Letting Of Steam - Against Job Agencies

[greencreeper]

The key is to remember that you cease to be human - to agencies, you're a large tin of beans. You have a value. There are people out there that want you. The agencies make money from bringing you, the product, to the consumer, the employer. Never expect them to be nice, helpful, friendly or truthful.

Unless you are in the position to be (potentially) hiring people - then you get bought lunch, invited to sporting events, etc, etc.......

Well I'm not a commodity and as they garner my wages I'm expecting them to provide a service to me..not the other way round.

Unfortunately, coggy, that's what you/we are to them - double glazing with a pulse.

Really annoyed.

I keep applying to positions and this morning I must have gotten around 6/7 phone calls all from different agencys wanting to discuss "possible roles" all leaving messages on my answering machine.

I am beginning to think that all my applications are going right though to agencys and are not being passed onto the job I was applying for and instead are used to enroll me in these stupid agencys.

Is there any way to bypass the agencys all together?

[Mr_love_monkey]

Originally Posted by Damien

I am beginning to think that all my applications are going right though to agencys and are not being passed onto the job I was applying for and instead are used to enroll me in these stupid agencys.

Yep, the jobs probably don't exist - all just a ploy to get you on the books

Originally Posted by Damien

Is there any way to bypass the agencys all together?

Sadly, no - in my experience, unless you can find a direct advertisment, the chances of you getting in touch direct with a company is pretty remote - that's why agencies do so well, most companies don't want the hassle of direct recruitment

[Osem]

Originally Posted by Damien

Really annoyed.

I keep applying to positions and this morning I must have gotten around 6/7 phone calls all from different agencys wanting to discuss "possible roles" all leaving messages on my answering machine.

I am beginning to think that all my applications are going right though to agencys and are not being passed onto the job I was applying for and instead are used to enroll me in these stupid agencys.

Is there any way to bypass the agencys all together?

Oh how many times I've had these conversations over the years. In my experience agencies are often a law unto themselves and place tempting ads even when there aren't any real jobs going. They need a database of interviewees after all. If you want to be treated seriously, act seriously and avoid what job hunters assume is the quick fix route of e.mailing CVs to agencies. There are many ways by which to contact prospective employers which don't involve agencies at all and thereby don't involve their costs to the employer. Most people confuse quality and quantity when it comes to job hunting and send out dozens of shoddy CVs to as many agencies as they can then are surprised when nothing happens.

My advice is:

a) Think carefully about what you want to do and decide on your target market.

b) Have a CV properly designed to suit that type of work, company, environment. Make sure it concentrates on the requirements of the job and highlights your relevant skills, attributes, achievements etc.

c) Don't rely on your mum/wife/partner to do it, copy CV formats from Word or indeed send £15 off in the post to a so called CV service which promises to do it all in a day and with no real input from you. A proper CV design service will cost far more than that, involve lots of questioning and require several draft stages before anything resembling a half decent CV can be produced.

d) NEVER undersell yourself on the basis of offering good value for money. Applying for jobs you are overqualified for (either in terms of qualifications or experience) is a recipe for disaster.

e) Better to send out 6 well thought through and properly targeted CVs direct than 100 boring, generic, one page wonders to agencies on the off chance.

There's so much more to job hunting than most people think.

[mentalis]

Last time I had to search for a job (4 years ago now) I was forever sending off applications. It was basically a case of 'Job applied for, onto the next' as I rarely heard back.

Also, even now I get letters from agencies (from makes it sound personal - they are mass mailed) offering jobs that I have never suggested I wanted (i.e. jobs in London, despite the fact I have never said I would go that far - it's a long commute from Warrington).

I used to write to tell them I had a job, but then gave up as it was a waste of my time. Now they just go into my junk mail. I may need them one day...