# I hate job interviews and recruitment agencies



## Siman89 (Dec 24, 2012)

Went for an interview a couple of days ago with a recruitment agency. Was told they had a role that would be suitable for me. Didn't tell me the name of the 'client', just that it was a bank and it would be suitable for me. When I arrived was made to fill out paper work to sign up as a temp for their agency. I completed this and handed it back to the receptionist but was made to wait for the actual 'interview' for about 20 minutes/half an hour. No apology for being late when they arrived, and despite the fact I was told it would be a one on one interview a second person from the agency was their for 'training' purposes. Great, that seems fair. The girl doing the interview was your typical recruiter. Caked in make-up and the fakest politeness. There's more warmth in gazpacho. 











Why do recruitment agencies always seem to employ people who wouldn't look out of place on the set of Hollyoaks. The guys are also overly buff pretty boys who smell like they've just been pulled out a river of cologne and look like wax work models of themselves, and as I say the girls are always pretty Barbie girl type girls.





As for interviews themselves, have they always been so utterly pointless? Surely back in the day you'd get the job based on things like experience and knowledge base. Now they ask you things like what do you like doing in your free time? What ****ing difference does it make/business is it of theirs? Unless a candidate says something like 'oh I like killing small animals and then masturbating whilst drenched in their blood'. What difference does it make to a data entry role if someone likes scuba diving and listening to disco music or if they like dungeons and dragons and bdsm? 


I just can't stand the fake corporate world. These people are the gatekeepers to jobs for a lot of people as well and they're all the same. Basically sales con-artists. 'Oh we've got this job we think you'd be suitable for, come in and sign up for our agency to help me meet targets and flog a list of candidate details to companies'. Then its always the same 'we just had candidates with more experience or who interviewed better, but we'll keep in you in mind for future roles'. No set date or mention of actual roles, just roles, sometime in the future.


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## AnxietyInferno (Jun 3, 2011)

I had an experience with a job agency that was almost identical. :/ needless to say I took my name off their list. They couldn't help me much, so I continue the job search on my own.. I've landed more interviews myself anyway.

An interview I recently had, they actually asked me what I like to do when I'm not at work. I just said I taught myself guitar since that shows I'm motivated to learn.


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## Cool Ice Dude55 (Jan 7, 2014)

hahah. This thread is life. Completely and utterly agree Siman.

I've had to sign up to about 6 agencies the past 3 months. All pretty useless.

I hate how fake-nice they all are. The hilarious thing is when you say something that is "off-script" and watching them turn all horrible all of a sudden. I had that a few times when I turned down a job interview. One recruitment agency even got abusive on the phone because i didn't want their sh***y job.

Recruitment agencies are the enemy to me. They are horrible. and they are filled with the mose useless brian-dead twa*s know to Man-Kind. Whatever they say, I believe the opposite because they bullsh** so much. 

I'm so sick of them putting out fake job adverts just to get people to sign up with them. It should be made illegal tbh. I've fallen for that trap twice and I ain't doing it again.

Now that I've learnt more about recruitment agencies I've learnt all I am to them is just another number. Just another faceless face that will make them hit their monthly sales target. They dont care about me. 

Oh yeah and why are they all filled with blonde bimbos? I dont get it. I've had so many interviews with dumb Essex girls caked in make-up. I'm sorry how are you employed and I'm not???!!! Urrrrrgh.

F*** recruitment agencies.


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## thinkstoomuch101 (Jun 7, 2012)

Yep..

I've been exposed to quite a few as well. There's one in particular in Omaha NE. It's called Titan Medical. We contractors have learned to call it Titanic..

The recruiters there hard core, thick skinned, heartless and i think on the sociopathic side. All of them are ex-marines, and rejects from a larger, more dysfunctional agency - right down the street.

They set me up for an interview with this facility. Interviews go both ways. If you like the facility? Then you take the contract. But if you know you don't like it, you finish up the interview, then let the recruiter know whether want to work there or not.

This recruiter got hella-pissed because i saw "red-flags" all over this facility, and declined that job.

Did you know he started yelling at me on the phone, saying i should have told the interviewers that i didn't want the job? And that i should be grateful, blah blah blah.. I listened to him blow off steam, and didn't say a word.

Then when the fool relaxed he admitted: 

"Okay, i have to say that the reason they need someone right now is because the last guy went through the whole interview process, signed the contract, and was driving halfway across the country, then realized he made a mistake by signing up - while driving into the location - turned back around and went back home."

really?


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## Q003 (Jun 24, 2015)

Never tried a recruitment agency. But I hate job interviews and the interviewers. Last week a man asked me if I live with my parents (I'm 22) and what and where my parents work.


