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So what exactly did you gain by cutting ties with these agencies?
My pride in knowing that the only person who's really going to get me hired is me.
Quote:
Originally Posted by manderly6
Even if there was a 1% chance of them finding you a job isn't that better than nothing?
Yes, a job is better than nothing, but I didn't see a 1% chance of them finding me anything. All I saw was 0% because they had several jobs they could've sent me out for and didn't. If they weren't going to send me out for those 4 jobs, then they weren't going to send me out for anything else.
One thing that ticks me off about employment/staffing agencies is the fact they're really good at E-Mailing people jobs they're not even qualified for.
My pride in knowing that the only person who's really going to get me hired is me.
I have no idea what using an agency to get a job has to do with pride. But even if someone agreed with that, why then would you go to the agency in the first place? If they would have found you a job on day one would that have had the same negative impact on your pride vs. possibly finding you a job on day 100?
He said with every job posting they [the employment/staffing agencies] do, they average around 10 applicants per posting. That's why, as he put it, only the best are selected to be sent out as they don't wish to waste the candidate's time on unproductive company runs nor do they want to waste the their client's time by just throwing bodies at them.
Never was.
I even remember E-Mailing the recruiter I was working with twice and never hearing anything back from her either time. Supposedly, she was ALWAYS supposed to get back, and quickly, but that didn't seem to be the case with me.
As a recruiter, let me apologize. I HATE recruiters who do that. If a client emails, they get an email back. if a client has a question, they get an answer. Sometimes it takes me a day or 2, but I can honestly say I work VERY hard to make sure that no one that I deal with can say I "never" got back to them.
I have no idea what using an agency to get a job has to do with pride. But even if someone agreed with that, why then would you go to the agency in the first place?
I went to the employment/staffing agencies because I used them in the late 90s, early 00s prior to my start as a receptionist in the healthcare field and had no problems getting sent out for interviews or to do jobs back then.
My friend Dina had also somewhat persuaded me by telling me the story behind having been hired at Equipment Depot in February of 2004 when she decided to go from being a SAHM to a working mom. Apparently, the recruiter in question with that particular agency had got her that job and after having been to several other employment/staffing agencies, Dina was convienced if any agency could place her, it was that one considering they had already done it once.
What I failed to stop and consider was that times change. The way things are today with them isn't the same as it was 10, 15, 20 years ago and the guy's E-Mail pretty much confirmed that.
For me, the way things were and the way they are today are so radically different, it's NOT something I cared to deal with in the long run.
Quote:
Originally Posted by manderly6
If they would have found you a job on day one would that have had the same negative impact on your pride vs. possibly finding you a job on day 100?
Had they got me in for, in the very least, one interview during my first week with them, I may have stayed. I certainly would have stayed with them had they sent me out to do a job by the end of the first week.
A HUGE turn off for me was lack of communication when BOTH recruiters touted responses back and quick ones at that. I shouldn't have to E-Mail twice and a voicemail should've been returned within 24 hours. IMHO, it came off as who gives a ****. Told me right there I CAN'T count on them to find me work, got to count on myself and only myself.
The guy at the one agency told me they only send out the best of the best, as not to waste anyone's time.
I think this is true. The problem is, they have piles of people like me who have sunk to the level of dealing with them. I have 8 years experience in my field, and I took a job that was meant for a recent college grad. The temp agency I was working with practically sent my resume out for everything that ever came up.
Why? Because someone like me almost never sinks to a temp agency normally, but the worthless employment situation has turned that around.
So, when you are applying for a job that requires 2 or 3 years experience, its likely they have 5 or 6 people with a degree and 10 years experience in their files being sent out for that. Likely, those same people are probably being sent out for all the jobs that come up.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Suburban Gal
They don't personally care about you or whether you ever get hired. IMHO, employment/staffing agencies have NEVER existed for for the benefit of people who are unemployed. We don't pay their bills, the client does.
This is true. You arent really of any value to the temp agency. The only thing they care about is that you dont screw up and make them look bad. Outside of that, you are just a replaceable piece that neither the company you are farmed out to, or the temp agency, has any vested value in.
I contacted two of them in this area and gave them all of my information.
