Temp Agencies Don't Get You Nothing!

When I moved here last year, I signed up with a temp agency and it didn't get me nowhere. Even when I lived on the east coast, I went to all the agencies and they would send you on interviews you weren't qualified for. They don't care about your interest only for the compensation that they will be paid for your hire. Just look on your own and you should be able to get somewhere. It may take some time but its worth all the hassle in the end.

Displaced Legal Professional in Denver, Colorado said: A_recruiter: "Perhaps the fact that you are unfamiliar with basic grammer has something to do with it...."

You are in no position to criticize. The word is spelled gramm-A-r.

Judge not, lest ye be judged. Also, don't throw stones if you live in a glass house.

LOL

Why would a recruiter waste their time sending you to jobs you are not qualified for? If you are not qualified for the job, the client is not going to pay the recruiter ANYTHING or make the hire. Plus, it just makes the recruiter look incompetent.

I more blame inexperience and not understanding the position they are sending you to, rather than any real interest in ruining their rep with a client to amuse themselves by sending you to a long-shot interview.

Also - take responsibility and get a thorough job description from your recruiter. If you like your recruiter, develop the relationship and explain why you do not feel qualified. You are in the best position to educate your recruiter about your background - not the other way around. Never let a recruiter force you into something you do not feel qualified to pursue.

Displaced your reply does not make sense. How would the recruiter collect a commission? Do you really think law firms are that dumb to hire people who cannot do the work? AND pay a fee for that? Couldn't they just hire anyone on their own with no experience for free?

Displaced Legal Professional in Arvada, Colorado said: Bob in Littleton, Colorado: "Not trying to be rude, but seriously, if you spent more time looking for a job than complaining about not being able to find one on this board, you might get something."

Part of the reason I post so much is I spend a large portion of my day in front of the computer. I am spending most of the time foraging the internet and other sources for openings.

Years ago, before the internet, job hunting was much tougher. There were no job boards. All you had were the classifieds and trade pubs. I was in two other vocations before joining the legal profession. I would spend hours and money for long distance calling places to see if there were openings. That doesn't work in the legal profession; you have to apply by mail or online.

How about networking with people you know? Joining legal associations or other groups?

A_recruiter said: Perhaps the fact that you are unfamiliar with basic grammer has something to do with it....

Spoken like a true parasite. How about you getting a job that actually serves someone or something instead of carping on grammar?

A_recruiter said: Perhaps the fact that you are unfamiliar with basic grammer has something to do with it....

grammEr???????????????????

know for a fact that recruiters have relatively small base salaries. They must perform in order to earn commissions on their sales and/or fill jobs; however I also agree that many of these ads appear to be fake. I believe that these recruiters merely utilize the info on resumes in order to try to make sales calls on perspective businesses. They may call with the pretense of verifying a job reference but they are more motivated by trying to get to a decision maker - meanwhile they could care less about the individual who is looking for work. Why else would they not place highly qualified individuals?

Lawrenceville, GA in Lawrenceville, Georgia said: know for a fact that recruiters have relatively small base salaries. They must perform in order to earn commissions on their sales and/or fill jobs; however I also agree that many of these ads appear to be fake. I believe that these recruiters merely utilize the info on resumes in order to try to make sales calls on perspective businesses. They may call with the pretense of verifying a job reference but they are more motivated by trying to get to a decision maker - meanwhile they could care less about the individual who is looking for work. Why else would they not place highly qualified individuals?

I believe your remarks are right on the money. If I ever get into a supervisor/manager position, I pity anyone who dares to send me their résumé with a legal recruiting background. Revenge is a dish that is best served cold :-)

A_recruiter said: Perhaps the fact that you are unfamiliar with basic grammer has something to do with it....

You might want to look up the proper spelling of the word "grammer" (sic) and practice what you preach. . .

Try looking under GRAMMAR. . .

Displaced Legal Professional in Arvada, Colorado said: Job Seeker in Spring, Texas: "I believe your remarks are right on the money. If I ever get into a supervisor/manager position, I pity anyone who dares to send me their resume with a legal recruiting background. Revenge is a dish that is best served cold :-)"

Well said. I love it! If you need another server, look me up!

