Too experienced, not expereinced enough, too old, too out of date etc etc etc...come on now, you've all been in the personnel game long enough to know these are excuses. I'd like to know what the real reasons are...if you're getting the brush off keep going back and asking for the specific detail of the cause for your failure to get appointed...I suspect you're not being told the truth...insist on the truth, make those decision makers feel the pain for not recognising what they're missing out on. (If they just want a bit of fluff that looks nice and doesn't threaten them, I think you should know...and you can show them how their poor recruitment decisions will have a detrimental effect on the bottom line for that organisation etc etc...)

After being made redundant I was hoping to find another permanent role, however, after failing to find the right opportunity I took a short term contract. I am now in the middle of my fourth consecutive contract and have had two offers of permanent employment. I decided not to accept because, having worked within the organisations decided they weren't quite right for me. But, without having been in the company on contract I probably wouldn't have been considered in the first place. It's worth considering contract work, you can pick up really valuable and up to date experience that will make you more marketable. I think that some people can be quite lazy when it comes to recruiting, for all my contracts I had brief (approx 1 hour) meetings with the prospective companies before being taken on, the advantage being that I haven't had to endure the 'pain' of a fully blown interview. It's worth considering and my other tip - keep in touch with the agencies - call them weekly, don't wait for them to call you. Keep your name fresh in their mind.

Lynn, This may sound awful, but having read yours and others comments, I feel, thank god, at least it's not only me. I, too was made 'redundant ' in July this year and have made over 150 applications since late August. I have 20 years as an L&D specialist with several years of OD and Change Mngt experience gained internationally. 95% of the time, these applications disappear into a dark hole, particularly in the public sector -never a response, except the automatic ones. Agencies tell me that clients look for sector experience and perhaps this is the case. I, for one am not prepared to give up and I hope you will not either. There is something out there for you and I and all the others. So, beleive in yourself.  The sad thing is also what does it say about HR recruitment practices, age legislation or not?

Best of luck, NM

I have read all the comments and cannot believe these situations exist at the senior level of HR management.

I graduated in 2005 and have 18 months HR and recruitment expereince yet cant find anything suitable.

Agencies are a waste of time - they dont provide feedback, dont provide job specs and never get back to you - it is not consultancy it is sales and this shows in their method of working.

Unfortunatly direct recruitment is becoming less common so it seems agencies cannot be avoided any more!!

Hi All

Unfortunatly much of the behaviour experienced has been seeded by our own profession! The way we recruit agencies, how we pay/ renumerate them etc.

One 'trick' I used once was for a Radio design engineer being made redundant from an electronice firm.  He was 5 years away from retirement but wanted a job.  Any Job.  After not achieving any interviews and the feedback was he was 'too experienced' he descided we would work in a local supermarket - he was not sucessful there either - till we rewrote his CV, making him look like a shop floor worker.  He got 3 interviews and a job he was happy with within 10 days...

So, write 2 CV's one more junior, and your 'high level' one.  If you suspect the recruiter is looking for a less experienced person (read lower salary) then use one CV for other posts use the second!

Good Luck to all
Mike
http://www.rapidbi.com

Sorry Guys,

I have to say "only me" whoever placed that is just being petty...........................

Ok ,so we have all had a moan about how poor recruitment agencies are and how some HR teams are not professional in the way that they recruit and appear to be happy breaking any law on the gorunds that HR is a small community and no one will dare put their head above the parapet.The one thing that is certain is that if you just keep doing the same thing, you will get the same result ie frustration.

So having said that does anyone have any good stratergies for dealing with these agencies who are not forthcomming or the employers who do not see the link to candidates as consumers?

Come on what do people think - positivley ?