Job agencies

foodpoison

foodpoison

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So I'm still little, only ever had one job, and going to uni in southampton in september.

I've been offered a transfer to that jessops store, but ideally I don't want to take it as it's only a 4 hour contract.

Do job agencies actually work? Has anyone had any successful work come from it?

Bearing in mind I'm a student and will need my employer to be flexible - not the most ideal situation.
 
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foodpoison said:
So I'm still little, only ever had one job, and going to uni in southampton in september.

I've been offered a transfer to that jessops store, but ideally I don't want to take it as it's only a 4 hour contract.

Do job agencies actually work? Has anyone had any successful work come from it?

Bearing in mind I'm a student and will need my employer to be flexible - not the most ideal situation.
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I've had experience of a lot of them, and I mean a lot. There are some professional ones, but most are jokers.
Quite a few of them actually make up jobs just to get you on their books.
Your best bet is to go to employers directly.
Tesco delivery jobs are reasonably flexible. You can apply by going to your local Tesco. Or get a bar job.
Congrats on your results :)
 
Echo what Gary said, I was looking for a job (I was qualified) and phoning twice a week but a couple of agency people still did not know who I was, its not going to be any better now that there are few jobs and loads of people looking :(

If you apply direct to the stores at least they know you are serious and you are getting up and doing rather than waiting for work to come to you. The good thing for you is that you have a work record already which will give you a head start compared to a lot of other students.

Hope you find something suitable :)
 
agreed with gary. im sure most of them never actually read your CV.

one agency kept putting me forward for positions below my current position and with a pay cut. when i mentioned this the stoppy cow got a right cob on and practically told me i didnt know what i was talking about.
 
I am a mature student and work in a bar/resturant, It may be unsociable hours, but it is great for working round uni work, they also need people more during holidays, waitering is good as well.
 
I think a trip might be on back to southampton to hand out CVs in bars and restaurants. Not had much experience in bars, and have had no experience in restaurants.

I'm a much better salesman than I am barman...
 
foodpoison said:
I think a trip might be on back to southampton to hand out CVs in bars and restaurants. Not had much experience in bars, and have had no experience in restaurants.

I'm a much better salesman than I am barman...
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by the end of freshers you'll have had a lot of experience in bars :D
 
neil_g said:
one agency kept putting me forward for positions below my current position and with a pay cut. when i mentioned this the stoppy cow got a right cob on and practically told me i didnt know what i was talking about.
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LOL yeah
And you turn up to a job interview and the guy looks at your cv and asks you why on earth the agency put you forward for the job when your experience isnt even relevant.

I dont even know why HR depts use agencies (apart from just to stop them calling and begging). They get paid quite a bit for just sticking an advert on jobserve.

Also, the job agency often takes part of your wages for a while, so you are effectively paying them too
 
not great experience with agencies or job centres to be honest....

Made redundant a month ago after 10 years.....

Agencies advertise lots of jobs that don't exist. Never get back to you.

Job Centre wise - started going through qualifications....

"BSC Hons from Nottingham. Professional Certificate in Mgt from Open Uni"
"Do you have any GCSE's?"

Don't think the withering look I gave her helped.

"So, have you got a driving licence."
"Yes, but given, I'm not half way through quals yet, we'll get to that later........"

So 10 yrs experience in planning, forecasting, management in a FTSE100 blue chip company, and I was told she'd put me forward for a position of a......... car valeter?

Now nothing wrong with being a car valeter as a job, however I think a mismatch between my skills and those required. (A simple and quick look at my car would confirm this!!)

TO be honest, the whole signing on bit is very demoralising......... have to prove who I am, and fill in a little booklet to say what I've been doing, and then get talked down to by some kid barely out of school in a polyester suit.............

Only going to be a matter of days before I get all Morgan Freeman from Shawshank..... "now, you listen to me Sonny........." ;)
 
Sorry I don't have much, or any, experience on this; but I just wanted to wish you all the best with University and your next Job, wherever that may be.

It's your mature attitude here that made me rethink my relationship with Jessops, and taking that, I can see a very berry and bright future ahead for you :)
 
Looking at it from the employer's point of view I'd have to say I'm not usually that impressed with agencies either, some are okay, some are really poor.

The best results we've had have actually been from the job centre, relevant applications, plenty of them and best of all, free :D
 
Ahem, here we go. I was a self employed aircraft engineer, (contractor), working round europe for six years, in countries such as France, Germany, Belgium, Holland, Luxembourg and so on, until November last year. During this time I worked for several agencies specific to the aviation industry. Some were excellent, some not so. Since November I have worked for one of these agencies as a recruiter and account manager. My responsabilities are everything from liasing with customers, sourcing personnel, ensuring contracts run smoothly, pricing billing etc. In response to some of the above comments, we never advertise jobs we don't actually have. Too time consuming placing adds and fielding phone calls if the job doesn't exist. Occasionally positions we advertise for, do for one reason or another, fall through. This doesn't mean the job was never there. Before I changed posittions to work for the agency, I was very sceptical about how some agencies worked, but I can now say for certain it's certainly not how we do.
 
