I posted my resume on Monster.com back in December when I was laid off. I got 
flooded by calls from various headhunters, but one occured last week that really 
put a bad taste in my mouth when it comes to headhunters. It went something like 
this:

Me : Hello?
Him: Can I speak to Mr. Bradley?
Me : Yes, that's me.
Him: Hi, I'm xxxxx from yyyy and I saw your resume on monster.com. We have an 
embedded job that match your skill set. Does this sound interesting?
Me : Sure. What is the product and what type of work is it?
Him: It's an embedded Java job.
Me : Oh, I don't know/do Java.
Him: But it's an embedded job.
Me : But you also said it's Java work.
Him: Yes, but if you know embedded, you can do Java.
Me : Um... no, Java is a lanaguage, embedded is completely different.
Him: No, if you know embedded you know Java.
Me : Trust me on this one - Java is a language they're using in an embedded 
system. I have plenty of embedded systems experience, just not doing anything 
with Java.
Him: Then why did you say you did embedded work on your resume?
Me : Because I've done 8051, ARM, AVR, PowerPC, and Intel based processor 
embedded designs in my history, including hardware and firmware.
Him: So.... then you know Java.
Me : No, I don't know Java. Java is a language. Java CAN be used in an embedded 
system, but more often it's straight C or assembly language instead.
Him: You can't know embedded without knowing Java.
Me : Are you actually serious?
Him: Yes - Java is a prerequisite for embedded in this job.
Me : Maybe for that job, but not generally - that's why I didn't list it on my 
resume!
Him: But on your resume you shouldn't say you know embedded if you don't know Java.
Me : (getting really irritated at this point) It's clear from my talking with 
you that you have NO CLUE what you're talking about, and I wouldn't consider 
working for you or any client stupid enough to hire you. Goodbye!

I've gotten other really bizzare calls, too - one who couldn't get it through 
her head that I didn't want to move 120 miles away no matter how many times I 
told her, nor matter how much she increaesd the pay.

This is my first experience with headhunters. Are they all this retarded?

-->Neil

On Sunday, in article <1...@corp.supernews.com>
     n...@synthcom.com "Neil Bradley" wrote:

>I posted my resume on Monster.com back in December when I was laid off. I got 
>flooded by calls from various headhunters, but one occured last week that
> really 
>put a bad taste in my mouth when it comes to headhunters. It went something
> like 
>this:
>
...
>Him: Hi, I'm xxxxx from yyyy and I saw your resume on monster.com. We have an 
>embedded job that match your skill set. Does this sound interesting?
>Me : Sure. What is the product and what type of work is it?
>Him: It's an embedded Java job.
>Me : Oh, I don't know/do Java.
...
>I've gotten other really bizzare calls, too - one who couldn't get it through 
>her head that I didn't want to move 120 miles away no matter how many times I 
>told her, nor matter how much she increaesd the pay.
>
>This is my first experience with headhunters. Are they all this retarded?

Quite a lot of headhunters/recruitment 'consultants' (in UK) are just
glorified insurance/snake oil sales people with the so called ability to
matchthings up. Often some companies have targets to meet so do simple
word searches and never read the resume/CV.

I have in the past had problems with "VME bus" and "VME Operating System",
those who know the later will know that it is rarely considered an embedded
system let alone a small system!

Personally I think resumes/CVs should be distributed as image files, with
sufficient added noise to the image to make OCR very difficult. To force
reading and stop word searches and changing of the documents to send to
potential clients/employers.

-- 
Paul Carpenter          | p...@pcserviceselectronics.co.uk
<http://www.pcserviceselectronics.co.uk/>;    PC Services
<http://www.gnuh8.org.uk/>;              GNU H8 & mailing list info
<http://www.badweb.org.uk/>;             For those web sites you hate

Not all. I haven't met that many who insisted on flaunting their
ignorance. The smart ones will learn from you. But then, when I'm
usually out of work, so are a ton of other programmers and I seldom get
such calls. I wonder if there's a website to showcase such experiences.
You see a lot of "Do's and Don'ts of Interviews", maybe there should be
a "Dos and Don'ts for headhunters".

Neil Bradley wrote:

>This is my first experience with headhunters. Are they all this retarded?

I have a technique that handles this.

(Note; this is only for idiot recruiters.  *Ignorant* recruiters get a
different treatment; walking them through what each part of the job
desciption means, helping them to do their job better.)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

GM: "Guy Macon speaking."

HH: "Hi! I am a recruiter and I have a job that you might be interested in."

GM: "Great!  Have you looked at my online resume at www.guymacon.com?";

HH: "I don't have internet access here."

GM: "I'm sorry, but I only deal with recruiters who are able to read 
     my online resume.  Feel free to call back when you have done so.
     [CLICK].

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

GM: "Guy Macon speaking."

HH: "Hello. I represent XYZ recruiting.  Do you have a moment to speak?"

GM: "Glad to. Have you looked at my online resume at www.guymacon.com?";

HH: "Yes, I have it in front of me.  I have a position that has the 
     following requirements. [long list of buzzwords ending with a
     requirement for a degree in mechanical engineering]."

GM: "Did you read the section of my online resume titled "education?"

HH: "Yes, I read that."

GM: "Why, then are you wasting my time with a position that requires
     a degree in mechanical engineering?  Feel free to call back when 
     you have a position that matches my qualifications.
     [CLICK].

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

I have found that roughly 90% or recruiters *have* read my online 
resume and *have* done their best to match me up with the job.
Those recruiters get treated with the respect they deserve.  The
ones who screw up on matching person to job will no doubt screw
up in many othetr ways, so I don't want to deal with them.

