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Topic: Headhunters and other recruiter types
| Author | Message |
| WordyBird | Posted – 7/16/2007 11:49:57 AM | show profile In the words of the inimitable Charlie Brown: AUUUUUUGH! At the end of June I responded to a posting on another service. Within an hour, someone wrote back to me directly from an agency (hmmm, posting didn?t indicate any agencies) and asked me to send him a copy of my resume in Word and to call him. I did as he requested, and got his voicemail. Two days went by, no word, did the follow-up thing, you know how it goes. No big deal because I generally do not like working with headhunters?and this one just reinforced my opinion of them. Last Thursday he sent me an e-mail asking me to send him a resume and call him about "a" position. I thought perhaps there was another one that fit my background. He also called my cell. I returned the call, got his voicemail. Friday he called me, but I was feeling under the weather, so this morning I called him. "We talked about this on Friday," he said. "Hmmm, no we didn't." "We didn't chat on Friday about this for a little while?" "No, we did not." Back and forth, like I'm an idiot and wouldn't remember who I spoke to about a job just a few days ago! I gave him some info that would jog his memory about my resume. "I must be mistaking you for someone else. Anyway, have you ever worked for a [certain type of company?]" Not even an apology for the faux pas. "No." "Then you're not a player for it. It requires experience in?" "That's not what the listing said, but okay." See, I'm the kind of person who only responds to postings for which I have the right experience. "Well, why don't you send me a resume? What are you looking for?" I'd had it. "I already did that twice, but okay. And how about I explain what I'm looking for in the e-mail when I sent the resume?" "Okay." "Okay." And I hung up. Yes, yes, I know they work for their clients. But this guy was unprofessional and rude. But, see, THIS is the kind of nonsense I have been running into for seven months now. First it was people standing me up for phone interviews. Then it was including my salary requirements in my cover letter and spending over $200 on a ticket to NY for what sounded like a promising interview, only to be asked in the interview what my salary requirements are. "They were in the cover letter," I said. (As in, "Please do NOT tell me you invited me up here at my expense and you're not prepared to pay what I'm asking.") "I can't find the cover letter." "Well, it's [range o' moolah]." "Oh." Never heard from them again. I have half a nerve to bill them for my ticket. So, if anyone is wondering why some applicants seem jaded (as noted in another thread), perhaps this illuminates. The joke used to be that "you can't find good help anymore." Well, to me it's, "you can't find help who can find good help anymore." That's my story, and I'm sticking to it. |
| WordyBird | Posted – 7/16/2007 11:51:16 AM | show profile Sorry about the random question marks. I guess this didn't translate well from Word. |
| foodlit | Posted – 7/16/2007 11:56:14 AM | show profile Okay, so because you had a bad experience with a recruiter, that means all recruiters/headhunters are bad? Not sure what your point is here. And yes, you should bill that company for your ticket! Why not? |
| WordyBird | Posted – 7/16/2007 12:20:41 PM | show profile I said this is the kind of nonsense I've been running into for *seven months* now. These are just a three examples. |
| neugirl | Posted – 7/16/2007 2:27:41 PM | show profile Working with headhunters can be challenging because at the end of the day they don't really care about getting you the job you want but rather filling up the spots they have open. And if you can't do that for them, they move on to someone who can. Thats just the bottom line. So if you use them thats fine but while you are temping I would spend all my spare time looking for a full time job. Thats basically what I did. I was signed up with like six or seven agencies and I was the one who found my job at an investment bank. |
| WordyBird | Posted – 7/16/2007 2:54:06 PM | show profile Yep, that's why I avoid them. They don't have MY interests at heart, and sorry, but I'm the one who has to put food on the table. Some of them even want you to sign contracts saying THEY can be the only ones looking for jobs for you. I don't think so! |
| foodlit | Posted – 7/16/2007 4:59:31 PM | show profile Well I am a headhunter, and agree and disagree here, and again keep in mind that all recruiters/headhunters are different, so a bad experience with one does not mean all are bad. A good way to find a great headhunter is to ask people who they would use and have had good experiences with. A good headhunter does want to help you find a great new job, but he/she is not a career counselor and you are not the one paying us, the companies with openings are the ones who pay the fees, so that is where we will be spending the majority of our time. Now, a good headhunter will try to market you to other places, and could potentially land a new client that way as well, but it's really all timing. We won't always have your dream job available when you are looking. The best placements I've made are when I do find someone their dream job and they stay and grow with the company. That is a win-win for all. And I have heard of headhunters asking candidates to sign an exclusivity agreement but I think it's horrible. I've never asked a candidate for an exclusive, and if I were in your shoes I would never agree to one. It's simply not in your best interest. As a job seeker, you should really use as many avenues as possible, more than one headhunter for instance as we all have different client relationships you coudl be exposed to, and of course do your own networking too. If you're not already registered with LinkedIn, I suggest doing so, it's free and is a tremendous resource. Good luck! Pam |
| dribbledrive1 | Posted – 7/17/2007 11:05:14 AM | show profile My sense is this is primarily general frustration over the job-hunting process, which is frustrating. --Okay, so because you had a bad experience with a recruiter, that means all recruiters/headhunters are bad? Not sure what your point is here. And yes, you should bill that company for your ticket! Why not?-- |
| WordyBird | Posted – 7/17/2007 1:21:53 PM | show profile Thanks... ...Dribbledrive. You get it. |
