERY bad experience. I wouldn't recommend. read more

Unprofessional and Scattered I had submitted my resume on their site and didn't hear anything for a few weeks. No big deal, I just kept applying to jobs on their little job board thing. So I find a job I really want, I fit all the requirements and I reach out to the person who posted it. She takes a few days to get back to me saying I need to reach out to the person assigned to my profile. A little annoying but okay. So I reach out to the person assigned to my account, I put in my ID, the job ID, the requirements how I fit them etc all that stuff. She gets back to me like a week later saying I need to make an account and be assigned someone. So not only did she take forever to get back to my email, she didn't even read it. This whole company is scattered AF. I would suggest using a different other than Aquent read more

Both the agents and the HR at this branch completely disrespect their talent, treating them as a number rather than an individual. Upon my initial interview and portfolio review, I was promised a follow-up and several leads. Despite my diligent effort to update staff with my portfolio and provide new work samples for certain employers (which sometimes required a full day's work for no payment), the agents rarely if never followed-up. Though I was encouraged by the company policy to check in every week, one of the agents actually lost it on me and told me I didn't have to contact her as much. Where is the professionalism? Then, when they finally booked me a job, they completely mislead me by selling this as a 30 hour a week job, when it turned out to be only 3 hours of work a week. They had me going through an obstacle course for this--drug test, writing test (not paid) and tons of background checks. I actually turned down another job for this, only to be financially ruined by Aquent. Not to mention, when I brought these concerns up with the agent Tim S. and Laura R. and Kimberly P. in HR they ignored my emails and calls. Finally after getting through to them after the 7th or 8th phone call, I calmly explained that I didn't think it was fair to mislead the talent like this. That chaos could have been avoided had the agent communicated and organized better. Instead of working through this, what did they do? They dropped me from not only the Aquent branch in LA but all of the US! I've worked for big reputable companies (Levi's, Lyft, Matel) and smaller boutique companies too. And I had a great relationship with Aquent in SF. Just beware, the people running the LA branch clearly don't care about the talent and are so self serving that they will even go so far as to exploit them. read more

I've always had a positive experience working with Aquent, but Jennifer Lee truly is my kind of recruiter: accountable, no-nonsense, and driven to get the job done. She guided me through a difficult out-of-state application that could easily have been too long of a shot. She's always been available to answer questions, or provide solutions when I've needed it. And, not that I'm looking to change jobs again any time soon, but when the time comes I hope to work with her again. read more

If you are a creative, green or seasoned, Aquent will find you work. (And, if you are green, I highly recommend you temp for at least six months to a year to find out what industries you like...) When I first moved to LA (in 2005), I was dealing with a number of creative staffing agencies, and none were nearly as helpful and professional as Aquent. It all starts with submitting a resume, then an in-office interview, a (very basic) skills test, preferred hourly rate, and a introduction to some of the office staff. Within a day of completing the process, I was set up with a few interviews--first with a corporate giant, then a privately-owned small business). I ended up getting hired full-time (with benefits) by the privately-owned small business at a very nice salary. And my Aquent rep, Karen Painter, sent me a welcome gift of bamboo (which I still have) once I had settled into my new office. If you temp 40 hours a week, Aquent can provide you with a decent medical plan, plus other nice benefits. You can use their in-office resources to better your skills. I hear they even send out a what-to-do-this-weekend email to their temps now! read more

Awefull experience so far . A friend of mine recomended me to them as I am looking for a job right now. That is second recommnedatin actualu on first one they didnt react almost at all after one email no communication followed. On this one I actually went to their office for an interview and was promised a follow up on one of the positions they have open. Its been almost twoo weekns and I have emailed an agent and called her to leave a message on her voicemail, with no word back . On the opposit hand I just signed in with other agensy and have ben forwarded few jobs already in a day. read more

