How to get a job at Aerotek CE.

QUESTION:
Have any of you ever had a positive experience with a staffing company, and if so, which company?

Reply:
In the past, I have found both Volt and Butler to be satisfactory temporary staffing companies.

READER COMMENT:
Found that I have luck if I am patient and explain what my ideal position would entail.

RESPONSE:
Yes, patience and good communication are excellent job search statigies. As for Aerotek, my patience simply ran out after dealing with them unsuccessfully for several years. Often when I was well qualified for the positions applied for, the staff at Aerotek simply IGNORED my applications and telephone follow-up contacts.

As for communication, each time an applicant contacts Aerotek, the recruiter makes a computer entry for the company record. If at any time a recruiter makes an unfavorable comment (justified or not)about the applicant, that comment stays in the Aerotek data systems for decades! Therefore, an applicant would be well advised to NEVER get on the bad side of ANY Aerotek recruiter.

This engineer believes that it is very important for job seekers to know how Aerotek operates!

Questions

Does aerotek make money by supplimenting its employees' paychecks / hourly wages through the client companies for a set period of time?

Why do aerotek employees make less money than they would if they just joined the client company independently without the help of aerotek?

Are client companies of aerotek under contract to only accept "new hires" for certain positions from aerotek or are the free to hire employees independently?

Yo Jozo... Why are you posting my messages again?

I'm a novice in postings, dear DA MAN, and instead of making comments, computer errors led to reposting.

I have been unemployed since October last year, like you, but I do have someone to blame: the idiots who think that if I'm 50, I become a liability. The PC word is "overqualified" and I heard it from 3 places including the FFederal Goverment. Of course I don't give up but I can't get any younger, and the bias is hampering my search for a job. As a 35 yr old manager, would I hire a guy set in his ways (myth), probably has bad habits (myth: he should have a job at 50) or may know more than I do (no myth)?

Other than that, I wanted to ask you if you have a better strategy than others to get interviews. When I know of a particular company, I contact them. I'm using Indeed.com, USAJOBS, Indeed.com, which cover among themselves all the jobs from all engines and newspapers in the area.

I'm looking forward to your reply, but in my view, one has to be recommended personally by someone who knows someone else with decision power, to have a chance.

Well... First off, I'm not out of work. I am a recruiter. So I'm probably one of the people your a little ticked off at. YOu are right though, there certainly is a lot of age discrimination going on out there. ***Don't get on me about this, I'm not the one doing it, I said PEOPLE OUT THERE*** I'm not sure what you can do about it. I place people all the time that are in the later stages of life (even semi retired) but I still see it out there from my clients. No one will admit it, but its out there. Like I said, I'm not sure what you can do about it. I think its mainly based on money. Employers can find someone in their 20's-30's to do the job for a lot less money. I REALLY don't know though. Theres nothing I do extra to "sell" an older person to my clients. I just go off technical ability. Lets see the postings fly on here now... I just opened up a can of worms...

So yes, I have been disgruntled with Aerotek. But with good reason. Please tell me someone, if you see an MS on my resume and I haven't worked for 6 months, does that make me a likely candidate to be marketed for a shop floor kind of job at a salary that was 1.5 times lesser than what I was making? And every progressive job being offered to me was lower than the last one? That is exactly what one Account Manager at Aerotek did and continues to do so. I am not being disrespectful about the shop floor job (I have worked in one) but the salary is really the sucker punch. It amazes me that this account manager has not been able to present me respectably to any client so far. Can I go past her and complain? She really needs to be pounding the sidewalks looking for jobs...not me.
Then, they advertise for zillions of jobs in and around the area I live in, ostentibly to stockpile resumes. But how does one know that these aren't some real ones out there too?
Aerotek has laid some kind of a seige in certain territories in bagging requisition after requisition...yet these jobs get posted out routinely. Do they never fill them up? Then why have them? Why not take them out? Or is that too much to ask?

Hahaha... Just typical comments there, "I have a Masters, now the world owes me something!!!" Good stuff. So now you want to "go past her and complain...". Hahahah... YOu should sue her for not getting you a job. God knows you have nothing to do with not having a job, no way! Its all because of that damn recruiter. I hear she was actually a test tube baby, made exclusively to be there to find you a job. The nerve of her to fail you like this...

You know, it is because of that kind of prevailing attitude that good corporations are not able to attract good talent. Where is the respect? Where is the ethics in hiring and where are the sound business practice?
I say the government should really step in to install some controls to recruiting practices. I am not going to indulge in name calling but that attitude is simply uncalled for...
I do not believe that anybody owes me anything. I would however question what criteria is used to judge who makes the cut as a candidate and who doesn't...somebody else?

