Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I have looked up other names of recruiters/agencies and they were just as bad or worse. Obviously I've been looking for a job on my own too but man, I wish I read this info sooner and would have saved myself some grief. I would have steered clear of them altogether. Live and learn.
Especially when your funds are EXTREMELY limited and can't afford to waste none of it--along with time, energy or fuel dealing with this bullcrap. No, they are not all like that but the ones I have dealt with are because they all followed the same darn pattern!!!
I am telling everyone I know that is looking for work, the names of the recruiters/agencies that I dealt with and I will refer them to the link to check it out for themselves. Go ahead--plug in the name of the recruiter and see what you find. STEER CLEAR OF THESE LYING BASTAGES!!!
People are really struggling out here to find jobs to make ends meet and these jerks pull these stunts for the sake of numbers?? These are real people's lives and that's just dead wrong!
Yes indeed every job interview cost money, money you don't have, or you wouldn't be looking for work Once right after graduation I got a call from a super-hyped recruiter, my mother took the call, she said they seemed to think I was the answer to their prayers.
Well, we went to the interview, and, yes, I took my mother along, because it was her car, I didn't have a dime on me, she knew the way, and, I ditched Mom at a coffee store 5 miles away, so they never knew I came with Mom. The whole thing was a total farce, and cost me for gas, and overnight hotel because it srug out past daylight into a a snowstorm. That whole incident cost us about $200+, at a time I didn't have 2 cents! They said they didn't realize I was coming from out of town, hmmm.........didn't something click when they had to dial another area code? Also, it was for a job I clearly wasn't qualified for, they wanted certain regirstrations, certifications, etc, which a newl minted college grad would have, anyways, because part of the requirements to get the certifications was 1-3 years FT work experience, so what were they doing looking at a college placement office? and couldn't they read what was in front of them, or at least do a phone screen? I drove 2 hours one way in a snow storm to have some idiot read my resume to me---you're not certified, regristered, etc? I did speak my mind then, asked why it took him to that point to figure that out, they have these nifty inventions called the telephone, you can get information without face-to-face interviews. The jerk was obviously just trying to look busy and expend his HR budget, he could care less about filling the position or he would have done more than a half-a$$ed screening of my application & resume. And, get this---he wanted me to come up to his hotel room! The interview was in a hotel, which in itself is not so unusual, oftentimes they rent a conference room for such purposes, but you don't "invite" a young girl to come up to a man's hotel room for an "interview". What a ton of crap! Then my mother and I ended up staying at a hotel down the road due to the snowstorm, what a waste!
Every interview costs, even if its a new pair pf pantyhose, parking gas, etc. Sad when it reaches the point you literally can't afford to look for a job
Currently. recruiters have quite a hard life. In the years of plenty, thousands of people who had nothing better to do, became recruiters. It was either that, or open a pizza parlor. But, there was plenty of food for everyone and even these on the fringes had some leftover crumbs. With the down economy, employers became nastier, treating them as garbage. But now, there is a catch. Most recruiters have no alternative, but to go on doing what they do. However, the market is flooded with too many of them and there is simply not enough work for all.
You can write off job searching expenses if you are unemployed. I too, got disgusted with the joke interviews that would last about 5 minutes, where they obviously didn't even look at your resume before you walked in the door. With gas then about $4.95 a gallon, even a local interview could cost me $$.
There are restrictions on deduction job search expenses, it has to be for a job that is similar to your most recent trade or business, with a similar level of responsibility. If it's something you haven't done before, you can't deduct it.
Even if it is allowable, the deduction is subject to a 2% of AGI "floor" limitation that may eliminate the deduction in many cases.
I live in a so-called "right to work" state with very little union representation.....North Carolina. You know, the state with an 11% unemployment rate where you can be fired "at will".
So the companies that do business here don't have to deal with those pesky little unions when hiring an employee, BUT, we who are looking for work seem to constantly have to deal with third party recruiters and staffing agencies who are NOT looking out for the employee, but are looking just to get a body in a job for as cheap as possible!
I see nothing in a staffing firm or recruiter that helps me, the potential employee. Just earlier today I tried to comtact a company about employment, but was told that they only will deal through a recruiter!!!
So here in good 'ol North Carolina, the unions are a pariah, but the working people are becoming more and more beholden to these sleazy staffing firms and recruiters, many of which have a stranglehold on entire industries!
