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Recruiters suck

Recruiters are a necessary evil when you are job hunting. Why are the majority of them so bad? 90% of them appear to ignore your CV, your cover email explaining what you want to do, how much you want to do and where you want to do it. I'm getting emails for jobs where it's a 50% pay cut, or it's over 200 miles away or a massive demotion from Head of Development to a junior programmer (2 idiot emails this morning).

Add to that the "hungry" recruiters that ask "Where have you interviewed? Can I have the company name?", or need your references up front. I'm not stupid, I'm not going to hand you leads. If you are so concerned about not wanting to put me forward to companies who already have my CV, then tell me who the companies are before you push my CV out to them, I'm not going to let anyone know who they are.

In my last job I also recieved a lot of cold CVs, emailed on the off chance. This wouldn't be so bad if they took the candidate's details off, or listened to what we did, but certain companies just spammed emails every 2-3 days and I don't believe the candidate knows this is happening.

It doesn't do candidates any favours, nor does it help the agency. I'm usually in the position to be the one that recruits new staff and if you're a bad recruiter when you're attempting to place me, you're not going to get any work when I look for staff either.

I emailed one of the recruiters I am working with right now, he responded.

Wednesday, June 04, 2003 12:05 PM

Your Comments.

# re: Recruiters suck
They really do suck. They try to suck every dollar of your hard work.

Left by beast at 3/30/2007 10:55 PM
# re: Recruiters suck
They do suck. I have spent four months dealing with these snakes, and they have no interest in helping YOU. Sure they'll find you a job (MAYBE), but only because something is in it for them. If a company shows interest in you the recruiter is your best friend, and magically starts returning your calls and emails. But on the flip side if you are not a fit for a job or the company you interview with decides to go with another candidate, you NEVER hear anything back from the recruiter. In fact 99% of them don't even have the common courtesy to tell you that you didn't get the job; you have to call them yourself only for them to tell you you didn't get it. Once you are not a fit for a position, you might as well go to another recruiter all together because the one you were working with will never work with you again, and will begin to ignore your emails and calls. They don't even see if you are a fit for other positions they may have. They are as FAKE as they come and they lie to your face if they can get away with it. Recruiters don't work for you, they work for themselves. They only see you as money in their pockets, they could care less about your situation, how long you have been searching or your geographical location, which would explain why I get so many emails from these scumbags about positions halfway across the company, when I clearly stated that I don't want to relocate. So when recruiters tell you this crap about how they will actively try to find a position that fits you, its just that....CRAP!

Left by HateLyingRecruiters at 3/31/2007 2:23 AM
# re: Recruiters suck
Im glad to see their is consensus here. Recruiters have made it possible for companies to satisfy their labor requirements with no accountabillity for job security or obligation to provide employees with benefits. They are responsible for a large number of uninsured, and are often staffed by unskilled, uneducated people. "I cant do anything else, so Ill go be a recruiter and hire skilled sys admins and electronics technicians without benefits". The American workforce needs to stand up to this scum. I would advocate violence against this trash that is dragging the quality of life down in this country.

Left by Capn at 7/31/2007 2:34 PM
# re: Recruiters suck
Good post, you are right and I think that this issue needs to be addressed. I think that companies have to start thinking about what they are getting into when they use an agency. Most are bad, not just by volume of CV's, they are unqualified (especially in technical industries like IT).

