Advanced Resources

They tell you they will find a job for you and after going to various interviews that did not work out, they stopped contacting me. I want to report this place for their fraudulent practices. Laura Leal failed to secure a job and when I contacted her, she ignored me. I would give this place zero stars because it is terrible and gives people false hope.

They were pushy and seemed personally offended when you didnt like or want to take a job. They definitely need to bring down their aggression level. I know its sales for them, but they are also supposed to be helping people. Im sure it depends on who’s helping you, which is why they got 2 stars instead of 1.

My first impressions of Advanced Resources were very positive. I met with a recruiter who kept in touch with me regularly and mentioned a few promising opportunities, none of which worked out, but which she convinced me had fallen through due to clients choosing to pursue other options. Weeks went by, and I started to notice that she was only contacting me with bottom-​of-​the-​barrel positions. They were either door-​to-​door soliciting or $ 10 an hour envelope-​stuffing jobs 30 miles away from me.
One day I finally thought she had found me my opportunity. It was administrative job in an office environment with a large company, she told me. I was perhaps naïve and agreed to the position without ever seeing a formal job description. Thus I was very surprised when I arrived at the job, and I was led to a warehouse and instructed to do a combination of envelope-​stuffing and heavy lifting work. It was horrible work in a dirty, fume-​filled environment, and I wasn’t even capable of doing the heavy lifting component. I knew after one day there was no way I could continue in the position.
My recruiter called me on my way home, and upon hearing that I could not do the position, turned nasty. She (and her boss, who got on the phone later) kept up a stream of bullying and threats to try to force me to keep the job. I told them I would never have taken the job had I known what it actually entailed. They said that since I had not gotten a formal description, I could not prove that they lied to me. They also claimed that I owed them at least two weeks’ notice if I were to quit, and threatened to blacklist me if I didn’t stay on at least two weeks. The health concerns I had (about the fumes and lifting) were of no concern to them.
When they’d used up my cell phone minutes, they started sending me nasty emails and text messages instead. It was to the point where it was essentially harassment. I ended up having to block their phone numbers and email addresses to get them to leave me alone.
In short: This place pulled a bait-​and-​switch scam on me and then went totally haywire trying to harass me into keeping the position. The thing I kept asking them was, «How is this even legal?» and I still don’t know the answer to that question.

If I could give this place a big ZERO. I would!
Here’s my experience with this «agency»…
— I apply for a position on their website that matches what I’ve done for the last decade or so.
— I get a call later that day from a gal, who first put me on hold, then came back on the phone, then put me on hold again and then we set up a time for me to come in and meet the next day.
— I made arrangements to leave my temp role earlier (this temp role is NOT thru this agency) and I get there 5 mins early as requested.
— This gal comes in and we talk. Hmm. She pretty much picked apart my background and told me ALL the stuff I’m doing wrong. Sorry… you’re what — twentysomething? Yah, I’m FAR older than you are and know how to interview, thank you very much.
— Then I was informed I would have to do a 20 second video. Huh? Ok, well this is new to me, so I signed their piece of paper to allow them to videotape me. She left to go type up a «script» for me that I would have to read off for my video clip. The reason they do this you ask? So they can include your video when they recruit you for jobs. Creepy IMO, but alas, I guess this is how they work.
Here’s the best part!
They had me in their database AS A COMPANY and NOT as a client! Yep, and it’s been in there like that since 2008. Well, no wonder I never got any opportunities if they listed me as a prospect company and not as a candidate!
So after all this, I hand the printout of the job I applied for, only to be told it’s «old». Really? And then I sat thru some schtick about how adorable I was and now it’s time to go shoot my video. Warning — they post old jobs so you’ll apply and then come in. When I asked about this position, I was told that they may have another one, but I’m welcome to follow up with them. Hmm. The schtick I heard made me throw up a little.
I also met with another «recruiter» earlier in the year, and when I mentioned that — I was given a blank look and was told she had no idea who this other person was.
When I e-​mailed the other recruiter, she said «look, I’ll let you know when we have something for you.» When I sent her links to ALL the jobs I found online, I never heard back.
Waste.of.time! I will take my job search elsewhere, which I have and will never, ever, ever go here again.

