I am constantly surprised by the cornucopia of urban myths surrounding recruitment, and thought it was about time that the FreshMinds team help you to debunk them. This guide is designed to help you to understand how we work, what is truth and what is a seething mass of lies. And remember, if you’re ever in doubt, just ask the team!
I have to pay if I find a job through a recruitment agency. LIES. Don’t believe a word of this one, with recruitment agencies there is no charge to you if we help you to find a job. Some headhunting businesses or professional development organisations may charge you, but this is a very different business model and is certainly not the norm.
My chances of getting the job are lower if I go through a recruitment agency. LIES. Sometimes people think that it’s better to apply directly to a company than to go through an agency, but this isn’t actually the case. If we’ve been engaged to work on a role, it’s because we’ve gotten to know the company really well and we can help you to perform at your best throughout the process. Applying directly circumvents that, and means you may miss out
I should trust my recruitment consultant. TRUTH. Your consultant is on your side, there is absolutely no benefit to us to put you forward for a job you don’t want, that won’t pay you the right amount or that’s within a business that doesn’t interest you. So, please do be open and honest with your consultant, we’re here to help you and will always represent your best interests to our clients.
We just forward on your CV to as many different jobs and clients as we can. LIES. We are not a CV database, so we don’t just send on your CV in a scattergun-hope-it-lands-on-a-relevant-desk-eventually sort of way. Rather, we go through a rigorous process first to make sure we understand you, your skills, your experiences and your motivations before we put you forward for a role. This means that you increase your chances of getting the job as we are focussed on a small number of candidates that we really think are right for it.
I shouldn’t rely solely on the agency route to find me a job. TRUTH. If you’re driven to change jobs, or to secure your first job, it’s a good idea not to keep all your career eggs in the one basket. We recommend using an agency as a complement to pursuing other opportunities, we can enhance your career search but we shouldn’t be the sole focus of it.
Clearly there are more myths out there, and please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you’ve heard new ones that you’d like us to lay the cold touch of truth on. It’s an industry with a mixed reputation, but FreshMinds are different and are dedicated to working with integrity, so don’t worry, you’re in safe hands.
