Recruitment agency interview

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I have just had a recruitment agency who I applied for a job through contact me to say the job was taken but they had a different job at the same company but doing customer service, I said i was looking more for IT support roles and she said I would need to call back and arrange to go in for a chat and interview and provide identification documents (birth cert etc) and then they could look if there was any more IT support vacancies.

Is this normal? I want a job not a passport and they dont even know if they have any jobs. plus they are open 9-5:30 mon-fri and I work 8:30-5ish mon-fri lol

 

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the smaller agents tend to do this. Outside of IT it's apparently very common but I've never been asked to drop in by an agent.

 

The last few places ive been to agency wise, have demanded ID such as passports etc, it has become a real pain in recent years.

Also they say one thing is acceptable on the phone but when you get there its not, had a wasted journey once and had a real go at someone for their incompetance.

I hate agencies.

 

id just take birth cert, passport and driving licence photo card. Trouble being finding a time to go.
Also are these interviews business attire scenarios, I keep meaning to buy a new suit, something a bit more fashionable and modern, trouble being I havent yet. I can do like trousers and a shirt.
Are these agencies interested in how you look or just the employers?

 

Don't worry Mark, or let this get to you as I have had my good old fair deals with agencies in the past. I'd advice you take time to browse through the "employment & jobs" forum on this web site and look for CV, interviewing and IT recruitment agencies. You'd learn a lot and would be an eye opener. Best wishes

 

Recruitment agencies are the bain of my life at the moment. I always love it when I update my CV on monster and the following day I get a load of answerphone messages. I call them all back and its the same old, "We'll get back to you....", they never do. Am I doing something wrong??!?

 

Thank you i have now had an email from another recruitment firm who were considering me for a position, saying that I have been short listed and need to arrange a time to go in and register with them this week if possible and it will take approx 30 mins. Any guesses as to the attire situation? im back at work tomorrow so wont be able to get in then, if I was quick today it might be possible to get across there but not suited and booted

 

Be careful - most likely a waste of your time!!

I had exactly the same happen a few months back when I was looking. They asked me in because of a job I had enquired about - said there were a few available - sounded really promising...Turned up and they didn't have anything at all. When I registered the girl was absolubtely clueless as to what skills I had - IT wasn't the main area they focused on...

...after about 1 1/2 hours of silly assessments that were totally irrelevant to the job I was looking for (to the point that it wouldn't require any of the skills tested), she said she'd be in touch....I'm still waiting to hear back!!

Only go if you can afford the time off.

L

 

i wont get the time off the rest of this week as i have been off a week and am on a course in Reading mon-thurs next week so am tied then also.

I dont want to go and register at every agency going because I just cant get that much time off work, if they have a job position im in the running for then it seems much more productive.

 

Hey, that one sounds a bit more promising - most people seem to be very smart, but not suited and booted at these places.

 

Bless! Well good luck!!

You'll probably find that if there is a job that you're really compatible for, the agencies will send you to the interview regardless...

...but if the job sounds really, really good / perfect, then try and find time - you'll probably get some kind of gut instinct and be able to decide whether it's worth it - seems like you knew deep down that the first one may be a bit dodg as you posted for advice!

Good luck (again lol)

 

yes if i can get there, if there a 9-5 mon-fri company then theres no hope of me getting to them

 

Hi,

I had a few interviews with agencies and they asked for passports etc.... filled in lots of forms with lots of details....so don't worry it sounds normal to me.

I did find a job through an agency so definitely send your CV off to lots of them, even apply for jobs that you don't think you could get as when they see your CV they will most likely suggest something else for you.

However, after a while I began to think all the form filling-in was about building their databases so when they sell there services to new clients they can say they have lots of good people on there books! One good tip I learnt to was to call the agency and ask what they specialise in, what they had available, what do you need to do to sign up with the agency, if it sounded good I sent my CV, if not, they they didn't get to put my name on there database!