Wouldn't like to identify but... said:
I do not believe that anybody owes me anything. I would however question what criteria is used to judge who makes the cut as a candidate and who doesn't...somebody else?

It normally depends on the client and the set of criteria they want to see in candidates. Then as a recruiter it is our job to find the best fit candidate for the position. There is no cookie cutter good candidate when it comes to recruiting.

And now for my shameless plug of the day.

My name is Justin and I am the main recruiter at a small family owned staffing agency. Some of you may have seen me around these forums but for those of you that have not, let me give you a little background. I come from an HR background and am certified through SHRM as a PHR. If anyone has questions regarding staffing companies and how they work or about HR stuff, please get in touch with me.

You can chat with me on our companies new tech forums at www.tekshak.com. Just throw any questions in the general chat forum and I'll answer as quickly as possible. Don't worry that there are no posts in there yet, this is something brand new we started a few days ago.

Also, if you have any technical questions for a job just ask it in the appropriate category and one of our staff will help you out. We have specialists from several different fields to help answer questions.

I know this is a shameless plug for our forums, but I have to get the word out somehow :)

Thanks and hope to see you on our forums (www.tekshak.com)

Justin: Shameless plug or not...:) It is heartening to note that some proactive action is being taken to spread the knowledge on how the recruiting industry works.
There are a lot of qualified candidates out there who are not employed or who are looking for better employment and every nugget of information is valuable. And your professionalism in the face of some recent 'gloves off' approach is really appreciated.

Hey, I call it like I see it. If you say something I think is rediculous, I'll call you out. YOur talking about me doing something uncalled for? What about you going over someones head and complaining because they can't find you a job?

Why thank you. It is sad to that everyone is having such a bad time with staffing companies. I know it is a lot different in the large staffing companies like Aerotek for example, but recruiters have to realize that candidates are our livelihood. Not only that but everyone deserve respect, candidate or not. Unfortunately we can not help everyone though.

Also just to be clear on the the forums (www.tekshak.com). We have set these up for people in technical fields that are having technical problems to come and seek help from their peers. I have set up the general forum for helping people with other stuff like tips on HR law and general HR or staffing company questions.

So like I said, I've been in HR a while and am certified so if anyone has questions I am more than happy to help.
Also, you do not have to register to use our forums. You can stay a guest and have access to the boards and submit messages and all that. If you do decide to register there are some more options available to you however. But like I said, its not required.

Justin: I did check out your forum. It is a pleasant change from the regular ones. It is as you have said it is.

As for the other question addressed to me, for your records, I didn't complain. I don't waste my time driving on wrong roads. I am not dealing proactively with Aerotek. We talk but we don't do business and usually if anybody asks me about Aerotek, I point them out to this forum and let them form their opinion. As an example, I point out to Justin and your comments, The Man.

What about my comments???? Hey, I'm not like Justin the "professional HR" so I'm not as good at sugar coating my answers.

Professional by definition doesn't mean 'sugar coating'.
Anyway, I am not going to involve myself in typical engagement without results. Good day to you and good luck to your candidates who 'dare' cross their unfortunate paths with you today, the Man.

In the HR world it does mean that... Anyways Yea, no worries, have a good day. And I believe as long as none of my candidates try to complain to my owner about me not finding them a job, then they will have a good experience with me.

The man said: What about my comments???? Hey, I'm not like Justin the "professional HR" so I'm not as good at sugar coating my answers.

I don't believe I sugar coat my answers. I just put myself in the candidates shoes and treat them the way I would want to be treated. Do I call everyone back that applies for a position, no, that would be a very time consuming effort. The people we bring in however, I call weekly to make sure they are still available and ready to go. Communication is key in this industry.

I have never worked for a large staffing company and I know the culture is different there from a small staffing company like the one I work at. I still believe that treating candidates with respect is important no matter what size the company.

Just my $.02

I agree Justin... Thats why I give them honesty. I put myself in their shoes, and I figure that i would rather have honesty. I should not have singled you out, I'm just talking about HR in general. Come on... YOu know they love to give the generic/sugar coated answer to everything. Its also two way street here folks. Theres certainly a lot of unprofesionalism that comes from the candidate side as well. I had a guy call me this morning that I placed at a company and tell me he accepted a counter offer. I won't go into details, but I know he lied to me about his motivations, and basically used me to get a counter offer. I'm out of a placement, but I'll live. My client however, is screwed now. He had a three week start date and he called the day before he is supposed to start. Two way street people. Theres good and bad people out there, on both recruiting and candidate side. Just like everything else in life...

