Recruitment Agencies (Are they worth signing up for ?)

loisa

Applied to some agencies this morning, one called me back straight away.
This was the same agency that ignored numerous emails previously and practically shut the door in my face with a 'don't call us, we'll call you' when I went down there. They said they would keep my cv 'on file' but I doubt this very much.

This time I picked a random vacancy from their website and applied through the website rather than to the general email address. I kept the cover note very open with a brief description of my experience and what I was looking for. Of course, agencies being agencies I might never hear from them again. It makes a nice change though! I was starting to feel like the invisible person.

So it seems the key may be persistance and changing your tactics every once in a while. I think there are a lot of less than useful people working in agencies, covering reception and the general email address, the trick is to get past them. Monkey - Organ grinder!

donnajunkie

just corrected point number 3 as i messed it up and i only just noticed.

ExNicotineQueen

I’ve had a good experience with agencies on the whole. I signed up with all the big names i.e. Hays, Reed, Manpower etc and didn’t hear anything back from them. It was disheartening but then I registered with a few of the more independent agencies and the next day I was called with an offer of temp work. I took it and was never out of work everyday for almost a year and a half. The trick is once you have done a job for them, they end up chasing you for more work. Your recruitment consultant should be putting you forward for jobs before they even become available on the general market which is what mine was doing for me so when one contract ended she always made sure there was something else lined up for me. She also negotiated better pay rates for me as well, plus the weekly pay was always a bonus for me rather than monthly pay.

I can’t stress how important it is to have a good relationship with your recruitment consultant, after all, if they want to make money, they should be putting you forward to appropriate jobs. You would also need to be flexible as well, sometimes in the travel distance, sometimes in the times you start. Quite often I would wake up at 6am and be suited and booted because sometimes companies want someone in for the day and need you to be there for a 9am start and you would only get the call at say 7.30am.

If I was looking for a job now, I would have no hesitation in going back to an agency if I couldn’t find a job through other channels. I am speaking about office/admin work/recruitment agencies by the way.

ring4v0

dave4545454 wrote: »

avoid agencies like the plague

I've got to agree, I've signed up with a few and most have been awful! They often lie about the jobs on offer and other agencies manipulate the pay. There are some good agencies out there but I think most people have been through a rubbish one before they've reached a really good agency.

sexki11en

ring4v0 wrote: »

There are some good agencies out there but I think most people have been through a rubbish one before they've reached a really good agency.

Equally there are a few good candidates out there, but you have to trawl through an awful lot of rubbish ones before you find a good one.

Main annoyances?
1) Applying for a job when you haven't read the ad
2) Applying for a job when you've read the ad, don't fit the criteria and apply anyway
3) Apply for the job, we call you back to talk about it and you never return our call
4) We book you in to register and you don't turn up and don't let us know, meaning that's someone else we could have slotted into that hour has now also missed out.
5) You turn up to register, we call you with a job offer - you don't return our call and we never hear from you again.
6) We call you with a job offer, you tell us it sounds perfect - you don't turn up to the interview.
7) You went for the interview, accepted the role - and don't turn up on the first day
8) You go for the interview, make it to the job on the first day then walk out at lunchtime never to be seen again
9) You register with us, call us for the first time in a month and rant down the phone at us that we haven't offered you work. Why would we? You didn't keep in touch to tell us you were available. So we have to chase you to find out if you're available as well as find you a job? Like we have the time.


I could go on.

It works both ways really. Theres good and bad in everything. If you're not having luck with any agencies, might it be worth taking a closer look at yourself? (or the list above)

And yes - agencies do talk amongst themselves. If someones let me down on an assignment and a reference request comes through, I will ring the consultant and tell them exactly what happened to prevent them getting let down like I was.

SK x