The only other thing I could say is that I learnt not to waste too much time waiting for a response from agencies. I found to keep smiling was a good motto when using agencies as some are flipping awful, rude and not worth your time, but others are good.

good luck

 

Hey,

I had the same thing recently and was quite surprised when they said it would be required even if I didn't get the job (though I don't know if I would have went in had I not got it). The only difference was that I had the interview before I even got round to going into the agency. In fact, I had the job offer before I even went in and signed their documents, provided my ID etc.

 

The lady i'm dealing with at this 2nd one seems quite friendly and willing to help, she has said that registration has to take place between 9-5 mon-fri which i cant do but she said if im stuck then she can send me the forms to fill out and she will meet me on saturday (works quite well as ill be in a BMW instead of my battered escort ) only thing with this will be I will be in work attire and quite possibly dirty (due to working on cars) but if i take a change of clothes then it will look odd if i have changed into casual clothes opposed to smart dress, but if i change to smart dress my boss will get suspicous. Unless i point out to her that ill be in work clothes, but then take clean work clothes to change into lol

 

Ok it turns out im not working.
Has anybody got any advice on how I should dress, all I am doing is having a registration interview with a recruitment agency, is a suit necessary? could I get away with shoes trousers and a shirt, maybe throw in a tie. Just smart casuals?
I'm really unsure.
My main problems are I dont have a suit, I have to call in work to swap cars and ill be walking around the town centre of where my work colleagues live so suspicions will be raised if im dressed up.

 

Why do you need a BMW for a silly "registration" interview? Or even a suit for that matter?

Personally, I wouldn't waste any time for this agency! You'll go through all this effort for nothing. They'll most likely call you and offer you a filling/photocopying position and then when you refuse it they'll never call you back! They sound like an agency that get call logging jobs at 12k a year once in blue moon!

Don't even bother with them! Stick to the job boards on the Internet where the agencies concerned mainly deal with IT. The worst they'll do is waste your time on the phone! And bear in mind that the twerps you're dealing with at the moment will most likely ask if they can call your present employer for reference!

However, if you want to go temping as an office junior then go and register! No suit or BMW is required!

 

The agency im going to register with saturday say they have an IT support job, hence why im going. The BMW wont make any difference agreed because theres no parking near the place lol

so you reckon it wont matter being posh for the registration?

 

I'd take a halfway view - smart casual should be fine.

I've had this with one agency local to me. When I turned up (after they had messed me around with cancelled appointments etc.) they asked me to take a spelling test.

I politely pointed out that being middle-aged and a graduate I was not going to do that and that my appointment was with a Director of the firm to discuss a senior management vacancy ! I was surrounded in their reception area by many foreign youths (probably students) applying for cleaning jobs who were being asked if they could read Health & Safety signs

Oh, the interview ? He glanced at my CV, said the job had been withdrawn by the employer and that as they had nothing suitable at the moment it wouldn't even be worth putting me on their system !

As has been said here and elsewhere - the oldstyle recruiters who have your best interests at heart are very few and far between !

Don't hold your breath for great things from this interview. Check their website - you may be able to register and put a CV up online.

 

Have they provided you with evidence of such a position? All agencies I have dealt with have at least sent me a role description and an indication of how much dollar is on offer! If an agency called me saying they have a possible role BUT I would have to provide them with my PERSONAL details first i.e. Passport etc then I'd have to decline their request!

Contact them asking them for the following details:

* Job Description
* Job Title
* Person Specification
* Job Location
* The bunse on offer
* Hours of work

If they cannot provide - by email - these details then I strongly suggest you walk away. If there is indeed a position on offer then they should be able to give you this info, however; they won't give you the clients name!

This is a two way process, but a lot of agencies seem to think that it is YOU that should be grateful to them?? Tell them b0ll0cks!

If they have already given you this info then please ignore what I have said previous! Smart casual should be fine i.e. nice jeans, shirt and nice shoes! Make sure you scrape the oil out from under your fingernails and give them ears a good wash! lol!