I seriously don't understand why these other people are giving low stars. First off your employment status and your performance is your responsibility. I update and review my portfolio and my resume materials every month because I am determined to reach every goal I set for myself. Aquent is a agency that can offer you great opportunities to some of the best companies around. In my experience I made sure I asked the questions that were important to me and kept communication open with my amazing agent Brie! Not only is she stunning to look at (no lie) she is so sweet and always on top of things. I never felt left in the dark about anything and she always would send me an email or call me just to make sure I was still liking the position. I absolutely appreciate that part, it means a lot that she takes a genuine interest in her talent. Finding the right job is not an easy task, I found it helpful to be completely transparent with Brie about what I was looking for and that communication was essential to my happiness with my job. Aquent offers benefits as well which is amaaaazing and they truly are not bad. They are through Cigna which is not my fave because you have to be on them about covering things but its so much better to have something than nothing. Aquent always paid on time and submitting time cards has been easy to do. The only down side is if you take time off you don't get paid so in that way its very freelance/contract like so I think for anyone use to contract work your going to love it because you benefits and flexibility. Oh and I have to give a shout out to Samantha the account manager because she helped out with the process so much as well. Best advice I can give is, be transparent with your agent about your skills and what you expect , from pay to hours to responsibilities. This will help them understand if they can place you or not. Also don't be delusional, do your research and compare your work to others, are you even worth what your asking? Be a freaking awesome candidate and a hard worker, these agents are vouching for you when they pitch you to employers, so be as awesome as you say you are and you won't have issues. When your agent tells you hey Disney wants you, you were the top pick it will feel like the hard work paid off. I would gladly work with Aquent again and again especially with Brie Tomaszewki, she has made this experience life changing (cliche but true). read more

I've been working, off and on, with Aquent (the same agent, Debra) since they were Webstaff and MacTemps in the late 90s. I've made a *lot* of money with them, both temping and in permanent positions, and they helped me find my current permanent position. Have there been dry spells? Sure. Have I asked about jobs I knew I was great for and heard nothing. Yep. Have there been placements that went south on me, for reasons I couldn't fathom? Of course. However, I'll say this: I can't speak for every agent, but Debra knows what she's doing and has been in the game a long, long time, so when she steered me towards something, she normally knew what she was talking about. Payment has always been rock solid, and I've always been able to "come home" when things went wrong. I love Aquent and I appreciate its place in my career. read more

I have nothing but praise for the Los Angeles office and team! They are by far the best employment agency I have worked with. They specialize in marketing and creative services roles (at the professional level) and recruit for some of the world's top companies and entertainment studios. Opportunities through Aquent range from short term assignments, long-term (1-2 years) contracts and contract-to-hire opportunities. They also offer great benefits, including health insurance and travel discounts. Their agents are incredibly thoughtful and dedicated when it comes to finding you the right role. You're not just another resume to them! When you land a role, they will come visit you at your new workplace (and usually bearing gifts)! I've worked with Jennifer Torrens and Alecia Arney; both are FANTASTIC. I recommend Aquent to anyone who is on the lookout for new opportunities, a career change or some freelance work! read more

I have mixed feelings. The agents were cordial and gave me some good advice on improving my resume and portfolio however, not only was I not placed they didn't even get me an interview. I managed to set up six interviews and get hired on somewhere by myself before they did anything. I think if you have certain qualifications they might be able to get you "in the door" at a marquee company but other than that you can probably do better on your own. I'm not saying they're bad but my experience wasn't stellar. You should check out www.indeed.com first if your resume is fairly polished and you can write a cover letter. read more

I've had a great experience with Brie and everyone else at Aquent. Within a month of signing up, they found me a job that fit my skills perfectly and led to a long-term contact. It's wonderful that I can get the health benefits through them too. It's easy to submit my timecard and Brie regularly checks in to make sure my job is going well. I definitely recommend them for anyone looking for a job, especially in the world of marketing and sales. read more

Jennifer Lee reached out to me regarding a position at Netflix back in July of 2018 and the process could not have gone better. She not only stayed in constant communication with me throughout the initial interview process to gather feedback and to encourage me through each round, but she even made sure to check in after I started to ensure that everything was going smoothly. On top of that, once I got into Netflix, I realized that she was able to find a position for me that leveraged both my Ad Operations and my Product knowledge, instead of just one or the other. So she managed to find a great fit for my particular set of skills, which is unusual amongst all of the different recruiters I've worked with. I can't recommend her enough, and would certainly work with her again (even though I really hope I get to keep my new Netflix job for a while)! read more