I would say that I would not necessarily lump lawfirm HR and firm administrators in the same class as legal headhunters. Several months ago, I sent a major firm in town a letter of interest and resume. A few days later, the HR person called me. This very nice lady said it was quiet in her firm but she told me of another firm where she heard of an opening. She also offered to forward my resume to a headhunter. I said "no, thanks" to that but thanked her profusely for calling me. She didn't have to call me, nor did she have to tip me about the opening. To this day I am flabbergasted that she called me.

Congratulations on experiencing a rare moment in the job hunt. I get overjoyed when I hear something good from someone who wants to help me look for work.

And no, I wouldn't dare lump lawfirm HR and firm administrators in the same class as legal headhunters. That's just employment suicide!!

attorney in Thousand Oaks, California said: You might want to look up the proper spelling of the word "grammer" (sic) and practice what you preach. . .

Try looking under GRAMMAR. . .

ROTFL

You go, Mr. Attorney :-)

Most of this conversation appears to be a lot of anecdotal stories that are then generalized to be viewed as true for all scenarios. Unless you work with the worst recruiters possible, which might be the case as this is a RHL forum, there is a lot of misinformation floating around.

Personally, I wouldn't DARE sending an unqualified person to one of my clients. Nor would I waste my time calling and interviewing someone who has no use to the clientele I serve.

I've been ad administrative assistant for over 20 years, and I agree that the temp agencies today are nothing like they used to be.

In the 1980's and '90's (back in the olden days, ha!), they actually did assist people in finding temporary or even permanent jobs. But even then, the jobs they had to offer were never really as good as the ones you could find on your own.

Today, the temp agencies are a joke. I've read posts on other threads here, and some people have wondered if there is an "age factor." Well, I know a young woman who is 28, very intelligent and has excellent skills. She went to several agencies, filled out their forms, took their tests, interviewed with them, and....nothing! She got no calls from them.

These agencies might find one out of hundred people some work (I guess they have to do something to justify their existence), but, trust me, don't depend on them for a job.

You are much better off doing a job search on sites like Career Builder or monster job, and sending out resumes on your own than going to a temp agency.

Hang in there!

Displaced Legal Professional in Arvada, Colorado said: Ivy League Recruiter in Atlanta, Georgia: "Most of this conversation appears to be a lot of anecdotal stories that are then generalized to be viewed as true for all scenarios...."

Most of this conversation has turned on different people sharing similar experiences. Anecdotal or nor, if dissimilar people are having similar experiences, there must be a pattern to it somewhere.

"Personally, I wouldn't DARE sending an unqualified person to one of my clients. Nor would I waste my time calling and interviewing someone who has no use to the clientele I serve."

I believe your first statement but I do not believe your second statement. You headhunters earn points for body count, don't you? At least one headhunter on this forum admitted that as part of her job she combs Monster, Careerbuilder, etc. for new resumes. She then tries to bring in these people for "interviews." After these "interviews" and earning her body count) she might actually set up a send-out.

I absolutely second Lady Friday in Baltimore. It takes a lot of work, but a job seeker is far better off applying to companies directly instead of screwing around with headhunters.

Ditto from this 20+ year legal veteran employee. The temp agencies in Atlanta are paying very experienced people $12 per hour these days for the few pitiful contract assignments that are out there, when they were paying $20 for the same jobs just a few years ago. I think they are still charging the employers the same rates though. They don't want you to let the employer know how much you are getting paid because it makes them look like loan sharks. Boycott the agencies until they quit gouging the workers and actually perform the services they are paid to do!

I dont work for Robert Half. I get no bonus points for filling up my day with useless activity. I don't make money that way.

I use phone screens to figure out what people want to do. If our interests are not aligned, I'd rather cut my losses at a 5 to 10 minute call than an hour interview.

I had an appt at OfficeTeam (A RH subsidiary) in Dayton before I landed my job I have now (which I procured, NOT THEM).

