Genuinely cant remember what they’re called. Um, hiring agencies? Been hearing the vocab “転職サイト” so often that the english version is dying on me lol.
Anyway, those who’ve used the service to get out of one job to another, or just straight up finding a job through them instead of like Indeed or other job searching sites, have you found them to be worth it?
I am straight up not confident I can filter through the emails i’ll receive from the places I’ll apply to, the ones Indeed will send me as spam according to my search history, and the other sites i would probably have to use to get me a job, so I figured I’d outsource the hassle. Lazy, I know, but also I barely keep up with my correspondence already and I Am A Little Overwhelmed.
I’ve seen so many advertised but I only remember Doda because of its incredibly stupid pronunciation. And the one that involves the alien lady. I’ll obviously do my own research, but recommendations will be appreciated, and if they’re not worth it i’ll slog onwards through the usual channels.
11 comments
They are usually clueless. How can someone who never worked in IT know what IT skills are a match for which job?
In my experience they just listen out for key words and then just try throwing you at jobs hoping something sticks and they get a commission somewhere.
Still, try it out because from time to time they get things right but don’t rely only on them, try and apply directly also where possible.
I landed a few offers via Robert Half, Michael Page, and some small agencies. They were never the best offer, but can be used as leverage when I negotiate my package. Also, generally they can help me ask for some feedback if I’m rejected.
I had the most success with in-house recruiters though.
I got my current job through a recruiting company (Pasona). It’s a tool like anything else. No real harm in trying it out and seeing if it works for you.
I’ve gotten interviews and decent job offers from recruiting agencies. My impression is that each agency has its set of clients at a similar level of quality, so a recruiter will send you like 5 positions and they’re all either total garbage (great, thank you next), or there might be one interesting one and 4 kinda OK ones, which is probably indicative of them being useful.
Though tbh I’ve done this all inbound. Have a LinkedIn profile and let recruiters contact you. Look at linkedin offers a bit I guess? The “pure Japanese” stuff never worked for me. Basically get in contact with a recruiter and they’ll offer you stuff, but from their clients.
I would say 10% are worth it. The other 90% are wasting your time. Over time earlier in my career I built up a good network on linkedin which I stayed connected to. They call me every few months to check in, or I tell them to call me again in 9 months (and they do). Some are so incompetent they will cost you a job offer (as one did for me…). Guess what, they don’t give a shit how badly they fuck up your life by making you miss an opportunity, they just move on.
I’ve gotten jobs / offers through good recruiters. I’ve also gotten jobs through applying direct.
I got my previous job and another job offer that I did not take through them. I think I used パソナ (which we also used then to hire people I interviewed).
I would say that it is a mixed bag, try making sure your resume is clear so the agent can offer you the right stuff, plus also have a 1 on 1 talk with them on Zoom or similar to make sure you are aligned. If they seem clueless, just take their offers with a grain of salt and feel free to not apply if you deem so.
You can register yourself in multiple agencies and they get paid IF you are hired, so it is on their best interest to make sure they get you a good fit…. for both the company and yourself, just make sure that it is so for both sides.
I got my current job through en world and I was super happy with the support they offered, so personally I would say yes.
Just use Linkedin worked fine for me
They can be, but it depends almost entirely on your recruiter and how motivated they are to help you.
Many will give up after a few rejections unless they see potential in you.
I would say it varies a lot. Some fails on a basic level (they got me interview for a system engineer lead despite me having 0 knowledge in infra), some are very helpful in letting you know your options.
For me I do it via inbound in LinkedIn. So it isn’t really any hassle outside of setting up a nice CV (which you will need to do anyway) and cover what you are looking for. Then you just go through the agency message to find out which job interests you more. I changed job 3 times so far and all are via inbound agency. So I kind of understand my market value and bargain power. Ultimately it depends on how much leverage you have and how desperate you are for job
A recruitment agency found me on LinkedIn and got me an interview with a really good company. Fell short at the 4th interview but was grateful for the chance.