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## twitchy666 (Apr 21, 2013)

*They exist to prevent you from finding work*

They are work police, lawyer and judge as a package. You cannot have. You cannot do. They are gay giggling airheads.

plethora chatter about finding work without recruiters. Friends & family understand my fury

http://leftontheweb.com/blog/2015/04/18/Finding_a_job_without_a_recruiter/

The article puts it well. Sadly there is a lot more to this world than a universal on/off switch.

Ads are multi-posted via many avenues. Every corporate spends billions on greedy spoofy idiots who feed on the money. There is a wide 'direct employers only' options. Choosing 'All Types of Rectuiters' will offer 100,000,000s results for your search. adjust any parameter: today or 7-days ads or location, (your search string) or choose 'direct' you'll get one or two results.

Spot-on!

Originally Posted by Siman89

Went for an interview a couple of days ago with a recruitment agency. Was told they had a role that would be suitable for me. Didn't tell me the name of the 'client', just that it was a bank and it would be suitable for me. When I arrived was made to fill out paper work to sign up as a temp for their agency. I completed this and handed it back to the receptionist but was made to wait for the actual 'interview' for about 20 minutes/half an hour. No apology for being late when they arrived, and despite the fact I was told it would be a one on one interview a second person from the agency was their for 'training' purposes. Great, that seems fair. The girl doing the interview was your typical recruiter. Caked in make-up and the fakest politeness.

Why do recruitment agencies always seem to employ people who wouldn't look out of place on the set of Hollyoaks. The guys are also overly buff pretty boys who smell like they've just been pulled out a river of cologne and look like wax work models of themselves, and as I say the girls are always pretty Barbie girl type girls.

As for interviews themselves, have they always been so utterly pointless? Surely back in the day you'd get the job based on things like experience and knowledge base. Now they ask you things like what do you like doing in your free time? What ****ing difference does it make/business is it of theirs? Unless a candidate says something like 'oh I like killing small animals and then masturbating whilst drenched in their blood'. What difference does it make to a data entry role if someone likes scuba diving and listening to disco music or if they like dungeons and dragons and bdsm?

I just can't stand the fake corporate world. These people are the gatekeepers to jobs for a lot of people as well and they're all the same. Basically sales con-artists. 'Oh we've got this job we think you'd be suitable for, come in and sign up for our agency to help me meet targets and flog a list of candidate details to companies'. Then its always the same 'we just had candidates with more experience or who interviewed better, but we'll keep in you in mind for future roles'. No set date or mention of actual roles, just roles, sometime in the future.
teens who don't know the real world. All they know is pretty, psychology social telephone, smiling, gigglies and the word 'no'. They say "Unfortunately you have not been successful this time" We wish you good luck. But plain clear theme is... one fail = eternal loss. Neither work from ground up or top down. 
Just No. No.. no.. and... no... so... but, also... no

Bad bye


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## Wanderlust89 (Apr 4, 2014)

Damn...I was just considering on signing up with an employment agency until I read the posts.

I did join once but that was ages ago. My recruiter was also caked in makeup. lol Can't say that she's a bimbo but she didn't care about my needs for sure.


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## Siman89 (Dec 24, 2012)

I also hate that even if you're applying for the most basic, unskilled job (data entry, checkout) etc they still ask you 'so what makes you passionate about this potential role?'. Well I guess it would be the same 'passion' that drives starving kids in Africa to pick through scrap heaps to find food, or the same passion that drives an impoverished old woman to sell all her cherished belongings. You know that silly passion humans have of getting money then converting that money into food and shelter and surviving. 


Why is it that even in the most basic jobs, jobs where the people giving the job and the people potentially taking it both know its simply about money, you still have to wax lyrically about some bull**** of 'loving customer interaction', or 'wanting help the company grow'. I literally couldn't give two solitary ****s about that, hence why I'm applying for your job as the fleshy component of a computer. 


Here's how the interview for an Entry-Level/Data Entry/Checkout etc job should go:


Interviewer: Are you going to shoot everyone in the office dead?


Me: No


Interviewer: Do you have a basic grasp of using a computer and can do a menial repetitive task for 8 hours a day in exchange for a mediocre wage?


Me: Yes


Interviewer: Here's the job


How it actually goes:


Interviewer: So tell me what makes you passionate about working in the Industrial Gruel Sales Industry?


Kind of answer you have to give: Well I've always enjoyed eating gruel, it's nutritious, energy supplying etc. I'm also really passionate about Sales and helping customers match their needs etc etc bull**** upon bull****


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## whiet (Jan 15, 2015)

Same here, I've been unemployed for almost a year, and I've had around 3 interviews. I've been called by so many agencies and registered with about 10, those morons always call me to register but once I have I hardly ever hear from them again about any job vacancies.


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## quietRiot10 (Jan 25, 2016)

Eugh I loathe them. 

