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Where do I go from here?

“After 4 months of being unemployed, I feel I have got to the stage where every agency has seen my CV a thousand times
Despite regular contact and conversations with agencies and companies, I am having a decreasing number of chances to proceed to the interview stage. I am worried that people are viewing my CV and thinking ‘Oh no, not him again’.
How do I revive my job search to kick-start the interview process? I’ve had my CV written professionally and am told that when I do have interviews, my technique is very good.
So where do I go from here?”

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avatar careersurgery 26 July 2006 Career Surgery
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  • wayne

    Recruitment Agencies……….about as much professionalism as Estate Agents! The majority are “CV chuckers”…..they want easy to place individuals so they can throw a load of CVs at an employer and hope one sticks.
    Think about your skill-set and not your industry….in other words don’t get locked into aiming for a particular sector but try and identify what skills you have and identify specific roles that you can fill.
    Good agencies are as rare as hen’s teeth: most can’t even acknowledge an e-mail via an automated reply and a lot are staffed by commission led kiddies who have never even worked in industry.

  • Chris

    As I am over 50 and soon to be made redundant, I was interested to find so many others have unfortunate experiences of employment agencies. Personally, I have never had much success from online job applications.
    I have always suspected this is because the screening process used by the agencies cannot detect exaggerations and lies, so unless you are genuinely outstanding, and to be truthful most of us just hope we are above average, you will not be noticed in the crowd.
    I think there is a place for employment agencies. I also think the problem of exaggerated or outright falsified applications pre-dates the internet, it’s just the pond is that much larger now.
    The answer – I don’t know.
    I think the CV is of limited value, because there is so much emphasis on presentation and ambiguity regarding content.
    Wouldn’t it be better if the job and applicant had a standardised profile format, based on the assumption that most people will stay in the same field and be looking for slightly higher salary. You would still have a covering letter to eloquently explain why felt an exception should be made, but it would make the screening easier, and give transparency to the process of shortlisting candidates.
    Having said that, I suspect that is exactly what the best agencies do, except they keep the information to themselves. Oh well, back to the drawing board!

  • Maite Saenz

    Hi there, after one whole year unemployed my problem is that I do not have the two referees most people ask me for. My last employer disappeared at the end of last February after he called me out of the blues telling me that he had to let me go because he was short of cash. He promised to send good references on the grounds that he admitted it was not my fault as I had nothing wrong in his view but instead he never sent me any and messed up my P45 owing me my last month wages and since then despite all the applications I have been sending NOTHING has materialised so I am facing the most devastating situation as in short I will become homeless – Possibly going insane too with lack of everything! As my food is reduced to just a few days and my mind is not sharp enough to find a solution, I am hoping to follow any advice from you. Thanks

  • Rose

    You are spot on about recruitment agencies.  I am baffled as to why so many companies use recruitment agencies when many of them are absolutely useless.  They often don’t know what the job they are recruiting for actually entails or what equivalent qualifications are to the ones they ask for.  I am convinced that many of them advertise vacancies to encourage employers to use them.  On many occasions over the years I have applied through agencies for local jobs that I was ideally qualified for and they alleged they were desperate for someone to fill the vacancy but heard nothing from them.

  • Blacksmithcls

    I detest recruitment agencies with a passion! They are full of chat and haha laughing with you and ‘we will change your situation an find you a role’ when you are in the place registering with them (doing their data input and Word tests that you have been using anyway at work for 23yrs – its like you are a school leaver!) then, you walk out the door and you just know that they will not be in touch with you..unless YOU contact them first! I always give them the benefit of the doubt and think yes that person was helpful…I thought that last week after speaking at length with somebody..now she isnt even working there less than a week later! Or you get ‘I dont deal with perm vacancies’ or ‘I dont deal with the temp side’ – they can never get somebody else to help you out when you contact them it is always wait wait wait.
    I have been out of work (apart from a couple of temp roles that have finished after a few weeks and the agencies have conveniently not found anything for me) for 5 mths now and it is soooooo upsetting and frustrating as I am not a layabout – I want to earn and work – I have outgoings to cover! I have applied for lots and lots of jobs that suit me PA/Administrator/receptionist had the interviews and been ‘very near to the top of our list’ and toled ‘u interviewed well’ but have not been lucky enough to land a role yet. I am often told that I have good skills and varied experience and that I would fit the bill – SO GIVE ME THE JOB THEN!!!
    I now feel as though I am trying to land my first job after leaving school whereas I have been doing admin work for 23 yrs now! WHY will companies not give you a go? The dozey agencies seem to write you off if you do not have just one skill that an employer requires..you dont stand a chance with the agencies. I think it should go mainly on your ability to do the job not what is in front of them. I have had daft reasons (they may be made up as the interviewers cant think of a genuine reason?) for not being given a job i.e. ‘you have worked for a family business and had an easier life’ and ‘you gave the wrong answers to my structured questions’ !! Whatever next! I give answers that relate to me..there is often no right or wrong answers! I think alot of them time it is if your face fits too when you meet the interviewer it is whether they like the look of you or not…
    I have contacted companies on the off chance that they may need an administrator etc, had some ppl bother to reply and say thanks but no thanks, others do not respond at all.
    I really dont know how to land a role..I cant go on borrowing money to pay my way…surely there is somebody who will give me a chance…..
    ANY tips would be appreciated. Am told my CV reads very well so no probs there (it seems). Best of luck to everybody in the same/similar boat as myself.

    • Lucanbevens

      I am in the exact same position as i just found out an hour ago that on this occasion you have not met the requirements for the role.Yet another bs line as i have been doing the same role with another company for 5 years,cv written by a professional,i work like a trojan and still nothing after 5 months and as for agencies i just better not go there.
      KEEP YOUR CHIN UP AND KEEP GOING.

  • Blacksmithcls

    It must be true to some extent as so many ppl have voiced the same/similar comment! I have had same experience…you nudge the agencies ‘have you got anything suitble yet’ and hey presto they suddenly contact you..just had exactly that today!! Arent they meant to be calling US with suitable roles..thats what they tell you when you go and register.

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