Can someone explain how all the online jobsite/agency job ads 'work' in practice??

[Cornflakemum]

Am thinking of going back to work full-time after freelancing for about 6 years.

Was looking at various jobs via online sites and it all seems quite different these days.

• They don't give you any detailed information about the job, but expect you to send a generic CV. This seems weird to me.

If I am going to apply for a job then I want to know who the company is, and exactly where they are located, to see if it feels 'right' for me BEFORE I apply. I would also want to tailor my CV to a specific job.

What do people normally do? Call the recruitment company and try to find out more? Can you do this?

Sometimes with a bit of googling of key phrases you can work out the company and find the same job listed on their own website careers page.
Do you think it is better to apply direct, rather than go through the agency?
Or will they just pass them all on anyway?

OK Ill give this a go. 6 years isn't that long ago really. Agencies were in existence and used quite a lot. Im amazed you haven't used them before?

Yes a CV would be generic via an agency. Its not weird. The agency call you with job ideas to put you forward for, if you like them you agree your cv goes forwards. If its in your expertise area I really don't see why it matters that much. It surely saves having to rewrite it every time? Stops the question of "which one is the right one/one i sent in for this place?" stuff.

Your agency would tell you where they are. Im in London so Id be told, Barbican or St Pauls, or a street name. Tells you all you need doesn't it? i.e. can I get there, journey times etc. The agency would usually tell you the name of the firm when you call up, you can google them then and research for the interview at that point. You can then decide again if you like them or not too and call your person back. Id say go to as many interviews as possible as you never truly know the firm to work for til you meet them.

Many city type firms now don't actually recruit themselves and send cvs back to a third party to sift through and send them back a few to interview. Others don't mind. Having been in HR I never gave precedence to someone who wrote direct or came via an agency. I never cared. A good cv is a good cv whichever way, although obviously if direct the person is cheaper as no agency fee involved.... The importance of that might depend on the size of the firm or expertise required.

Mostly it depends where you live I suppose. Using an agency is free for you and if you get a good person you can follow them through your career. I know lots of people who have used the same person 3 or more times over a 15 year period.

Try it. You might like it! Good luck!!!

Thanks Cicco

Yes - I'm aware of agencies obviously, but to be honest I've never really used them. Most of my previous roles were via word of mouth/ contact, advertised with the company name (e.g. in The Times appointment section), and I was headhunted for my very last role.
I guess my experience is quite broad, over many years, and my generic CV will never manage to cover the breadth of what I've done. I could reasonably apply for senior roles in marketing/ PR/Communications/ digital marketing and I'd want to focus on different projects & achievements depending on which function the role was in?

It's good to here that the agency will tell you who the company is - I would absolutely want to know in advance of investing any time in the interview process. There would be some companies/sectors I really wouldn't want to work in, and some brands/companies which I would probably feel aren't a very good 'fit'.

They usually only tell you if you phone so they don't lose the role to other agencies. Its a tough world out there.

I would ask them very specifically to tell you who the company is before letting them to put you forward. What you don't want is two agencies putting you forward for the same role. Good luck, it's a very tough world out there atm.

Some jobsites post imaginary jobs to collect CVs.

I am a freelance software developer. My CV obviously tells them who I have worked for in the past but it also tells them who employs freelancers and what hardware/software they have. The jobsite people then cold call these clients, to see if they can develop a relationship.

It is perhaps a sign of hard times but I get the impression that they can't be bothered to do this much these days.