Jobsearch sites, not using agencies?
Jennifer Jayne
Posts: 9,022 Forum Member
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I'm currently looking for work and I have a few sites bookmarked namely reed, indeed, Universal Jobmatch, CV-Library but they mostly use agencies. I'm looking for a some sites that deal with actual companies themselves is there any out there?
I have been out of work for a few years, mainly due to being a carer and as such agencies seem to just pass me over which leads to me being unemployed for longer and I just get the usual 'We will keep your record on file' fob line.
I have been out of work for a few years, mainly due to being a carer and as such agencies seem to just pass me over which leads to me being unemployed for longer and I just get the usual 'We will keep your record on file' fob line.
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What you need to doing is be looking hard at your CV and the positions you are applying for.
Of course they vary enormously depending on how good the recruitment consultants are. Some will try hard to find you work and others are a complete waste of time. You just have to keep going. I would suggest that you dress up smart and go in to see a local agency to register. It certainly helps if they can remember who you are and if you are able to build up any sort of relationship.
Erm, didn't you realise that?
Why would you waste the time of a human filtering content when you can machine read and check for key phrases and content in seconds?
That's why it is important to re-write your CV for every single job application using key content from the advertisement...
Hell, even the least sophisticated employer or agency will dump CVs that have clearly not been updated within a few weeks to a month of the current date. If they haven't made the effort - why should the employer...
I started looking about a month ago and have now signed on, and the crap you have to go through.
I mean It appears that more important than me applying for 6 jobs today, is what I write as my targets for next week.
All this modern day BS about targets and goals. How about just finding a job.
Anyway I find these websites very annoying too, the search functions bring jobs anywhere but where you are and they give so little info on most jobs you have no idea what they are.
Its all very depressing as its the first time I have needed to sign on in 10 years of work.
BIB: Yeah I know, I keep being "encouraged" to use Universal Job Match etc but it really is rather crap. Especially since I cant travel well on my own to anywhere outside where I live.
I am told I should be doing 4 hours+ a day to find work online and alike and log it all on Universal Jobmatch, while making targets in my little book.
The website's are all hopless. It seems more about making it difficult and miserable to punish you for being out of work.
I mean at the job centre I feel like a 5 year old. Getting told to "Write something in your book"
Set homework "Fill in targets or you will be told off next visit"
I realise some play the system, but for those of us here through injury/bad luck or whatever, they really try to make you feel bad.
Also CV's we all get sent on courses to improve our CVs. I am 28 English male and my 58 year old Croatian born uncle has almost identical PR speak and normal BS about working on my own and in teams.
If that is really what employers want, then they are as stupid as the rest. I honestly believe if you were to send a CV written honestly and normally you would probably get offers all round, for being an individual rather than a sheep.
If you are using agencies then don't imagine that you can send in your cv and then just wait for them to call you. You need to be more proactive and keep an eye on the agency website and call them whenever they post a job you think you are a good fit for. You need to keep yourself at the forefront of their mind for when something comes in and that means making regular, polite contact. Good luck.
I think that ironically the job centre is more about making you jumping through hoops to get the money you are entitled to than actually getting a job. I would treat it as a separate process altogether tbh.
I agree updating your CV to suit the jobs is important but your covering letting is equally important too, I had a rough copy which I then amended to incorporate the key skill sets required for each job.
I felt a lot of agencies were only contacting me to meet there own weekly goals. As has been said finding a decent recruitment consultant she had me lined up for an interview and confirmed job offer in a week.
I used to read through posts like this and see responses like mine think "it's not that straight forward." Putting the effort into your CV and covering letter and a little bit of luck can be the extra push to get you that interview.
It's easy to be disheartened too, as I say I've been looking for two years, it's a tough market out there and at times I just stopped looking for a few months as the silence from then jobs I'd applied for was deafening but how can your CV land on your future bosses desk if you're not sending it out?
Also try gov.co.uk and search your area for all jobs, it may take you back to reed and other job search sites but it will list all jobs.
Good luck OP
Then use a different website. There are hundreds of them.
Put it on a spreadsheet and print it instead. The little books are made from such cheap absorbant paper the moment you use a fountain pen on it it spreads everywhere.
Refer back to my earlier post. You need to refresh your CV for every single job applicatioin, forget the PR speak, litter your CV with all of the key phrases and points from the job advertisement.
If there is anything on the advert that isn't on your CV - then it's not worth bothering to apply.