Forget about using agencies to find a job

Go directly to a complany's website and apply there and bypass the agencies.

JobSeeker2 in Atlanta, Georgia said: Go directly to a complany's website and apply there and bypass the agencies.

Unfortunately, I find many of the companies are not bothering to advertise many of these jobs directly on their sites. I do think that companies are likely feeling some of this frustration too. Numerous agencies are vying to fill the same positions and if they are not able to send over qualified candidates, companies will stop using their services. This will either force the agencies to do their jobs better or force the companies to bring back their beefed up HR departments. Something's gotta give. It really feels like both sides are losing.

Lisa Mac Pherson in Atlanta, Georgia said: How immature are your remarks! I am not asking anyone to "cry me a river" I am merely stating the facts as I experienced them. With 11 years experience in the accounting field, with stellar recommendations and a solid work history are you really telling me that ALL the agencies I applied to rejected me because of the reasons you listed? I wasn't looking for a "dream job", I was willing to work administrative jobs, which yes, I applied for and have experience in. And not all of the agencies I applied to were strickly accounting agencies. This is a common thread that I see happening across the board. You can try to dismiss what people are saying and experiencing all you want with your insulting comments but you cannot change facts. Like I said in time it will all come to light.

For the record: I am now a Finance Manager.

Congratulations! I wouldn't bother defending yourself. You have nothing to prove and were just telling it like it was. You, me and many more like us know the truth. It will come out. As you said, it wasn't like this the last time you used agencies. It wasn't for me either over 3 years ago because the industry has changed and more companies than not are outsourcing to agencies to fill their openings. They can't carry on this way forever.

Jan in San Leandro, California said: You're an ignorant b****** dissing staffing agencies. If you don't want agencies to contact you, you simply need to check off "I do not want to be contacted by 3rd party vendors" You're a d******!!! don't waste a recruiters time!!! you're just the dumb idiot who doesn't follow directions!!! Agencies should put you on the DNU list (do not use) !!! You are an ignore person who doesn't know the market and industry!!! don't waste our time!!!

I am not one who typically responds to such an ignorant post but I can't seem to help it this time. You really are an idiot aren't you? The tenor of this board had been extremely productive until you arrived. Why not head back to the Robert Half forum where you belong w/ the other gramatically challenged pinheads. Beware. The time will come when you will need a recruiter and I'm quite confident with your attitude you will be back on this forum and on the right side of this argument.

Long Disappointed with Agencies in Palatine, Illinois said: If you want to waste your time and energy to enroll, be tested and sit and wait for a call that is never going to come......go to a recruiting agency.

Your time would be best spent searching job boards and only responding to direct employer listings. Unfortunately, when you post your resume so that it can be reviewed by a potential employer, you get calls from agency recruiters all day long. Leave your answering machine on and ignore recruiting agencies! Some sites allow you to exclude ads from agencies......do it!
I am with 2 different agencies and NO CALLS! I HAVE TO AGREE THEY ARE A JOKE!!!

Apply DIRECTLY to companies! It is still the BEST and FASTEST way to get a job! Only high turnover positions use staffing agencies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Don't use staffing agencies! They may have connections but they are in business to make commission NOT HELP YOU.

Even if a staffing agency tries to help you, they will never find you the right position that is a good fit for you.

As long as they make commission they could care less about your resume

This is a good string...................

I've read the post and some of the responses and I see truth in all your statements,,,,,yes some recruiters lie/cheat/steal and that's just to the guy in the next cube, so imagine what they do to clients and cnadidates.

At the same time great candidates have me looking for them, not the monstor/career or whatever other board you can think of.

Face it you are not a loser if you are not a CPA or top tier MBA school grad or former big 8/6/5/4 employee, but it makes your quest a little tougher when you are competing in a pool of candidates and a few of those types.

