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#1 Posted : 23 May 2006 11:47:00(UTC)
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Posted By snt I wonder whether anybody has noticed that phantom jobs are being advertised on this forum. Careers forum should be about advancing careers and not an avenue to advertise jobs. Job advertsiement in any form I think should be discourage. There are many job sites out for job hunting. Obviously a link can be given to that website, that way prospective candidates can deal directly with the employer. If you have been suspecting soemthing fishy, please share it with us.
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#2 Posted : 23 May 2006 11:51:00(UTC)
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Posted By Paul Oliver What kind of phantom jobs, do you have any examples. There are plenty on here that I would call "ingorant job vacancies". you know, the ones where you don't ever, ever hear anything back. :-)
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#3 Posted : 23 May 2006 12:02:00(UTC)
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Posted By snt The fishy jobs have no proper company domain names and no website to verify the company. In other cases they are just too fishy. For example: "It’s based in West London, with travel to other parts of the UK. An engineering background isn’t essential, but holding the NEBOSH certificate would be an advantage, and having a passion for health & safety is a must.". Who on this forum have not got a passion for health and safety.
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#4 Posted : 23 May 2006 12:24:00(UTC)
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Posted By Janette Draper Hmmmmm yes I have seen some of those fish type ones... however that said, I do enjoy reading the jobs; just to see if something exciting is out there... although that said, I haven't yet seen anything that appeals to me. I think I would miss the jobs if they were taken off the forum
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#5 Posted : 23 May 2006 14:07:00(UTC)
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Posted By Neville Snt You are obviously in H&S employment at the moment, hence your viewpoint. Would you have a similar stand on this if you were unemployed and searching for your next position? I for one welcome genuine offers from wherever they come, as they are in the interests of people with a H&S careers in mind. Just for the record, I responded to a response on here several weeks ago and have been invited for interview on 25 May, whether I am successful or not. Careers are about just that, Careers! If you are "in between jobs", you will be looking for one too.
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#6 Posted : 23 May 2006 15:35:00(UTC)
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Posted By Neal Clark SNT, Thanks for your comments regarding the IOSH careers forum. IOSH HQ and the moderating team have noted this and other questionable uses of this forum. We are currently considering what course of action will be of most benefit to IOSH members. Thanks again, Neal Clark, Web Co-ordinator.
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#7 Posted : 23 May 2006 16:05:00(UTC)
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Posted By PST I agree with Neville and I also believe it shouldn’t matter where the job comes from, if it is genuine, great, if not and a member feels he or she is being taken by a phantom! Then speak up, tell the moderators. Many members have gained successful employment and career advancement through this forum, either via agencies or directly with employers. The same people visit the site to find information, add their comments to discussions and sometimes even have a laugh. Why ban jobs being advertised by, agency, employer or (phantoms) whoever they may be. This forum is very unique and personal; it is an excellent medium to advertise (individuals or company) and most importantly to find others who are genuinely looking for employment or career advancement. Take away the agencies, companies and phantoms, and then you loose a big part of the forum.
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#8 Posted : 23 May 2006 17:01:00(UTC)
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Posted By Anthony Kelly Interesting thoughts from PST, though of course agencies aren't permitted to advertise on here anyway.
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#9 Posted : 23 May 2006 17:11:00(UTC)
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Posted By Richard Stewart Yes, but we do contact people who state they are looking for work
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#10 Posted : 23 May 2006 18:55:00(UTC)
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Posted By Christopher Kelly Agencies should be disallowed from the site - advertising or contacting people. If we need you we can come to you or reply to your adverts. The whole point of this site is that it is for members NOT for the benefit of agencies. Sorry but you do have a very bad reputation and I am sorry to say that it is deserved because many of your ilk are time-wasters (apologies if you are not but maybe you should refer it on to your professional body).
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#11 Posted : 23 May 2006 19:10:00(UTC)
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Posted By Asha Matovu SNT I respect your view but obviously, you're already in the industry and forgetting that there are many of us out there who are trying to have the same breakthrough. Although I haven't got a job yet, the two interviews that I have had so far were from this website. Sadly I had one person e-mailing me yesterday that they had recieved my CV but unfortunately "we had a huge response and decided not to take your application further" but then they advertised the same position within 10mins of emailing me. I do not feel that IOSH is doing enough to help new graduates despite the fact that we are paying the membership fee.
