If you dont like recruitment agencies, dont use them. I dont have a problem with them - some are better than others.
Doubt they lie any more than their candidates lie on their C.V.
Pretty sure that in my industry (banking/finance) where recruitment agencies are regularly used, that each bank / financial institution has a section on their website called Careers or Vacancies where you will find those jobs being advertised.
If you dont like recruitment agencies, dont use them. I dont have a problem with them - some are better than others.
Doubt they lie any more than their candidates lie on their C.V.
Pretty sure that in my industry (banking/finance) where recruitment agencies are regularly used, that each bank / financial institution has a section on their website called Careers or Vacancies where you will find those jobs being advertised.
Try being in my shoes for 11 months. I can only assume since we are both in the same industry that you haven't been out of work in the last 3-4 years?
Honestly, I'm not here to bash consultants. I have come across some great ones. I am just talking from experience, and my recent experience is pretty horrendous. Pretty much as large described.
Funnily enough I just got a call while writing this from Futures London, and have been put forward for a role. Fingers crossed!
I've also applied for about 15 jobs through various websites including cityjobs as mentioned already. I've had one response. These include jobs I am absolutely plum perfect for. I have 15 years experience in banking, yet I cannot even get put forward for roles encompassing my full experience.
I'd love to be able to defend agencies, and recruiters, but the reality is that in the last 11 months of job hunting I have found 3 that were professional. These guys replied to my emails, offered me advice, pointed me in other directions if they couldnt help me. The rest have either ignored me (and we're talking email after email, not returning calls, etc.
Funnily enough Large Addick above has actually been more helpful to me that 95% of the people I have dealt with.
Unfortunately the way our industry is at the moment, there are probably 100+ people who are plum perfect for that role too.
It would have been, yes. But as opposed to a petroleum geologist, I'm more of a palaeontologist, which, I quickly discovered, involves lots of sitting around in dimly-lit basements with a bunch of poorly-dressed blokes doing boring stuff all day. So, actually pretty much exactly the same as IT, except it pays worse.
*grin* although unlike petroleum geology it's more useful when your kids/nieces/nephews go through the dinosaur obsession stage.
It certainly is. Though most of my work was done on the proliferation and diversification of bivalves from the Silurian through the Devonian and Ordovician. Kids tend not to be particularly interested in Oysters and Clams...
Pretty sure that in my industry (banking/finance) where recruitment agencies are regularly used, that each bank / financial institution has a section on their website called Careers or Vacancies where you will find those jobs being advertised.
true but in my experience they have not got the staff to go through 200+ applications hence why they use an agency. The Ad on their website is just paying lip service and maybe even by law has to be done but I don't believe they seriously recruit through them.
How do you think recruitment consultants find IT staff to pass over to clients? Why can't companies go through the same process themselves?
- Get a job description - Write a decent job advert - Advertise the job on some niche sites - Complement it with professional social networking (LinkedIn etc.) - Follow up on all applications - Reject those not suitable - Speak/meet those who are - Draw up a shortlist - Arrange interviews - Reject candidates - Offer the role/negotiate salary
There is nothing stopping companies/individuals doing the simplified process above themselves and get the same if not better results.
If I worked in recruitment marketing inhouse I'd certainly push not using recruitment agencies by getting in a fluid recruitment strategy inhouse. If you get it right then there is no reason why you can't get better results that the 15%ers and that's coming from somebody who has worked agency side for nine years.
In my experience recruiters do not do the majority of the items on that list. Logically most of those things can only ever be in house.
I must just have worked in decent companies for the past nine years though because recruiters have always done all of those things (in tandem with the client in some cases of course).
Wow you must have worked in some great companies. In tandem is a pretty broad church, I'm guessing. In my experience working for shit tinpot companies I'd not hand wage negotiations or creation of job description over to an agent. Communicating rejections maybe, but they can hardly make that decision, again obviously don't have your extensive experience at wonder firms.
Comments
I dont have a problem with them - some are better than others.
Doubt they lie any more than their candidates lie on their C.V.
Pretty sure that in my industry (banking/finance) where recruitment agencies are regularly used, that each bank / financial institution has a section on their website called Careers or Vacancies where you will find those jobs being advertised.
Honestly, I'm not here to bash consultants. I have come across some great ones. I am just talking from experience, and my recent experience is pretty horrendous. Pretty much as large described.
Funnily enough I just got a call while writing this from Futures London, and have been put forward for a role. Fingers crossed!
My advice would be to try and specialise in a particular sector, get to know the industry and make a name for yourself.
The area I'm looking at is health and fitness. I'm a little excited by a genuine challenge.
Been offered a job in a small firm not cut throat like a couple I was interviewed for just awaiting one last other option to reply.