I still practice and consult, but I recruit and I have the hardest time trying to hold to the ethical values that I must practice as a CPA, but at the same time I have to eat.......,

so like always, I'm looking for great candidates for a few positions in public with regionals/nationals so CPA is a must, MST/MBAs are a plus, previous public is always welcomed and a good solid work history,,,,so if you have a lot of project work from consulting be clear to spell that out,,,,otherwise you have the "Accounting conservatism mindset" to deal with......

help me out candidates I need you in Indiana/OHIO/West Virginia and throughout the midwest accruals@insight.rr.com

What it comes down to is this: "Let the consumer beware" There are good recruiters and bad recruiters. Finding a job should be a full-time job on the individuals' part. Think of it like you're an agent, but the person you are selling is you. I spend days working the phone, the Internet, the agencies, my network of professionals, and following up. I e-mail people whose business cards I have filed from awhile back. I was fired 2 weeks ago. Tomorrow, I start a long-term temp job at a good rate which I got from a recruiter, and a promise of a second interview for a permanent position which I found on the Internet.

nancy in Kearny, New Jersey said: What it comes down to is this: "Let the consumer beware" There are good recruiters and bad recruiters. Finding a job should be a full-time job on the individuals' part. Think of it like you're an agent, but the person you are selling is you. I spend days working the phone, the Internet, the agencies, my network of professionals, and following up. I e-mail people whose business cards I have filed from awhile back. I was fired 2 weeks ago.
*******
Why were you fired? It obviously didn't hurt your job hunt which is great but rare.

I worked as an accountant for a large ad agency. The client didn't renew the contract. It happened to be the account I was working on. The supervisor didn't re-allocate the work from my other colleagues so she let me go. I am told this happens a lot. Needless to say, i don't want to work in the ad business again. The people are nasty and backstabbing, at least that's what I found.

Employed & Not Due to Recruiters in Lawrenceville, Georgia said: Remember that you are not looked at as a client, the business that may hire you is the client they are after because they will pay the 25% fee for you. Because of this, your salary will be lower, so try it without a recruiter so that you can get a higher salary due to them not haing to pay out the 25% on the front end.

This statement is false. The placement fee a recruiting firm gets has no bearing on the candidates salary.

JobSeeker2 in Atlanta, Georgia said: Go directly to a complany's website and apply there and bypass the agencies.

Good luck with the HR black hole.

Madeline in Denver, Colorado said: Apply DIRECTLY to companies! It is still the BEST and FASTEST way to get a job! Only high turnover positions use staffing agencies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

LOL. That's why over 90% of C-level positions are filled by search firms. So uninformed and ignorant.

Having test the waters at Ajilon as an employee, I can attest to the fact that there are good recruiters. Some care about you, all will use you for leads. I had witnessed great people in need of work and the fact is that you are not rewarded for helping people. The jobs that temporary staffing agents have are only kept if you meet crazy metrics that rarely bring value to the people who need the jobs the most. I have been placed by agencies, recruited to work for one and have seen the good the bad and the ugly.

If you need a job: NETWORK! Get your name and resume in the hands of the RIGHT people. Only use an agency for a position if that recruiter comes recommended by both companies and candidates. Some are good...none work for free or for the warm fuzzies of getting you a job.

NA said: You are absolutely right! I am a Recruiter and worked for one of the firm they are discussing. The company puts so much pressure on you to make certain goals. For example, Mgt tells you, you must have 15 plus interviews a week. So what that does is you are bringing in people just to bring them in. It is a total waste of time because as a Recruiter I would bring in anybody just to hit my goal. I had to do this otherwise I was fired. It did not help the candidate or me find a good fit but I met my goal. The whole concept is they will bring you in because you "might get a lead."

As a Recruiter, I would not exclude all companies however when working with them, I would ask them about their goals. If they have phone call quotas, interview quotas, sales calls quotas I recommend stay away. If it is a really good recruiter then their company will recognize that and allow them to do what will make the candidate successful and the recruiter as well as the company. There are firm out there and I have found it is usually the smaller companies that recognize this.

You must have worked in the same organization with no strategy that I did.

Since I've been out of work, I've applied at very few staffing agencies and I've gone directly to the companies instead. There are some staffing agencies that I wouldn't go near with a ten-foot pole.

I've now added Express Personnel to that list. Today (Monday, April 26), the posted a two-week outbound calling position on this website. When I called the agency, the guy that I spoke to said it was for just Wednesday and Thursday (4/28 and 4/29).

Even though I registered there years ago, he still found me in the system. He was about to say something that he found on my record. I told him that if it was something negative, I didn't want to do business with them, and then I hung up on him.

Express Personnel has done diddlysquats for me, so therefore I don't need their services. Secondly, these staffing agencies should only keep applicant information on file for at least six months to a year, unless they've worked for them previously.

Maybe I'll just keep applying directly to the companis. I don't think I trust these staffing agencies anymore.

And besides, I don't need a two-day job from any agency. I need something a little more long-term.