I went in, did the obligatory paperwork crap and waited patiently with everyone else who looked desperate for a job. Mind you, I'd been there in the office now for over an hour, signed in, talked with two girls who worked there, done testing. I get a call on my cell phone from a lady in the office (I guess she was a manager that day or something) wanting to know where I was. I told her loudly (so all could hear) "I AM IN YOUR OFFICE, IN THE LOBBY, WAITING FOR YOU!!!"

This little story should illustrate the incompetence. But wait...

I get in to talk with "The Pusher", I forget his name. This guy was in his early 20s - had probably never seen an office in his life except for the fact he was IN one. He's telling me I am not qualified for anything above $10/hr. I'm a former court reporter, typing speed is 115 words per minute, had 3 years medical terminology, 3 years legal terminology, 6 or 7 years of legal secretary work to that point -- and he's telling me I do not qualify for anything over $10/hr.

Then, when I DID finally get a job MYSELF, "the Pusher" gave me a guilt trip that I'd let them DOWN because they'd gotten me a 2-day assignment and I could not complete it!!!!!

OfficeTeam- Good luck with THAT!

Careerbuilder allows companies to post FAKE ADS because they are paying for them.

What is really ironic is that Careerbuilder has a 'tab' that says "REPORT JOB TO CAREERBUILDER" on the REAL jobs that list the company name BUT DO NOT OFFER THIS SAME SERVICE FOR THE REALLY SLEAZY RECRUITING COMPANIES like The Creative Group, Robert Half Intl, Office Team, Apple One, and other fraudulent resume collecting agencies!

Contact Careerbuilder and demand to know why they don't put the "tab" on the agency postings!!!!!!

ExecutiveLegalPeon16 in Dayton, Ohio said: I had an appt at OfficeTeam (A RH subsidiary) in Dayton before I landed my job I have now (which I procured, NOT THEM).

I went in, did the obligatory paperwork crap and waited patiently with everyone else who looked desperate for a job. Mind you, I'd been there in the office now for over an hour, signed in, talked with two girls who worked there, done testing. I get a call on my cell phone from a lady in the office (I guess she was a manager that day or something) wanting to know where I was. I told her loudly (so all could hear) "I AM IN YOUR OFFICE, IN THE LOBBY, WAITING FOR YOU!!!"

This little story should illustrate the incompetence. But wait...

I get in to talk with "The Pusher", I forget his name. This guy was in his early 20s - had probably never seen an office in his life except for the fact he was IN one. He's telling me I am not qualified for anything above $10/hr. I'm a former court reporter, typing speed is 115 words per minute, had 3 years medical terminology, 3 years legal terminology, 6 or 7 years of legal secretary work to that point -- and he's telling me I do not qualify for anything over $10/hr.

Then, when I DID finally get a job MYSELF, "the Pusher" gave me a guilt trip that I'd let them DOWN because they'd gotten me a 2-day assignment and I could not complete it!!!!!

OfficeTeam- Good luck with THAT!

Office Team is the SLEAZIEST OF THE SLEAZE!

Displaced Legal Profession,

I went in for JD/Attorney Document Review job. The job want-ad stated attorney license was NOT required. If the want-ad stated otherwise, I would not have applied for the position.

Strange thing is, I see the same want-ad being posted on Monsterjobs and Careerbuilder again and again. Only conclusion I come up with is the want-ad is for a bogus job.

Also in hindsight, I think the RH recuiter called me in for an interview just to meet her quota for the week. Through out the interview, I just had a strange feeling that I was being taken advantage of.

My experience with RH was so terrible I sent a letter to Consumer Protection Agency complaining about RH's unethical practices. The way RH exploits peoples' desperate and volunerable situations by posting fake job want-ads just to meet their quotas.

I don't know how RH recruiters can sleep at night--knowing that they are a part of a system that take exploit and take advantage of working people who have fallen on hard time.

By the way, I've move to tustin, so my new sn is "mel in tustin".