Left by Tim de Jardine at 9/17/2007 9:45 AM
# re: Recruiters suck
Of course, none of you really have a CLUE as to what it is to BE a recruiter. In a nutshell...
Why don't you make 80-100 cold calls a day to try to drum up a job order then interview between 5-7 candidates that same day - most of them not being quite what the client has in mind and set up interviews (call the candidate, re-call the stupied candidate that doesn't return calls), give them detailed information about the companies, remind them to be on time (you'd be amazed at how often they aren't). Send them directions. Not to mention, calling 15-20 more candidates per day to phone screen them and see if they may be a fit for your position. These are just the ones that respond to ads. Not to forget the hours of searching databases for resumes and poaching other companies employees to see if they are interseted in changing jobs. Most of you probably don't realize how unbelivably competitive it is. I may be up against four other agencies on a single job order. So, no I generally don't have time to A. be a careeer consultant and B. Go into a lot of detail as to WHY you didn't get a job offer. Honestly, there just isn't time for that.
You are right, we don't care about YOU all that much. The client pays the FEE. Most of us make six figures a year and with a super - sometimes impossibly busy day, we don't have time to care about what you WANT. We go where the money is at the moment. That is the ONLY way to survive. Why would you think we care about the candidate so much? Do you pay the fee? Duh...
By the way, most of us work a 55-70 hours per week and don't stop for lunch. The next time you work that hard, tell me that you give a crap about what I want.

Left by A fucking recruiter, you tards at 10/14/2007 11:09 PM
# re: Recruiters suck
Re: A fucking recruiter, you tards

You snake. You are the epitome of why the rest of us HATE YOU! How do you even have time to write this? Dont you have 20 cold calls to make?

Congratulations on a successful life, scumbag.

Left by Sara at 10/15/2007 1:00 PM
# Recruiter recreates resumes
Recruiters suck! One young woman asked for my resume. She made substantial changes and re-formted it. Then, she emailed it back to me! I've been working since before she was born and worked as an HR pro for over 7 years. I have gotten interviews with 2 Fortune 1000 companies with that resume. I would have been OK with it if this recruiter had called and made suggestions to customize my document. That's pretty standard. I've never seen anyone who was so pompous to believe she could do a better job of being me! It really made me mad because I am more than qualified for this managerial job at a local builder/construction firm. I just emailed her back and told her that I didn't understand why she didn't call me about revising my resume. She said she was just trying to help. I emailed her again to say I appreciate her help but just got a better offer to consider, which I do. Apparently her client LOVES the new improved me! Recruiter girl just left a message to ask about my interest in the job.

Left by Lone Star at 10/24/2007 9:40 PM
# re: Recruiters suck
I agree with the comments posted here except the slimeball recruiter.

What's up with the "good fit" line of crap???? WTF is that???? Just had to get that off my chest. I've had that thrown at me. Qualified in every respect, but didn't believe I was a "good fit" with the client.

Why are companies still using recruiters?? What constructive purpose do they serve?? So called IT recruiters are clueless as to what our IT resumes say.

I had one recruiter ask me if I ever worked in the pharma sector!! I have consulted with 3 pharmas. I was so incredulous at her question, I said, "hold on, let me check my resume" She said, "Don't you know?" I responded, "Can't you read with comprehension?"

All these IT recruiters know how to do is "point-and-click" looking for keywords. So, if you don't hit a certain percentile of hits, you're passed over. Yet, these same scumbags so butcher your resume from one to another, and so many opinions as to 1 page, 2 page, etc. etc. that it's no wonder stuff drops off.

And, if you don't gel with that one recruiter for that one position, you will NEVER hear from them again.

I've had it with IT. I love systems and all that's involved with them. I just can't live like this anymore never knowing if I will eat this week or next.

I'm out! I'm starting my career over and attempting to switch careers into Harley Davidson dealerships where key words, good fit, and all the rest o f the BS is offset by sizing up a man and going on a handshake.

Left by Bob at 11/13/2007 3:16 PM
# re: Recruiters suck
Angela was so upset when she picked me up yesterday. She went into Charlotte for a 3:30 with one of these assholes.

This asshole told her they would tell her how to wear her hair, what jewelry, if any to wear, how to sit at an interview, and what to say to an interviewer.

They even went so far as to tell her the following:

"Whether anybody likes it or not, here in Charlotte, recruiters have the jobs and without them, you ain't getting a job."

