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How can I find a job on without going through a Staffing Agency?

I am looking for a job. It seems that most listings on CareerBuilder.com, Monster.com, and Jobbank.com are just listings made by Staffing Agencies. I understand why a company would use a Staffing Agency but its annoying and disappointing when I get really interested in a position just to find out that I have to go through a middle man to learn anything else about that position. I've had bad experience with Staffing Agencies because their people tend to ask me to revise my resume to make me look like I have experience that I don't really have. I know they get paid per person they recommend or get hired.

Public Comments

1. You're gonna have to do this the hard way. Networking, and cold calls. Write your resume to show what experience you do have, find the companies in your town or area that you DO want to work for, and then visit each of those companies and ask to speak to the HR manager. When I read an ad, the first thing I check is if its an agency job or not. If it is, I ignore it. I too do not like dealing tih the agencies.
2. Well, companies use Staffing or Temp agencies because they can weed out people they really dont think make the cut. You need to submit resume after resume and call every HR department in the city. Make a list of potential companies, list phone numbers and make it out like a spread sheet. Once you find out who the HR person is, fill in the name and number. Ask if they are hiring and email or mail them your resume. Do this once a month as most companies only keep them active for 30 days. GL
3. Francesca is right - it's going to take hard work on your part. One piece of advice I have is to make sure you customize your resume to each position you apply for. If you're just sending a "generic" resume to every job posting, you're hurting your chances of being considered for that job. You need to take a close look at the job requirements and the key words in the ad, then make sure your resume lists all the requirements and key words. It's also a good idea to have someone review your basic resume - in today's job market I'd go as far as to recommend a professional resume writer. You want to make your resume stand out from the crowd and be noticed. One more thing, a good cover letter can go a long way to getting you noticed too. While your resume tells a potential employer what you've done, your cover letter is your chance to tell them who you are and why they should consider you. Don't get personal in your cover letter, but let your personality come through. I wrote a cover letter using all the recommend techniques - use "you" phrases instead of "I" phrases, let the reader know how you found the job ad, why you're qualified, etc, and keep it professional - and was able to inject some of my humor into it. When I went for the interview, I was told that they may have not noticed my resume had it not been for my cover letter (they'd received literally hundreds of resumes). I got the job within a week! Hang in there, and good luck!