When you are actively looking for a new job, it can be difficult to keep track of every application you have made, as well as every site that you have posted your details on in the hope of catching a recruiter’s eye.  It is worth keeping a spreadsheet to help you keep track, if only to avoid leaving your CV posted once you have found a new job.   I found this out one day last summer, when to my surprise, I received four calls from different agencies in one afternoon even though I had no idea my CV was still knocking about in cyberspace somewhere!

Evidently all four agencies had been given the same role, a marketing position based in Birmingham.  Now while this is something I might have been interested in 2008 when I last posted my details online, frankly, if I was the best they could find, there must have been a real shortage of candidates on the market since I was barely qualified for the role then and my details were 4 years out of date!

As flattered as I was to receive the calls, I informed the agencies that I was in no hurry to return to marketing, and asked where they had seen my details so that I could go onto the site and remove my CV.

If you get an unexpected flurry of calls from recruiters out of the blue, it indicates that you have been identified as having really good skills, and unless, like me, you have left the industry completely, it might be worth you hearing the agent out, even if you don’t consider yourself to be on the market.  After all, what have you got to lose by taking a 2-3 minute telephone call?  Even if you sound them out and decide you are definitely not interested, ask yourself whether you know anyone with similar skills that might be interested – you’d be helping out a friend, and most agencies will have a referral scheme so you can make a bit of money if your friend goes on to get the job.

Don’t lose your rag when agencies attack – it’s because they’ve seen your CV somewhere and think you look like a great candidate.  If your details are years out of date, they know you will probably not be on the market but they STILL thought it was worth calling to tell you about the role, so you might just want to hear what they’ve got on offer!  And they know that sometimes the best candidates of all are the ones that aren’t even looking for a new role, but that recognise that some opportunities are just too good to miss.