I'm always a bit leery about job agencies - they promise big, but never deliver. In this case,…read moreunfortunately I was right. I received a call from someone at the agency for an interview the following day. I showed up, and received a head to toe look over and was told I just needed to fill out an application with their agency, and I'd be on my way to an interview at the business itself. I was told very basic information about the position and its duties, and was told to call after the interview. I went to the place of business, where two other women (also sent by Alfa) were waiting. Apparently, we had all been sent over for the same position. The "manager" was 15 minutes late, and when he arrived he called us back to the office, gave us all another look over, and explained details about the position. He then took our resumes, and said that was all. It was a very strange experience. He didn't ask ANY questions regarding our resumes, experience, expectations, etc. I received a call later that day from Alfa saying that I had been chosen to start at the position, and she would call me the next day, or the following Monday. She never called me back. I didn't return the call either, because I got an uneasy feeling about the whole process - very unprofessional to say the least. The position's duties were also way up and above the job title and wage range to make matters worse. Moral: Think twice about replying to a job ad from this agency, and if you do, don't expect a whole lot in return from them. It seems like a small mom and pop shop, and they don't quite have their act together. I wasted a day and bus fare for nothing.

Great employment agency, very easy to work with. I registered with them in January and was sent to…read morework within a few days. Recruiters in this agency have been great working with and answering and resolving any questions or concerns I may have had. I would recommend Alfa to everyone who is looking for a job.!

DO NOT pay money to go here if you are looking to become a Household or Estate Manager. They will…read moreNOT help you find a job. Also, their training is a complete joke. You are stuck in an old warehouse the entire time and it is not hands on what so ever. The first week, you have Charles just talking and talking about himself and his book or his clipping in the newspaper or the show he goes on every week. He does not provide any real on the job training. Then they have these people come in who are suppose to be experts but all they do is just talk about themselves and cannot really offer you much. Plus, if you come in from out of town or out of the country like myself, they don't offer housing, so you are on your own to find a place to stay and live for the month. They don't have advice on where you should stay or where a good and safe location is either. The clothes they have there for you fold, iron or pack are from a dead guys closet and it smells like urine. The so called bar/wine training is a joke. The guy who teaches that class doesn't teach you anything about managing a wine cellar, doesn't teach you the finer things on bartending or planning a party, he again is just someone that talks about himself and things he has done in the past. Then you have the lady who is suppose to teach you about etiquette and party planning but all she does is read to you from a book and again, fails to teach you anything about party planning. All in all, this was a HUGE waste of a month and a big waste of money. There are way better places out there, you are better off going to Mary Starkey's in Colorado or Professional Domestic Services in Ohio. They give you hands on experience and useful information. Better yet, contact DEMA and see if you can shadow an actual butler or household or estate manager for a couple weeks, you'll actually get to see how to manage a household and see how things run and what to do, how to act, and how to truly manage the household in a professional manner. Again, DO NOT waste your money here. They will not help you find a job. There were 6 of us in the class and Charles MacPherson and his staff have not helped any of us after we graduated. I've spoken to my classmates numerous times and they all say the same thing, they won't respond back to your calls or emails. Honestly, why would they? They already collected your money, so why would they bother to help you afterwards? It's a scam. Please, don't waste your time or money here. You will be sorry if you do...

I chose to attend the Jan-Feb 2015 session of the Charles McPherson Academy for Butlers and…read moreHousehold Managers because I knew there was quite a lot about private service I hadn't yet been exposed to or had the opportunity to master. I was returning to private service after 10 years away and wanted to be competitive as a candidate and exceptionally well-prepared as an employee. I researched several different academies in the US and found the Charles McPherson Academy to offer the curriculum, learning environment, schedule, value, and, most importantly, the reputation in the private service community that I was looking for. As a graduate of the Academy, I received superb training in a wide range of skills pertinent to Household Managers (a.k.a. Butlers) and also tremendously valuable to Personal Assistants (my focus). The curriculum covers Household Management, Butler Skills, Etiquette & Protocol, Table Setting & Service, Valet Skills, Event Planning, Wardrobe Management, Laundry, Housekeeping, Household Mechanicals, Cigars, Coffee, Cooking, Wine, Champagne, Mixology, Security, and First Aid, all in 4 very full weeks in Toronto, Ontario. Mr. MacPherson presented the Household Management topics and subject matter experts presented the other topics. The Academy staff were actively involved in each day's lessons. We were quizzed every morning on the previous day's lessons and corresponding sections of the textbook, which provided a timely gauge of how well we had learned the material. There was also a mid-term and a final exam. A fellow student and I met up for study sessions, which helped us both. While attending the Academy, Mr. MacPherson helped me negotiate an offer from an outside recruiter to work as a Personal Assistant / Head of Domestic Staff, a position I would have felt unprepared for if it hadn't been for the Academy. Since graduating, I have referred back to the training and the text book often for guidance on household matters. My fellow graduates and I keep in touch and look out for one another. Mr. MacPherson and the Academy staff are very supportive and assist with recruitment placements as well as work-related quandaries, which is invaluable. Of course, no one recruiter's net is large enough to catch all of the job opportunities, so it's still important to work with multiple recruiters. I am proud to be an alumna of the Charles McPherson Academy and believe attending has been an extremely valuable investment in my career and my professional network. I highly recommend the Academy and am happy to try to answer any questions you may have. Heather Higgins heather@heatherhiggins.com

This is one of those companies that help you position yourself better on the job market if your…read moreemployer lets you go with a package. Essentially your former employer hires this company for a few months to help you not commit suicide due to unemployment stress lol . DBM refers to your situation as "transition period in your career". They provide various resources to help you find a new job: their web site with webinars, on-site seminars with other people in the same situation as you and a professional speaker; a consultant that will be working with you individually helping you out with resume, etc. I found their office in Mississauga was nicer. Overall experience was nice as they were willing to accommodate various requests when I was not happy with the program. Do ask if for whatever reason you feel you cannot utilize resources provided in full. The downside is: there are various free programs of a similar kind. They are not located in a nice downtown office like LHH/DBM program, they do not offer free tea and coffee but they still help you in a similar way as DBM/LHH does. So, if your employer is paying, go for it, otherwise look up free help.

Good so far. They…read moreget me the job in the right career track when I just move to Canada. it would be better if they could provide contractors with better benefits, since our payroll is under them. however, it seems that their own employees also get same benefits as contractors.

I really appreciate the professional and effecient services IG has provided. From the first email…read morethey reached out to me to the congratulation letter and the first day instructions, everything got done with 10 days! During this peroid, they scheduled everything smoothly and provided great support. very positve experience to share with you guys. Jeff

It takes a lot to galvanize this copywriter to write a review. In this instance, I'd like to give a…read moreshout-out to Creative Circle, a Toronto recruitment firm that specializes in my field, marketing and advertising. Shortly after I replied to a copywriter position posted on a job board, I received an email from Gillian, one of the talent scouts at Creative Circle. I was asked to drop in for a one-on-one, and enjoyed my interview process. Gillian knew the ad business, as she had worked agency-side. While the job I had applied for was filled, Gillian said she would keep in touch. And surprise, she did! While the agency biz is crying for web developers and motion graphic designers, it's a much drier place for copywriters--hey everybody can write a sentence, but not everybody can code a snippet. That said, when a copywriting gig did come up, and Gillian felt I was suitable, she would call and ask if I was available for the short-list. Thanks to Creative Circle, I recently ended up with a writing gig at SapeintNitro. Once you've got a record--a good record--the calls come more frequently. So kudos--overall, a definitely positive experience for me.