The Silent Phone Agony - Anybody Suffering It?

andygb

lufcgirl wrote: »

Sorry I did sound like I was contradicting myself. What I actually meant was that it sounds as though your making out it's all the agencies fault when it could be the company. Of course discrimination is rife, I never claimed it wasn't, but for you to say that it's all their fault is a tad unfair.

I'm not special, and I don't have employment at the moment. But I don't go around blaming agencies for my failure to gain employment either. Like I said if you feel that strongly that you should have a job, why not take it to the company in question or the manager of the agency.

Many apologies lufcgirl, the last few weeks have been very frustrating on the jobhunt/agency front. There seems to be little or nothing in the way of jobs in the papers, and my CV is looking very "iffy", with no work since last July. I started work in 1975, and have never been out of work for more than a month (once in the eighties), so a year is very scary.
I have no transport (can't afford to get our other car on the road), so I walk everywhere. The reason I was criticising agencies, is because in my experience over the last six years, they are very bad at providing you with feedback, which is very frustrating.
Having worked for Law firms with specialist employment departments, I know that it is pointless to question an agency/potential employer on why you have not been selected for interview, or even offered a job in preference to another candidate.
All I am asking for is a bit of honesty, if I haven't got the job, then I want to be told straight away, no messing around for days/weeks. We are in a situation, where the number of candidates vastly exceeds the number of vacancies, and this has possibly led to a situation where agencies are definitely feeling the pinch, but are also failing to treat candidates with a bit of dignity.

andygb

dwsjarcmcd wrote: »

Just a small point, as someone who is in the same position i.e. redundant and over 40, take your Date of Birth off your C.V. According to the placement company I'm working with, it's not best practice and agencies cannot pass your DOB to employers.

I have been at this a month, although I'm in a very fortunate financial situation compared to most it is beginning to drive me crackers....although the weather helps ! My thoughts (and actions) are

- You need to be thick skinned, you can't afford not to be, so follow up each application with at least an E-mail.
- Don't spend all day in front of a computer, you'll go nuts and see the same jobs. Do 2 hours and aim for one milestone per day - agency contact or job application and leave a week then follow up.
- Accept agencies and employers are awash at the moment. Don't leave it to them to contact you, because you will be disappointed.
- Network, network, network. Friends, ex-collegues etc. That's how most jobs are got. Try linkedin or even facebook.
- Go back to point 1 - you must be thick skinned.

I have my silent days but not many. I try to make something happen each day, then like proverbial buses they will all come together.

Between 4 and 5p.m today I had three calls from agencies wanting meetings, one in response to a role I applied for a couple of days ago. I also have a meeting in a few weeks with my former boss, who left a few years ago to discuss a project.

Keep the faith and good luck.

A lot of good points, but disguising age is a very difficult thing to do on a CV, particularly if you have been instructed by agencies/companies, to detail your entire work history, with dates, and to include periods of unemployment, and to give reasons for any breaks in employment - very common nowadays.

dwsjarcmcd

Agreed - but you don't need to advertise your age, let them work it out for themselves. I don't know what types of roles you are looking for but I tend to look at it differently. Look at the experience and expertise you can bring to the table.

I have a thought process which has stood me really well over the years. That is there are things you can do something about and there are things you can't. You can't do anything about your age, so there is no point in worrying about it.

My aim is to get to interview then my experience, passion, energy and innovation will be what they remember, nothing else. I will, or won't get a job based on that.

That's the theory and I really believe it.

andygb

dwsjarcmcd wrote: »

Agreed - but you don't need to advertise your age, let them work it out for themselves. I don't know what types of roles you are looking for but I tend to look at it differently. Look at the experience and expertise you can bring to the table.

I have a thought process which has stood me really well over the years. That is there are things you can do something about and there are things you can't. You can't do anything about your age, so there is no point in worrying about it.

My aim is to get to interview then my experience, passion, energy and innovation will be what they remember, nothing else. I will, or won't get a job based on that.

That's the theory and I really believe it.

If only I could get to the interview stage (last one in November last year), then I could be fairly confident and showcase my skills and experience in a positive manner.
However the following phone call earlier today highlights the problem which I have with agencies. I phoned a large (national) agency last week, following up on an advert for an experienced bookkeeper. They told me where it was, and that it was part time (20 hours per week), and asked me to forward a copy of my CV to them, because the company was interviewing immediately. I sent the CV, and I have phoned every day since, trying to get some feedback, all to no avail. I managed to speak to my contact at the agency on Tuesday, just as she was going into the meeting, and we were (mysteriously) cut off, so I only managed to say hello. I phoned again today, and the conversation went like this:
Me "Hi, Andy ?? speaking, may I speak to Miss X please?"
Agency put me through to Miss X
Miss X "Hi Andy, how are you, what can I do for you?"
Me "Hi, I was wondering if you had heard back from the client yet"
Miss X "Which client is that?"
Me "The client who you forwarded my CV to last week"
Miss X "Oh yes, sorry we were cut off the other day, I don't know what happened there. Let me see. Oh yes, I haven't had a copy of your CV yet"
Me "Let me look at my e mails then, I am sure that I sent it to you"
Miss X - sounding flustered "Oh, I have got the CV after all

