Going around the recruitment consultant

Mo-Mo

I recently sent my CV into a recruitment consultant after seeing a position advertised on a recruitment website. There wasn't much detail in the ad but the title, industry, salary and what little info was there caught my eye.

The consultant phoned me and we had a quick chat about what I'm looking for at the moment. To cut a bit of a long story short, the conversation didn’t go all that well and she said that I didn’t seem suitable for the job I’d applied for but she’d bear me in mind for other positions.

I know some people are going to be tempted to go off the point here and wonder why it didn’t go well, but that’s beside the point and is a rant of mine for another day.

I did some googling and feel I've found the company that the job is in (assuming it exists) although they're not advertising the job on their site.
I’m 99% certain it is for them but their name isn’t on the recruitment website but a description and vague address is. I’d be very surprised if it’s not them.

I am interested in the company and the position advertised, and don’t feel that a rude and robotic recruitment consultant should stand in my way, even if I am chancing my arm.

So the question is, if I send in my CV to them directly should I mention the job advertised on the website or should I make it look like a cold inquiry?

Pablo

It might be best just to send the company a CV, in the more matter of fact view, like in your cover letter you could say "if you perhaps have a position in this area I would like to apply, if not I would be more than happy to have my details stored in your CV database".

That would be the way I would say it. Incase it every got back to the agency that you tried to go around them. It is also possible that the company has already seen your CV via the agency so it's best to make it look like you are just trying your luck rather than applying for any current open position.

DublinWriter

I'd thread carefully.

Agencies have been known to make-up fictional positions in order to trawl for new CVs.

Typically they will use the new CVs to cold-call the referrees listed on them in order to look for business.

chump

DublinWriter wrote:

I'd thread carefully.

Agencies have been known to make-up fictional positions in order to trawl for new CVs.

Typically they will use the new CVs to cold-call the referrees listed on them in order to look for business.

Yea they put out generic 'spec' ads ... complete bullsh..

Anyway no harm in writing up a nice cover letter (very nb) and shipping it off with your CV to the companies HR department. Even better ring up first and get the HR managers name and address it to them.

Santa Claus

Agencies will always put CV's forward to employers as they think that the more CV's they can provide the more impressed the employer will be.

So I'd say it's fair to say that the role didn't exist and it was just to lure in CV's !

TempestSabre

Apply anyway. Who cares what the agency does. Use them as you need, and when you've sucked all you can get out of them, discard them. They'll do the same to you.

The Hill Billy

As the agency has already told you that they will not be sending you forward for this position (assuming it is the same one of course) - then there is nothing to stop you from sumbitting your CV directly.

Best of luck!

Raekwon

Mo-Mo wrote:

The consultant phoned me and we had a quick chat about what I'm looking for at the moment. To cut a bit of a long story short, the conversation didn’t go all that well and she said that I didn’t seem suitable for the job I’d applied for but she’d bear me in mind for other positions.

Off topic, what exactly did the recruiter say to give you the impression that you were not suitable for this role when you obviously thought that you were?

On topic, 99% of recruiters are idiots who have no clue of what kind of positions that job seekers would be truly suitable for. Infact, their lack of knowledge is actually quite scary! You should go behind their back and send your CV to the company. Take a chance, you might get luck!

Miss Fluff

Santa Claus wrote:

Agencies will always put CV's forward to employers as they think that the more CV's they can provide the more impressed the employer will be.

That's rubbish. Why would a consultant worth their salt jeopardise their reputation and their relationship with a client by submitting CVs for the sake of it? Bombarding a client with useless would only damage a relationship.

To the OP, I do feel it would give us a better insight into the situation if you tell us why the consultant deemed you unsuitable after a few moments chat. You say it's a rant for another day but perhaps a brief synopsis of her feedback. If you are unsuitably qualified for example then perhaps you should take that on board and NOT apply for this role.

By the way, if you are submitting your CV, perhaps you might like to call their HR Department prior to sending off your CV and establishing whether such a vacancy exists.

damnyanks

Just apply. Even if you think you are unsuitable it doesnt matter. They decide how suitable or unsuitable you are.

Worst case scenario you get rejected. They arent going to tell the HR people.

Johnny_IRL

Recruitment consultants tend to send a limited number of focused cv's to a company basically because its the essence of the service they provide. To take the hassle out of recruitment process for the client.
Say for instance they just kept on sending cv's towards a vacancy what sort of service are they providing?? you wouldn't keep to many clients that's for sure.

In relation to your application for the vacancy I would of thought it was a either an old job add or a generic one. Since the trend in Ireland is not to advertise yourselves when looking for a new role say on monster.ie or whatever, agencies tend to speculate with job adds to build up cv databases so when an active vacancy come's up they have people to call.....

Mo-Mo

I have absolutely no qualms about sending my CV in for this job, I was mainly trying to work out whether I should refer to the position advertised or send it in on spec. I've decided to call the HR person in the company and suss it out.

As for the chat with her, it'd take me too long to really explain.

Anyway I'm going to send it in and see. While I'm totally prepared to use agencies I'm not prepared to put my career completely in their hands.

TempestSabre

Mo-Mo wrote:

....Anyway I'm going to send it in and see. While I'm totally prepared to use agencies I'm not prepared to put my career completely in their hands.

I don't think thats ever an option...