Debra at the Los Angeles office had my best interests in mind with a contract position that took months to land. She kept in touch, updating me on the opening's status. She's continued to check in regarding the project and my progress, which I appreciate. I look forward to working with her and Aquent in the future. read more

I had high hopes for this place. I submitted my resume, but did not hear back from anyone except for a form email. I called at various times to see if they might have anything for me or at least call me in for an interview, but I've yet to hear from them. They say that I need to apply for jobs on their site and I've done that. I have no idea whether or not they are even trying to find me work. Everyone that I've spoken with over the phone has been nice, but I don't feel like I've been helped very much. Lauren S.: is there something that I should be doing differently in order for Aquent associates to help me? read more

Really loved the experience from the beginning up until now. Brie Tomaszewki is my agent and is one of the nicest and most effective persons I have worked with in my life. Thanks to her I now have a job at Mattel and so far I love it. Brie helped me with every steps from the interviews, the paperwork once I got hired, to the stressful first day and is still in touch with me today on a regular basis to make sure everything is going well. I would highly recommend this agency to anyone and would particularly recommend working with the amazing Brie Tomaszewki. Thank you!!! read more

They are completely incompetent. They couldn't get any part of the project I was working on right. They weren't sure of the rate we agreed to, couldn't figure out how to set up the timecards to last the full length project and seemed baffled by any issue that came up. You would think they could manage to get me paid for the hours worked, but issues there as well. I enjoyed working for the company I was with and had an opportunity to go back to finish a project, but wouldn't do it because working with Aquent is such a disaster. I've worked with Jillian at The Creative Group and Margaret at Artisan. If you're looking for employment help, both were great and I'd suggest trying either over Aquent. read more

I've been so impressed with the personal touch Brie Tomaszewski brings to our interactions when she's got potential work for me. She's taken some time to get to know me and I can tell that she's looking out for my best interest as well as that of her clients. It's been a really quality experience so far! I'm always happy to see an email or receive a call from Brie and I highly recommend her to anyone considering signing on at Aquent. read more

My experience: If your resume happens to EXACTLY MATCH the keywords in a job description, you might be considered. Otherwise, THEY DON'T LIFT A FINGER FOR YOU! Not even a courtesy response after requesting that you check in with them. I will not waste any more time with this company. read more

Jennifer is an incredible resource and ally to have on your team. She elevates the candidate/recruiter relationship by bringing an honest and personal touch. Jennifer recently helped me with a new job search and I am blown away. Her communication was always constant - email follow up after every conversation, a break down of what to expect, background on the client, etc. I would always get a few texts before my interviews as well. I never felt out of the loop and I appreciate that so much. Jennifer will be your cheerleader every step of the way. I highly recommend her! read more

This company reminds me of Central Casting. They have tons of eager, capable people in their database yet they continue to run ads all over the net to get others to join? I worked for 2 year through them and was laid off 2 years ago. I'm a capable, experienced Graphic/Web Designer and they don't return calls or place me. I have 4 other designers that were laid off at the same time and they also HATE Aquent. They charge the client $75 hr. and pay the temp $30 hr., that a pretty good markup. Sure you get insurance but that is if you are placed full-time with a company. If you are off a week for vacation you not only don't get paid but you own them $200 for insurance fees because it's subsidized. read more

Not a fan. They came to ME, offered me a 6 week gig at 40 hours a week. So far, I have not worked 40 hours in any given week, plus, the 6 weeks turned into only 4 weeks. I left a good gig for a few dollars more an hour and got screwed because I believed in Aquent. They just want your money, after that you are just a commodity to them. Forewarned is fair as my father always said. Beware of this company. read more

Aquent has a great staff, many work opportunities, and work with talent in a fun, yet professional manner. I sent in my resume, went in to meet with them, and had been placed at a top gaming company within a few weeks. My agent actually called me every couple of weeks for the duration of the assignment (nearly a year) to make sure it was going well. My group was eliminated due to an acquisition. Then they found me a job at an even better company within a couple of months. I've been working on my own business recently so I haven't really been looking lately but I still get calls from them every few weeks. I can understand some of the criticisms listed here in other reviews - people certainly have different experiences working with agencies. Mine has been great with Aquent though. I've referred several friends who also got excellent jobs at great companies. read more

