Please help. Anyone know how to deal with job agencies?

[Eaney]

My DP is registered with a number of job agencies. He is concerned that if he keeps phoning them for updates they will get irritated. He feels that he can detect irritation in their voice when he does phone. Consequently he tends to wait for them to phone.

I on the other hand think he should phoned regularily so that they don't forget him when a job comes up. I fear that if they don't hear from him they don't conider him for jobs.

Does anyone have experience of how job agencies work. Any help very much appreciated.

[HellyBelly]

Yep - dh with loads and they just use you! Say they will call and don't! I would tell him to keep calling as they won't call him otherwise! From our experience anyway!

[Eaney]

What do you mean they just use you? Do you think they try and get you to take any old job regardless of your skills or desires.

Thanks for responding.

[HellyBelly]

What I mean is from my husband's experience (3½ years) of being with agencies, they seem to want as many people in for interviews to get them on their books so they have more people to choose from when it comes to matching them up. I don't think they will waste time putting you forward for interviews as it's not worth their while. They just like to have a big database. My husband is with between 5 and 10 and nothing. Luckily he got a good new job off his own back.

I'm not saying this is always the case but after speaking to mates, this seems quite normal.

Not trying to put you off. If your dh has particular skills then you may be ok.

Good luck!!

[Mosschops30]

Message withdrawn

[HellyBelly]

Lucky you - or maybe you had the right sort of skills?? My dh was looking for alternative office work but has now gone into sales.

[WideWebWitch]

I was a recruitment consultant a long time ago. We gave all applicants a 2 minute 'doorstep interview' (before they even sat down) to establish whether we thought we could make any money out of them. If we could, we interviewed them, if we couldn't we sent them away. We could only help if they wanted to continue in the same line of work - agencies aren't there to help you change career usually, they're there to make money out of you by placing you in a job you can do and will stay in long enough for them not to have to refund their fee. So I don't think they use people, I think they exist to make a profit and they shouldn't even register you if they don't think they can help - i.e. if they don't deal with your line of work/industry/if you're asking for too much money/other reason/

I think he should be calling them often enough to remind them he exists but not so often they are sick of the sound of his voice, so maybe once every couple of weeks or so but it depends on what he does and what work he's looking for and what the industry and demands are. HTH.

[Eaney]

Thanks for the insight into recruitment agencies. I think dh will change his approach and be a little more forward.