When my job was eliminated out from under me a few years ago, this was one of the placement agencies I enlisted to get at least temporary work. I met with Betsy, who claimed (at first) that my skills on Office programs were insufficient for most of what was available. As a result, I honed my skills and retook the Advanced skills tests, and got nearly perfect scores.
Didn’t make any difference. One or two jobs were mentioned to me, after which they would never have been mentioned again, had I not enquired; Betsy gave the odd explanation that my skills didn’t match these one or two jobs for which SHE had recommended me. The one job I got through this sham of a company was a two-​week stint stuffing envelopes for Walgreen’s HQ in Deerfield, for the princely sum of $ 10/​hour, which didn’t quite justify putting gas in the car.
The real kicker was Betsy’s response when I suggested via email that continuing with Advanced didn’t seem to make sense; she left a long, solicitous voicemail about how very, very sorry she was that I seemed to think that Advanced wasn’t a «good fit» and that she really, really was absolutely and completely dedicated to «helping» me. How that sense of confusion at my response squared in her mind with the company’s actual performance is something I can’t fathom. She gets me a two-​week, minimum-​wage job (despite the near-​perfect Office test results I went to the trouble to compile) and manages to offer me another minimum-​wage spot handing out teddy bears somewhere or other (I declined), and she can’t figure out why I think she’s failed me? Ok, whatever.
An absolute waste of time and energy.

I’m surprised to see all the negativity! Temping can be rough, and I’ve been through a lot of agencies, most of whom were really not there to help you at all.
Advanced has been the exception. From the start Betsy was warm, friendly, and knowledgeable. She got me set up for an interview right away, and within a short time I had my first assignment. She told me, like many other agencies, that she was going to work on getting me in somewhere bigger and better, and unlike with the other agencies, she did.
I’ve been working for Advanced at Walgreens’ hq for over a year. I’ve always felt supported, and if there were any problems that came up I could count on her or the rest of the staff to help.
She hasn’t just helped me land a gig here, she’s helped me find what I was looking for out of my assignments and really listened to what it is I want to do.
I’ve found email a little more helpful than calling to keep in touch, but other than that I really have no complaints. I feel appreciated, benefits are available, and as you get through the Star levels the recognition is great. I will and have recommended them for people in the area looking for a job.

Betsy and I connected online-​via CareerBuilder– and we spoke of my upcoming move from NYC to Chicago and job search. We set a meeting just a few days after I arrived in Chicago– in the Northbook office. I met with her entire admin team and an additional recruiter– Dina. We went over my background– and really what I’m looking for. Within two hours of leaving the office, the team had already called me to say I had an interview at the company I was most excited about. After two weeks– and 3 interviews I felt confident about the position. Betsy and Dina did an AMAZING job letting working a deal out with the company ASAP– they were aware I was ready to start work and couldn’t afford to not be working much longer. They offered me to do temporary work as well– but I was determined to find a full time position. Betsy and Dina did an amazing job– keeping me updated EVERYDAY. When they called to discuss the offer letter they had received it was BETTER THAN I HOPED FOR! I am so happy with my job and feel very I connected with Betsy! I Highly recommend her team – they are flawless in execution!

I already did a review for the Chicago office, but have been working with the Chicago office and Northbrook office very closely.
Advanced has been extremely helpful in my job search! They really keep you updated and let you know what they have. They truly try to find a good fit for what you are looking for. I have been looking for a new role for a few months now and have been working with Advanced.
When they find something that works for you, it is a super fast turn around time, and I am happy to say that I have been placed in temporary role, and hope to find something permanent soon as well!
Thank you Advanced Resources!

Just like every other staffing agency … useless. Stacy Johnson contacted me so we met, had a nice little chat, and she was going to submit my resume for an open position. About a week later, she emailed me to tell me they had gone with someone else but she would be sure to keep in touch.
That was the last I heard from her. I’m pretty sure they just stock-​pile resumes for funsies.

I have nothing but great things to say about Advanced Resources. I would recommend this Staffing agency to all of my friends that are looking for a job. Betsy Linhart and Dina Fiorelli are very professional and caring women that will place you in a position that best suits you. From the moment I walked into the Northbrook office 8 months ago till now, I have felt that I was being taken care of and had no issues communicating with my recruiter. Betsy placed me in a position in a great company as soon as possible. It was fast! After working hard work as a temp I have recently been given a great opportunity at the company I was placed in. Betsy and Dina have your back through your journey as a temp! Just remember it is a give and take relationship– you will only have bad experiences if you don’t give your best (sometimes take chances) and reciprocate professionalism. Work hard– get rewarded and trust Advanced Resources.

Reading the previous reviews I’M POSITIVE we didn’t go to the same office.
I don’t have the words to describe how WONDERFUL the staff at Advanced Resources is! From the first communication via phone with Anna until now she is a pleasure to work with.
I showed up to my first interview 20mins early, I was greeted with warm smiles and professionalism. I didn’t wait to be seated in an interview room. Whatever Anna was doing she dropped it to greet me and we started our interview immediately.
Anna Valabov is an amazing, pleasant, extremely professional consultant. I love to see someone who genuinely enjoys what they do. She is knowledgable of her clients needs and strives to meet those needs.
Anna took the time to listen to me and she knows where my experience and educational qualifications will best fit in a company. She doesn’t just work for those companies, she works for me too and that’s how she has made me feel. She has proved to me time and time again that when she helps companies and individuals like myself she does it because that’s what she enjoys doing and not just what she gets paid to do.
I also met with Kaitlyn Sertich and Dina Fiorelli and they are as awesome as Anna.
Just yesterday I went to another large staffing firm downtown (review to follow) and I felt like cattle being pushed in and out. I NEVER felt that way at AR. AR and the staff cares.
Their GREAT! Without a doubt in my mind 5 STARS!