I FUCKING HATE THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Left by Bob at 11/15/2007 10:32 AM
# re: Recruiters suck
LinkedIn + word of mouth brings me several good leads a month - I had one today + two last week :)

Left by Paul Lockwood at 11/26/2007 5:58 PM
# re: Recruiters suck
Wow. I have been an Executive Recruiter for 15 years and have placed numerous people at all levels. I'm proud of the difference my involvement has made in supporting thier career goals. In fact, many of become my candidates become clients and I continue to support thier career success by surrounding them with talented people. I'm assuming that your guys have worked with bottom 10% because from my viewpoint, if it was wasn't for the recruitment methodology many companies would remain stagnet or even worse not build the "bench" they need to achieve thier goals. My last word on this is all industries have a$*holes ( Ex. doctors, attorneys,salesman, real estate agents, sports agents, actors agents etc..) but by in large help more than hurt.

Work with better recruiters...

Left by Austin based at 1/6/2008 4:37 AM
# re: Recruiters suck
To give everyone an idea of just how bad it has gotten working with recruiters.....

This is no joke:

I have been on a job search for - get this....3 years! I have been in the IT field for over 20 years, have experience in dozens of different technologies, and normally have made about 100k annually.

While working with recruiters, I have secured - zero...literally zero interviews that have ever led anywhere. I have NEVER had a job through a recruiter..I get an average of 10 requests a day, normally 10 of which a) did not read my resume at all, b) don't pay attention to where I wish to work, c) dont' meet my salary requirement, d) are more than 50 miles away and I could go on. In the past seven months, over 3,000 emails from recruiters - yet no job! and only 1 interview which was horrible.

I have worked with literally hundreds of professional IT staff over the years, and I have yet to meet anyone who has a kind word to say about any recruitment agency. Everything being said in this forum is 100% accurate..even the recruiter's comments. I am sure recruiters do work hard. It takes a lot of effort to get a week of training to do a job an email or a fax machine can accomplish. People skills are nonexistent in the recruitment field. Only bullshit - recruiters make used car salesmen look like perfect angels!!!

The day a recruiter returns a phone call, after the initial hour or so of contacting ME (not the other way around) when not in the process of interviewing with a client, I'll probably hit the lottery!!!!

To sum up: Recruiters are persons with no marketable job skills of their own, and I resent them making 100% of their money of my skills - for which I paid tens of thousands of dollars over the years not to mention my own edccation.

They talk about not wanting to return calls or act like civil human beings because they are so busy....got news for all of you - without clients and applicants, recruiters would be non-existent!

Definition of Recruiter - Former human being that has been transformed by dollar signs and ignorance into persons of no common sense, courtesy or sanity.

Left by Philly Jub Hunter at 2/14/2008 1:01 AM
# re: Recruiters suck
Work with better recruiters, there are bad apples in all forms of life. I'm sure there are people at work that nobody likes...and guess what...there are people just like that in recruiting. Stop being a baby and trying to ridicule people who are successful in a very difficult job just because you have had a few bad life experiences. If you are such a stellar candidate look for a job yourself, because we don't want to work with jerks like you anyways.

Left by Random Recruiter at 2/14/2008 7:20 PM
# re: Recruiters suck
'a fucking recruiter, you tards' I don't know where you work but the agencies I've interviewed for are not that busy, and I've worked for most of the bigger names in IT. I completely understand that it's a business and you have to look out for the money, but IT has gotten to the point where in certain cities you simply cannot get an IT job without a fucking 'ultra-busy' little piece of shit recruiter making you jump through hoops; you simply CANNOT get a decent IT job by looking in the classifieds any more. NO ONE places direct ads. This is why IT pros hate agencies so much. Other professions might have agencies yes, but you have the option of picking up a newspaper or job listing to find a job,.... that's not the case in IT. So after all IT guys went through, all the studying and all the shit to get were we are.. we're supposed to just stand back and take this shit because recruiters are looking out for Number one? Please.. give me a fucking break, grow up

