Finding work

mark057

Hello everyone,

This is my first post on here so be gentle, ha.

I passed four Technician exams in the last December sitting, first go too. However, I'm still looking for accounts work. I've had a bit of purchase ledger experience, but didn't succeed in the job because it was a terrible company to work for and studying for the four exams spread my efforts too thin at work.

Is anyone else wondering why they bothered with the AAT?

ambitious

Register with agencies, and look in the papers. You need to get the fact your close to AAT qualified status across to agencies. That way some employers may see a way to use the skills you already have. Temp for experience, build your experience then see if you can get opportunities internally within a company you work with.

mark130273

hey mark ... i was in the same boat. not that far as passing the technician level thou . and i only got a job becasue of who i knew and not what i know !!!

someone passed my details on when they got a job offer after they already had one....so guess to ask around your college , if your in one, if not apply apply apply apply !!!

Gem7321

Could you do some volunteer work to gain experience? Always looks good to a potential employer.

mark057

No. Can't really afford to do that sort of work for financial reasons.

Must say have not found the recruitment agencies much help even though I do have a few months purchase ledger experience.

mark130273

agencies suck big time ..................

mark057

I know. Agencies just don't care other than putting money in their own pockets.

Ha. Just wish we could go back to a system where you applied direct to the employer. I always get more joy doing it that way.

Gem7321

Why not send your CV directly to local companies/firms asking if they have any vacancies?

Which agencies are you using? And may I ask where you're based?

mark057

I'm from Cheshire.

I have registered with RK Accountancy, Reed and Hays in the past.

Unfortunately I have had run ins with all three. RK Accountancy sent me on this rubbish temp job in 2006 and because I said I did not like it refused to pay me.

Reed got a job arranged for but something very important cropped up in my personal life and so I could not start on the date they wanted me to. I was forced to turn the job down and so they refuse to look on my behalf now and Hays did the same thing because I supplied some additional information directly to an employer before an interview without consulting them.

I have sent spec CV's in the past but usually found the does not get you anywhere.

Buff

Mark,

Hi, I'm Jamie - I have had 2 agencies in the past - one wasn't much use and the other was Reed. They managed to find me the current placememnt where i have been for 2 years and will soon be (hopefully) starting up a finance team. Whereas I doubt it's feasible for you to wait for my vacancies to come up, I do think you should give Reed and any other agencies that you say won't look for you another chance.
At the end of the day, there is more than one consultant at each recruitment agency practice, and if one person doesn't want the commission of finding you a place, then im sure on of his colleagues definitely will.
Give them another ring and drop an up to date CV off, if they pull your records up on screen and say "we got you one before and u turned it down" all you need to say is something urgent cropped up. To be honest, I doubt they would ask details, ust give them a brief overview of what happened and tell them to get cracking.

REMEBER THEY GET PAID FOR FINDING YOU WORK!

blobbyh

Ref' the two Marks;

I work for a recruitment agency and quite frankly comments like "agencies suck" and admitting you've had having run-ins with the three agencies who (could) have secured you work, are as much indicative of yourselves as those of the agencies involved. We invest a great deal of time, money and effort into placing quality people and for some of those people to treat us as mere go betweens means they will be ejected from the 'good books' fairly rapidly.

Agencies don't exist solely for you as indviduals nor do we expect to do all the hard work ourselves; we require some positive input from yourselves back. Yes we get paid for finding you work but we won't place anyone just to make a commission; doing so would damage our relationship with the client company plus we can lose potentially good candidates. Don't forget, we are paid by clients to pre-interview potential employees and filter out the rotten eggs; adopt the wrong attitude with us and you will not be put forward no matter how superb your CV might be. Job suitability doesn't begin and end with qualifications alone.

Ref; Mark057;

If the first agency refused to pay you for work done then they broke the law so why would you not pursue this?

The second agency you let down for personal reasons though I find it unusual that they would blacklist you just for this one occasion and didn't look to re-place you somewhere else.

The third agency; well you committed one of the cardinal sins of employment agencies by contacting the client directly yourself pre-interview and I'm not surprised they barred you for this.

Personally, I think all of your repeated comments on here are pretty much self explanatory to me why you've had little success from that particular avenue of employment. Agencies work for many many people; we wouldn't exist otherwise but we cannot expect to work for all.

mark057

I take your comments on board but how many accountancy qualifications do you have? If you are AAT qualified why are you working in recruitment?

I have suffered some personal tragedy in my life over the last few years, which has meant it has been sometimes very difficult to maintain a focus on looking for work.

I have had little support or compassion shown to me by agencies, even though they were made aware of the circumstances.

