iProfile - does anyone have an experience and is this worthwhile or should I delete?

[Grinder]

I logged an issue with iProfile that whenever I logged in, my status is set to "I am not looking for work" which I found very frustrating and potentially harmful as it might put off potentially interestes agents. They just agreed it was a bug. Useless!

[RichardCranium]

iProfile - what I've learned

iProfile - does anyone have an experience and is this worthwhile or should I delete?

About 15 agencies use iProfile. The idea is that an agency does not need to maintain its own applicant database, iProfile does it for them.

The experienced recruiters at those agencies to whom I have spoken say they find it to be crap. However, the iProfile marketing is very good, so agency managers buy into it.

It was intended to be a glorious all-applicant database but its search mechanism is rubbish for the agents.

If you register with any of those agencies, they give your CV to iProfile. It goes through some sort of script that populates the iProfile system from your free text. Personally, I think it does a very good job of free text --> classified database conversion. Unfortunately, very good free text to classified conversion = crap. (If you think you can do better, go get on with it, you'll eventually replace Google.)

You then have an iProfile. You then need to go through it and fix it to match your skills and level of experience in those skills. It is that the agents search against. Many people don't bother, which buggers up the search results. Many people lie, which also buggers up the search results.

It will take you about half a day to enter and check the details. Do not think you can do it over a week in lunchtimes, it is too confusing. It does need to be done in one long caffeine-fuelled session.

If you log in using the iProfile link sent to you by Senitor / Veritas / Xchanging etc. you will see an agency-branded iProfile that gives the impression it is theirs.

You can also log straight into the generic http://www.iprofile.org/ it will be different. Note the URL, it is not .co.uk or .com

When you log into the generic site, on the bottom right of your dashboard is a "Find Agency" option. I believe that is now the one you need to allow the other agencies that use iProfile to see your profile. Alternatively, Connections, My Connections lets you see each agency by alphabetical letter.

Allow each to see your profile.

You then have 15 agencies that can see your profile, including big names Veritas, Lorien, Preferred IT, Abraxas, Hays and Spring.

So, by investing about 5 hours you could be registered with 15 agencies.

The iProfile site is badly designed (but far, far better than it was!) and difficult to navigate around. It is a chore to initially populate and a faff to update when you change gigs. Also, you need to check your "available for work" status every few weeks as it seems to reset itself.

Summary:
If you are in work, it is a serious investment of personal time and not worth it.

If you are on the bench and seriously want work, it is a worthwhile exercise. And, when you next go on the bench, it only takes about 15 minutes to update it and let 15 agencies know you are looking.

[cojak]

The site's been updated since I last looked at it - I can't get in anymore.

Oh well, 5 hours work up the swanny...

[Darren_Test]

IMHO its an utter waste...I was having iprofile till a year back...Its real waste....

[Iron Lung is Rusty]

iProfile

I logged an issue with iProfile that whenever I logged in, my status is set to "I am not looking for work" which I found very frustrating and potentially harmful as it might put off potentially interestes agents. They just agreed it was a bug. Useless!

I also reported this bug a couple of months ago. I also remember this bug from a long time ago (years) so it's an outstanding problem.

My history details indicated that I'd made job applications (no job applications have ever made by me using iProfile). You click on the bit that is supposed to give you more info, expecting to see a client company name at least, or a meaningful job reference, rec con name. Nothing but a number, which maybe useful to some mysterious person in the agency that has applied for a job on your behalf somewhere, somehow.