Most of us are VERY qualified for the jobs we apply for, then what happens? You get a quick interview, you fill out a few papers, then you're sent on your way never to be called again. Gone are the days where IT managers sat a few guys outside an office and spent the morning interviewing them. How many people with Medical Degrees have THIS hard of a time finding a job? people with law degrees or engineers? not many.. it should be no different for a person with a CS degree and 7+ years experience. All because some little fucker is looking for a client fee? FUCK YOU

Left by IT guy at 2/27/2008 8:26 PM
# re: Recruiters suck
Take your "Good Fit" and shove it!!

I'm done with these fakes!

Left by SAC at 2/28/2008 11:42 AM
# re: Recruiters suck
I have experienced the same issues dealing with recruiters that everyone here has raised. Or should I say tiers of recruiters. Starting from altering my resume, to asking me if I have experience with "X" when it is clearly on my resume or cover letter, or the courtesy of a "No Follow-up Call" if a potential employer is not interested. So I no longer even respond to a call or ad that involves a recruiter. SCREW THEM.

Left by AlleyCat at 3/26/2008 2:38 PM
# re: Recruiters suck
IT isn't the only industry with recruiters. The legal industry in the NYC tri-state area seems to me monopolized by recruiters. Responding to their posts is an exercise in futility. Here's a couple of tidbits of advice recruiters would be well-served to follow. Having been in Executive Recruitment myself, I practiced what I preached and didn't have one "fallout candidate":

* Make your requirements REALISTIC. If your client supposedly wants someone with too many skills, unreasonable experience, etc., all you are going to do is TURN OFF great candidates. Face it, ANY job can be learned within a year, so if someone has more that a year's experience, they're viable. In fact, they're probably more viable than people stuck in a rut at their jobs for the "8" years required, and have become quite adept at doing a whole lot of a whole little.

*When you see "Summa Cum Laude" on a resume, CONTACT THAT PERSON AT ONCE. If you really want to impress your client, put a Summa candidate in front of them. Anyone who accomplished that level of excellence academically is going to give the same level of excellence at their job. BRAINS is a "no-brainer". Just taking resumes and scanning them into a database for an "overkill" keyword search is ridiculous and lazy. "Cherry pick" the Summa candidates and see what their references have to say. That will carry a HELL of a lot more weight than "Must type 75-80 WPM and be fluent in Korean."

*If you bring your client "the lowest bidder" they're just going to get what they pay for. So forget the "Hey Ed, what if I could get you someone who'd do the job for 40K instead of 70K" since you just want to earn some kind of commission for the placement. High caliber candidates merit high rates of pay. That's the best way to attract AND retain them.

Oh the joys of technology. No worries folks, the next key word search should just be "Summa Cum Laude" and you'll have a short list of top candidates to send to your clients.

If recruiters just did their job the RIGHT way, so many people wouldn't think they "sucked."

Left by Lorraine In NJ at 4/22/2008 2:21 PM
# re: Recruiters suck
I have never met a bigger bunch of worthless idiots than recruiters!!!

These morons act as the gatekeepers to whether or not you get in front of a perspective employer, but don't have a fucking clue about the job they're supposedly referring people for. I've literally had to explain to these idiots what the verbage in their own job description (supplied by the hiring company) means... and this fucking waste of perfectly good air is the one deciding if I'm "a fit" for a job, but has no clue about the job!!!

Are their good recruiters out there? Sure... but they are far and few between. I've worked with a couple, but 99% absolutely suck!!! I'm sorry if this upsets the recruiters that have responded here, but do you think ALL these people are making this stuff up? Do you honestly lack the common sense to ascertain if ALL these people are making similar comments that it might be true?!! If not, then you only PROVE our point that you're incapable of rubbing more than two brain cells together and arriving at a coherent thought.