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#12 Posted : 23 May 2006 19:32:00(UTC)
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Posted By snt Asha, I hope and earnestly prayed that you get a breakthrough soon. The fact is that vacancies should be directed and response should be to the recruiting organisation only. You might be directed to the company's website or be given the contact details. There are genuine job posting, but the mode and the way they are being advertised is wrong. Imagine a job posting with yahoo.com/hotmail.com address. We are talking about risk here as well. Any job posting advertised through proper channel has limited risk attached to it. Remember your CV have got your full detail and address - (Identity fraud). Same could happen through HR department, but the risks are minimal compare to yahoo/hotmal route. In your response, you mentioned that a post that have been filled suddenly became vacant within 10 minutes of emailing you. Does that not bring suspicion? As to the IOSH not doing enough to hel new member, I cannot speak for them, but judging by waelth of articles and specialist groups, they are surely helping you. IOSH are not to provide employment for anybody. It is a privillege to be a member, and membership confers your status to an employer - a recognition that increases your employability.
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#13 Posted : 23 May 2006 19:38:00(UTC)
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Posted By Christopher Kelly I know how you feel - I get a couple of those emails every day, even when I am not actively applying for jobs. I actually started work in December for a firm which another guy on this thread went for interview with - trust me he was better off not working for them - see my posting on 'Best ever answer in an interview'. My CV for the last couple of years looks like a colander but you have to stick by your principles / maintain your reputation whilst at the same time building up your experience. It's a slog but you will get there - spend some time on your CV - I went to a CV consultant last year who used all of my words - all he did was line it all up - but I instantly started getting jobs.I got down to two people in a job from this site last year (the other guy got it) and got the other job the day after it was posted. You never know what is going to come up. The other thing that made a difference was combination of experience with a few letters after your name. Silly thing was that prior to having the letters the experience counted for nothing. One thing I have learned is that agencies (largely - there are a couple of good ones - email me and I will reply with details - can't advertise them) waste your time and that really is demoralising. Buck up you will get something - just keep slogging away at it, you may have to take something with a lot of travel or some unattractive elements to it but you just have to do it for a couple of years - no-one has it easy - remember it's a vocation - not a job ! Put a photo of Jeremy Clarkson over your dartboard - that will make you feel better. Regards, Chris
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#14 Posted : 23 May 2006 21:14:00(UTC)
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Posted By Janette Draper Hi Chris Who was the CV consultant that you used? Did they do a good job and what was the cost? I think I may need that type of service...
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#15 Posted : 23 May 2006 22:23:00(UTC)
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Posted By Patrick Burns CMIOSH - SpDipEM - MIQA As I am looking for a new challenge I responded to one of the adverts on the forum. I did not hear anything and posted a follow up comment to that effect. However last week I received an e-mail saying that the CVs submitted were being sorted for shortlisting. there was also an apology for the time delay which was down to the MD being off sick. So be aware not to burn your bridge by posting a derogatory comment because you had no reply. I think it is good to see jobs advertised this way as members of IOSH and forum visitors are getting first knowledge.
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#16 Posted : 24 May 2006 09:48:00(UTC)
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Posted By Anthony Kelly I have personally had excellent experience of dealing with agencies and have successfully made 2 great career moves. It's a little narrow minded to state that agencies have a bad reputation and it's deserved, in the same way that if there are some poor safety professionals out there it would be wring to state that they're all bad. Equally there are many employers out there who do not look after their staff or keep to their promises. If a construction company has a bad reputation does that mean that all construction companies have a bad reputation and it's deserved?