My experience working with Aquent through Jordan has been great thus far! I worked with Jordan on my last contract and she was awesome! She was really good with communicating with me whether it be phone or email on any updates throughout the recruitment process. And she made sure to get me the best contract she could with the client! read more

I've been trying to get in touch with one agent who suggested I contact her once I'm in town since their lead time is so short. So I do as I was told and so far she has never replied to any phone calls or emails I left her. She does email to check if something I cc'ed her on was for her... like she was irritated I was jamming her inbox or something!? I understand it's a tough economy right now, but isn't the purpose of staffing agencies to somewhat lobby for you and help you? If they keep ignoring me, I don't see how they have any added value over a Careerbuilder or Monsterboard. read more

My experience with Aquent has been wonderful! All of my interactions with the office have been professional and positive, and they helped me land my dream job! After the initial meeting with Aquent staffers, my account rep found me a PERFECT temp to perm match, which was a big step up from where I was currently at. I have since been made permanent and am right where I should be, thanks to the Aquent staff! I highly recommend this office to anyone looking for a job. read more

So far I'm having a great experience with Aquent. Mainly because my agent is so great!

I really love the experience working with an Agency. I found Aquent to be very consultant/talent friendly. My agent was Catherine and she and everyone I interacted with was very good about communication. Everyone was always available to me when I had questions or comments. As a FT consultant I was eligible for their pretty good benefits package of which they covered a large part of the cost. Only drawback there is that holidays are not covered. Easy peasy... I definitely recommend Aquent to freelancers and/or anyone looking to be placed into contract work. read more

Incredibly unprofessional. Despite being referred by the hiring manager in charge of temp workers at a very large film & TV studio, and despite having personal references from two former Aquent temps who went on to successful careers, the Aquent agent failed to get in touch after saying she would call back as soon as she received the resume. The resume was sent, and... ...silence. When a follow up phone call was made, the agent was obviously irritated at being contacted and said to continue sending in resumes every two weeks. Look, I know it is a tough market for job seekers and temp agencies alike, and I am sure Aquent is swimming in over-qualified temps with nowhere to put them as it is. But show a little freakin' respect for the person on the end of the phone. We don't want to have to call you any more than you want us to call you. But showing such disdain is really uncalled for. Just a simple phone call or e-mail saying, "Sorry, we don't have anything for which you are a fit, but we will keep you on file" is at least face-saving for the applicant. If this is how Aquent treats applicants who come with personal recommendations from the HR managers who actually hire Aquent temps, I shudder to think how they treat others. read more

I've had a very good relationship with Aquent, which has been especially responsive and proactive in the difficult task of managing placement in creative/digital marketing roles. I'd come to them, I believe, through the referral program, and have had consistently had positive interactions since then. Even in complex situations I know they can be trusted. I recommend Aquent! read more

These guys are great. Alecia Arney-Redman found me a project that I was a good fit for, and I was writing code for them the next day and got my first check less than a week later. She even sent someone out to my house to take a photo of my ID so I didn't have to go into the office! Kick-ass agency for freelancers. read more

Aquent is amazing! They truly hire great talent. I work with several talented individuals that were hired by Aquent at a Fortune 500 company. I recently moved from Florida to California, and although it took some time to find a job, I was lucky to get found by Aquent. My agent Jennifer found me on LinkedIn, and the hiring process went really smooth and quickly. I was hired and working in less than a month. The agency keeps close ties with the hiring managers to make sure your best interest is at heart. At least once every couple of months I eat lunch with Jennifer and the Account Manager, Britni. They are awesome, friendly, and super easy to talk to about anything. I have Cigna insurance as well as other benefits are offered like 401K. I would strongly recommend Aquent to anyone that is needs an agency to help find career opportunities. read more

Aquent is a great agency, very professional. Debra my agent was extremely pleasant and helpful (along with everyone i interacted with there) with all my concerns and questions, and were instrumental in finding me my next opportunity. read more

Wasn't very impressed with them. Like one reviewer noted on their review for updating portfolio and work samples they still do not respond with any type of feedback. Will not continue using them unfortunately. read more

