I totally agree with what you are saying about recruiters and HR departments.
The problem is if you take the process personally rather than just another part of your job, you will end up missing out on the really good jobs. You are selling a product (yourself). Would you buy something if the box was crumpled? How about if the information on the back of the box was misleading or hard to understand? These are the common complaints I hear from recruiters and HR departments (and my wife). The rare person that can focus both on their technology and business skills will always get the best jobs.

Client companies have found an illegal way to screen candidates based on age through the use and abuse of 3rd party IT recruiters...

Age discrimination runs rampant through many IT recruiters and their client companies. Is this why there seem to be few older IT workers in IT tech Support? Here in Cincinnati, OH age discrimination occurs daily where younger IT consultants are often given preference for IT contracting jobs over older, more experienced IT workers based in part, on age of the applicant.

I am in excellent health at age 48, look much younger than my actual age, in good finanacial shape, and having problems for the past year in finding a decent IT tech support job due to lack of jobs availability because IT recruiters skip over my 2 page resume due to my age. I have great job refs, up to date on coursework, certs, college degrees and have work experience to satisfy almost any client, but I am told by IT recruiters that they are looking for "younger" candidates. I am often described as "over qualified" (double talk for age) for positions that I apply. Wages were never brought up as a concern by IT recruiters since I am willing to work at "market" rates.

The use of 3rd party IT recruiters is supposed to enable client companies to make better management decisions, however the reverse is true... IT recruiters sometimes screen candidates based on illegal age requirements that open the IT recruiter and client companies to civil lawsuits.

IT recruiters in this area pre-screen resumes based on applicant age and experience. I have talked to several IT recruiters who admit that they are looking for younger "fresh" talent that will get the job done because the client company has specified they only want younger contract workers. There seems to be a employer bias in this area that older workers do not work as quickly as younger workers, despite older workers possibly having more specific work experience.

This client company requirement for "younger workers" amounts to simple age discrimination that is hard to prove because it is the 3rd party IT recruiter illegally screening the candidates based on age, not the client company. Job applicants are not allowed to see job requisition orders from client companies where recruiter notes sometimes detail age requirements.

Most 3rd party IT recruiters are spineless and will not stand up to a client's illegal resume screening requirements. Recruiters are often more concerned with satisfying the client's needs and earn more bucks rather than take an ethical route to express concern about illegal hiring practices based on age.

There are federal laws supposed to protect against this illegal practice of hiring based on age, but client companies deny responsibility saying it is a recruiter problem and the labor hiring laws are seldom enforced by government officials.

In reply to the title:

Yes. Oh yes. Sooo worthless... But all the reasons why have been well covered in the four parts of this series, so I wan't go into it.

But Sean, where are the idiotic questions the recruiters gave you to prepare for your interview that you promised us back in the first part??? I was really looking forward to those for their humour value... :)

I'm really sorry you guys get so much grief from recruiters. I really am. However, I am no sorrier for the grief you get from recruiters than I am for the level of crap I get from applicants. Applicants who can't prepare a resume, or even understand what a resume is supposed to do - applicants who really are arrogant, and obnoxious, and because I haven't read the latest tech article on the tiny piece of the industry that they understand, immediately assume that I'm an idiot.

Fortunately enough, I work in a niche market for an organization that has a pretty high fee base -so it is a waste of the applicants, the clients, and our time if we were to send our people anywhere where there wasn't an extremely high chance (80%) or better of that candidate getting the job. Initial interviews are conducted via phone (generally two to three), and if there continues to be an interest on both sides after those conversations, we move to a face-2-face.

Recruiters that don't know what they're doing make my job difficult, as they tend to make contact with a lot of you, and by the time I get to speak with you, your opinion is jaded. However, in my opinion, you have to take some responsibility for the bad recruiter you determined you would work with. You should have interview questions for your recruiter - after all, they are assisting you in one of the most important areas of your life. In addition, don't look to your recruiter to your only source for a position. Although, I, like most of the other professional recruiters I know, will not work with someone who's working with another recruiter, I do expect that you're looking on your own for roles. Also, if you got some inside tip on somebody hiring at an organization you want to work at, but don't know how to approach them, tell your recruiter. Let them do the leg work as to who the hiring manager is, and the best way to get your credentials in front of them.

Lastly, I would offer a bit of advice to the guy who's being discriminated against because of his age, apparently, before they even see him: If your high school is listed remove it. If you've listed the year that you got some credential that was several years ago, remove it, or don't list the years you got any of your credentials. Unless you have experience that is way beyond your peers, you don't need to list any position you held prior to ten years ago. In short, remove those things that date you. It might be wise to remove anything that makes you look less than current. Perhaps you can have your resume professionally done, but please interview those organizations as well, as some of them aren't the best either.

Alright, then. That's my rant. I wish gainful, productive employment to you all.

Kind Regards,

Kim