Recruiters are constantly calling me

[krunchykrome]

When I was searching for a job a few months ago, I also met with a few recruiters. I did that just to see what they could help me with. It turns out that none of the recruiters really helped at all. In fact, it just wasted my time meeting with them, traveling to their offices, etc. Yet, they all try to keep in touch every month, asking how the job hunt is going, and asking me to inform them when I find a job I like.

It seemed to me like they wanted me to do the work for them. They wanted me to find the job, tell them about it, and let them negotiate for me so that they get a bonus off of it.

I got a job, on my own, about a month ago. And recruiters kept calling, asking the same questions about my progress. I kept responding by saying that I was still looking.

Today, one of those same recruiters called again. She asked me how the job hunt was going, if there was anything I was interested in etc. I flat out told her that I found a job a month ago. Then she asks me where and I respond "I am not going to discuss it with you."

I did feel like it was a bit rude to say it like that I really don't like them calling me and asking all of these questions.

Anyone have any experience with this?

 

[Kelemvor]

I had worked with a few when I was looking. Happened that I got a job from someone who found me via careerbuilder. When the one who found me the previous position called I jsut told them I had found a position. They asked what company so I told them and she was shocked because, of course, they are a Preferred Vendor with this company so they should have gotten the business.

Not my problem, job is already mine, too bad for you.

But I always tell them that if something comes across their desk that is a better position to let me know. I don't want to work contracts, I'd rather have a permanent position but contracts are all I've been able to find lately.

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: krunchykrome
When I was searching for a job a few months ago, I also met with a few recruiters. I did that just to see what they could help me with. It turns out that none of the recruiters really helped at all. In fact, it just wasted my time meeting with them, traveling to their offices, etc. Yet, they all try to keep in touch every month, asking how the job hunt is going, and asking me to inform them when I find a job I like.

It seemed to me like they wanted me to do the work for them. They wanted me to find the job, tell them about it, and let them negotiate for me so that they get a bonus off of it.

I got a job, on my own, about a month ago. And recruiters kept calling, asking the same questions about my progress. I kept responding by saying that I was still looking.

Today, one of those same recruiters called again. She asked me how the job hunt was going, if there was anything I was interested in etc. I flat out told her that I found a job a month ago. Then she asks me where and I respond "I am not going to discuss it with you."

I did feel like it was a bit rude to say it like that I really don't like them calling me and asking all of these questions.

Anyone have any experience with this?

She may have been prepared to offer you a better position with better pay.

You don't have to give her exact info, but round-about info would tell her if she could beat your current job+pay or not.

In short, it could be advantageous to you if you give them some info to compete against.

 

[skim milk]

I wouldn't want to burn any bridges with recruiters
you never know when they might come in handy

 

[Mxylplyx]

It's just the way the business works. Keep a good relationship with all the recruiters you know. They can come in handy in a pinch.

^^^ Pretty much what he said.

 

[krunchykrome]

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: krunchykrome
When I was searching for a job a few months ago, I also met with a few recruiters. I did that just to see what they could help me with. It turns out that none of the recruiters really helped at all. In fact, it just wasted my time meeting with them, traveling to their offices, etc. Yet, they all try to keep in touch every month, asking how the job hunt is going, and asking me to inform them when I find a job I like.

It seemed to me like they wanted me to do the work for them. They wanted me to find the job, tell them about it, and let them negotiate for me so that they get a bonus off of it.

I got a job, on my own, about a month ago. And recruiters kept calling, asking the same questions about my progress. I kept responding by saying that I was still looking.

Today, one of those same recruiters called again. She asked me how the job hunt was going, if there was anything I was interested in etc. I flat out told her that I found a job a month ago. Then she asks me where and I respond "I am not going to discuss it with you."

I did feel like it was a bit rude to say it like that I really don't like them calling me and asking all of these questions.

Anyone have any experience with this?

She may have been prepared to offer you a better position with better pay.

You don't have to give her exact info, but round-about info would tell her if she could beat your current job+pay or not.

In short, it could be advantageous to you if you give them some info to compete against.

The thing is, I met with her about two months ago. Since then, she has yet been able to even get me an interview anywhere. However, she calls maybe once a week to ask me how the search is going and if there are any positions I have found that I am interested in.

I was under the impression that the recruiters work for you. Why would I find the job I want and tell the recruiter about it he/she can make a buck off of me? I can negotiate for myself. Really, I just got tired of her constantly calling and asking questions when she done nothing for me in the two months I have associated with her.

 

[krunchykrome]

Originally posted by: Mxylplyx
It's just the way the business works. Keep a good relationship with all the recruiters you know. They can come in handy in a pinch.