Several years ago companies such as Enron, MCI World Com and Tyco put our economy in a tailspin. This in turn put the company's Hiring Manager and then the Recruiter in the driver's seat. It was a buyer's market and unfortunately the current work force got treated like crap. So when these posters complain in here, you recruiters should take it without calling them whiners & complainers. You brought it upon yourself.

I agree with you in part. It was a buyer's market, and it still is in some industries. Job seekers need to take some responsibility and understand the market. Many job seekers have a horrific attitude. If you have a PhD in Nuclear Organic Cheese making and you are applying for Cheif Nuclear Cheese Officer then you can get away with a horrific attitude. Guess what if you are a Construction Super/PM and it is mid-Winter it does not matter whether you use a recruiter or go directly to an agency. Doing you college thesis on Wafer Fab optimization 10 years ago does not qualify you for a job now!

Host said: Do you work at Aerotek CE? How did you find the job? How did you get that first interview?
Any advice for someone trying to get in?

Steer clear of Aerotek. They are a terrible company. I worked for them years ago as a recruiter. They have 2 levels, recruiter and account manager. Basically my life/earnings were put in my account managers hands. He brought in no business and because of this it affected my earnings. 1 yr later, I was let go due to poor production, how can I product if there are no reqs to work on. If you cannot kiss butt and are a free thinker then definitely steer clear

To a point you are right but if you are not getting feedback then plain and simple you have a terrible relationship or are working with the wrong companies.

You as a recruiter/account manager need to educate the Hiring Manager that feedback is vital to both the candidate and yourself......basically to keep from duplicating your errors. If you cannot get this then time to move on.....

Because you go thru one week of Account Management training at Corporate does not make you a good Account Manager....

Aerotek is a recruiting company. I worked at a large company through them for 6 weeks. Aerotek had told me it was a 6 month contract-to-hire position and the company said no, it is only a 4-6 week temporary position. If I had left a permanent position for that I would have been facing unemployment. Since I was all ready unemployed no harm.
I Don't think much of Aerotek or any of these types of companies, but some are better than others. I think most of their job ads are for the purpose of collecting resumes.

I am amazed by the comments that I am seeing on this forum. I want to see if I might be able to address some of these concerns and issues.

For those of you that are unfamiliar with the landscape of employment these days, here is the lay of the land:

90% of the Fortune 100, 500 and 1000 are currently using staffing agencies or recruiting firms for their employment needs and there are three types of recruiting firms: "traditional" headhunters, staffing agencies and recruiting firms.

What does all this mean?

One: companies are in the driver seat. They pay a staffing company to filter, screen,interview and qualify people for them. They only want to see 1 or 2 resume's per position. Only the best of the best get through.

Two: Keep in mind the distinct differences in firm and recruiting style. A headhunter is paid by the company and given a list of people that they want for a specific position. A staffing agency is paid by the company to find a specific type of candidate for a specific position, and a recruiting firm is paid by the CANDIDATE to find them a position.

See the difference? Where does the money come from? If you are paying for the service out of your first years salary, they will work a lot harder to find you a position, if the company is paying for it, they are going to work a lot harder for the company to find only the best fit for their position, if that isn't you, then they will not concentrate on you.

It is a dog eat dog world out there and companies are trying to cut costs. The best way is to free up their managers to do a managers job and pay a company to deal with all the unqualified yet well-meaning candidates.

No I want to apply for the Supplier Quality Engineers position in Smyrna, TN

We are not the government we can't put everyone out to work.

The recruiters are paid by the companies who are listing the position. They work for the companies, NOT US. It is our responsibility however, to check back with them from time to time just to keep our names fresh in their minds. Ever since everything went electronic, you have people applying from all over the country as opposed to just locally. More than half of these people have no intention of relocating either. This simply makes it that much harder for recruiters and companies to find people. My only problem with the recruiters is that when the company that they are pitching alters the job requirements, it is not passed along to the posting.

I have been able to establish a good working relationship with my local recruiter by maintaining contact on a bi-weekly basis. This helps them to keep my name at the top of their heads regardless of how many hundreds or thousands of applicants there are.

No, THEY DO NOT WORK FOR US!!

Do your part by keeping in contact if you really want a job.

Well put Robert...

