Reply to: Is Jobserve a waste of time?

[northernladuk]

I apply for roles on Jobserve probably like anyone else, but to be honest probably 1 in 30 maybe more actually gets in touch, seems a waste of time to be honest for me.

Seems a lot that. Over what time period do you apply for 30 gigs? A week, a month?

[jmercer]

I apply for roles on Jobserve probably like anyone else, but to be honest probably 1 in 30 maybe more actually gets in touch, seems a waste of time to be honest for me.

[mattfx]

Thanks for updating Andy and congrats on the new roles.

[lotus_andy]

Well, to round things off (having started the thread) I've now got a new job! I had an interview a week ago, got offered the same day and start on Monday. The only down-side is that it's only until the end of November. On the upside, the day after accepting the role I was offered another position closer to home on more money and to start whenever I wanted!!!!!

The first position was via Jobserve, the second via an ex-colleague

[SpontaneousOrder]

I update my CV on jobserve and wait for the phone to start ringing. Usually then have to disable the CV a week later to stop the phone from ringing.

I don't use it much to actively look for advertised roles as there seems to be a lot more going on which isn't necessarily advertised.

[BlackCountryContractor]

Find the contract on jobserve then head off to the agency website and apply through there which works for me but I tend not to pigeon hole myself by restricting myself to one regional area (only place I flatly refuse to work in is Northern Ireland).

[DallasDad]

But let's be clear here, Jobserve isn't the problem.

Seconded
I have also have had 100% success with JS since around the mid nineties both perm and contract.

Clearly YMMV

[TwoWolves]

I'm doing just fine on JobServe at the moment.

Agents contact me after a few hours and I've had two interviews a week over the last three weeks. Each job has resulted in an offer and now I'm deciding which to accept - seems just like the "good-old-days" to me.

I think it's always about having the in-demand skills.

[Bluenose]

Jobserve.

Never used to be shocking.

Along comes Great Recession and 'one man and a mobile phone' agencies.

Is now shocking.

The end.

[northernladyuk]

Last time I was looking it was quiet for a couple of months as I was refusing any public sector contracts that came up, then it went completely mad with agents ringing me and trying to get me to interviews for private sector clients. I then had to wait to see what was happening to two of the contracts I really wanted and ended up with one of them. That's why I'm wondering what skills some of the people complaining the market is bad have.

Manager of testers with basic parking ticket machine operation skills.

[SueEllen]

Same here. 4 calls yesterday morning. It's always the same when you're in contract. I could probably improve my rate by £ 100 a day, not that it's a bad one, but I doubt I'd improve on 3 days from home so I'm not interested.

Last time I was looking it was quiet for a couple of months as I was refusing any public sector contracts that came up, then it went completely mad with agents ringing me and trying to get me to interviews for private sector clients. I then had to wait to see what was happening to two of the contracts I really wanted and ended up with one of them. That's why I'm wondering what skills some of the people complaining the market is bad have.

[oliverson]

How odd. I've just had 3 calls - no 4 as I got interrupted writing this from agents with contract roles. Unfortunately I'm not looking just yet.

Wonder what skills you have?

Btw last time I was told tulip like that I got a contract I applied for months before. The contract had disappeared as the client was changing agents but they recognised my CV.

Same here. 4 calls yesterday morning. It's always the same when you're in contract. I could probably improve my rate by £ 100 a day, not that it's a bad one, but I doubt I'd improve on 3 days from home so I'm not interested.

[barrydidit]

IMO, a nominal payment of, say, £1 for each application would help reduce the volume to those who are serious and viable for a role, and give the agencies a better chance to assess them accordingly.

Call yourself a Northerner? FFS man! I hope you intend this pound to be both tax deductable and VAT inclusive.

[mattfx]

Absolutely but there is a balance. Darren_Test suggests he's sent 1000s in the last few months. I expect he's overstated that but I do believe he's applied for everything that's remotely similar to what he does or gigs he thinks he could do but with no demonstrable experience. This approach is just a waste of everyone's time and I can see how you'd then turn and blame JS.

^ This. I must've re-written my base CV five or six times whilst getting the hang of what agents were "looking for" on JS. I read a lot of the guides on here and other sites about how your CV should read and be structured, for me that made a massive difference to the number of agent responses I got.

I suspect DT has just attacked JS with his permie CV, a catchall search for any industry in any area working for £300 a day, added all the jobs to his basked and clicked apply. "I made 1000 applications but i don't know why it doesn't work" - yeah.

[northernladuk]

20 applications in 4 weeks, that is only 1 per day, finding a contract sometimes is a numbers game the more you apply for the more your name gets noticed, if there is a shortage of roles you can apply for try expanding your keyword searches.
.

Absolutely but there is a balance. Darren_Test suggests he's sent 1000s in the last few months. I expect he's overstated that but I do believe he's applied for everything that's remotely similar to what he does or gigs he thinks he could do but with no demonstrable experience. This approach is just a waste of everyone's time and I can see how you'd then turn and blame JS.