^^^ Pretty much what he said.

I can see how they could come in handy, but from my personal experiences, they have just been a waste of time. After meeting with several recruiters, asking me the same questions, none of them were able to even get me an interview anywhere.

However, I did get myself (without recruiter help) many interviews and the position I landed now was the result of my effort.

They didn't show me anything. They just wasted my time, asking me questions and making me travel to see them.

 

[minendo]

Originally posted by: krunchykrome

Originally posted by: Mxylplyx
It's just the way the business works. Keep a good relationship with all the recruiters you know. They can come in handy in a pinch.

^^^ Pretty much what he said.

I can see how they could come in handy, but from my personal experiences, they have just been a waste of time. After meeting with several recruiters, asking me the same questions, none of them were able to even get me an interview anywhere.

However, I did get myself (without recruiter help) many interviews and the position I landed now was the result of my effort.

They didn't show me anything. They just wasted my time, asking me questions and making me travel to see them.

I had the same feelings towards recruiters as you did until just recently. A recruiter found my resume on Monster.com and passed my information along to the company he was working for. I interviewed 3 times and was offered the position. The recruiter then negotiated all terms for me beyond what I thought possible.

He was able to negotiate additional vacation (no big deal), 24% raise, full relocation, a relocation budget, and a 23% sign on bonus.

 

[paulxcook]

A recruiter found my current job, which was a contract that turned into a full-time position. It was great. I guess it just depends on the quality of the recruiter. Mine never called me unless he had a job he thought I'd be interested in.

 

[Mxylplyx]

Originally posted by: krunchykrome

Originally posted by: Mxylplyx
It's just the way the business works. Keep a good relationship with all the recruiters you know. They can come in handy in a pinch.

^^^ Pretty much what he said.

I can see how they could come in handy, but from my personal experiences, they have just been a waste of time. After meeting with several recruiters, asking me the same questions, none of them were able to even get me an interview anywhere.

However, I did get myself (without recruiter help) many interviews and the position I landed now was the result of my effort.

They didn't show me anything. They just wasted my time, asking me questions and making me travel to see them.

While it may seem so, recruiters are not around to serve you. They typically have a hot sheet of positions they are trying to fill. If you are not a fit for what they currently have, they'll pretend to be interested for a few days, and then forget about you. If you are a good fit for whats currently on their hotsheet, they'll be your best friend until you get the job. Just dont take anything personal with them, or feel betrayed if they ignore you or anything like that. Once you become experienced in your industry, and are set apart from the typical entry level person that comes across a recruiters desk, you'll have much better luck with them. Dont hesitate to call these same recruiters in the future when you are looking for a job. They'll be your best friend if they think they can make money off you, and money for them is money for you.

 

[krunchykrome]

Originally posted by: Mxylplyx

Originally posted by: krunchykrome

Originally posted by: Mxylplyx
It's just the way the business works. Keep a good relationship with all the recruiters you know. They can come in handy in a pinch.

^^^ Pretty much what he said.

I can see how they could come in handy, but from my personal experiences, they have just been a waste of time. After meeting with several recruiters, asking me the same questions, none of them were able to even get me an interview anywhere.

However, I did get myself (without recruiter help) many interviews and the position I landed now was the result of my effort.

They didn't show me anything. They just wasted my time, asking me questions and making me travel to see them.

While it may seem so, recruiters are not around to serve you. They typically have a hot sheet of positions they are trying to fill. If you are not a fit for what they currently have, they'll pretend to be interested for a few days, and then forget about you. If you are a good fit for whats currently on their hotsheet, they'll be your best friend until you get the job. Just dont take anything personal with them, or feel betrayed if they ignore you or anything like that. Once you become experienced in your industry, and are set apart from the typical entry level person that comes across a recruiters desk, you'll have much better luck with them. Dont hesitate to call these same recruiters in the future when you are looking for a job. They'll be your best friend if they think they can make money off you, and money for them is money for you.

I don't take it personal when they don't do much for me, and I do completely understand that certain positions need requirements to be met to even be considered. But coming out of college, I did have one year of internship experience. I know thats not a deal breaker for employers, but I had no trouble at all getting myself interviews. 3 or 4 recruiters met with me, and none of them could get me an interview? It's not like they didn't know my situation (recent college grad) because before I met with all of them, I spoke with them over the phone. I told them my situation, so if they felt that I was just too unexperienced, why have me travel and visit them and waste both of our time?

 

[spidey07]

Nothing wrong with "networking" as that's what they are trying to do. It sure wouldn't hurt for you to build a good relationship with one or two of them.

