Laid off folk--are you using contact services?

[Oh Haha]

I found a job posting online this morning.

When I called it was a recruiting company that will, for a fee, send my resume to businesses looking to hire.

Obviously, the carrots they dangle sound good(6 figure incomes, paid vacation, stock options, etc.) butI know that is what they are, carrots.



For $29.00 I am tempted to sign up.

The offers are not pouring in for me. I have lots of business experience but no degree.

Any of you guys using any services like this?

[NICKG]

no..these companies are generally scams that won't do much for your search other than charge you$$

[VincentVega]

Dont waste your $$.

[Zeke]

I think a good head hunter works both sides of the street, but only charges the employer.

[stomachmonkey]

The Ladders?

These businesses thrive on the problem that job seekers have related to getting their resume in front of the right (hiring mgr) person.

A legit recruiter will not charge you. They make their commission (generally 25% of the annual salary) from the placement. Legit recruiters survive not by bulk submitting resumes but by vetting the prospects for their client and only presenting the most qualified.

I assume you have a Linked In account? If not get one.

When you see a posting for a gig search Linked In for the company (assuming it's revealed). Try to find someone at the co that you can get to through mutual contacts.

Reach out to that person and ask if they can give you the direct hiring mgrs name.

Then FedEx your resume directly to that person. EVERYONE opens a FedEx that's dropped on their desk.

Have a friend who got his last three jobs that way.

What is it that you do?

For me personally when I hire a degree is irrelevant, for me it's all about talent, either you have it or you do not.

[Groesbeck Hurricane]

I would NOT work with these people. I have never heard of anyone getting ahead through these services. Maybe someone other than the receiver of your money has gotten ahead, but I doubt it.

Same boat as you. Two months on, more than 400 jobs applied for, four interviews. One still pending, three passes.

I went to a job fair targeted for a specific location, they were only hiring for two positions as far as anyone I talked to could tell. I don't think they ever found the physicist they wanted. Several thousand people showed, 1/3 of them were NOT dressed appropriately, 1/2 the people I talked to had been out of work for more than six months.

Keep at it, something will break! There are several of us in the same boat. My issue is we want to either go back to Texas, stay in Central Indiana, or stay in the South. Do not want to go to the West Coast, upper East Coast, and turned down opportunity to be reviewed for jobs in Illinois (due to some of their gun laws). It all depends upon how choosy you wish to be.

[Dave L]

Dont pay, as others have said a recruiter is paid by the client/company to find people.

[mike55]

Don't waste your money. If you don't go it alone, then use a reputable recruiter / placement agency. As stated above, the employer almost always pays their fees.

They don't get paid unless they fill the positon with the right person, so it's in their best interest to perform......

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Recruiters? Hell no. Professional time and money wasters.

I'm not really actively looking right now anyway. The only way people EVER get hired is if there's work. Right now there isn't. Being "in the right place at the right time" counts more than anything else - including who you think you might know.

You could be the best and most talented brain surgeon in the world - if there's nobody needing brain surgery, there's no work and you're not getting hired. Period. Even if you're the hospital director's best golf buddy.

We need WORK to be created before anyone will hire - this requires money and spending on the part of wealthy individuals. This cannot happen in turn while they feel threatened with ever-increasing taxation.

Pretty simple.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Recruiters? Hell no. Professional time and money wasters.

I'm not really actively looking right now anyway. The only way people EVER get hired is if there's work. Right now there isn't. Being "in the right place at the right time" counts more than anything else - including who you think you might know.

You could be the best and most talented brain surgeon in the world - if there's nobody needing brain surgery, there's no work and you're not getting hired. Period. Even if you're the hospital director's best golf buddy.

We need WORK to be created before anyone will hire - this requires money and spending on the part of wealthy individuals. This cannot happen in turn while they feel threatened with ever-increasing taxation.

Pretty simple.

[Dave L]

Jeff, you seem to have a hate on for just about anyone who makes any sort of commission. I have never "applied for" and gotten a job. I have used recruiters twice and have been referred into a couple of positions.