If no stars were an option, Advanced Resources would certainly receive that rating. After reading some of the other HORROR STORIES associated with Advanced and their Northbrook office, I’m glad to know I wasn’t the only one left with a bad taste in my mouth.
After hearing back from Stacy Johnson about a position opening, I informed her that I’ve worked in Advanced Resources in the past (2007) and thought it was nothing more than a sham. I went in at that time (2007), went through the series of tests and then only to hear that same afternoon, «Oh…that position has been filled…» Okay, it was just posted yesterday. I think Advanced Resources does a ton of «bait & switch». I hadn’t known about their number quotas and perhaps that’s all I was… a bit closer to someone’s monthly goal. At any rate, Stacy apologized for the terrible experience a few years back and assured me that this was not how they ran their office. I decided to give them a chance. What a waste of time! After a few run arounds with Stacy, I had given up and then received a call from Kaitlyn Streich regarding another position I posted for, unaware that Advanced Resources was the agent. I agreed to meet with her and was promised a ton of things and «opportunities» they are «currently working on». That must be part of their script. She talked about a few positions in particular which interested me. I left the office feeling better and that I was on the right path with Kaitlyn. I hadn’t heard from her in a few days and decided to send an email about the positions she mentioned. She responded 2 days later indicating that things were slow because of the holiday but to try back the week of January 7. Um… okay. What happened to the positions you had BEFORE the holidays where the clients wanted to «move quickly in placing»??? I emailed Kaitlyn the week of January 7 with no response. It’s now January 16. I responded to another posting I saw on CareerBuilding that showed Advanced and Stacey Johnson as the agent. I emailed Stacy who returned my email with a response of, «…oh — that client is looking for someone who has a lot of personal assistant experience. Is that something you have and if so, can you provide examples?» When I responded that I in fact, DID have personal assistant experience and gave examples, I once again, never heard back.
If you’re going to use a recruiter, try Karie Collins with Addison Group in Schaumburg. She’s great and totally on top of her game. She had interviews set up with two great companies and follows through as if I’m the only one she’s working with. She truly rocks. As far as Advanced Resources in Northbrook, don’t even bother. The office is a joke and a waste of time.

This isn’t as much a review as it is the story of my experience with Advanced Resources to date. The only «review» element about this review is the single star I am giving to the agency. If ANYONE who reads this can give me a compelling reason to change that rating, I will consider doing so. My original point of contact was through the Northbrook office, but the person I spoke with also is connected with the Chicago office, so I have left this on both locations. I have not included my contact’s name in this story as I am simply trying to be as unbiased in my assessment as possible.
I was looking for temporary or contract work, so on 9÷12÷12, I contacted Advanced Resources based on Unilocal reviews. Even though their reviews included both glowing and not so glowing comments, there were a few remarks that I saw that encouraged me to give them a shot. While my profession is not really within their placement parameters, I do have a background in mortgage servicing as well as an MBA in Finance, so when I called them, I indicated that my strengths were within that area. The person who I spoke with forwarded my call to specialist in that field, and I left a voicemail.
I was pleasantly surprised when I received a follow-​up call within 30 minutes of my leaving the message. I had what I felt to be a positive conversation with the specialist and shortly afterward forwarded a cover letter and my resume to him. He followed up and said that while he couldn’t guarantee anything immediately, he would look into options and get back to me.
Well, when two weeks passed without ANY word from the specialist, I decided to follow up via email on 9÷28÷2012 to remind him that I was still eager to get the ball rolling. That email also yielded NO RESPONSE from the specialist via reply to it or a phone call. HOWEVER, I did finally receive an email from the specialist yesterday (10/​23/​2012), the content of which is below:
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Subject: Referral Bonus!!!
Do you have any friends that are looking for a new job opportunity? Could you use some extra cash?!?
Right now, we are offering you $ 100 if you refer someone to Advanced Resources who works for 40 hours or more. It’s that simple!
ALSO, if you have enjoyed working with Advanced Resources, please write us a review on Unilocal
!
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Not so «simple» to me! Need I say more?

