JMC1678

Has anyone else had trouble with recruitment agents? I'm a metal fabricator which is worth 60 points on MODL, so as 'in demand' as it gets. I'm fully qualified with 14 years of experience. I've worked for many companies and I've never been out of work. I see lots of jobs advertised which I am more than capable of doing. My job isn't rocket science. Yet the only way I can apply to them is by dealing with agents who either - [LIST][*]Don't reply[*]Ask for more information then don't reply[*]Arrange to call at 5am GMT. We speak, he promises to be in touch and then I hear nothing more.

I recently spent hours on one application; the agent asked me to fill in a 12 page assessment with questions as irrelevant as : 'Do you gamble regularly?', 'Do you have any strong religious beliefs?', 'What was the last book you read?'

I wonder if the Australian government are aware that skilled tradesmen like myself are desperate to work in their economy yet the businesses with the vacancies are handing over recruitment responsibilities to unprofessionals.

The Woodcutter

It is not just in Australia that recruitment responsibilities are handed over to unprofessionals. Recruitment agencies are about sales and very few actually understand about recruitment and selection.

Sometimes it is better to be more pro-active in your job search. Knock on doors, apply to all organisations you want to work for regardless of whether they have vaccancies advertised, and network.

If you are good at what you do, can add value to the organisation, and "fit in", you will eventually get what you want.

Good luck.

Rossi

It's probably due to the fact that you are still in the UK..............
It's difficult nay almost impossible to get a job from the other side of the world ;-)

Brisben

I wouldn't say impossible, you do find jobs where you can apply direct to the organisation hiring, these are easier to apply for.

But it is much harder to get a job whilst overseas.

Keep hunting, I assure you if you were here metal trade job would be easy to find.

hottroc

I agree with you JMC, I've applied for several jobs and sent my Resume several times to recruitment agencies (who seem to be the only ones advertising the jobs) and most times they do not even bother to reply.

Faced with the added complications of being thousands of miles away I'm starting to think I need a miracle.

The best advice given by the others above tho is to apply to companies direct if poss. I got one job offer this way (but unfortunately it fell through as they needed to advertise it locally).

Good luck!

Burkins

My husband is a Metal Fabricator/Boilermaker/Welder and he was lucky enough to get a job from the UK.

I just e-mailed his CV direct to all the relevant companies in the area we wanted to go to, although we ended up in a different area we took the job on offer as the safety of 2 years work was important to us as we have two small children.

Look in the white pages online to get the companies names.

wardy2

one recruitment agent wont even send my hubby for jobs because he isnt an australian qualified boilermaker

JMC1678

Qualifications? It's not as if our trade is rocket science!

Kath & Graham

We found most of them to be total cr@@!! :curse:

dave99

recruitment agents are a nightmare, I find that to. They often put up jobs they dont have to get people on the books. They will ask you to come in and fill out lots of pages of applications and try to get you to take jobs that they want to get filled rather than ones you are looking for

There adverts are often misleading
I once went for a job through an agency which knew all my skills, I had spent a lot of time talking to them about what I was after. They gave me a job description that sounded ok, a bit vague. So I go for the interview and within 5 minutes found out the experience they wanted was completely different to what I had. They used systems I had told the agent I didn't know. I tried to talk up how I could learn it but really within 5mins me and the interviewer both knew I was totally wrong for it.
Agency's are a nightmare

CharleneG

I know what you mean.
I see it from both sides, my OH is a recruitment consultant, I am an accountant who has used their services in the UK both as candidate and client on many occasions.
My opinion is that it is not hard to be a bad agent!

I am just starting to make contact with agencies in Oz ready for a move next month.
One has asked me to complete a kind of pre interview questionnaire. It's only half a dozen questions or so but the first one asks for 6 references! It even wants 2 from staff who work under me!!
Another has said it will not even consider my CV for roles it is currently working for until I land in Oz. Now I didn't expect to get a job before I landed but I am not even going to hit the ground running with these guys.

As for jobs not even existing. I know for a fact my OH cannot legally advertise a job in the UK that does not exist.

Charlene