I have a bachelors degreee in communications from Ohio Stae and am considering a paralegal certification from Capital University. I am wondering if it is really worth it. What I have found, as far as salary is concerned, isn't very tempting (especially for fresh graduates). $10-15 an hour sems to be the salary range, even if you have a 4 year degree and a certification. Does this sound right? What salary range should I be prepared for even with experience later on? Honestly,...SHould I be prepared to be a legal drafter/filer? Your thoughts are well appreciated, thank you.

Thanks displaced. I can imagine that the paralegal field is very competitive, although every university that offers a paralegal program boasts above average demand for paralegals over the next 10 years. Universities market in much the same ay as businessess do in my opinion. They have a product to sell,...education. Could you expand on what your daily routine as a paralegal consists of? Is your current position secure or are you always hunting for other employment elsewhere? Thanks.

Thanks for sharing, displaced. I appreciate your opinion. I think I am more interested in the business side, so hopefully it will be less stressful but on the other hand, probably less exciting. I suppose it is a tradeoff. Good luck to you and thanks again for your input, you've been very helpful.

That makes a lot of sense. I'll look into those specialties. Thanks again, you've been a big help.

Why would someone who has a LAW degree use Robert Half Intl, the sleaziest of the sleaze?

The Denver area job market generally stinks and pays much lower than other parts of the country!!!

Careerbuilder has those "tabs" that say "report this job to Careerbuilder" for EVERY COMPANY EXCEPT Office Team and The Creative Group and Robert Half.

Now, I wonder if there is something going on there-- the company said "We will ONLY post if you do NOT put those tabs there???"

Careerbuilder is in BED with RHI -- do not use either one!!!

Displaced Legal Professional in Arvada, Colorado said: As far as networking goes, I called my references when I began my job search. I asked them to let me know if they heard of anything. One was kind enough to put my name on his specialty's listserv (He never kept his word that he would write a letter of reference for me, even after I provided a draft, and I wasn't about to nag him for it.). I got one interview. My references are attorneys and are far too busy to help me.

Displaced Legal, please don't think an attorney has no time to help you if you need it because we will and you only need to ask. I am an attorney and have written many letters of reference for my former paralegals and other staff countless times. I have also made myself available for phone interviews by giving both my office and cell numbers.

I came to Indeed looking to see which agency I should employ for expanding my legal staff. I was researching Robert Half's typical advertisements as well as others, but I never dreamed there was this much animosity towards them.

My advise to you is apply directly most firms are advertising directly especially the over 100 attorney firm which I am with. Further, there are fewer and fewer retained searches with agencies these days due to price concerns. Most of the positions you see are likely to be on contingency basis and more than one agency has been made aware and is advertising the open position. Your best bet is to apply directly and be pushy it will work to your advantage.

Finally, network like mad. You will get your job far more easily through networking. You should join your states Bar Association where you can meet many attorneys and have an in road to many jobs. I found my legal secretary there when I was giving a lecture series on Trust and Estate issues.

I hope you find your position soon!

A_recruiter said: Perhaps the fact that you are unfamiliar with basic grammer has something to do with it....

Is because recruiter are FAKERS AND ahole

Bob in Littleton, Colorado said: Dear "Displaced:"

Not trying to be rude, but seriously, if you spent more time looking for a job than complaining about not being able to find one on this board, you might get something.

I bet you have never ever had hardships. Ahole

Why don't you just start advertising your own legal services Displaced???
Or start networking at Chamber of Commerces, etc?

MOST EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES ADS ARE FAKE
FAKE
FAKE
FAKE
FAKE
FAKE
FAKE
FAKE
FAKE
FAKE

Get it yet????

BYPASS THEM COMPLETELY!!

Displaced Legal Professional in Denver, Colorado said: "Barrett in Denver, Colorado: "Why don't you just start advertising your own legal services, Displaced???
Or start networking at Chamber of Commerces, etc?"

Contrary to popular belief, paralegals are nonlawyers. Nonlawyers cannot provide legal services. Only lawyers can provide legal advice, and legal services are part of legal advice.

Real Estate agents are "practicing limited law." Why can't paralegals?

Displaced Legal Professional in Denver, Colorado said: I need to clarify one thing. Real estate agents in Colorado are allowed to prepare real property buy-sell contracts. The rules may be different in other states.

