Cutting Recruiters Out of The Loop...

danza · 28 Sep 2011 at 10:18

I'm currently employed, but want a new job. I've been looking tentatively since June after I found out my HNC grades, and ideally want to start in a perhaps junior mechanical design position from which I can progress.

I'm sick of recruiters and their total inability to call back/follow up/do what they say they will, and have wasted hours of my time jumping through their various hoops.

As a result, I've had enough and am considering blanketing local firms with my CV. Ideally I want a design position, but to be honest anything where there's the opportunity for progression will do (for the short term at least).

What is the best way to approach this? Should I focus my CV/covering letter on design and hope, or should I hedge my bets and try to keep it a little more general and hope something interesting comes up (but at the same time aiming at a design position)?

What would you suggest is the best way to go about this - posting my CV off or mailing HR via websites?

Cheers.

Basher · 28 Sep 2011 at 10:29

Don't blanket. Customise your CV for each company and make sure you follow-up after a few days/a week to ask them what the thought.

If you can, hand your CV to them in-person.

toshj · 28 Sep 2011 at 10:31

Call up local firms' HR teams. Be polite, say you're looking for work. They'll likely say they have no current positions, so you indicate that you'd appreciate if they took receipt of your CV and kept it on file in case anything comes up (you then tailor your CV and cover letter to that particular firm/industry, and send it off to them).

You then indicate that you're looking for any relevant experience, so is there any possible way you might be able to gain a week or two of work experience within that firm.

If they deny you work experience, then keep in touch every six weeks or so - always remain friendly and polite when speaking to HR.

If however you do gain work experience, they re-canvass all the initial companies you contacted letting them know that you're more qualified.

Edit - don't hand your CV in person. It'll get lost.

Participant · 28 Sep 2011 at 10:34

I wouldn't cut recruiters out entirely, some of them are good at what they do which is market people. It's in their interests of course to find you the right job (unless you're generally useless).

[FnG]magnolia · 28 Sep 2011 at 10:35

Robbie G said:
I wouldn't cut recruiters out entirely, some of them are good at what they do which is market people. It's in their interests of course to find you the right job (unless you're generally useless).

Agree with this entirely. Do your own thing, sure, but also use those agencies who are actually good at what they do (they exist but you might have to look quite hard).

edscdk · 28 Sep 2011 at 10:36

why would you cut them out? a lot of companies use them to filter out crappy CV's and will jsut bin anything you hand them,,,

you know its not an all or nothing, oyu can use both direct applications and via a recruiter...

Abraham · 28 Sep 2011 at 10:37

recruiters are hit and miss, and can be the bane of your existance at times. I've just used a good one, through who I've actually got a new job, but even he was a complete arse when it came to them offering me the position. He was desperate for me to accept and not try and negotiate, obviously not wanting to risk his commission.

toshj · 28 Sep 2011 at 10:43

You have to bear in mind that, unfortunately, the recruiter works for the client and not for you and therefore unless you're suited for the position, then it's unlikely you'll hear from them for certain roles - but it's important to maintain a strong relationship with a number of them, as they will prove to be useful at times!

Abraham · 28 Sep 2011 at 10:45

toshj said:
You have to bear in mind that, unfortunately, the recruiter works for the client and not for you and therefore unless you're suited for the position, then it's unlikely you'll hear from them for certain roles - but it's important to maintain a strong relationship with a number of them, as they will prove to be useful at times!

And you're the product, you may not be paying them but you're the route to them getting paid, a recruiter should always be working for you as much as the client.

danza · 28 Sep 2011 at 10:46

Cheers guys.

I'll try dropping the one useful-ish recruiter I've dealt with a line later. I'm just a bit annoyed by most of them not doing what they say they'll do. I had one idiot on the phone telling me I'll find it hard finding a job because I don't live close to any particular centres of industry. Shows how much he knew as I live within 20 miles of what probably are some of the largest, best developed industrial areas in the South.

I'll start looking at interesting local firms this evening.

toshj · 28 Sep 2011 at 10:50

Abraham said:
And you're the product, you may not be paying them but you're the route to them getting paid, a recruiter should always be working for you as much as the client.

Not entirely true, based on the fact that the client pays the fee and the candidate is likely to be one of a number of suitable applicants.

As ideal as it would be for the recruiter to be a medium between the two counterparties (client and candidate), this isn't necessarily always the case -purely based on who pays the fee. However, this can be flipped on it's head somewhat when the recruiter works in a candidate-driven industry, such as Law, Finance, etc.

daz · 28 Sep 2011 at 10:57

Bear in mind that any job via a recruiter will be paying you 20% less than it otherwise might do, due to the fees that the company employing you has to pay to the recruiter... Many times we've looked to employ people, and we might have taken a chance on them at £x k, but with the recruiters fees being what they are it just makes in infeasible. So someone coming to us via a recruiter has to be 20% better than the equivalent person we find ourselves or through contacts.

boxman2000 · 28 Sep 2011 at 11:16

Basher said:
Don't blanket. Customise your CV for each company and make sure you follow-up after a few days/a week to ask them what the thought.

If you can, hand your CV to them in-person.

Also I would add that you need to phone around to each company, find out the name (make sure spelling is 100%) and job title of the person you need to send CV to.

Makes a big difference if it's addressed specifically.

I review CV's for my company and it is unbelievable the amount of basic errors people make.

Good luck!