Despite this I have still managed to complete my AAT qualification. I find your insinuation that anybody who does not find agencies helpful, a bad egg, insulting and would ask you to kindly refrain from making comments where you do not understand the personal circumstances concerned.

I have shared my personal experiences of recruitment agencies with other users. However, it was never my intention to state all recruitment agencies are the same.

mark130273

mark057 wrote: »

I'm from Cheshire.

I have registered with RK Accountancy, Reed and Hays in the past.

Unfortunately I have had run ins with all three. RK Accountancy sent me on this rubbish temp job in 2006 and because I said I did not like it refused to pay me.

Reed got a job arranged for but something very important cropped up in my personal life and so I could not start on the date they wanted me to. I was forced to turn the job down and so they refuse to look on my behalf now and Hays did the same thing because I supplied some additional information directly to an employer before an interview without consulting them.

I have sent spec CV's in the past but usually found the does not get you anywhere.

hey mark im in wallasey myself and ive been with them for a couple of years and none of them were any good.....good thinking could be ....start with "a" and apply finish with "z".......

Theres is always hopeyou might hit one.....had phone call from one agency this morning and they said just checking on my job hunt and then told me they have had "NO" positions in this year ??

agencys...wonderful !!!!!!!!!:thumbdown:

blobbyh

I'm the assistant account within the agency but need to understand the mechanics of the recruitment industry plus appreciate local customs and traditions in Dubai, Singapore, Germany etc in order to do my job effectively. My comments come from speaking to consultants who tell me they can spot a crappy attitude a mile away and will bin the CV almost immediately without giving justification or reason to the submitter.

Many of us have experienced personal tragedies over the last few years - I've had some horrific times over the last six years and lost a very close relative only last week - but most of us don't let them hold us back.

Oh and by the way, I think you and the other Mark have pretty much tarnished all agencies with the same brush and continue to do so. Agencies work successfully for tens of thousands each year so perhaps the blame them for your own lack of opportunities lies elsewhere?

mark057

Robert,

Look I don't want to get into whose had the hardest life, most disadvantages discussion because it's boring.

I have expressed an opinion and you have expressed yours. I don't agree with what you are saying, but then again you don't agree what I'm saying, so lets agree to disagree.

I'm not prepared to engage in childish banter because it's just boring.

End of conversation.

Cullen

"consultants who tell me they can spot a crappy attitude a mile away and will bin the CV almost immediately without giving justification or reason to the submitter"

This speaks volumes about who actually has the crappy attitude.

Bluewednesday

Cullen wrote: »

"consultants who tell me they can spot a crappy attitude a mile away and will bin the CV almost immediately without giving justification or reason to the submitter"

This speaks volumes about who actually has the crappy attitude.

I don't necessarily agree, it's not an agencies job to find you a position - you need them rather than they need you and if you go into it with that in mind rather than expecting them to find you a placement you'll probably be okay.

I think quite often (not sure if this is the case with either of your situations) that people are using agencies to find them some experience when companies are going to the agencies to find people with experience!

IF you have no experience I don't think agencies are the right route to a job.

Cullen

I think if an agency consultant thinks an applicant is not suitable, it would be more professional to discuss this with them and not just bin their cv without "justification or reason"

mark130273

well cullen you have put in a thing that i didnt relly think about when i signed with the agencies(consultant,behave) not one of them put forward when i was getting interviewed with them to tell me. sorry you havent got enough qualifactions or experiance......

but i do stand corrected there was one i applied to join the agency and they rang me and had a decent chat with myself and then told me that they wouldnt be able to help me because they only deal with fully qualified AAT or above....so applause to that one !!

but mark057 just keep going and never give up....

blobbyh

Cullen wrote: »

I think if an agency consultant thinks an applicant is not suitable, it would be more professional to discuss this with them and not just bin their cv without "justification or reason"

Nice but selective quoting Cullen. I do believe we've clashed before a year or so ago but nice to see you still have a hard on for me.

I did actually say people with a crappy attitude will get their CV's binned and many do go to agencies believing the agencies are just there to work for them. Wrong, we work for the clients; they pay us not the candidates. We are not mere middle men between you and the client but are there to interview you on behalf of the client and should be treated with the respect this deserves. Consultants - many with years of experience in their chosen sectors - are sometimes not treated with the respect their position accords but rather spoken down to. I spoke to one a while ago who deals in the automotive sector. He estimated he views over a thousand CV's a month but will select only around twenty to go forward with. The rest are rejected for reasons such as unsuitable, not qualified enough, not experienced enough and yes, sometimes a poor attitude.

As for your comment Cullen, consultants see hundreds of people each month so it's not financially viable to contact each unsuitable candidate when time and money is better spent seeking ones that are.

