Job Hunting With Agencies & Websites?

[Big Tav]

Hi guys,

Starting to look for a job now but have been reading that a lot of people have had a lot of trouble with agencies and have had their CV's sent out badly to employers.

I know a lot of positions are never advertised on job sites so what so you all recommend? List with agencies or not?

Feel free to PM me the names of the agencies to avoid as there seems to be some bad experiences from members here.

Cheers.

[Zad]

If you can, try and go with the smaller agencies which are local to the area in which you are searching. If you submit a CV, do so on the condition that it will not be forwarded without your express consent. Do not put referees contact details on, there is plenty of time for that if you get to the interview stage.

Depending on the area of your skills, you may be able to tell from the advertised job spec just which company it is, particularly if 2 or more agencies are advertising suspiciously similar jobs. Chances are that they have scraped the job details from the company's web site without their consent, and are hoping to be able to pimp your CV to them, for a modest fee of course.

[aspender]

I've recently entered the job market (of my own accord) for the first time since graduation 14 years ago. After applying to a few jobs direct on the employer's web sites and hearing very little back, I put my CV up on Monster and Jobsite.

Yes, I was bombarded with calls the next day.

However, through one of the agencies that picked up my CV (a smaller, specialist one) I had two interview rounds with two companies, and an offer, all within a week.

I've removed my CV from both sites and the calls have stopped (still get the odd email from agencies which put me into their own systems)

So, all in all a very positive experience of going down the website/agency route. By contrast, the direct route produced one phone interview and then nearly a month of silence before a second round request for one role. Another role never got back for a month before offering a face to face interview. Others I never heard from at all.

[Big Tav]

Should I avoid putting it on Reed.co.uk etc? You can put your CV on job sites anonymously and still do well? You can register and when you attach you CV just use a modified one without your details and references on it right?

[rog007]

I would say it depends upon the industry/sector you're in and the level you see yourself at. Can you give us a clue or PM me if you wish. HTH.

[Big Tav]

I have a construction background (13 years). Trade qualified then ran the family business with my father. Last 3 years been doing sales for BMW in Australia.

[rog007]

If it was me and I had been very successful at sales when at BMW, I would miss out the agencies and write direct to all construction companies, regardless of whether or not vacancies exist, looking to work in their marketing or sales departments. You may have a scarce skill set; an understanding of sales and construction. Someone in this specific industry may have a more informed opinion however. Good luck!