Announce your availability?

**swamp** · 31 March 2006, 09:39

If you post your CV you'll get lots of email along the lines of:

"Better than Viagra"
"Want to live forever?"
"Stronger climaxes and orgasms"

and perhaps the odd:

"Java Developers Required"

Don't expect any contract roles, perm jobs > 25K, or anything < 100 miles of your home.

Otherwise go for it.

**Mordac** · 31 March 2006, 10:31

Originally posted by Wotan

A number of job boards have "Announce your availability" facilities where you upload your CV for any agent to look at. So, is this an worthwhile alternative to applying for jobs individually? Seems to me that making one's own assessment of possible roles is best really. Plus there is a possible privacy/security issue in disclosing all your personal information.

Anyone ever got a job/contract through this mechanism? Or been pestered with totally unsuitable jobs? Which boards are best/worst for this?

Thanks for any input.

I would guess that 90% of my contracts have come from this route. Trawling Jobswerve is fine, but you never know which are genuine jobs. Yes I get "pestered" but if you use the opportunity to actually communicate with the agents (the ones who speak English, that is) you'll find they will often keep your details aside if you have a very strong CV. Yes it can be a pain answering the phone and hearing "I have seen your details on CW Jobs..." for the 17th time that day, but it can work in your favour. You just have to use your brain cell occasionally.

**VectraMan** · 31 March 2006, 10:55

I put my CV on cwjobs last week and got a phone call about an hour later. That one didn't come off, but I've got an interview lined up at the moment, and another lead, that I think came that route.

I've mostly gone for applying for jobs, but I suspect the agents get deluged with all sorts of unsuitable people which makes it less likely that they'll spend the time to sift out the good ones. And you'll often see on Jobserve and the like the same jobs being advertised by several agents, so I think that motivates the agents to search for candidates rather than the other way around as they want to get you before their competitors do.

**Fleetwood** · 31 March 2006, 11:10

I got my current gig by someone putting very specific techie search criteria into Google, and the French version of my on-line CV coming up in second position.
Sorted.

Had they used AtW's SKA, I'm sure it'd have been in first position.

**expat** · 31 March 2006, 11:49

Originally posted by Fleetwood

I got my current gig by someone putting very specific techie search criteria into Google, and the French version of my on-line CV coming up in second position.
Sorted.

Had they used AtW's SKA, I'm sure it'd have been in first position.

If you search on Google for my major tech keywords & "independant", my French CV comes up in first position.

**Mordac** · 31 March 2006, 11:56

I'd get that changed pretty smartish if I were you. It's independent.

**threaded** · 31 March 2006, 11:56

Originally posted by expat

If you search on Google for my major tech keywords & "independant", my French CV comes up in first position.

Tsk, amateurs, I manage the first few pages on Google and many other search engines.

**Fleetwood** · 31 March 2006, 11:58

Originally posted by Mordac

I'd get that changed pretty smartish if I were you. It's independent.

Pas en français

Cordialement
J.Chirac

**IT contract agent** · 31 March 2006, 12:28

i will look for suitable candidates on Jobsite before looking at any CVs that have come back to me thorugh Jobserve

Announce your availability?