Recruitment agencies

[Canopus]

Has anyone used a recruitment agency to get a career?

 

Am excellent vacancy was advertised last November and I have been battling with the recruitment agency to get it. They are completely hopeless. They never reply to any emails. Half the time I phone them I get an answering machine and the other half the time I am told that the person I want isn't in, or is on the phone to somebody else. I have also sent my CV three times by email. I was dealing with one person in January and now I am dealing with somebody else. The vacancy has been readvertised many times.

 

Am I doing something wrong here or are most recruitment agencies like this? How can I ensure that my CV is sent to the company? I don't know the name of the company because standard recruitment agency practice is not to list company names. The whole affair is so frustrating.

[Bullet]

My experience of recruitment agencies is pretty dire I'm afraid The first one I used wasn't too bad, got me regular work, but I'd only joined them in desperation because I was so desperate to leave my old job. They got me jobs working in the accounts departments of various companies which, whilst easy, was never fulfilling. I've got more of a creative streak to me so a move back to my DH's home county and a wish to do something more in line with what I liked saw me approaching another recruitment agency. I explained to them how I wished to take a new route and told them how my degree was in English and History which was where I felt my skills lay. I specifically told them I wanted nothing to do with Accounts in any shape or form. The interviewer duly nodded, made notes and I diodn't hear back for several weeks. Eventually I got a call. Would I be interested in a position withinn the Accounts department of a company? I declined the offer and told them I would not be requiring their assistance anymore. I joined another agency. Same thing happened. I joined a third one but failed to get any offers. My refusal to work more than 48 hours might have had a little something to do with that, however, 8)

[smallworld]

Hi Canopus,

I don't know what field your in, but I can give you an idea of how I.T. agencies work.

I.T. agencies will only forward selected CV's to the company ie. those that meet the exact criteria for a job and are in with a good chance. They don't put forward all the CV's they receive cos then they will get a bad reputation with a company for bombarding them with unsuitable candidates. The agency earns a huge fee if a candidate is placed through them ( and a massive weekly percentage for contractors) so they need to ensure they're in with a good chance before they even bother !

I suspect most reputable agencies in all fields use the same policy, when it comes down to it they're only interested in making a sale.

The good, concise, and appropriate for the job CV is what matters here.

An agency might seem as if they're there to find you the right job, in reality they're looking for the right person to fill a job they have !

Applying for a job direct to a company might get you further,

Sorry not to be more positive,

 

wac

[Elanor]

Hi Canopus

 

They're not supposed to do it, but sometimes agencies advertise attractive vacancies that don't actually exist, just so that they can get candidates to contact them. Then they encourage the candidates with the best qualifications/experience to apply for other vacancies that they do have, but which aren't as attractive as the one they advertised in the first place.

[Canopus]

I.T. agencies will only forward selected CV's to the company ie. those that meet the exact criteria for a job and are in with a good chance. They don't put forward all the CV's they receive cos then they will get a bad reputation with a company for bombarding them with unsuitable candidates. The agency earns a huge fee if a candidate is placed through them ( and a massive weekly percentage for contractors) so they need to ensure they're in with a good chance before they even bother !

I suspect most reputable agencies in all fields use the same policy, when it comes down to it they're only interested in making a sale.

The good, concise, and appropriate for the job CV is what matters here.

 

This is probably true but it raises the question whether the CV is intended to please the company or whether the CV is intended to please the recruitment agency. If an applicant's CV is not a perfect 1:1 match with the career briefing then the company may well take on that applicant because they think they are good enough. A recruitment agency is less likely to understand the technicalities of the career so could well reject a CV that isn't a perfect 1:1 match with the career briefing because it isn't a perfect 1:1 match.

 

I wonder why in this day and age companies still use recruitment agencies when they can advertise directly on the internet.

[Stephanie]

I used to be a Recruitment Consultant (unfortunately that job status is somewhere between being a Used Car Salesman and an Estate Agent!!). Some agencies are brilliant, but most are just out to make a sale, not caring much for the actual candidate or client.

 

A lot of companies are wise to this, and no longer want to pay the extortionate fees (anywhere from 10-60% of the successful candidates annual salary - usually a cut of this goes direct to the consultant managing the account). Internet recruitment has overtaken the consultancies and has really hit them where it hurts.

 

Just remember you are doing them a favour, as much as they are doing one for you.

 

Good luck with your jobhunting.

[Canopus]

The agency has told me about another vacancy that they think is better matched to the skills and experience on my CV. I'm not quite sure if it is better or not. Is it common practice to apply for one vacancy but end up being given another?

[Canopus]

I have been informed that recruitment agencies are run by people who know very little about the technicalities of the careers that they handle. Their job is to try and find a perfect match between a CV and a job vacancy spec. In other words, they are more literal than people with AS. If the job wants 5 years experience in a certain area and the applicant only has 4.5 years then the recruitment agency won't send off the CV.

 

The reality of the situation is that matching the job spec is only half of the story. Employers are also interested in whether one has good problem solving ability, is capable and willing to learn new stuff, and has a personality and an attitude that fits in with the company and its people. These are almost impossible for recruitment agencies to identify from a CV. Often the deciding factor whether one gets a job or not is whether the employer likes the person or not.

[Kathryn]

I agree with you, Canopus. Cv's only give partial information about someone. That's why it's probably a good idea to "sell yourself" to the company directly by sending your cv plus a covering letter. The letter is important as it allows you to highlight your strengths and play down the bits in your cv that don't quite match the job requirements! Even if the company has nothing suitable at the time, they may well keep your details on file and think of you if a vacancy arises. That's how I got my current job.

[Jill]

A friend of mine sent her CV off to a recruitment agency. She put her current boss on as a referee.

 

She didn't get many calls, but her boss asked if she could remove his name from the CV as he kept getting calls offering him jobs!!!

[Canopus]

A friend of mine sent her CV off to a recruitment agency. She put her current boss on as a referee.

 

She didn't get many calls, but her boss asked if she could remove his name from the CV as he kept getting calls offering him jobs!!!

 

My CV states referees available on request. I think this is the best approach because if you provide details of referees then the company could ask them all sorts of info without you knowing.