  

On 2005-04-11, Neil Bradley <n...@synthcom.com> wrote:

> This is my first experience with headhunters. Are they all
> this retarded?

Not all, but a lot of them are.  There's a very high turnover
rate, and most of them only last a few months.  They typically
have no training or experience in either HR or the field for
which they're recruiting.

Most are just sales people making cold calls with a script in
hand.

-- 
Grant Edwards                   grante             Yow!  I'm sitting on my
                                  at               SPEED QUEEN... To me,
                               visi.com            it's ENJOYABLE... I'm
                                                   WARM... I'm VIBRATORY...

Neil Bradley wrote:
> 
> I posted my resume on Monster.com back in December when I was laid off. I got
> flooded by calls from various headhunters, but one occured last week that really
> put a bad taste in my mouth when it comes to headhunters. It went something like
> this:
> 
> Me : Hello?
> Him: Can I speak to Mr. Bradley?
> Me : Yes, that's me.
> Him: Hi, I'm xxxxx from yyyy and I saw your resume on monster.com. We have an
> embedded job that match your skill set. Does this sound interesting?
> Me : Sure. What is the product and what type of work is it?
> Him: It's an embedded Java job.
> Me : Oh, I don't know/do Java.
> Him: But it's an embedded job.
> Me : But you also said it's Java work.
> Him: Yes, but if you know embedded, you can do Java.
> Me : Um... no, Java is a lanaguage, embedded is completely different.
> Him: No, if you know embedded you know Java.
> Me : Trust me on this one - Java is a language they're using in an embedded
> system. I have plenty of embedded systems experience, just not doing anything
> with Java.
> Him: Then why did you say you did embedded work on your resume?
> Me : Because I've done 8051, ARM, AVR, PowerPC, and Intel based processor
> embedded designs in my history, including hardware and firmware.
> Him: So.... then you know Java.
> Me : No, I don't know Java. Java is a language. Java CAN be used in an embedded
> system, but more often it's straight C or assembly language instead.
> Him: You can't know embedded without knowing Java.
> Me : Are you actually serious?
> Him: Yes - Java is a prerequisite for embedded in this job.
> Me : Maybe for that job, but not generally - that's why I didn't list it on my
> resume!
> Him: But on your resume you shouldn't say you know embedded if you don't know Java.
> Me : (getting really irritated at this point) It's clear from my talking with
> you that you have NO CLUE what you're talking about, and I wouldn't consider
> working for you or any client stupid enough to hire you. Goodbye!
> 
> I've gotten other really bizzare calls, too - one who couldn't get it through
> her head that I didn't want to move 120 miles away no matter how many times I
> told her, nor matter how much she increaesd the pay.
> 
> This is my first experience with headhunters. Are they all this retarded?
> 
> -->Neil


Too many are, in my experience.
My pet peeve was being asked to "tweek" my resume for each and every prospective
employer.  After doing that twice I refused all further such requests.  I was an
Assurance engineer who specialized in the IBM S/370 "channel"; any prospective
employer who doesn't understand that short and to-the-point job descripton
doesn't need my skills.

Neil Bradley wrote:

> 
> This is my first experience with headhunters. Are they all this retarded?
> 
>
No, most of them are *much* worse.

IAn

-- 
Ian Bell

Michael wrote:
> Neil Bradley wrote:
>>
... snip ...
>>
>> This is my first experience with headhunters. Are they all this
>> retarded?
> 
> Too many are, in my experience.
> My pet peeve was being asked to "tweek" my resume for each and
> every prospective employer.  After doing that twice I refused all
> further such requests.  I was an Assurance engineer who specialized
> in the IBM S/370 "channel"; any prospective employer who doesn't
> understand that short and to-the-point job descripton doesn't need
> my skills.

I assume you are restricting your job search to firms that want an
"Assurance engineer specializing in the IBM S/370 channel" and that
you have no interest in any other type of position.  If this is
correct your attitude makes sense.  Good luck, you will need it.

-- 
"If you want to post a followup via groups.google.com, don't use
 the broken "Reply" link at the bottom of the article.  Click on 
 "show options" at the top of the article, then click on the 
 "Reply" at the bottom of the article headers." - Keith Thompson

Grant Edwards wrote:

> On 2005-04-11, Neil Bradley <n...@synthcom.com> wrote:
> 
> 
>>This is my first experience with headhunters. Are they all
>>this retarded?
> 
> 
> Not all, but a lot of them are.  There's a very high turnover
> rate, and most of them only last a few months.  They typically
> have no training or experience in either HR or the field for
> which they're recruiting.

Which begs the question "are there headhunters
for headhunters?"

On 2005-04-11, Jim Stewart <j...@jkmicro.com> wrote:

>>>This is my first experience with headhunters. Are they all
>>>this retarded?
>> 
>> Not all, but a lot of them are.  There's a very high turnover
>> rate, and most of them only last a few months.  They typically
>> have no training or experience in either HR or the field for
>> which they're recruiting.
>
> Which begs the question "are there headhunters
> for headhunters?"

Not that I know of.  The ones I knew started out as HR
recruiters or they just answered an ad in the paper and went to
work for a sweatshop type operation.

<pet peeve> 
"begs the question" refers to making an argument containing the
logical fallacy in which the argument assumes as a premise the
result being proved.  It's pretty much the same as a circular
argument.
</pet peeve>



-- 
Grant Edwards                   grante             Yow!  Make me look like
                                  at               LINDA RONSTADT again!!
                               visi.com