I have been applying online for jobs since I graduated in June. So far I have had very little luck, I had quite bad SA in uni so I didn't do extra-curricular stuff, nor did I have a part time job - so the last time I had paid employment was before uni for around 2 years. Since graduation I have done freelance work and even volunteered for a few months to boost my CV a little but it has still been difficult. 

I've been coming into contact with a lot of recruitment agencies. 
Some of them on the phone don't even sound human, literally robots reading off a script..everything is about making the sale..

I also had no idea that apparently they create fake jobs and put them on their website so you will apply, thus handing them your CV to fill their CV and database quotas - then they can call you and try and sell you a job that has nothing to do with your skills. 
I'm sure some of them out there are competent and know the field they are advertising, but I find a great deal to be quite sly.

One of them recently tried to get me a job but wouldn't tell me what the job entailed until I had a skype interview with him to see if I was the type of person they would even want anyways.


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## Siman89 (Dec 24, 2012)

Had another agency phone up today. Left me a message saying 'call me back about the role you applied for'. Called back, surprise surprise not suitable for that role but they have lots of roles that I would be suitable for, I just need to go in and register. **** off.


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## Cool Ice Dude55 (Jan 7, 2014)

Siman89 said:


> I also hate that even if you're applying for the most basic, unskilled job (data entry, checkout) etc they still ask you 'so what makes you passionate about this potential role?'. Well I guess it would be the same 'passion' that drives starving kids in Africa to pick through scrap heaps to find food, or the same passion that drives an impoverished old woman to sell all her cherished belongings. You know that silly passion humans have of getting money then converting that money into food and shelter and surviving.
> 
> Why is it that even in the most basic jobs, jobs where the people giving the job and the people potentially taking it both know its simply about money, you still have to wax lyrically about some bull**** of 'loving customer interaction', or 'wanting help the company grow'. I literally couldn't give two solitary ****s about that, hence why I'm applying for your job as the fleshy component of a computer.
> 
> ...


Hahaha yeah you know it. I once had a data entry interview in some IT company. They ask why I applied to job? Here's me talking about some bullsh** that "I really love utilising my organisational skills on Excel". I mean reallllllly??? Why as humans must we bulls*** so much and be expected to? When people apply for a job 90% of the time it's for the money.

And I'm so done with recruitment agencies now. I'm telling them where to go and being rude to them because they're all con artists, and if those are the people that are supposed to help me well i don't want their stinking help.


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## komorikun (Jan 11, 2009)

Siman89 said:


> I also hate that even if you're applying for the most basic, unskilled job (data entry, checkout) etc they still ask you 'so what makes you passionate about this potential role?'. Well I guess it would be the same 'passion' that drives starving kids in Africa to pick through scrap heaps to find food, or the same passion that drives an impoverished old woman to sell all her cherished belongings. You know that silly passion humans have of getting money then converting that money into food and shelter and surviving.
> 
> Why is it that even in the most basic jobs, jobs where the people giving the job and the people potentially taking it both know its simply about money, you still have to wax lyrically about some bull**** of 'loving customer interaction', or 'wanting help the company grow'. I literally couldn't give two solitary ****s about that, hence why I'm applying for your job as the fleshy component of a computer.
> 
> ...


Hilarious. It's all such bull****.

And they really learn nothing much from interviews it seems.

At my small company (around 20-22 people in the office) in less than one year: 
2 people have quit (one was there 2 years and the other only 3 months)

1 got fired (lasted 3 months)

and pretty soon 2 more (one has been there 1 year and another around 4 months) are going to be fired. Most of these people were interviewed on 2 or 3 different occasions by multiple people in the office.


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## Ilaw1 (Dec 6, 2014)

Guys, it's all about WHO YOU KNOW and not what you know. If you can get your foot in the door, you can use what you know but you have to get your foot in first. To do that, you have to know somebody. Just knowing their name isn't enough. You have to be buddies with them or get them to really like you. You have to conversate with them. Sucks but that's the way life actually works. Nobody will tell you this and it isn't printed anywhere. It's an unspoken rule. It's like they're trying to weed us SA people out.


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## DarkmanX (Jun 27, 2013)

I hated interviews a few years ago. But honestly, now i dont give a **** & just try to be myself. I've tried to whole "extra social & happy looking guy" thing and it didnt work anyway. So **** them. If they wanna hire you, they'll do it regardless of how it goes. They decide within the first 10 seconds anyway.

But i'm not about to suck their d*cks for jobs. Thats just me. Ive never been that person. A fake. Doesnt mean im an egotistical evil person either.

But years ago i used to skip interview due to the anxiety. Now i go. **** them, they arent better than anyone. 

Since last fall, ive been to like 4-5 interviews, for better or worse, but i still went.