Another employers point of view.... We will not employ agency staff ever again!........... I have found that in general terms the people who work for agencies quite often only want to work when they want, are unreliable and 'generally' haven't a clue about what working actually means :thinking: Usually the first questions I get asked is "what time are the tea breaks, where can I have a fag, can I sit down to do that, " etc, etc, etc.....

And OK we have found one or two people out of several hundred that are worth employing.. But as far as I'm concerned the agencies are useless, not found a decent one yet.... and definitely won't be looking further... I'de rather find people through word of mouth or advertising a job...:D
 
Lynton said:
not great experience with agencies or job centres to be honest....<snip>
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I work in a Jobcentre having been made redundant last year from a customer-facing sales environment. I'm trying to help others less fortunate than myself.

Here's what I think should have happened and I'm sorry for you that it didn't.

Job Centre wise - started going through qualifications....
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She should have asked you about your highest qualification and recorded that.

So 10 yrs experience in planning, forecasting, management in a FTSE100 blue chip company, and I was told she'd put me forward for a position of a......... car valeter?
Now nothing wrong with being a car valeter as a job, however I think a mismatch between my skills and those required. (A simple and quick look at my car would confirm this!!)
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I'm bound to ask how you allowed this to happen? I guess you'd lost interest. You should perhaps ask why she did it. I agree that it doesn't look like a good skills match. OTOH I don't know what vacancies exist in your neck of the woods and, hey, look at me - any port in a storm.

TO be honest, the whole signing on bit is very demoralising......... have to prove who I am, and fill in a little booklet to say what I've been doing, and then get talked down to by some kid barely out of school in a polyester suit.............
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Yes, I know, I know. But please look at it this way. In business you'd present your business card (and expect the same in return) until you knew someone. It may seem beaurocratic but presenting your attendance book is a small step in reducing benefit fraud. You don't have to fill out the "Looking for work" book, you can produce copies of applications/adverts/email correspondence, whatever is best for you. However the booklet is a quick and easy way of providing the necessary evidence that someone has been activily seeking work, the basis on which your next JSA payment is authorised. For some people it is necessary to get them to think of it as a fortnightly timesheet.

Nobody should be talking down to any customer anywhere, ever imho.

Now, how shall I put this? Given their work experience some people, particularly at executive levels are more than capable of using their own networks and finding their own way out of unemployment and don't actually need a great deal of help from their jobcentre plus.

Only going to be a matter of days before I get all Morgan Freeman from Shawshank..... "now, you listen to me Sonny........." ;)
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And maybe you'll feel better for it. Me? I wouldn't let polyester suit get up my nose, I'd think of him as a customer who's going to pay me top commission because I'm the one in control. I hope you can get your life back on track sooner rather than later.

To the OP: don't be surprised if the agency gives you a few days work to see how you perform.
 
Wail said:
Sorry I don't have much, or any, experience on this; but I just wanted to wish you all the best with University and your next Job, wherever that may be.

It's your mature attitude here that made me rethink my relationship with Jessops, and taking that, I can see a very berry and bright future ahead for you :)
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Thank you very much :) means a lot :) :confused:
 
ok, i'll rephrase...... and be a tad more accurate.......

In my experience, job agencies are somewhat slow at removing adverts of jobs that have been fulfilled (especially at the higher end of the market salaries, that may or may not entice people into registering with them........"oh that was filled a few weeks ago"... "Why then can you not remove the advert?")

As for job centre.......apologies if tarring all with same brush, I am just commenting based on MY recent experience.........

Yes I was a bit hacked off at being treated like a "pleb."

I found it insulting that mentioned degree first - to be asked do I have GCSE's?...and how do you think i got the A levels to secure a uni place?...... not confidence inspiring for the person to be of any help or assistance whatsoever... no wonder I may have switched off....... she had to constantly refer to her notes / training manual or whatever.......and repeatedly apologising for doing so......

How did i allow it to happen? What do you mean? It came completely out of the blue...... unless she was playing the job centre version of bored call centre worker........"get the most random phrase into the conversation / offer the most random job"

Quite honestly, based on recent experience, an ideal job for me would be a contractor employed to sort out the job centre / benefit application process.........

"Do you and your partner have any dependent children under 20 living at home?"
"no"

3 questions later.........

"have you or your partner had a child in the last 12 months?"
"I refer you to the answer 3 questions earlier"

"have you ever been in the armed forces?"
"no"

a few questions later.......

"have you or are you currently claiming (forget the name but servicemans disbaility allowance benefit)
"given, never been in the armed forces very unlikely."

then the chestnut to make the stuffing.......

"Are you currently held in custody awaiting trial?"
"No, but if I was, how likely is it that I would be trying to ring up and claim JSA?"
 
Lynton said:
As for job centre.......apologies if tarring all with same brush, I am just commenting based on MY recent experience.........

Yes I was a bit hacked off at being treated like a "pleb."

I found it insulting that mentioned degree first - to be asked do I have GCSE's?...and how do you think i got the A levels to secure a uni place?...... not confidence inspiring for the person to be of any help or assistance whatsoever... no wonder I may have switched off....... she had to constantly refer to her notes / training manual or whatever.......and repeatedly apologising for doing so......
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Ten out of ten for not just walking out, I think I might have done so under the circumstances:bonk:. Planned incompetence isn't part of the programme for helping you back to work.
 
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