Aerotek said: I work for one of these listed agencies and would like to point something out.
We run our business telling clients that we can fill positions with as little as a few hours notice (which we do, typically with candidates that are unemployed and ready to work with no notice). When an agency specializes in temporary and temporary to hire positions, how can you expect them to wait for 2 weeks notice? Everyone is looking for a better paying job these days.

As an unemployed person, years ago I frequently used temp agencies. I always found some work. However, the market seems to have changed. They no longer want people to come in. Everything is over the Internet. I have sent my resume into many "Black Holes" making it clear that I am currently unemployed, have plenty of skills, and am willing to accept any temp job while I am searching for a full-time job.

It is true that these days it is pretty much who you know that can get your resume to the right person. For all the investment companies have put in "Human Resources" and resume scanning, and recruiters, it is amazing that none of it seems to work very well. And don't even mention the thousands of books on resume writing, interviewing etc. etc.

Before I was laid off I heard again and again that the best way to find a candidate was to ask your friends. It makes me wonder what the five or six staff recruiters did. The system is broken and no one is happy with it.

I agree they never call back. I now apply for the positions and than forget it. If they call back great if not who cares. Eventually some always call. I send out 10 resumes a day. I send to anyone looking for person with my background or claose to back ground. I also find out who the job is for and send my resume right to the company. Bypass the job shop. You might have to search but you will find the original company.
I dont know if this helps anyone but it is to have the control over the job shop.
Good luck to everyone.

The man said: Hahahaha... Every one but Aerotech... Thats classic... Half the time Aerotech doesn't even talk to people before they submit resumes. I'm a recruiter, and I'll even say that most recruiters are crap. Thank god thats the case, or I would not be able to set myself apart from them and make a good living. Its all about the individual. No matter what the company or agency, its all the individual recruiter. Recognize...

I suggest constructive input will suffice. People who send resume over to recruiter should follow-up. I think it is job seekers interest to not only follow-up but talk to recruiter educating them as to how he/she feels meets the requirements of the job. Recruiters have not only learn but be able to communicate to the hiring manager as to how he/she feels candidate fits the job requirements.

I'm not a recruiter and I am fairly happily employed. That said, I have at times ventured out and gone through the process of utilizing a recruiter's help for potentially more promising opportunities out there. In my case the planets didn't align but that in my mind was not the recruiters fault. What I've learned is to be completely honest about my qualifications with my recruiter right at the get go because like all, my resume though factual has a tendency to shine me in a better light, rightfully so. But my point is, the recruiter is commission based (unless a corporate one) and unless he/she knows your industry will typically just try to match a percentage of required criteria to your resume and if you're not honest or find it too humbling to say hey I'm not sure I can do this (though the compensation package looks great) then you will most likely have a negative experience. Blaming someone for not getting a job is silly folks, it's up to you and a recruiter is just another resource for you to tap into. Establish a rapport with that recruiter and understand that he they are out to make a buck too, just like you so be honest and I think you will experience a win win.

Staffing is a business like any other. Some people have great experiences when they buy a car or refinance their mortgage and they will continue to go back to that person who helped them time and time again. Some people don't have good experiences, and they may choose not to use that service again. If they don't come back is not always because of the service and the person providing the service, but if they do come back it is almost always because of the person and service. The point is staffing is not perfect, and no person is perfect. I am sure all of us have had bad service or have been sold something that didn't do what it was supposed to do, but I am sure that won't stop us from buying cars or refinancing. You need to find someone who is trusting and does right by you. I have worked for Aerotek for years, and I know we are not perfect because we are an orginization made of people, and people are flawed genrally speaking, but not all people. I have had great success employing some people, and in some cases the same people have come back to work for me or utilize my help time after time. Others I have not been able to help at all, and sometimes it's no ones fault. As recruiters we do the best we can to get back to as many people as possible, but unfortunately the way our business is we can't respond to everyone, and I apologize for that. Staffing companies aren't going anywhere, so my advice for you job seekers are find an individual not a company who will treat you with respect and trust and do whatever they can to help you. Think of them as your partner, and than it really doesn't matter what company they work for.

I just want the Aerotek rep whom I met with, got emails and calls from, and a date for an interview to call me back! I've left voice mails and emails and it's like nothing ever happened. I'm so disappointed.

Like any other headhunter, they will contact you only if they believe that they can make money off of you. You have to meet every requirement detail set by the hiring company, and you have to out-qualify all but one or two other persons. Otherwise, the headhunter will not waste the time to follow up with you. If you see an interesting job posting that is attached to a headhunter, and you feel that you are fully qualified, go ahead and apply. Make sure your resume and cover letter demonstrate beyond a shadow of a doubt that you meet every detail of every requirement. Then keep on job shopping because there is still little chance that you will ever hear anything.