MOST RECRUITERS SUCK!!! Got it?!! You may not, but the vast majority do. So much so that I will HONESTLY tell you that if given the opportunity to actually MEET one of the many fucktards that have so wasted my time, I'd gladly beat their ass right where they stand and think nothing of it. And if you think I'm being somewhat harsh here, then maybe you'll start to get some idea of how shitty your cohorts treat people who are doing nothing more than trying to get up in the morning, do their job, and feel secure that they can shelter and feed themselves and their loved ones.

Think about that the next you wonder why a candidate is hounding you about a "job". It's not just a "job", you assholes... it's a means for someone to be able to feed, shelter, and clothe themselves and their family -- and hopefully do so with a bit of dignity.

Left by FUCK YOU RECRUITERS!!! at 5/3/2008 2:14 AM
# re: Recruiters suck
A few years ago I was laid off. I tried to use these so-called recruiters. After no less than 15 job interviews and all rejections, I finally got the job I have now by approaching a company by myself WITHOUT recruiters. I do not believe they can get you a job. What good are recruiters? I was introduced to a concept I call "frivilous interviews". There exist job interviews you should never go to because they just waste your time. It seems that the recruiters themselves are expanding faster than the computer people and others they should be recruiting. My resume is well designed and was taken off-line, and I still get recruiter solicitations! I just ignore them.

Left by GLA at 5/12/2008 5:56 PM
# re: Recruiters suck
Tell me about it been out of work for two weeks these people are only interested in building there databases of c.v. They only contact the people they want to. The worst part of it these fuckers are poping up everywhere in the uk.

Left by beavver at 6/12/2008 4:42 PM
# re: Recruiters suck
Recruiters used to be fairly good 6-7 years ago. As I got a job one time with one. Now, they don't even read through your resume, and could care less what YOU want. The thing that is really annoying is they always ask "do you know anyone else that would be qualified to do this job". That's when I hang up on them. What a bunch of leaches. From now on, I don't even respond back to their emails or calls.

Left by Chud at 7/26/2008 3:48 AM
# Please think before posting
Please don't start naming individuals. Your comments will be deleted.

Left by barryd at 8/6/2008 8:14 AM
# re: Recruiters suck
It takes a fucktard to know a fucktard.

Left by rebecca at 8/6/2008 5:09 PM
# re: Recruiters suck
I have decided to seek the services of a career counselor.

Please see request below ...

Would you be able to help me?

I'm at my wit's end. I previously worked in the IT sector and I've given up. I'm not even sure I wish to return to the IT sector but there must be some options given my technical background.

I am currently employed at a Harley Davidson dealership as a "detailer". Although I enjoy the Service Department atmosphere and particularly all the characters of the department, I am grossly under-employed.

I made the decision in 2000 to withdraw from the workforce to care for my terminally ill father. Although I will always stand by my decision, it seems the yuppies cannot understand.

I am in desperate need of some counseling as my emotions are all negatively charged. For example, my opinion of so-called "recruiters" is they are bottom dwellers, incapable of an honest day's work, entirely bereft of simple reading comprehension, and are a plague in today's workforce. The sooner that corporations wake up and no longer subscribe to their services, the better off corporations will be.

Additionally, I would need options that cannot be shipped overseas to an individual making fifty cents a day and returning to a hut at the end of a dirt road.

Sincerely,
Robert

Left by Bob at 8/16/2008 11:53 AM
# re: Recruiters suck
I have had the same issues above. I think they all suck. A woman called me Friday to say she had a great position to tell me about and to call her back. I called her back and all she did was ask me questions that was already listed on my RESUME!! She asked if I was interviewing and silly me said yes. She asked where...and silly me told her... and then she said oh we recruit there hmm what is the contacts name it's probably the same one... having been shocked that she was asking questions obviously a lead I told her! I was stupid for even continuing the call. I have not received a call back and OH I didn't even hear about this GREAT position she wanted to tell me about. I get recruiters trying to put me on interviews that are either Admin or WAY over my head... why can't they see my skill set so that I can find a happy place... for both myself and the employer. They are pushy nasty people.

