Forget Recruitment Agencies

When you look at the job websites (and by the way job websites are useless for finding jobs - the percentages are low) then I would strongly recommend ignoring any positions that are being supplied though an agency.  Many of these agencies aren't even being contracted by the employer and are CV gathering in the hope that they can present yours to future employers and perhaps get you a position there.  During the boom years in Ireland there was a plethora of these companies but they are much reduced now.  

What you tend to see more of now is niche companies trying to fill specific areas.

So What Do You Do

All the recruitment agencies do is filter.  They do not add any added value whatsoever.  In some ways they remind me of estate agents and realtors.  They jus show the house to someone and that is all they do and they then take a percentage.  

I would recommend that you word directly with the companies.  Make a list of companies that interest you, research them, make up a phone list and ring each of them and try and get a HR contact.  Reach out to this HR contact in a very professional way and ask if they have openings through either a call or email and put a link to your online CV in your email.  Don't send them any document unless requested but they might find it interesting that you have an online presence and learn some more about you and you will be memorable.

If nothing happens with them then make a note to contact them again in 6 weeks and ask if anything has changed.   It may sound like a tiresome process but this is what recruitment agents do and you don't get any commission when you get a new position.

You can become your own agency if you think of what agencies actually do in real life.

- The form relationships with companies.
- Contact them pro-actively asking if they have positions
- Tailor CVs and send them to the companies

I am sure that you can do this as well?

Kieran