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#17 Posted : 24 May 2006 09:53:00(UTC)
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Posted By Steve Doyle I am the MD of a building maintenance firm employing about 200 people and I've recently posted a job vacancy on this site. I have been inundated with CV's but 99% of them are from agencies. They are all looking for roughly a 20% sign up fee which pretty much makes it impossible for me to consider them. I am a genuine employer with genuine opportunities for Health and Safety professionals. We have even considered forming a H&S consultancy as part of our larger group, but having to wade through a mountain of time wasters who seem to move from one company to the next every 6 months is making the process very frustrating. More and more I am finding that most qualified professionals (of all types) in the construction industry are far too fickle and skip from one job to the next, usually chasing that extra pound note or two. They have been able to do this, mainly because of the skills shortages that have plagued the industry for the past 10 years. But this is one company that will not consider any of these noticeable “professionals” at all costs. We are looking for people who want to start a long term career with us. Where are these people? I'm hoping that we will see some success through this website, and find someone who has the self motivation and commitment to a proper career. A copy of the original post below; If you would like to work in an environment where you are valued and where you will play an important role in the continued development of a successful company then we would like to hear from you. Based in London SE6, and established in 1944 this Building maintenance and refurbishment company requires a Health & Safety Officer to manage all health and safety issues for the company, employees and subcontractors alike. You will need to have an in-depth knowledge of health and safety legislation with a practical understanding of construction industry best practice. You must hold a recognised qualification (NEBOSH general and construction) as a minimum with at least 3 years experience. Enjoy delivering training courses. Visit sites across the London and the southeast to carryout site inspections, and be able to communicate effectively at all levels within the business. Salary £37,000 pa + Car, Bonus and other benefits. Please forward your CV with a covering letter to: Michelle Morgan, Architectural Decorators Ltd, AD House, 76 Elmer Road, London SE6 2ER www.theadgroup.co.uk If you understand what I am saying here, I'de love to hear from you. Agencies need not apply! Steven Doyle Managing Director Architectural Decorators Ltd The AD Group Partnership steve.doyle@theadgroup.co.uk
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#18 Posted : 24 May 2006 10:44:00(UTC)
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Posted By Alexander Falconer steven This is exactly the kind of role I would like, long term career prospects, reasonable package, a MD who is committed to H&S. Two issues: 1) Construction, unfortunately no experience, however skills & experience gained are transferrable (plus am fed with Manufacturing industry, am I just unlucky that every company seems to suffer major cutbacks of some kind or another) 2) It would be extremely difficult for me to be able to afford property within commuting distance of London (currently live in Central Scotland). It is easier for folks down south to move North, than it is for us Northerners to move South. If you ever expand Northwards, would certainly be intgerested
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#19 Posted : 24 May 2006 12:48:00(UTC)
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Posted By Caro M I recently advertised a position on this site and got many applications (I responded to all). We also advertised in newspapers and other websites but the person we have employed applied through the posting on this site. I think is a great place for both employees and employers and it would be a shame if a few 'fishy' posts put people off.
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#20 Posted : 24 May 2006 13:45:00(UTC)
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Posted By PST It looks conclusive, 18 replies more for than against, one great job offer, lots of yahoo, hotmail etc addresses. May be we should conduct a survey to see what all the members actually want. I have posted three jobs over the past year on here and have had lots of replies and securely employed three great people. I have found four people wanting to make a start in health and safety, they are now fully, securely employed. No complaints, no hassle only positive. I am not an agency, I work for myself, some people work for me, and we get a lot of work via agencies. If an agency I know or a colleague needs someone then I will help. In fact I will help anyone for that matter, it doesn’t have to be for my gain. I have worked in safety for over seventeen years (showing my age), I have networked throughout that time very successfully. I don’t have a website, (don’t need one because I talk to people) I have a yahoo email address, like millions of other people. Snt, your comment “Imagine a job posting with yahoo.com/hotmail.com address” could be insulting in the real world.
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#21 Posted : 24 May 2006 17:50:00(UTC)
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Posted By Daniel Stonehouse snt isnt MarksMark reincarnated is he? snt, if you are not, then my humble apologies. It is just that you have created a few postings lately that are in my humble opinion at first glance in danger of being locked by the moderator as they cast suspicions on others as to their professionalism and possible ulterior motives. It is one thing to have a general moan at H and S life in general - who doesn't - but these are directed a little too closely at individuals.
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#22 Posted : 24 May 2006 18:07:00(UTC)
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Posted By Bill Fisher This Thread asked a question related to jobs and whilst it perhaps had the undertones of a campaign the Moderators decided to let it run. However in the last posting which has now been removed direct comments (not realated to the original topic)were being made about and to a poster on the Thread. This is unacceptable, hence the reason for removal, so the Moderators must ask respondents to focus on the topic posted. If the Thread does stray it will be locked.
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#23 Posted : 25 May 2006 08:58:00(UTC)
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Posted By AlB Steve, I came accross that posting, and I am pretty sure I'd love that job and make a success of it and actually provide returns for the business as well, but unfortunately it is not in an area of the country that works for me at this moment in time. Shame. However, take comfort from knowing that your posting has certainly taken my notice, as it has a number of others as well, so the Careers forum is a useful forum for posting advertisements. Good luck in your search for the right candidate. PS - I think your remuneration package is about right for that position as well. Never undersell safety. Pay the money, but expect the goods in return.
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#24 Posted : 25 May 2006 10:55:00(UTC)
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Posted By Paul Oliver I also successfully found an employee on this site, although my employer at the time still decided to waste thousands on fruitless ad campaigns in newspapers.
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#25 Posted : 25 May 2006 13:16:00(UTC)
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Posted By David Bannister Long live this facility for IOSH members to attract/find others. Ads & Agencies are OK if managed effectively - this forum is a route directly to safety pro's who are looking for a move with immediate posting and probably very speedy, useful responses. Plus there is the cost (none). Job seekers have the knowledge that (probably) the employer knows who IOSH are and respects their members. To IOSH, please do not remove this valued facility. Ps I hope I'm not being naive here!
