Agencies who don't respond?!

[confuseddotcodotuk]

I've been looking for work on nannyjob and have found that loads of agencies just aren't responding! I always call first, then email my CV via their website email address and very rarely hear anything back! Not even an autonomous email saying "thanks for your CV, blah de blah..."

One agency in particular I have tried to contact on three separate occasions, left messages, recieved emails from them saying "We'll call you tomorrow at x time." and they never call and when I try to call just after that time I'm straight to answerphone again!

ARGH. Do other nannies have this problem?! I've expanded my search to include the South East and am having the same problem from agencies who deal with that area too! So many of these jobs look brilliant but the only port of contact is the agency who are unresponsive :(

Can anyone recommend agencies in the South East (Kent, Sussex, Hampshire and Surrey areas especially) or agencies who deal with Essex?

When you call the agencies, how do they react? Are you being invited meet them?

I would have expected that during that initial phone call they would setup a meeting so they can meet you. They then may want a CV sent prior to that meeting, though they will know quite a lot about you via the initial phone call. The agency may well create their own Nanny Profile, rather than use a CV.

Well I call to find out more about the job and ask little questions, mainly to introduce myself really and then they are polite and ask me to send my CV to them via email and they'll get back to me but they don't, or they email me saying they'll call for a chat and just don't. When I send my CV in without calling I very rarely get responses which is why I call first. I always email them via their website's email address and not nannyjob.

Maybe I'm putting them off over the phone? I can't think of anything I'm really doing that puts them off, I ask about the role, ask what type of nanny the parents are looking for, mention the quals I'm doing, have done and intend to do and mention my experience, then end the call with a promise to send CV after they ask and not otherwise. All of them seem keen on the phone and I do discuss my job history with them so it's not like my CV has anything they don't know iyswim? So I'm a bit confused why they'd ask to see my CV if they have no interest in me?!

I've not been invited to meet any over the phone. Three have invited me to meet them after the phonecalls and CV have been sent, I've met one and was meant to meet the other two last week but my car wouldn't have been able to go the distance so I'm rearranging those two meetings. Is it normal to be asked to meet at initial contact?

One popular nanny agency has asked me to fill in their online form but it's broken and I emailed to tell them this to which I got an automated email back asking me to fill it in so I'm not sure what to do there.

I'm just a bit confused about it all really, feels quite political lol

I'll give you feedback about your CV privately. What I suspect is happening is that when they do see your CV it's going in the bin - so that is where we need to concentrate things initially.

It has been 3 or so years since I last job hunted... so been a while but Yes I would say it's usual to meet with the agency (especially a local agency) prior to being put forward for a job. I personally would not be happy to be represented by an agency who had not spent some time getting to know me, meeting me in person. They have to sell you to parents... they I feel can only do that if they meet you and get to know the real you, rather than the on-paper you.

Oh, I wasn't clear sorry, I meant do they offer interviews straight away on the phone, rather than before a job interview. I'm not keen on the agencies who don't meet their nannies first either, it doesn't make me too comfortable as I'm not sure if they've met with the family either. I also would prefer to discuss methods to sell myself to the family, such as the still studying side and happy to earn less for the opportunity. You can't talk about that over the phone really, but a tea and a nice chat and it's fine :)

Agencies don't always meet the family, they don't need to know that much about the client. It can help them sell the job to a nanny, such as by seeing the accommodation for a live-in job but I would have thought that there are not that many agencies which will see every family (though any agency owners, do feel free to correct me on that).

It would be bad practice in my view for an agency to get a nanny an interview with a family which takes place prior to the agency meeting the nanny. There is legislation that applies to agencies, details are available from BIS.gov.uk
Under Regulation 19 the agency must check identification documents prior to introducing a work seeker to a hirer. Whilst that could be done via the internet, I expect many agencies would want to check ID in person.

I would not suggest that you tell the agency how you wish them to sell you to their client. The agency is paid by the client, not by you. By all means mention things like studying, especially if that will affect the family for whom you would be working (such as by having an assessor visit you at the families home). It would be the sort of thing that I feel would get discussed when the agency meets you.

Have sent you a revised version of your CV, check your e-mail.

Most agencies I've called have asked me what points make me stand out to other girls who are more experienced though which is why we talk about how I sell myself. I thought it was normal for agencies to do that and find out 'what makes you special' iyswim?

And thanks for doing it so quickly, I'll check it out :)