I've posted my resume on a couple of sites (Monster, CareerBuilder, etc.) I'm really amazed at how a whole ecosystem has developed around these operations. It's a very different setup than when I was involved 4 years ago (both as a recruiter and then looking for a new job.)
I've got lot's of emails generated from the posts - unfortunately only a few are from people who think I might be candidate for a job. In addition to these expected contacts, I've got contacts from financial institutions looking to see if I have a 401K to roll-over as well as personal marketing consultants. This last species is like an agent. Unlike the recruiters who get paid by the company that hires you, these agents get paid by you for their services to fix up your resume, polish you up, and get you in front of people who will hire you. A lot of them seem to want the money up front too.
Today I got an email from one that I'd been expecting - some friends had been contacted too. The company in question is McKenzie Scott and they do have slick marcom. They had previously sent me brochures, pamphlets and even a book on how helpful they can be.
Now anyone who knows me will tell you that I'm the suspicious type - I smell a scam cooking a mile away (probably even when it's just someone doing a little old sales spinning - nothing harmful.) So my radar is way up when I've heard that they charge 5 - 25K to campaign for you.
Since I've agreed to talk to them tomorrow, I figure I should do some research on them. Thank god for the internet - I ran across this. You gotta love google - just needed to enter "McKenzie Scott" bad as my google search. First hit.
So, armed with this information (and of course I have to consider that this information isn't guaranteed either) I'm going to listen with a very skeptical ear to the pitch and ask lots of pointed (polite) questions. In fact, these experience so much match my expectations, that I wouldn't even do the call if things were at all busy at work tomorrow... But, I think it should be an entertaining talk if nothing else - maybe good fodder for blogging.
3 comments:
Hello; I came very close to spending 7800 on ITS services today. Thank goodness for your blog. Here's the question, so ARE there any legitimate, good placement agencies out there that we can count on?
I almost signed up for 6,500.00Watch out......They posted an ad on Hotjobs for a position I was qualified for and originally represented that they were the hirig firm, come to find out, two phone calls later, that they wanted to pitch me their services...I did an ITS search on google and found nothing, but contined to dig deeper and found all this.Thank you for this blog..It saved my family 6,500.00
http://www.wmctv.com/Global/story.asp?S=11269708
TN AG sues Memphis employment agency
By Andy Wise - bio | email | Twitter | Facebook
MEMPHIS (WMC TV) - The Better Business Bureau kicked her out.
A local lawyer has sued her for breach of contract.
Linda McCluskey is backed into a corner.
"None of it's true," said the owner and operator of Britton James & Associates and former managing partner of the defunct Franklin Group of America, both at 5100 Poplar Ave. Both are career counseling and employment agencies.
Now she has the attention of Tennessee Attorney General Bob Cooper.
Cooper has sued McCluskey in Shelby County Chancery Court, also naming Britton James & Associates, The Franklin Group of America and two firms formerly associated with McCluskey: Hamilton Clark International and The Renaissance Group International.
Cooper's seeking restitution for more than a dozen consumers he says McCluskey mislead into paying thousands of dollars to help them find jobs "....at exaggerated salary levels, promising 'career development, career management, and career transition services' and other related 'job placement services.'"
"Unfortunately, record high unemployment creates an environment where some try to take advantage of others by giving them false hope with a large price tag and little or nothing in return," said Cooper.
"I believe in our service," said McCluskey in an exclusive television interview with the Action News 5 Investigators. "The only time a (client) will fail is if they don't want to do what the program requires."
Cooper's suit alleges McCluskey charged her clients up-front fees for services in violation of Tennessee's Employment Agency Act. Cooper said under the law, an employment agency can only collect fees after it lands a position for a client.
It also alleges McCluskey used several aliases "...making the same fraudulent representations, in an attempt to garner even more business."
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