---

Oh yes, the client would like you to send them a full list of duties at your last three jobs, to see if your experience is adequate"
Me - staying calm, but feeling frustrated "I did say in my e mail which the CV was attached to, that you could contact me immediately if you required any other information"
Miss X "Yes, the client is being very specific - have you done management accounting and management reporting?"
Me "Yes, but not at my last three temporary jobs"
Miss X "Oh well, can you send me the information anyway?"
So, I agree and put down the phone feeling more dejected than ever. Has the agency any intention of getting in touch with the client? Does the client really exist? Why has the job spec suddenly changed?
Is there intelligent life on another planet?
These and many other questions may never be answered.:rolleyes:

catenorfolk

Truegho wrote: »

Been unemployed for some months now. I send off my CV EVERY day to various jobsites, employers, agencies etc. But it is always the same old depressing story: NO REPLY.

It is another Monday, and no doubt the start of another depressing week of doing exactly the same thing and getting nowhere. I am fed up with life in this country.

What the hell has gone wrong with the employment situation? It is the WORST I have ever experienced. I thought the eighties was bad, but THIS!

While you are waiting for the phone to ring or the postman to deliver 'the letter' why dont you see if you can do some voluntary work i.e charity shop or oap home as a visitor or something. that way it will stop you from being bored and fed up and also be of help to someone.

Truegho

Yes, that would be a good idea, as it not only would keep me busy, but there's a chance I would get a good reference too, thereby making me more employable and appealing.

Incidentally, as regards voluntary work, I would particularly like to do some typing and other computer based work, as I have over twenty years of good admin skills.

catenorfolk wrote: »

While you are waiting for the phone to ring or the postman to deliver 'the letter' why dont you see if you can do some voluntary work i.e charity shop or oap home as a visitor or something. that way it will stop you from being bored and fed up and also be of help to someone.

andygb

catenorfolk wrote: »

While you are waiting for the phone to ring or the postman to deliver 'the letter' why dont you see if you can do some voluntary work i.e charity shop or oap home as a visitor or something. that way it will stop you from being bored and fed up and also be of help to someone.

I know that some people are going to have a right go at me for this but here goes.
I think that charity begins at home, and although in the past I have done favours for people, there has been very little reciprocation. I will be polite to people, open doors for them, but I will not do a free days work for anyone.
When was the last time that Gordon Brown, Tony Blair or Fred Goodwin ever gave their services for free, because they could afford to, more than anyone else in this economic mess. Why not ask one of the many executives/bankers/speculators to give up their time for free, but please do not expect charity from those who are least able to give it.

mizzbiz

andygb wrote: »

I know that some people are going to have a right go at me for this but here goes.
I think that charity begins at home, and although in the past I have done favours for people, there has been very little reciprocation. I will be polite to people, open doors for them, but I will not do a free days work for anyone.
When was the last time that Gordon Brown, Tony Blair or Fred Goodwin ever gave their services for free, because they could afford to, more than anyone else in this economic mess. Why not ask one of the many executives/bankers/speculators to give up their time for free, but please do not expect charity from those who are least able to give it.

You have some fair points but I suppose most people do it to get out of the house or because they really, really want to help others for altruistic reasons. Others do it for a reference or to look busy whilst unemployed. It shouldn't really be an obligation if you don't want to and have better (money generating or otherwise) things to do. Although often benevolent rich people are the back bone of the charity industry - they actually ask you to consider them in your will when you die.

What gets right on my nerves are these 'Chrity Fundraiser' jobs, where they get students to stand in town centres grabbing bank details from passers-by for monthly donations. These guys get a minimum of £200 per week. How many direct debits do they have to set up to cover that cost. As if i'm going to give my bank details over in the street when I know all my donations would go to their wages!

KimYeovil

catenorfolk wrote: »

While you are waiting for the phone to ring or the postman to deliver 'the letter' why dont you see if you can do some voluntary work i.e charity shop or oap home as a visitor or something. that way it will stop you from being bored and fed up and also be of help to someone.

Voluntary work is more difficult to gain than paid employment.

DCFC79

I dont suffer from the silent phone agony but i do suffer from the silent email agony and/or silent post agony