As for the person who will no longer talk to me - do I honestly care? He opened up a thread for discussion then when hears something he didn't like, throws his dummy out the pram. I'm a realist not an apologist. For someone who admits he's trashed himself with three different agencies then gloves off, he should really look further towards home for the real causes of his repeated failure.

Buff

crikey bobs:001_unsure:

Baggybooks

Buff wrote: »

crikey bobs:001_unsure:

Indeed.

I'm reading an excellent book at the moment 'Is Your Boss Mad?' it's by Jill Walker - ISBN 978-184590039-7

She has worked as an employment consultant and I think her experiences would help one or two of you - on both sides of the employment agency fence.

Apart from dealing with tricky bosses, it explains an awful lot about employee/er expectations and I'd recommend it to all of you.

Buff

I think I might buy a book soon - they can give so much. And this time im going to buy one which has only 70% pictures. But I do love my atlases.

H - sounds like that book could be well worth a read . Thanks for the IBAN... *heads to download*

Baggybooks

You're always welcome J, always welcome.

mark057

Robert,

You have rather proven my point with regard to childish behaviour with your last post. I think your sexual reference to be rather vulgar and not really appropriate on this website.

You talk about the truth hitting home with me? I'm not so sure if I have not hit a raw nerve with you by criticising recruitment agencies. You seem a little sensitive about the whole subject of their value.

Clearly you are an arguementative gentleman who has to have the last word. I would just be a little careful about how far you do go because your quite close to crossing the line with some of your comments.

I have stated many times my personal opinion about recruitment agencies. However this does not mean I am right and you are wrong or vice versa. It is a personal opinion, nothing more.

Perhaps you should get off that self-righteous perch of yours and try to look at somebody else's point of view. That would be an act of wisdom. A quality which you are clearly completely devoid of.

In some cases recruitment agencies can be useful in finding work, I agree. Just they are not for everyone. See, that is an admission of their value, which I'm sure will help to sooth your ruffled feathers and will act as a statement which proves I am capable of looking at other people's point of view.

I personally prefer to have civilised conversations with reasonable people, not vulgar, self-righteous, pompous gentlemen like yourself who have such tunnel vision about certain sujects.

Treat people with respect and they in turn will treat you with respect.

This will now be the last comments I make on this particular subjest to you sir. Any further comments in relation to my character, which could be construed as defamatory, will just be reported to the AAT without delay.

Good evening to you sir.

Mark

blobbyh

mark057 wrote: »

Treat people with respect and they in turn will treat you with respect.

This will now be the last comments I make on this particular subjest to you sir. Any further comments in relation to my character, which could be construed as defamatory, will just be reported to the AAT without delay.

Fill your boots Mark, I'm well known to the AAT admins already. First you opened this thread with a querying whinge over the worthlessness of the qualification then somehow you turned it into a whinge at ALL agencies (later edited to some) once Mark1, another long time agency basher, had joined the discussion. It was only a matter of time before Welsh Wizard turned up which he duly did.

You wondered about the mechanics of agencies and I gave you an insight into the inner workings of ours which you apparently don't like. Maybe it's you with the raw nerve here mate having admittedly been thrown out by three?

I have respect for many many people but little for those who whinge because they aren't gift wrapped handed the breaks that many others, including myself have bloody worked for. We've all experienced stress and hardship; get over yourself.

As for your supposed distaste at my vaguely sexual comment; jesus, this is the 21st centuty and you speak throughout your posts like you're stuck in the Victorian era. Have a look at the chat forum. Gonna report everyone are you? You're not Anne Marie in drag are you?

As you will no longer reply - which you also said last time - I'd like to wish you an enjoyable evening too but to be honest, I don't and nor do you to me. At least grow some and admit it.

mark130273

gloves are off here.....im placing my 5 bucks on mark057 !!!

blobbyh

Well, as he's already said Mark, he won't reply nor is he the only one tired of this thread. He can't change his opinion and I can't change his opinion either.

As you yourself know having been a regular visitor to the forums for a few months now, the anti-agency thread is one that routinely comes up every so often with the usual whinge "Why can't I do this?", "Why can't I do that?", "I'm fantastic, how can they not notice me?" and it's so repetitive after a while.

I've actually been quite restrained in what I've written but sorry, I won't ever do posh flannel to try and make myself look more intelligent.

mark130273

good call...........i know i have tarnished your type of industry with that lovely brush.....

and it does always come every so often....in fact ive started one myself about 3 months ago..........

but im glad these do come up .cause it does show that people are in the same boat and try everything possilbe to get a good job ?

blobbyh

mark130273 wrote: »

in fact ive started one myself about 3 months ago..........

I know you did -I remember... but I'll let you off!

mark130273

oh right..............hope i didnt blurt out to many expleatives ?