Originally posted by SneakyPete
Maybe somebody who's familiar with agencies can answer this question for me. How long after I send in my resume should I expect to hear from the recruitment agent?
after sending in your resume - this is what you can do: send an email/call to say you're following up on your resume and would like to come in to discuss personally.
First of all - AGENCIES ARE ALL THE SAME - it's the recruiter you deal with that will make the difference.
HOWEVER, keep in mind that using agencies SHOULD BE ONE of the many ways you're using to find a job. THEY'RE NOT THE BE-ALL-END-ALL of your search.
Also, recruiters tend to work on a reactive basis - whatever jobs are given to them to fill by the agency's clients -- those are the ones they're gonna try and fill first - that's how they make their money. If you don't qualify for the jobs they're working on, it's quite possible they won't call you back -- unless you politely follow up with them to let them know that you're still available - that can be done ONCE a week.
NAGGIING THEM CAN WORK AGAINST YOU - again, this depends on the style of the recruiter you are dealing with. Ask them how they'd like to follow up from here.
ALSO, i hate to say this - but be realistic with the jobs you're applying for - look at your qualifications - look at your motivation - keep in mind that AGENCIES aren't charging YOU (the jobseeker) anything for their service - they are charging CLIENTS - meaning they have to justify the fee by sending in the best candidates.
RECRUITMENT has changed A LOT in the last 5 years - the surgence of internet recruiting has vastly affected the number of clients using agencies, ex-recruiters/headhunters are contractring themselves out to WORK DIRECTLY for the clients - AS A RESULT, employment agencies are not getting ANY general job orders to fill - only specific industry-related jobs (i.e. actuarial analysts, claims adjusters, etc etc) are getting passed on to agencies.
TEMP , however, will always be around. If you're looking for a temp job - MAKE SURE YOUR AVAILABILITY to work IS FLEXIBLE - make sure the number you provide them is a number where they can easily reach you. Most temp recruiters have a small window of time (usually hours) to send in a person - if you're on the top of their list and you don't answer your phone, they move on to the next person on their list without hesitation.
Anyone else with any questions? I'll be happy to address them.