Turnover inside many Aerotek shops is high. Don’t be surprised to see them re-list a job that you already applied for because the handling recruiter disappeared. If you really want the job you may have to call Aerotek up and convince them to interview you in person – then use that opportunity to convince as many of their recruiters as possible that you are a viable match for that job type. Hopefully somebody at Aerotek will remember you when they need to fill their candidate submission quotas.

You’re better off contacting the actual hiring company. Personally carve your path into the company and they can skip Aerotek’s fees. If Aerotek does not follow up with you, call them and persuade them to talk to you about jobs they’re supposed to fill. Many of their recruiters are inexperienced and if you are shrewd you can determine who the hiring company is. Unless Aerotek already submitted you for the opening (highly unlikely) you and the company can bypass them altogether. Sorry Aerotek folks, but if you are not professional enough to maintain a dialog with skilled individuals then you do not deserve compensation for jobs you do not complete.

The Aerotek rep, his card said "senior recruiter", was quite forthcoming with the names of the two companies who were interested in me. The rep found my skills to be on target with what the hiring companies wanted. Maybe the hiring companies changed what they wanted?

The man in Mesa, Arizona said: Have you guys ever imagined what it is like to be a recruiter? Do you realize how many people they talk to about job openings? Do you really expect them to be able to get back to every single person the talk to about every job. How bout this... Why don't you show an ounce of motivation and give them a call to check on the status of a certain job. How would they ever find any job openings if they did nothing but call every losser back who can't find a job all day long? Yes, I am a recruiter... And I bet you all are some of the people out there that can not get a job for a good reason.

I work for Aerotek at General Motors and the project I've been working on is almost done, so the Attorney at GM told me my last day is 2 weeks before Christmas. At first Aerotek was telling me not to worry about it because we have all kinds companys we can put you with. They said they're getting Ford to use our service. Wouldn't that be a conflict of interest to have Ford & GM using our services at the same time. Arent there laws for things like that. I haven't heard anything from Aerotek about what they're doing to find me a job.

The man in Mesa, Arizona said: Have you guys ever imagined what it is like to be a recruiter? Do you realize how many people they talk to about job openings? Do you really expect them to be able to get back to every single person the talk to about every job. How bout this... Why don't you show an ounce of motivation and give them a call to check on the status of a certain job. How would they ever find any job openings if they did nothing but call every losser back who can't find a job all day long? Yes, I am a recruiter... And I bet you all are some of the people out there that can not get a job for a good reason.

Hello, beautiful reply! It's amazing the comments I read when I look at written opinions about any company but your reply was on point. I would like to talk to you off-line about recruiting at AT if possible. I am considering a job there as a recruiter as well. Thanx.

Staffing companies exist to make money, at the expense of the employees. It might be all right, but it's a regressive practice, wherein the workers are treated like garbage by the recruiters. I'm a defender of free enterprise, more than most realize. So, don't think I'm some sort of socialist.

My main complaint about Aerotrick is that they pilfer the actual hiring company's benefits. Take vacation time. Aerotrick offers a generous vacation time of 5 days a year. 5 days after many years of employment with Aerotrick? Many companies give you two weeks vacation to start. Obviously, Aerotrick pockets the difference between what a company would normally offer, and what they actually bestow on the their victims. I can only imagine how much salary is taken away by Aerotrick from the company's offered salary. I mean $12 an hour for doing work that ordinarily goes for $20. Who do you think pays Aerotrick's salaries and profits. The worker does. Somebody might say the employer does, but employers and Aerotrick can manipulate that arrangement quite profitably between themselves. Just let the poor employee finance it.

Among the flaming incompetencies of the recruiters, are incorrect "show up for work" times they give to their vicitims, but also show a stunning lack of understanding about the general nature of the jobs they are offering, but then a 20 year old kid wouldn't know that. So much for professionalism. Why don't the staffing companies hire more mature people that might actually know what they're doing? It might eat into their profits if they had to hire mature people.

Staffing companies = Fast food restaurants when it comes to quality. Experience teaches that to say otherwise is to tell a lie.

Most are pimps and you have to approch it like that, most dont know what thay are saying, take it as it comes...put and play the game....i play them right along as thay play me.
and i have been really succesful...tell tham what thay want to hear, ask for the job discription if you can get it.