If I could give a 0 or no stars I would. My company was acquired and most of the employees were told our last day would be August 31, so I signed up with Aquent in July. I'm a seasoned veteran with 10 plus years of experience. I was interviewed, and pranced around the office, ooh and aahs over my experience, etc. One week later I got a call about a great opportunity, an assignment that would last 2 years and I would be working from home. Great! I thought I hit the jackpot. The pressure was put on that I must commit for the 2 years, etc., which was not a problem for me. I was to start September 1. As it got closer to my start date I would call my rep to get more information and follow up. She didn't return my calls, when she did, she was full of excuses and I was told she didn't have all the information which was coming from the east coast office. Needless to say on SEPTEMBER 12 I was told the assignment fell through. This is UNACCEPTABLE. I didn't bother looking for any other jobs because I thought I had a gig for 2 years. I have not heard from Aquent since then even though I was assured they would find something else for me immediately. AVOID AVOID AVOID. read more

I am originally from New York and the Aquent office was great. They kept me busy and got me assignments with large firms with a good rate. When I moved to LA a year ago, I thought the LA office would be just as great. Well, I was wrong! I was assigned a dimwit agent, Meri Gulyan. When I came to register, she kept me waiting outside her office for over an hour. All the while, I heard her on the phone talking to her friends on what they were going to wear that night. Over the past year I have called to see if there was any temp work. She always said she didn't have anything. When i called about posted ads for designers, her response was I am not qualified. That my portfolio did not have the exact examples of what the client does. For example the company does ads for lamps. Meri only would send people with portfolios with nothing but ads for lamps for a 1 day gig. What designer is that pigeon holed? My portfolio is full of ads done for fortune 500 companies though ad agencies I worked for. She's an idiot, and doesn't know a thing about the graphics industry. If a designer knows how to put a CMYK full page ad together for one firm, what makes her unqualified to put a 4-color full page for a lamp co.? She also went in and changed my resume on Aquent's website without telling me. It was full of typos and bad grammar. I called Aquent NY and told them what was going on. Their response was that's insane, that I am more than qualified and to move back to NY because clients have been requesting me for freelance work. Other designers I spoke to, have had bad experiences with Aquent LA. Don't register with Aquent LA. They SUCK!!!!!!! read more

I can't say enough good things about Debra Powell at Aquent. I'm currently doing a gig at a great company through her, and I've found her to be responsive, well informed, and fair. Her followup is great. When I was interviewing and asked a question she didn't know the answer to (i.e., about the company's or department's future plans), she said she'd find out and get back to me, and she did. She's also really smart. I'm very pleased read more

My experience with Aquent has been nothing less than outstanding. I have worked with many employment agencies that hardly lifted a finger to find me assignments. In contrast, Aquent has maintained contact with me while continually submitting me for jobs. In fact, my recruiter Jennifer originally reached out to me after seeing my profile on LinkedIn referencing my experience at an entertainment company that is a client of theirs. Even though Aquent is a marketing consulting agency and my background is in administration, she told me that they don't have many administrative roles, but when they do, they are at that company. Once I signed up I was sent on a handful of interviews until I was selected for a long term contract at their client's technology group. Even after I started working, Jennifer kept in touch as she checked in on how I was doing. I highly recommend Aquent if you are looking for an agency that is actively working on your behalf. read more

As I was switching career paths, I needed help with my job search. I was incredibly fortunate to have found Aquent. Debra was amazing and helped me land a job at a wonderful company. Both she and Melissa made sure I was well prepared for the position and helped me make a smooth transition. I highly recommend Aquent and am incredibly appreciative of their staff and services. read more

I have dealt with the Aquent offices in Baltimore/Washington area, and the recruiters are great to work with. They take an avid interest in your career and help you find the right job. They are always prompt in their responses and reach out to you when jobs become available. read more

I had such a great experience with this employment agency--they seem to really care that you get a job and that it's a right fit. They are in constant contact and always available for questions. Even after I was hired they checked-in with me about every month at my place of employment (came to visit in person) to bring gifts/chat/ and generally just check-in. I truly enjoyed the experience and will definitely use them again if I am ever in need of a career change! read more