It's a two way street - you keep them informed of what is going on, maybe throw a position or two or a lead their way. In return they keep you in mind and if a really great job comes around they call you first.

Many recruiters have their finger firmly planted on the job pulse of a particular area and are good people to know.

 

[athithi]

Recruiters are an interesting breed. I am sure there are some good ones out there, but every single one I have met has one and only one thing on their minds - their commission. I understand that everybody likes to make money, but with recruiters making that commission seems to be the whole point of their jobs.

But they can be really nice people to talk to. They make you feel like you are the greatest candidate on earth, until, of course, you interview and realize that the position is not an appropriate match for you. Similarly, I get the feeling that recruiters don't try to educate companies about realistic skill sets in the market. They always seem to want an Oracle DBA with 27+ yrs experience and who is also an expert in Perl scripting and web development with over 10 years J2EE experience and Project Management experience and...seriously, sometimes the set of skills asked for don't even go along with each other The best part is, if you don't have the skill, no problemo - simply add it to your resume! If you don't have a particular type of experience, don't worry about it - the recruiter will tell you what the client expects and you can add it to your resume!

I haven't had an experience where a recruiter wants me to find my own job. But plenty of them have wasted my time by making me come in for an "interview" with themselves - utterly pointless. They also like to imagine that your references are simply sitting around waiting to repeatedly talk about how great you are. They seem to have no respect for other peoples' time - I refuse to provide references unless it is directly to the hiring company. So, yeah, no love lost for recruiters...

When I think "recruiter", I am reminded of this quote from C&H: "Girls are like slugs. I am sure they serve some purpose, but it is hard to imagine what."

 

[Mxylplyx]

Originally posted by: athithi
Recruiters are an interesting breed. I am sure there are some good ones out there, but every single one I have met has one and only one thing on their minds - their commission. I understand that everybody likes to make money, but with recruiters making that commission seems to be the whole point of their jobs.

But they can be really nice people to talk to. They make you feel like you are the greatest candidate on earth, until, of course, you interview and realize that the position is not an appropriate match for you. Similarly, I get the feeling that recruiters don't try to educate companies about realistic skill sets in the market. They always seem to want an Oracle DBA with 27+ yrs experience and who is also an expert in Perl scripting and web development with over 10 years J2EE experience and Project Management experience and...seriously, sometimes the set of skills asked for don't even go along with each other The best part is, if you don't have the skill, no problemo - simply add it to your resume! If you don't have a particular type of experience, don't worry about it - the recruiter will tell you what the client expects and you can add it to your resume!

I haven't had an experience where a recruiter wants me to find my own job. But plenty of them have wasted my time by making me come in for an "interview" with themselves - utterly pointless. They also like to imagine that your references are simply sitting around waiting to repeatedly talk about how great you are. They seem to have no respect for other peoples' time - I refuse to provide references unless it is directly to the hiring company. So, yeah, no love lost for recruiters...

When I think "recruiter", I am reminded of this quote from C&H: "Girls are like slugs. I am sure they serve some purpose, but it is hard to imagine what."

I used to do interviews with recruiters when I was fresh out of college. It might just be the nature of my field, which is software development, but interviews with recruiters just arent necessary anymore. I have about 8yrs professional experience as as a developer. My resume clearly lays out what I can and cant do, and recruiters are hardly capable of validating my experience. If I need a recruiters services, I call them and ask if they have anything, and if they do I foward my resume on and get the process moving. I met the last recruiter I worked with at the same time I was having the interview with the prospective employer. All contact with him beforehand was phone and email. Got the job too.

 

[athithi]

Originally posted by: Mxylplyx

Originally posted by: athithi
Recruiters are an interesting breed. I am sure there are some good ones out there, but every single one I have met has one and only one thing on their minds - their commission. I understand that everybody likes to make money, but with recruiters making that commission seems to be the whole point of their jobs.

But they can be really nice people to talk to. They make you feel like you are the greatest candidate on earth, until, of course, you interview and realize that the position is not an appropriate match for you. Similarly, I get the feeling that recruiters don't try to educate companies about realistic skill sets in the market. They always seem to want an Oracle DBA with 27+ yrs experience and who is also an expert in Perl scripting and web development with over 10 years J2EE experience and Project Management experience and...seriously, sometimes the set of skills asked for don't even go along with each other The best part is, if you don't have the skill, no problemo - simply add it to your resume! If you don't have a particular type of experience, don't worry about it - the recruiter will tell you what the client expects and you can add it to your resume!

I haven't had an experience where a recruiter wants me to find my own job. But plenty of them have wasted my time by making me come in for an "interview" with themselves - utterly pointless. They also like to imagine that your references are simply sitting around waiting to repeatedly talk about how great you are. They seem to have no respect for other peoples' time - I refuse to provide references unless it is directly to the hiring company. So, yeah, no love lost for recruiters...