I heard absolutely nothing, not even an acknowledgement generic letter stating that they got my information.
I've heard some are bad, some are good.
Ok, what are the good ones?
I don't know specifically in your area as I am in CA. But here is what I CAN tell you.
A good agency will give you your own recruiter, almost right away. Now, this person won't be the only person who is able to send your resume to jobs, but this person is responsible for you and the status of your hunt. if you are not given a contact person, run.
A good one will return calls, will be friendly, and will NOT push you to take something you do not want.
A good one will ask you to come in to meet with them to get a "feel" for you, as I often send out people who may not have ALL the reguirements to a "T" but I often work for the same employer more than once, especially if I was successful in placing someone, so I may know the office culture, or possibly the "unspoken" things, for instance I once had an office that was REALLY casual. I sent a couple of people who were less qualified but did not send an older gentleman who was looking for a more professional office.
Also, a good one will not disappear. I may not have anything for you this week, but I should next week, if not only to keep your interviewing skills fresh.
Most of them are useless based upon my experiences:
1) Fake Jobs: Oh, they *love* these! When you see the same job advertised month after month, and yet magically it is never filled, even if you apply for it and meet the qualifications, you know it's a fake. If a company really needed somebody that badly, you'd think the staffing agency would actual interview people who meet the requirements.
2) Unprofessional Behavior: This is also common. Between the threads on this forum and experiences I've heard from others, a lot of these places exist to take advantage of people: crummy pay, terrible hours, empty promises, and so on. A lot of them love to disappear, too. They'll call you about a job, you send them a resume, and then - poof!- that's the last you hear of them. Obviously, they were just trolling for resumes to meet their quota or something, and they don't mind messing with the unemployed to do it.
3) Joke Jobs: This combines the above two problems and covers things like, "Urgently needed: experienced engineer to work in plastic in Michigin. Must be teamworker and have 4 years in CAD." and that's almost the entire job description. When you ask for more information, you won't get it. When you apply, you'll hear nothing back. And yet, you'll still keep getting emails about this "job" or variations on it forever. Either the job doesn't exist, or the company is too clueless to put together a decent job description and sort through applicants properly to fill it.
I tried going through several employment/staffing agencies and while many refused to contact me back, a couple did end up showing interest in working with me.
However, 2-3 weeks after coming on board with the employment/staffing agencies, I sent them E-Mails telling them I was cutting my ties with them. Between both agencies, there were 4 jobs I was fully qualified for (a dental office receptionist, 2 medical office receptionists, and a pharmaceutical company receptionist) and could've been sent out on to do or, in the very least, be interviewed for. I was NEVER sent out for any of them.
The guy at the one agency told me they only send out the best of the best, as not to waste anyone's time. I told him that if they didn't consider me the best of the best for the dental reception job, then I wouldn't be considered the best of the best when other such reception jobs in healthcare came across their desk so it was better to cut ties 2-3 weeks into it than to sit around waiting for what will never actually happen: them placing me.
Personally, I think employment/staffing agencies are a bunch of hot air in today's society.
I think that the vast majority of the jobs they post/advertise, don't even exist and they simply post them to lure job candidates in and to sign on with them. And once there, they relish in finding out what other temp assignments you've been on, with what other agencies, and where so they can then contact that company and try to underbid for services. This way, even if they never send you on an assignment, they still benefit from interviewing job candidates.
I think most of the time you spend interviewing at employment/staffing agencies is time wasted, but is very beneficial for them in the long run.
They don't personally care about you or whether you ever get hired. IMHO, employment/staffing agencies have NEVER existed for for the benefit of people who are unemployed. We don't pay their bills, the client does.
I think they are mainly for recent college grads or people who are under 23 and trying to gain work experience. That's how I got my first job out of college which was through a temp agency. Now that I'm in my mid-30's, I have no use for them because they can offer me what I consider an acceptable hourly wage. What one agency offered me last month is something I would have been so happy to get 14 years ago because
1. it was my first job out of college
2. I was living at home with my parents
So I don't think they are too beneficial for people who have been working for 10 years or more but maybe some are and you just have to find out where they are.
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