I was laid off on Monday at 5pm. At 2pm the next day I had a message on my answering machine telling me of a job that was open (unadvertised) I had an interview the next morning at 8am and a second coking up on Tuesday. There are jobs out there.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

First off congratulations. Nice to hear in this day and age. I'm curious to know what line of work you're in, as the one I was recently let go from (architecture) is at a complete and total standstill. There are ZERO opportunities out there right now unless you have 15-20 years in healthcare or 15-20 years in education, specifically. Those are the only two growth areas that I'm seeing any hiring at all in. One big reason I'm chucking it and going back to flying airplanes.

Secondly, I actually have no problem whatsoever with commission. In fact, I think it's the most honest form of compensation there is. If it were up to me, there would be no salaries at all and people would be paid on some kind of sliding scale (call it a "commission" if you like) based on the value of what they produce. However this is difficult to quantify for some kinds of jobs and therefore the concept of a salary enters into the picture. It is also impractical to have this kind of system across-the-board, as much of our economy and way of life is based on people having steady, regular incomes. Some things are cyclical and some people can ride with that, others simply can't. I think if everyone was straight commission (or "you get paid a percentage of how we do" for example), our economy would collapse. People wouldn't take risks and certainly wouldn't buy on credit. This isn't a bad thing necessarily, but it's also NOT how our society is currently set up. Another discussion perhaps. Anyway as a point of note, when I flight instruct, I only get paid for the hours I'm actually instructing (regardless of how many hours I spend sitting around the airport) and when I was doing architecture I was only getting paid "per project". So those are in fact forms of commission. So no, I don't have a problem with this form of compensation.

What I do have a problem with is people who are all talk and no substance, and who bring nothing to the table, expecting to be paid a premium for it. This is something I see disproportionately with commissioned individuals - salespeople, real estate agents, brokers, etc. Certainly with recruiters. As with any profession I'm sure there are some that are good and who earn their keep. However in my own experiences they generally do not. They talk a good game but mostly it's rationalization about how "necessary" their services are. The reality is these services are not necessary and frankly, anyone who feels the need to throw me a "sales pitch" to convince me otherwise is typically not worth extending the time to listen to. If their service is really of value, they don't need to sell it to me. I'll seek it out and get it. It will be self-evident.

I don't mean to sound like I'm unfairly bashing people that contribute. I'm all for that. I just have a real problem with the folks who constantly feel that "selling themselves" is a substitute for actually having any sort of real skill, talent, training or ability, or for doing any real honest work or producing anything tangible. I see through that crap instantly and I pay for results - not for a good sales pitch.

[Oh Haha]

I appreciate everyone's replies to my question. I did not contract with any recruiters.

Both my wife and I are looking for jobs at this point. She has a degree but I don't so her options are more than mine.

The reason I asked about recruiters is that I cannot afford to throw away money at all of the "services" out there so I was hoping that some had good luck with one or two of the many that want your cash.

We had a plan for the future and now that must be changed, drastically.

[morganb]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

The Ladders?



I assume you have a Linked In account? If not get one.

When you see a posting for a gig search Linked In for the company (assuming it's revealed). Try to find someone at the co that you can get to through mutual contacts.

.

This is really good advice, try and use any contacts you have to help get yourself in front of companies. Linked In is the one method but phone old collegues and friends and use your network to get a meeting or interview. Even if they have nothing get yourself in front of people.

You might want to talk to one of the big recruiting companies to help with your resume. I understand now many searches are now done looking for keywords in resumes, you need to understand what these are for you industry and make sure you get them in your resume.

Good luck

[Dave L]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

First off congratulations. Nice to hear in this day and age. I'm curious to know what line of work you're in, as the one I was recently let go from (architecture) is at a complete and total standstill. There are ZERO opportunities out there right now unless you have 15-20 years in healthcare or 15-20 years in education, specifically. Those are the only two growth areas that I'm seeing any hiring at all in. One big reason I'm chucking it and going back to flying airplanes.

Im in sales Jeff

Things arent easy and I hope you do find something, perhaps flying is the best thing to do at this time.