When I think "recruiter", I am reminded of this quote from C&H: "Girls are like slugs. I am sure they serve some purpose, but it is hard to imagine what."

I used to do interviews with recruiters when I was fresh out of college. It might just be the nature of my field, which is software development, but interviews with recruiters just arent necessary anymore. I have about 8yrs professional experience as as a developer. My resume clearly lays out what I can and cant do, and recruiters are hardly capable of validating my experience. If I need a recruiters services, I call them and ask if they have anything, and if they do I foward my resume on and get the process moving. I met the last recruiter I worked with at the same time I was having the interview with the prospective employer. All contact with him beforehand was phone and email. Got the job too.

I have over 10 years of experience, 9 in the United States - I am a certified Enterprise Architect and a certified programmer in two different technologies and have worked for over 7 years with one of the most recognizable names in the computer industry as a contractor (though I am now a full-time employee with them). I have not been out of work a single day since graduating and have references that gush over the work I've done for them. Apparently, none of this matters to some recruiters. They want to meet me and talk to me and find out my interests and match me up with the best employer - I then go in only to find out that they don't even have any positions available. They reeled me in with some generic position description that, for all I know, never existed in the first place. My disregard for recruiters comes from direct experience, unfortunately.

 

[Mxylplyx]

Originally posted by: athithi

Originally posted by: Mxylplyx

Originally posted by: athithi
Recruiters are an interesting breed. I am sure there are some good ones out there, but every single one I have met has one and only one thing on their minds - their commission. I understand that everybody likes to make money, but with recruiters making that commission seems to be the whole point of their jobs.

But they can be really nice people to talk to. They make you feel like you are the greatest candidate on earth, until, of course, you interview and realize that the position is not an appropriate match for you. Similarly, I get the feeling that recruiters don't try to educate companies about realistic skill sets in the market. They always seem to want an Oracle DBA with 27+ yrs experience and who is also an expert in Perl scripting and web development with over 10 years J2EE experience and Project Management experience and...seriously, sometimes the set of skills asked for don't even go along with each other The best part is, if you don't have the skill, no problemo - simply add it to your resume! If you don't have a particular type of experience, don't worry about it - the recruiter will tell you what the client expects and you can add it to your resume!

I haven't had an experience where a recruiter wants me to find my own job. But plenty of them have wasted my time by making me come in for an "interview" with themselves - utterly pointless. They also like to imagine that your references are simply sitting around waiting to repeatedly talk about how great you are. They seem to have no respect for other peoples' time - I refuse to provide references unless it is directly to the hiring company. So, yeah, no love lost for recruiters...

When I think "recruiter", I am reminded of this quote from C&H: "Girls are like slugs. I am sure they serve some purpose, but it is hard to imagine what."

I used to do interviews with recruiters when I was fresh out of college. It might just be the nature of my field, which is software development, but interviews with recruiters just arent necessary anymore. I have about 8yrs professional experience as as a developer. My resume clearly lays out what I can and cant do, and recruiters are hardly capable of validating my experience. If I need a recruiters services, I call them and ask if they have anything, and if they do I foward my resume on and get the process moving. I met the last recruiter I worked with at the same time I was having the interview with the prospective employer. All contact with him beforehand was phone and email. Got the job too.

I have over 10 years of experience, 9 in the United States - I am a certified Enterprise Architect and a certified programmer in two different technologies and have worked for over 7 years with one of the most recognizable names in the computer industry as a contractor (though I am now a full-time employee with them). I have not been out of work a single day since graduating and have references that gush over the work I've done for them. Apparently, none of this matters to some recruiters. They want to meet me and talk to me and find out my interests and match me up with the best employer - I then go in only to find out that they don't even have any positions available. They reeled me in with some generic position description that, for all I know, never existed in the first place. My disregard for recruiters comes from direct experience, unfortunately.

I say pass those recruiters by then. A dont consider it a recruiters job to know or care about my interests, or determine my "fit" with a company. I just need him to get me a job that I'm qualified for, in the salary range that I want, and he needs me for a commission. If the recruiter doesnt have a specific position at a specific company in mind for me when I contact him, then it's not worth the bother. If a recruiter has to "look" for you, he probably has nothing.

 

[trmiv]

Only thing that bothers me is the Indian recruiters from these fly by night agencies based in India. I have nothing against Indian people, but I've never had them call me about a job that actually matches my qualifications.

 

[sandorski]

That would piss me off to no end. Getting E-mails I could live with, but weekly calls meh.