I am a recent college grad. I had the worst experience with Advance Resources. My recruiter was Talia Black. She’s very unprofessional. She doesn’t respond to your calls and emails. Please avoid this recruiting firm! I would NOT recommend this company to anyone! I found a full-​time employment on my own, by posting my resume on career builder, university career site, and by applying to company website. I am working for one of the top corporate with great benefits. My advice to everyone is to look for a job on your own, you’re most likely to find a good employment opportunity by applying directly to company website. Their biggest client is Walgreens, which is not doing so well right now. Advance Resources mostly focus on getting you hired on a Temporary position instead of full-​time, permanent opportunity. If you’re willing to waste your time doing something that will lead you no where, please go to this recruiting firm!

Advanced Resources is as good as it gets when it comes to staffing agencies. Their website states: «you’ll experience excellence,» and in working with Betsy and Talia at the Northbrook location, that is EXACTLY what I experienced. Not only did I find a temporary position with a Fortune 40 company, but I was quickly hired as a permanent employee. In working with Advanced Resources, you quickly learn that they genuinely care about you and your career goals. They work with you in developing skills and tactics that not only help you get a job, but really assist you in advancing in your career.
The staff at Advanced Resources is professional, prompt and reliable. From the moment I contacted them about a position, to the time I was placed; either Betsy or Talia was in contact and kept me informed and up to date. Even now, I still hear from them and refer those people I know that really want to succeed.

Normally, I am quite skeptical of temp agencies. After reading many positive reviews of Advanced Resources, I was looking forward to a different experience. Stacy Johnson had called me in regards to a specific position that I was really excited about. It was exactly what I had been seeking, and I really felt like I had a chance of being selected for this position.
When I met with Stacy, she handed me the job description and told me about the position. I was told that my resume would be submitted to their hiring manager for review. I didn’t hear back for awhile after my meeting with Stacy, so I inquired by e-​mail about the status. I heard back and apparently they had chosen to move forward with other candidates. Stacy said she would keep me in mind for other opportunities as they arose. I did hear from her with one more opportunity. She left me a message to call back and she said she would find out the details. I called her and she said the position had already been filled. A few days later and it was already filled?!
Whatever. So it was winter break. She said she left my information with others in the office in case any other position became available.
Never heard back. I signed their employment paperwork December 8^th, 2011. Pretty sure they forgot about my existence. Fortunately, they don’t make you sit there and spend two hours on computer skill assessments.
No word from anyone. However, I have had many interviews recently from my own search tactics; many from large corporations as well. Thus, the issue is not my resume or lack of experience. I consider my credentials to be pretty competitive and impressive. I am currently enrolled in graduate business school, had a great GPA from a top big ten university, and have job experience working for many «corporate giants».
I know times are tough and the market is full of competition, but I have evidence from my own efforts that there are jobs out there. Apparently, I just have to find them myself.

My experience with Advanced Resources was good overall. I felt like I mattered when they had a match but not so much when they did not. When I interviewed (in thesummer/​fall) I was greeted immediately and my first thought was «WOW…nice place». But I ended up waiting in the reception area and then in a room that felt like a holding tank. I was annoyed that my appointment was 35 minutes earlier than when my recruiter greeted me. I think their process is thorough and the video interview is ahead of the rest of the agencies (even tho it’s intimidating). The receptionist was really accomodating to my nervousness and overall I think the video went well. I feel that there is definitley room for improvement in their response time to inquiries. I was told to check in weekly but rarely connected with my recruiter (usually got voicemail) and felt like I was stalking them to call me back. I was able to complete a few short term assignments which I was grateful for but ultimately I am still looking for employment. Advanced is a very professional company overall but there are areas I feel that they can do better in when it comes to their clientele. Still worlds better than the prvious agencies I had experience with.

I already posted a review for the Advanced Resources located in the loop, but had to leave a 5-​star review for this one as well, since I worked with Talia in this office!
As I said in the other review, AR is great. Can’t say enough good things about them. There was a time or two when Talia was a little slow in getting back to me, but not a big enough problem to merit removing a star. Talia is great and she really wants you to succeed. Even helps coach you a bit before the interviews and helps you prep.
Love Advanced Resources!

I have known about Advanced Resources for over a year, but just recently have had the pleasure of being able to work with them. I am a contract recruiter, and received a contract at a company and was told that they would be payrolling me through Advanced Resources.
The onboarding process was simple and straightforward. They were in contact with me regularly. One particular item of note. I had to complete some paperwork for them in order to process my background check. I found out about this when I was out for the day with my family, and not close to home. I wanted to get the paperwork done immediately, but was unsure of how to do it.
I decided to try and complete everything on my iPhone. This can be very hit or miss at times, depending on how the site is developed. To my pleasant surprise, not only did the process work, but it worked extremely well. I was able to get them everything they needed to initiate my background check on my iPhone. That went a long way with me. They were also very flexible in how I structured the contract, and allowed me to utilize my corporation.
As a corporate recruiter there is often a us against them mentality with agencies, but that is not the case between Advanced Resources and I. I hope that this is the beginning of a long relationship between us.