Meeting with recruitment company

duende12

I recieved a call from a recruiting company yesterday regarding a graduate programme I might be interested in. I was sent on details and after reading the job description I sent my most recent CV. Then I get an e-mail asking to schedule a meeting . This is a well known recruitment company with offices in most major irish cities.

Has any one gone to one of these "meetings" and is it worthwhile going to??
I am a bit skeptical but I am a jobless graduate so am keen to start working and need as much help as I can get.

Also I mentioned to them in an e-mail that a particular day didn't suit to meet as I was attending an interview that day, and they wanted to know who the interview was for? So my next question is how do i answer this? I am not a paying customer so I don't owe them anything and they don't owe me anything either. Can I be quite non-descript and just say a financial instituion? Also If I go will they just use me to get info on jobs I applied for etc.

Sorry if this is a bit long winded. I'd be grateful for any help. thanks

Stheno

Just treat it like an interview, it's perfectly normal for them to schedule meetings, and ask who you have/are interviewing with.

dazed+confused

These people are the scum of the earth, they try to hide the fact that they work on commission. They pretend to be your friend, texting you with updates of jobs etc. I know why you're here, I know what you're trying to do, so cut the BS please!

The interview will be to assess your interview skills, they will coach you on all aspects of your interview technique and will more than likely be extremely patronising. What's more they will probably have little knowledge of your industry and they can come out with some really off the wall suggestions that might work in their world but will be totally inappropriate in yours.

They asked you what other jobs you have applied for because they are trying to find new vacancies. They will then contact these companies and try to tout for business.

Skybox

The reason that they would ask who you have interviewed with is that many companies might use a recruitment agency and also advertise the job themselves. It may look bad if your CV is received a number of times by the same company.

From the recruitment agent's point of view, most will not forward your CV to any company that you have already applied to as the company will have it already and will not pay the recruitment agents.

duende12

dazed+confused wrote: »

These people are the scum of the earth, they try to hide the fact that they work on commission. They pretend to be your friend, texting you with updates of jobs etc. I know why you're here, I know what you're trying to do, so cut the BS please!

The interview will be to assess your interview skills, they will coach you on all aspects of your interview technique and will more than likely be extremely patronising. What's more they will probably have little knowledge of your industry and they can come out with some really off the wall suggestions that might work in their world but will be totally inappropriate in yours.

They asked you what other jobs you have applied for because they are trying to find new vacancies. They will then contact these companies and try to tout for business.

Those were exactly my fears and that's why I was hesitant to reveal to much info /go to the meeting. On the other hand they made me aware of a programme that I would have otherwise missed. So i'm just wondering If you can play them at their own game i.e. use them for what you need and dump them at your convienence.

Re the interview skills I don't know if that is a bad thing for practice sake but patronising me I don't think i'd let them do that.
T

duende12

Skybox wrote: »

The reason that they would ask who you have interviewed with is that many companies might use a recruitment agency and also advertise the job themselves. It may look bad if your CV is received a number of times by the same company.

From the recruitment agent's point of view, most will not forward your CV to any company that you have already applied to as the company will have it already and will not pay the recruitment agents.

I know the company with whom I have the interview with doesn't use 3rd party Recruitment consultants, but what you said about duplicate CV's makes sense thanks.

endofrainbow

dazed+confused wrote: »

These people are the scum of the earth, they try to hide the fact that they work on commission. They pretend to be your friend, texting you with updates of jobs etc. I know why you're here, I know what you're trying to do, so cut the BS please!

The interview will be to assess your interview skills, they will coach you on all aspects of your interview technique and will more than likely be extremely patronising. What's more they will probably have little knowledge of your industry and they can come out with some really off the wall suggestions that might work in their world but will be totally inappropriate in yours.

They asked you what other jobs you have applied for because they are trying to find new vacancies. They will then contact these companies and try to tout for business.

I would totally agree with the above having been on both sides of the fence (in-house recruiter and later looking for temp work). The commission they charge to the employer is about 33% so it's totally worth their while to have you on their books. When they first have you on their books, they can't do enough for you - calls/texts/promises. If however, you cannot make an appointment or don't go for a position they ask you to go to, forget about getting any more work from them, forget about having your calls returned either.

On one occasion I had booked a temp to cover a 2 week annual holiday and subsequently got a call from the agency telling me they had *heard* that there was a full time position available and could they send over some candidates c.v.'s?

While recruitment agencies might work for some, I don't like the fact that personal details are stored (not always securely) by a 3rd party and you have no access to your details or the notes on it......just my 2cents

duende12

endofrainbow wrote: »

The commission they charge to the employer is about 33% so it's totally worth their while to have you on their books.

While recruitment agencies might work for some, I don't like the fact that personal details are stored (not always securely) by a 3rd party and you have no access to your details or the notes on it......just my 2cents

So does that mean that a candidate hired via a recruitment company would go home with less pay than one who applies directly to the company?? Or are you referring to a company who is recruiting exclusively via a recruitment company. Excuse my ignorance on the matter as this is my first time really in the professional job market.

Also I think I might go without revealing to much just keep my wits about me. It's not like I have that much to lose by going

Thanks again endoftherainbow really useful input

endofrainbow

I am referring to temp work whereby the agency places a temp with a company so cant really comment on full time placement or graduate placements.

example:

company calls agency looking for a temp for 2 weeks (40 hour week)

agency will provide temp at a charge to the company of E20.00 per hour (which will include PRSI payment etc) but the temp will be paid between E12/14 per hour. Tax is unlikely to be deducted as income may be below tax threshold - so its a nice little earner for the agencies.

^^^^

above figures are examples only

duende12

Thanks for clearing that up totally forgot about temping . Yay i've reached ten posts on here I can finally start thanking people properly

duende12

Just an update for anyone that's interested. Went to S***** Recruitment for "meeting" in Dublin. Biggest waste of time !! Some D4 toff nosed twenty-something went through my CV and as expected was only interested about previous jobs I had applied to :mad: No promise of jobs or the type that would interest me and no helpful feedback and needless to say haven't heard anything from him since. So I wasted time and money on being used for info so they could make a profit. Never again.

My advice to anyone if they want to send CV's/ use Recruitment Companies never waste time going to their office it can all be done over the phone.

Just my two cents

allibastor

To be fair man, i work in recruitment and most of the time i look for people is when i actually have a job to fill. it also helps me to see what kind of person i am sending for a job.

i once had a guy who looked excellent on paper for a job, when i asked him to come in it was no problem.

he calls in anyway, stinking of drink and red eyed from other substances. imagine not meeting him and sending him to work for a company.

you can only get so much from a CV and an interview is an excellent way to assess the worker. it is a shame that some people don't know much about the role they are trying to fill, but my advice would be to use a specialist recruiter for the role you are going for.

GBXI

OP, it's a pity that your meeting with the agency was wasted, you should give them that feedback and let them know that you got nothing from the meeting.

What I will say, especially in response to dazed+confused who seems very bitter and clearly had a bad experience, is that not all agencies are the same. The good ones for example, will only meet you when they have scheduled an interview for you with one of their clients, meaning you the candidate, will get something from meeting the recruiter, i.e. information on who you're meeting, what they are like, what they expect from a potential employee, how long the interview will take, etc. Of course, lots of this can be done over the phone but a face-to-face meeting also gives the recruiter the chance to meet you and decide if you are a good match (personality-wise at least) for any positions they might have now or in the future.

Chazz Michael Michaels

Could someone recommend a good financial services one? One that won't waste my time?

PM me.

Thanks.