Sorry but you are wrong Displaced.

Licensed Real estate professionals in Colorado ARE practicing limited law. It says right in the legal manual from the state of Colorado as long as we are using THE REQUIRED FORMS! Would you like me to find the page and quote it? Call Armbrust Real Estate Institute in Greenwood Village CO and talk to any one of them who will verify this is in fact true.

We 'PREPARE' all real estate forms! But we use Colorado state approved forms. Why are you wasting time on this anyway? :)

Call the Armbrust Real Estate Institute in Greenwood Village and talk to any of the instructors or the owners who have been around about 30 years in Colorado. It is semantics, "practicing limited law" so long as the commission approved forms are being used.

Robert Half Legal/Office Team/Careerbuilder - biggest crooks you ever want to see. They place bogus ads on Careerbuilder and when you call regarding the jobs listed, no one knows anything about.

They practice discrimination full-blown outright and yet have been caught by the EEOC. They discriminate against women over 40 years of age and especially minorities. You can have the best of the qualifications, excellent and yet you do not get called for an assignment. Robert Half Legal/Office Team tells you that you are not good enough to go for permanent placement and therefore tell you they can only work with you on a temporary basis. You call into their office in Chicago and surrounding Northern Suburbs three times a week and all you get is voicemail, and if these young ladies and men do not like you personally, they do not even try to find or assist in placement for temporary jobs with you. They have nasty attitudes and tell you not to leave any message urgent on their voicemail especially someone named Jen McClure.

Oh yes, they will allegedly get you a temp assignment and then the day before you start, they have someone call you up and say the assignment was canceled for no apparent reason.

Robert Half Legal/Office Team wants you to look like a beauty queen, slim and trim and under 40 no matter how less experience you are then they will work with you.

ROBERT HALF LEGAL/OFFICE TEAM NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED BY THE EEOC AND STATES ATTORNEY FOR PRACTICING OUTRIGHT DISCRIMINATION BASED ON RACE, COLOR, CREED AND AGE. THEY HAVE VIOLATED ALL OF THE FEDERAL LAWS and it is no secret.

Let me tell you about another agency who tells you not to stop by their office without an appointment.

DAYSTAR/NORTH SHORE STAFFING/OM5MS Network - Northfield, Illinois - This agency is one of the biggest staffing agency fakes that ever existed. Again, they discriminate against women over 40 (especially minorities). You can have the best of skills, past all their tests, references, etc., but if you are over 40 and a minority, you can forget about this agency helping you get anything. They will ignore your phone calls and emails. You can call several times and tell them you are availabile and it will be ignored. They tell you "the companies we work with, does not want someone like you", in other words you are the wrong race, and too old.

This is becoming more profound in Staffing Agencies then ever before. I really think the Federal Government and the EEOC needs to start investigating and cracking down on DISCRIMINATION AGAINST PEOPLE OF RACE, CREED, COLOR AND AGE, because it has gotten out of hand and this is one of the reasons why unemployment is so high. There are a lot of highly qualified people out here but when you have to deal with agencies such as North Shore Staffing/Daystar, Robert Half Legal/Office Team and even Aerotek, then you got problems, because the people they have working for them is inexperience and are prejudice and definitely discriminates against you.

So you tell me what do you do?

Just a note to those out looking for a job right now I think you may get better results doing the leg work yourself. I was unemployed for almost 4 months before I found something, and I only started to have any luck whatsoever in the last month or so once I began going straight to the company's hiring instead of trying to use an intermediary such as recruiters or the typical job boards. I registered with about 8 different recruiters and followed up, was applying for jobs on careerbuilder, craigslist, monster, you name it; with no results for 3 months. Not even a single interview. Then started going to company websites and applying directly in the last month and after about a week or so I actually started to get some calls. You do have to put in a little more effort this way in searching, filling out applications, etc; but it is well worth it. I used to swear by recruiters up until I got my last job in 2002, but for some reason as I began looking again this year the recruiting landscape has changed and it has been tough to find anyone to really put much effort into helping out much.