I live in a so-called "right to work" state with very little union representation.....North Carolina. You know, the state with an 11% unemployment rate where you can be fired "at will".
So the companies that do business here don't have to deal with those pesky little unions when hiring an employee, BUT, we who are looking for work seem to constantly have to deal with third party recruiters and staffing agencies who are NOT looking out for the employee, but are looking just to get a body in a job for as cheap as possible!
I see nothing in a staffing firm or recruiter that helps me, the potential employee. Just earlier today I tried to comtact a company about employment, but was told that they only will deal through a recruiter!!!
So here in good 'ol North Carolina, the unions are a pariah, but the working people are becoming more and more beholden to these sleazy staffing firms and recruiters, many of which have a stranglehold on entire industries!
1) Recruiters work for whoever pays them. The employer is the one who pays so why would you expect them to work for you (or me)? That being said, there is a common interest between you and recruiter. They need us to close the deal. If you want someone to work for you, there are agencies who will do just that (for a fee) and then you are at the center of their attention.
2) Forcing you to work through recruiters is employers' idea. They think that by doing that, they save money (when in fact they don't). He prefers letting go of his HR staff and work with outside contractors, not only for personnel hiring, but for every function (payroll, shipping, etc). I proved more then once that they end up paying more, but that's the way investors currently like, and there is nothing you or I can do to change this preposterous trend.
1) Recruiters work for whoever pays them. The employer is the one who pays so why would you expect them to work for you (or me)? That being said, there is a common interest between you and recruiter. They need us to close the deal. If you want someone to work for you, there are agencies who will do just that (for a fee) and then you are at the center of their attention.
2) Forcing you to work through recruiters is employers' idea. They think that by doing that, they save money (when in fact they don't). He prefers letting go of his HR staff and work with outside contractors, not only for personnel hiring, but for every function (payroll, shipping, etc). I proved more then once that they end up paying more, but that's the way investors currently like, and there is nothing you or I can do to change this preposterous trend.
...it's still a racket!
And we can change the trend when the economy swings back toward our side.......probably not anytime soon, but the next generation of working people need to wake up and take charge and stop putting up with this garbage.
Most recruiters are either in business for themselves or the company. It is that simple some will have a job opportunity and some will not they are fishing the market just as you are in hopes of getting a bite at times. This is not always the case but often times it is. I have had agencies that will advertise phony jobs to pull in a ready pool of candiates in an area they know is marketable, why because they want you on hand if and when they need you. Then there are others that will fish through in hopes of seeing an ad they may know the company and call you because you are a good fit, this client may not necessary be a client of there's yet, but if they can get your resume in front of the hiring manager and he or she likes your background then they could have a potential client. So what I learned to do is when I receive a call from a recruiter I dont take the call right away. I explain I am in the market however, since I am currently employed I need to call them back at one o clock when I have more time to talk. I do this no matter if I am working or not, why because recruiters know what companies are looking for an a employed candidate is always more attractive than one that is not employed. So now they know I have a pretty good skill set becuase they have seen my resume, and they know I must be in some type of demand because I was not jumping at the first phone call they place to me.
Second if they really do have something worth my while when I do call back they are either awaiting my call or I will leave a message and they contact me back.
Thirdly now I want to know about the opportunity, how long has the client been in search of someone with my experience? how did the position come about? have you ever placed anyone with the company? and what type of relationship you have with the company? Interview them as well -
Fourth yes that would be great if you could send out my resume I do have a few other opportunities however, I would like to see how this works out my skill set seems to be a perfect match and I will give you a call if I come to the end of my job search and I am ready to make an offer.
Now they figure I better hurry up and set up this interview if I "really have an opportunity" because this person will not be on the market for long. Once I am on the interview I can pretty much take it from there I keep in contact with the recruiter on how "I feel about the opportunity and I follow up with the client directly to build my own relationship and keep myself in the loop
However, I have learn the hard way not the run around with recruiters placing my hopes on there promises becuase I know that they have a pool of applicants and they want to either fill a position quick or keep there database going.
Recruiters and staffing firms are a racket. I have more respect for telemarketers and used car salesmen!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I would have steered clear of them altogether. Live and learn. 
Doesn't change the fact that....