Left by Tara at 8/18/2008 8:41 PM
# re: Recruiters suck
LMAO !!! Just the other day this happen to me to, IF ITS NOT ON MY RESUME DON'T CALL ME AND ASK ME DO I KNOW THIS OR THAT CHECK MY RESUME FIRST YOU FUCKING IDIOTS !!!! since then I have found a job matching my qualification and what I'am looking for in salary on my own.

Left by Tony at 10/1/2008 2:58 AM
# re: Recruiters suck
I know what you guys mean. I had so many morons that called me up the past couple of weeks. One called me up about a position because they looked on Monster and found my old position as a point of sales systems admin, I've moved on since. You can have 8 years experience as a network engineer and they look at your past to fill in their crap jobs. When I sat down with recruiters, I told them what I'm qualified to do and they write it down on a copy of your resume. As most of you are now, you've probably moved on from small desktop jobs to network admin/engineer positions but the idiots probably saw your past history and wanted you to fill in and do what you did when you first started IT. I myself have worked in so many jobs when I started.

As for the moron recruiter above, thanks for showing what you really are. You only forgot to mention you backstab your clients you talk about and call up the same person you introduced to them and ask them if they're interested in a new position.

Left by Steve at 10/1/2008 10:34 PM
# re: Recruiters suck
Everyone that is saying something bad about recruiters have to relax. You get so angry and blame recruiters because you people suck and have no skills. If you were so good then you could find a job on our own but you can't - so you need a recruiters help. Also, someone said yeah they only care about making money and don't call you back if you aren't a good fit? Well yeah - why would they waste their time - do you think they are in it for their health - you morons - get a life.

Left by John at 11/1/2008 3:54 AM
# re: Recruiters suck
hey, john, you moronic bottom feeder ... isn't it interesting that you found your way here?

It's an insight into your pathetic vocation. Why don't you GFY!!!

Left by Robert at 12/2/2008 4:25 PM
# re: Recruiters suck
It seems to me that this vocation is symptomatic of bigger problems. Parents don't parent, Universities don't teach and the Free Market is utterly corrupt. Our nation is in decline and the worse it gets the more unaccountable, ignorant and expedient people and things become. These traits seem to exemplify not only the souless recruiter but the candidate alike. Nonetheless, the recruiting industry is a self centered abscess on the corporate body. Bottom line, the people in this industry are motivated by greed, anything else they may claim is pure delusion. They may seem benign but they are the ooze covering a malignant condition, if not outright aiding it. In conclusion we can only hope to rid ourselves of this evil vocation if we first address the underlying causes for it.

Left by Independent Thinker at 12/15/2008 9:23 PM
# re: Recruiters suck
A final afterthought; recruiters can and do keep a large segment of the population from getting work. They're stranglehold on the job market dooms many to chronic unemployment and their actions should be investigated if not indicted. Again the bottom line is they have only their own interests in mind.

Left by Independent Thinker at 12/20/2008 7:50 PM
# re: Recruiters suck
Wow, there's a lot of hostility in these entries. And I thought I hated recruiters and staffing agencies.

My main problem is how they don't tell you what they are billing the client (in contract work) and will try to prevent the client from knowing what your payrate is. They're margin can run from 25%-50%. So if they are billing the client say $100/hr. They could be getting $25-%50/hr, your payrate is the rest.

Pretty good deal for them, and it's not like they show up to the client putting in the hours you're about to. That's a major reason why it's such a lucrative business and there are so many recuiting agencies.

Left by yah at 1/1/2009 12:41 AM
# re: Recruiters suck
Let me state this again. Do not start naming individuals or companies; your comment will be deleted.

Left by barryd at 1/8/2009 12:35 PM