Do you chase agents?

[SoupDragon]

Hmm, I keep applying for contracts on Jobserve. I never hear back - maybe from one out of 20. If I try ringing them, they are usually not there.

Is it worth chasing them or have they made their minds up already and will just fob you off?

[BrilloPad]

I bet the 1 in 20 was DA. He wont fob you off. alledgedly.

[SoupDragon]

'da'?

[ratewhore]

Hmm, I keep applying for contracts on Jobserve. I never hear back - maybe from one out of 20. If I try ringing them, they are usually not there.

Is it worth chasing them or have they made their minds up already and will just fob you off?

Don't tell me, they're either 'on the phone' or 'at lunch'?

[XTC]

Hmm, I keep applying for contracts on Jobserve. I never hear back - maybe from one out of 20. If I try ringing them, they are usually not there.

Is it worth chasing them or have they made their minds up already and will just fob you off?

Problem being is that they get so many CVs they may not have picked yours up hence the lack of phone calls. You really need to be applying for the job literally minutes after it appears on JS which means you don't leave the house, well at least between 8.30 and 11! I only really chase them up if I think that I am particularly suited to that role and it's role I really want. If they are not there don't bother leaving a message they won't get back to you, I'm guessing they get hundreds of calls. My current contract had over 300 applicants and the agent didn't see my CV until I phoned him to 'check to see if he'd received my CV'. It's a bit hit and miss, you can't keep on calling agencies chasing them up, be selective.

[SoupDragon]

I have only been applying for things where my CV is a 100% match.. is there an insane amount of competition out there or something ?

[XTC]

I have only been applying for things where my CV is a 100% match.. is there an insane amount of competition out there or something ?

Not necessarily, you get some chumps that literally apply for everything so agencies get flooded with CVs and have to trawl through them to pick out 5 or so suitable ones. Just get in quick, as soon as that bad boy is up on JS hit apply. If you're not getting 30 - 50% callbacks from well-suited jobs then a)your CV needs re-working or b)phone them up & chase them up.

[chicane]

I have only been applying for things where my CV is a 100% match..

If your industry is anything like mine, the chances of being a 100% match are slim given the list of 100 skills and desirables they tend to demand on the job specs. It's not so difficult, of course, to be the best matching applicant, but that's another story.

[SoupDragon]

OK thanks

[gingerjedi]

Get your CV to as many good agents as possible, I have only once got a gig by applying the rest of the time it was a phone call from the agent saying they have a role that maybe suitable for me after looking at my CV.