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## Siman89 (Dec 24, 2012)

Got tricked again by another agency. So last Thursday they call me 'we've got a role available that they're interviewing for tomorrow, and we've got a lot of other roles you'd be suitable for, can you come in and sign up today?'. So I did. Heard nothing by Monday, which indicated I hadn't been put forward for the role they said about. So I email the ***** and she says 'yes unfortunately we spoke to the company and they said they already have enough candidates for the vacancy but we'll be in touch with any other suitable roles'. Wtf? Surely they could have checked that with the company before dragging me in to sign-up. And again wtf has happened to these roles she said about? We'll be in touch?? So I said do you have any idea when a role will be coming up, no unfortunately not she says but we'll be in touch if anything does come up and in the mean time just carry on looking on websites like SEEK'. **** off you patronising ****. Like I haven't been doing that already. Wtf is the point of being with a recruitment agency if they're just going to suggest to you to do what you've already been doing for the last 2 and a half months?? 


I think agencies here inn New Zealand are particularly ****. I've been with recruitment agencies in UK and Australia and even if they don't have roles available they'll offer you help and advice on your CV so you look better when applying for roles. Here they just seem interested in signing you up.


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## Ilaw1 (Dec 6, 2014)

Siman89 said:


> I think agencies here inn New Zealand are particularly ****. I've been with recruitment agencies in UK and Australia and even if they don't have roles available they'll offer you help and advice on your CV so you look better when applying for roles. Here they just seem interested in signing you up.


I've had similar experiences in America. Staffing companies do the same type of thing. I believe that some companies want lots of resumes on file for various reasons. They hire whoever they want. They just need resumes for other reasons. It probably makes them look good if they can pitch their agency as having 234823408234820 potential candidates with resumes on file. Sometimes I think they know exactly who they want to hire before they even post the job online. They collect the resumes for legal reasons in the US because of anti-discrimination laws. People still get discriminated against for various reasons.


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## Siman89 (Dec 24, 2012)

Ilaw1 said:


> I've had similar experiences in America. Staffing companies do the same type of thing. I believe that some companies want lots of resumes on file for various reasons. They hire whoever they want. They just need resumes for other reasons. It probably makes them look good if they can pitch their agency as having 234823408234820 potential candidates with resumes on file. Sometimes I think they know exactly who they want to hire before they even post the job online. They collect the resumes for legal reasons in the US because of anti-discrimination laws. People still get discriminated against for various reasons.


I do feel like the kind of people who work in these places are exactly the kind of people who trigger my anxiety. Fake, over manicured appearances aside it's their fakeness that sets me on edge. You can see right through it and it's like being talked to by a used car salesman. I think they think that because I'm a quiet guy whose not great-looking they can fool me by fake flirting with me or if its a guy by being fake paly with me. But as I say I've met people like this a million times and can see straight through them.

And yeh like you say people are definitely still discriminated against. Obviously it's not as bad as racial or gender discrimination but I feel like introverted and less conventional people are massively discriminated against.


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## huesos (Feb 16, 2016)

I've registered for several employment agencies, and only one of them ever got me any work assignments. Interestingly enough, it was the only one of the 4-5 agencies I was registered with that was not corporate; they just had one office near my house.

The AppleOne branch I interviewed at at least offered me a couple of jobs, but they were all too far from my house, didn't pay enough for the trip to be worth it, and were not a good fit for my skills and experience, so I stopped hearing from them after a while.

Unfortunately, I did not have a good experience with OfficeTeam. I interviewed with them in March 2014, and the recruiter didn't seem to think I would be good for them, saying, "Most of our clients want people with experience." That's funny, because the local agency I had applied with around the same time was able to get me work even with my lack of experience, and at pretty good rates too! Whenever I see OfficeTeam jobs posted online, they hardly pay anything. I thought I'd never hear from them again, but I got a call from them in August 2014 asking me if I could do an assignment in my town starting the next day. I declined, since I was already on assignment with the local agency. That was the first and last time I heard from them after my initial interview.

I also applied with a couple of other national agencies, and never heard anything after the interview.

Even with the agency I'm working with now, I've had quite a few interviews where I was turned down. I'm just a horrible interviewer. Most of the jobs I've gotten with them didn't require an interview at all. Lucky me.


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## iAmCodeMonkey (May 23, 2010)

Q003 said:


> Never tried a recruitment agency. But I hate job interviews and the interviewers. *Last week a man asked me if I live with my parents (I'm 22) and what and where my parents work.*


Wow. He seriously asked you that? He should have asked you relevant questions about the position for the most part, although maybe he was just curious or something...

Temp agencies are fun too. The one I went to for a position last summer did not make any effort to accommodate me with those stupid forms they make you fill out.

The girl at the desk was like "there is nothing that I can do" when I told her that they were too small for me to see. I let my mother know this and we went back there together and tried to fill it out. We soon realized that these positions were not set-in-stone as it were, and that I would be let go at any time, because they are temporary. Yes, they expect people to fill out and sign a form agreeing to this.

We said thank you nicely and left.


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