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

[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.

[Darren_Test]

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

[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...

[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.

[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!

[nomadd]

Waste of time.

Either try and delete it OR make it more nonsensical than it is.

+1

(actually, +100. Ditto for "LinkedIn", which is just an agents playground.)

Nomadd

[SueEllen]

Waste of time.

Either try and delete it OR make it more nonsensical than it is.

[Belle]

Be aware that the iProfile website is crappy (just spent some time on it before giving up) and they seem to automatically create a profile for you based on your submitted CV - except they leave half the job history out and mix the CV up so much that it's pretty much useless. And to try and change it so that it looks half decent is impossible. Not much good (and in fact could be very negative) if agencies are seeing half a CV.

[Langkawi]

There was a checkbox for Share Your Details with agencies or something like that which I thought "No way, Jose" and unchecked. Looks like they've gone ahead and opened it anyway.

I'm more of a fan of dealing with selected pimps only so am gonna delete it now.

Thanks for the feedback.

[DS23]

i'm very wary (weary) of these iprofile type things. i tried them years ago when hunting for work as a fresh contractor but got so many useless and inappropriate calls from agents pimping me for information that i quickly ditched and deleted everything i could.

depends on your skillset i suppose but i prefer to work with only a handfull of agents and never (or, very rarely) use generic job boards and never release my cv to the great outdoors.

[Belle]

Hi All,
Has anyone got any experience of this iProfile and if so what did you think of it?

Funnily enough I received one of these for the first time a couple of minutes ago - we probably applied for the same job! Have also never seen it before but in my opinion, anything that will extend the reach of my CV at this current point in time has my blessing. Although in saying that it's probably just as useless as all the job boards/CV registration sites out there.

[minestrone]

Huxley put mine up without telling me, I removed it as soon as I found out but I was getting quite a lot of mails from agents.

[zamzummim]

There is a check box - unfortunately checked by default when you submit for an application , you should have unticked it! I think its only agencies who have access to it.
Go back try to submit for another role and read all the tick boxes - it should say next to it.

[Langkawi]

Also, does anyone know if my details are available only to the agency that I sent the CV to if if this means my details are available for any agency that uses iProfile to see?

Have tried navigating round the iProfile site but it's not clear.

Cheers,
Alan

[Langkawi]

Hi All,

I submitted my CV to a specific vacancy via this site and CWjobs.

I then received the following into my email inbox:

"We've used your CV information to create an 'iProfile' for you, to ensure you get in front of our recruiters quicker."

I'm not a fan of putting my CV on the likes of Monster so am naturally wary of this.

Has anyone got any experience of this iProfile and if so what did you think of it?

Am not sure whether I should delete my profile on here immediately as it wasn't as if I agreed to having this profile opened in my name.

Thoughts please?

Alan