MY EXPERIENCE with employment agencies in Singapore has been disappointing.
Many do not respond after asking for your CV or conducting an interview with you. Their staff lack professionalism and the personal touch when it comes to their customers.
In Australia, employment agencies operate differently. They will respond to your inquiries and keep you updated. Service is top-notch and personalised.
Recruitment consultants here, who are mostly in their 20s, find it difficult to empathise with middle-aged job seekers. It would be timely for employment agencies to provide a better level of service to job seekers.
For starters, a formal response could be sent out to everyone who sends in an initial e-mail query. This is simple courtesy.
Some recruiters who interviewed me were also shabbily dressed.
The industry needs a shake-up so that job seekers do not waste time sending e-mail messages which go unanswered and going for fruitless interviews.
However, I did have a positive experience at a small recruitment agency.
Not only did the recruitment consultant there show understanding and encouragement towards me, but she also took the time to go through my CV and suggested some improvements I could make to it.
I am sure there are well-run recruitment agencies around. I urge job seekers to try all channels to look for work before they decide which ones are the best for them.
