As a job seeker, hopes get very high when you read a "perfect" job posting that completely matches your skills and salary expectations. After graduating with my BA, I was seeking a full time position for several months before approaching Appleone for help. Previously, I have registered with Appleone and have never received a job offer or temp assignment. Fortunately, the economy was booming and never had a problem finding work. Nevertheless, I approached Appleone again in response to their postings that dominate most search engines like Monster and Careerbuilder. The job postings are ideal and closely match almost any employment background. I highly anticipated meeting with a recruiter in order to be screened for these particular jobs. After driving 40 miles, I eagerly entered the office dressed in an expensive suit and my best shoes. I had the required two copies of my resume in hand, and was greeted with indifference by the receptionist. I was told I was required to take a typing test for this particular position, and I eagerly agreed. After scoring 60 wpm on the typing test, I sat and waited for 15minutes for the recruiter to meet with me. The recruiter was seated in the back room and was chatting carelessly about what to have for lunch for duration of the 15 minutes of which I was told to wait. Feeling slighted, I maintained a positive attitude and disregarded my immediate apprehension about the legitimacy of this agency or this job. Once again, I ignored my feelings of caution to feeling disregarded and ignored. However, feeling desperate and in need of a job, I waited patiently and kept a positive attitude. Once the recruiter finished discussing her lunch plans with her co-worker, she casually came out in informal attire and told me to follow her to her desk. I immediately sensed condescension in her entire demeanor, but I disregarded my intuition and kept a smile on my face. She smiled and asked me to discuss my employment background, and wanted names and phone number of all my previous employers. I willingly supplied her with four names and phone numbers of high-end executives from Fortune 500 companies, all of whom would be appalled that I entered a staffing firm in the first place. However, I was in need of a job and anticipated the position which was advertised on Monster.com. I asked her about the position and she responded that I was not entirely qualified for that position. She responded that I needed a background in construction, although that was not advertised on the job board. With my degree and 4 years of Project Mgmt experience, I was sure she would find another match for me in something similar. However, to my surprise, she responded that she could submit me for a ten dollar an hour part time position with a local car dealer. I was immediately insulted and my ego defended the assault on my career and hard work in college. I smiled and said "no, I am seeking a full time position that I can support myself on. She wrote, "no part time work" in her notes on the back of my resume. I was beginning to feel confused by the response this recruiter was having to my resume and my work history. She responded to me in such a manner that made me feel unqualified for a job I knew I could do.in addition, her mannerisms and demeanor towards me indicated she did not have confidence in my abilities to successfully fulfill the needs of a position such as this. She pressured me to consider taking full time secretarial work and other kinds of low end administrative work. Because of the failing economy and my desire to earn a paycheck, reluctantly I agreed to take a horrible low-end position for which I was over-qualified. I started to think about how in third world countries or developing countries, like India, doctors are forced to take positions sweeping floors in order to make a living. Had our country really sunk to a new low? My father's words rang true in my head as well, "only losers go to agencies because they have no friends or resources to help them get a job." Nevertheless, here I was in need of a paycheck and anticipated the position that was posted on the job board. The recruiter ended the interview and said she would call me if anything came in she felt I was suited for. I smiled and said, "great" and it has been four months and have not been called once by this office.
Next, after months of submitting hundreds of resumes, I submitted my resume once again to another Appleone posting in Oceanside. I resumed my anticipation because I convinced myself that this position was real and that the Huntington Beach office must just be inefficient or crazy. Anyhow, I responded to the post, put on my suit, and took two copies of resume down to Appleone in Oceanside. This time I knew for sure the posting was a positive match for my skills and there was no way I was not qualified. I arrived ten minutes early and eagerly anticipated discussing the position with the recruiter. However, after thirty minutes, I asked when the recruiter would be able to meet with me. The receptionist was replied indifferently that she would be out shortly. Once again, my desperation and my ego were at odds and I waited for her to come out from behind her desk to meet with me. After waiting another ten minutes, walk in clients were being seen before me and I was feeling slighted and my ego was at war with my need for a job. Why was I not being seen? I was dressed and ready, clean, makeup done, and looking good. What was the problem? I was friendly to everyone and was not rude or inconsiderate. After four walk-ins were seen before me, I told the receptionist I was going to leave. I had waited an entire hour for the recruiter, but was waiting for this "perfect" job. The receptionist went in the back and then returned and told me the recruiter would be right out. I smiled, but feeling slighted and irritated, I harnassed my natural inclination to walk out of the office in a huff. Once the recruiter came out I smiled and felt a strange sense of relief. She had the same air of condescension and told me to follow her to her desk. She asked me about my entire education and work history and then responded that this position was not right for me. At this point, I felt a stinging sensation that I might well up in tears. Not only had I waited for her for an hour, but my ego was taking another beating for not being "qualified" for this position.
My scores on Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access were above 90. I type 60 wpm. I know MS Project, Visio, Oracle, and AS400. What is the problem? Why am I not qualified? Once again, she responded that I am qualified for a position that was about 12 dollars an hour and working as a receptionist somewhere in Vista. My ego was slighted as was my patience. I told her that is fine and accepted her offer to submit my resume.
Now after being unemployed for 8 months I have concluded that Appleone is a scam. I have been to 2 other Appleone office since that one, WHO SAYS I DONT LEARN THE HARD WAY! And have gone through the same song and dance. The only office that appears legitimate is San Clemente, who have called me a few times to submit my resume for 16/hour admin jobs or receptionist jobs, but nothing has materialized. I called Appleone in another city and asked the receptionist if the jobs are in fact real. Luckily, she responded honestly and said, "no the jobs are not real. Some of them are, but most arent." I was greatly surprised by her honesty and shocked to find this out. Appleone buys ad space on Monster and Careerbuilder to promote a bogus company which submits profiles of "clients" like me to the government to get subsidies for their employment services. The scam is that Appleone posts bogus job postings and wastes the job seeker's time. We all know that time is money when you are unemployed, and the sleepless nights do not go away until you land a job that is a real career. Having a college degree and working part time at a car dealer is not my idea of career. Not only is it insulting to have your time wasted by this agency, but their business is based on fraud. I hope someone clues in to their game and shuts them down. Their business practices should not be allowed to continue. Appleone should not be posting false advertisements for jobs that do not exist.
Rebecca
Oceanside, California
U.S.A.
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