Recruitment Consultants

[malvolio]

I don't like long CV's either - with 30+ years in IT, 13 as a freelance, I could easily fill out 8 pages as well. I don't, because the first page says who I am, what I can do and what I have done worthy of note (to this role, that is!), the next two talk about the last five years, which are all that really matter, and the rest of the freelance work is on the last page as a series of one liners. Permie work history is irrelevant and is ignored.

[Not So Wise]

Pictures of the conntractor (concerning),

Bin them unless it is hot looking woman, then might interview just to see them in the flesh
(Just interview though, no job unless they have the skills) Would normally say here "photo's are for permie CV's", but even there they are not recommended unless it is for a role where image matters

Typo's (not good when you can't be bothered to check)

Auto binned, we all make spelling mistakes, but on CV, something that is the first impression a client will get of you?!?!

they focused on the wrong skills for the job they were applying for (a PM role in banking and you send an engineering PM CV with no attempt at offering transferable skills)

Be more annoyed at agent on this one, either sending wrong people though or not advising them to tailor CV to something closer

CV's that were waaaaay to long - some 8 pages (a riveting read!)

Will accept 3 pages at a push, never more. Don't want your life history or to know what you were doing 15 years ago (or a detailed list of every little project you might have done for one client). Anything more than 3 pages is wasting my time

[rb621]

Agent automatically deleting emails

Yes there are lots of people applying for roles.
Frankly agencies are not the most effective method of getting work - some are good, most are not.

Being freelance since 1997, I'm looking at permy roles too as I'd like to step back in and develop career in management.

Saw a great role and applied and phoned agent. He told me though that he "automatically deleted details from contractors applying for perm roles" as he had "been burned too many times".

That's the kind of climate we are in.

Lots of fishing going on too of course - "I need to build up your profile and need two references to complete it". No thanks I said - lets not work together. He had no roles for me anyway.

[nomadd]

Yes there are lots of people applying for roles.
Frankly agencies are not the most effective method of getting work - some are good, most are not.

Being freelance since 1997, I'm looking at permy roles too as I'd like to step back in and develop career in management.

Saw a great role and applied and phoned agent. He told me though that he "automatically deleted details from contractors applying for perm roles" as he had "been burned too many times".

That's the kind of climate we are in.

Lots of fishing going on too of course - "I need to build up your profile and need two references to complete it". No thanks I said - lets not work together. He had no roles for me anyway.

Yep, the scum of the agency market is certainly showing through in the current climate. I've just put the phone down on one.

You know the type: Wants to know everything about you, but gives nothing away about the job he has. After a loonnng struggle, it turns out to be a job I was put forward for yesterday by a much more polite and professional agent. I finally got tired of his attitude and asked him to stop arsing around; at this point he became shirty, so I just put the phone down on him. Who the hell wants to work via someone like that?

Problem is, of course, is it's Friday and the sun has been shining. So all the scumbag agents have been sat around getting pi55ed all afternoon. Now all they can do before reopening time is phone around contractors trying to drag out each conversation for as long as possible with a huge amount of "fishing" involved.

I hate most agents, most of the time. But particularly Friday afternoons when they are so pi55ed up and can't even hold a coherent conversation.

Fortunately, for now at least, there still seem to be one or two decent agents out there. How long that remains the case, well..

Nomadd

[EddieNambulous]

If only there were some sort of globally searchable resource you could use. Something which could be accessed from anywhere.....

I have this idea for an INTERnational NETwork of computers to do something like that.

Gonna call it...ummm...Orange Wednesdays.

[zamzummim]

Don’t you hate it when they call you just for a chat, as if they are your long lost friend?? The they ask you :How are you finding the market nowadays? What do you think of the situation?? WTH??

I jsut tell them to call me back when they have something to tell me!!

[dude69]

Bin them unless it is hot looking woman, then might interview just to see them in the flesh
(Just interview though, no job unless they have the skills) Would normally say here "photo's are for permie CV's", but even there they are not recommended unless it is for a role where image matters

I would say here "apostrophes are for contraction and possession, never for pluralisation". HTH