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#26 Posted : 25 May 2006 13:24:00(UTC)
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Posted By rks After 2 years trying to get a job through agencies and getting nowhere and getting the usual responsesfrom them -yes I will call you next week- then hearing nothing I decided to spend more time looking on the iosh forums.Then within 2 months I got 2 job offers and now I am working as a manager for a global company on 10k more than I was on before! This really is an invaluble place for new (and exsisting) health and safety professionals to further their careers. RKS
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#27 Posted : 25 May 2006 20:36:00(UTC)
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Posted By Calogero Gattuso Dear Sirs Please do not remove the facility for employers to advertise on this method, I found my current role using this forum. If I remember at the time I went to see most of the employment agencies personally - but didnot secure any interviews, and I had an urgent requirement as I was going to be made redundant from my previous post. Regards, One satisfied user
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#28 Posted : 25 May 2006 21:04:00(UTC)
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Posted By Christopher Kelly The IOSH careers discussion forum is excellent but I think it is very important that agents are not allowed to use it - it defeats the object of the site. Having had a lot of experience with agents (and I repeat - there are some good ones) it is important that IOSH members are allowed some opportunity to get in front of employers without the middle man - exactly what the IOSH site allows. I am sorry to say it but dealing with an employer through a recruitment consultant who often has never worked in industry / construction and places too much emphasis on qualifications means that often good candidates for jobs are screened out. Often the potential employer is more interested in experience and is happy for the qualifications to follow. Obviously someone with F/CMIOSH and relevant experience is going to be the best candidate but the chances of having a candidate with qualifications and good experience in a particular industry / field are often small. A good health and safety professional can usually adapt themselves to a number of fields and often it is good to have a new pair of eyes looking at things without tunnel vision but you cannot beat pre-existing experience. Health and safety qualifications are important, the new system of IOSH banding is very good but qualifications are not the be-&-end-all. If agents are allowed to flood the IOSH website (as they do the SHP website) then a fabulous facility for IOSH MEMBERS will lose it's value. The other important point to consider is that recruitment consultants take a large cut for placing people. I have had two job offers in the past year where the salary offered has been reduced and I have been told that the salary would go up after the first year, to subsidise the recruitment consultant's fee which seems a bit unfair. The agent's fee should fund their advertising fees. Agents should use other methods of communication with employers / candidates, allowing IOSH members to use this facility to their benefit - isn't that what we pay our membership fees for ? I don't want to obstruct good agents but if you let one on this site the floodgates will open. Regards
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#29 Posted : 26 May 2006 10:24:00(UTC)
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Posted By Janette Draper I totally agree with you Chris. I don’t even visit the job pages on the SHP web site anymore just because of the domination of agencies, and although there are probably some good ones, my overall experience is not positive. I much prefer this way where you can email direct to the potential employer and you both have the opportunity to ascertain whether the skill set / quals and benefits suit both of you. I spoke to someone recently at the local IOSH AGM where he told me he had got a good job with a local legal firm – right off this forum. (killed me actually because I didn’t see it ) I like the forum as it is and it would be a real shame if the job side was removed – jeez, what would we talk about?! J.
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#30 Posted : 26 May 2006 12:42:00(UTC)
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Posted By Ruth Doyle Dear members, I can see that this is a lively debate, but I wonder if I could add some perspective to your discussions that you might not currently be aware of. Firstly, the guidelines for IOSH discussion forums prohibit all forms of advertising. Over the years, daily practice has allowed a small loophole to appear: that individuals could advertise their availability for work, and that small businesses (but not recruiters) should be allowed to advertise vacancies because they could not afford the advertising rates in SHP. Gradually, this situation has mushroomed and now large organizations are advertising on these forums for free. SHP magazine is a vital benefit for members – it has the largest job section in any health and safety publication, and because members get it for free, it saves each and every member £75 per year. However, the magazine can only survive through its advertising revenue, and profit from that revenue is shared with IOSH and is ploughed straight back into services for members, such as this discussion forum. Commercial activity of this kind also helps us keep IOSH member subscriptions low. Last year, for every £100 each member paid to IOSH, IOSH’s commercial income subsidised each member’s fee by £67! So when large employers advertise for free, SHP loses income, IOSH loses income, and member subscription rates are put under pressure. The long term outcome threatens the survival of SHP magazine itself, and one of the biggest benefits to all our members. I often read in these forums that employers can’t afford to advertise in SHP – but did you know you could get an ad for as little a £264 (subject to availability) or £440 (space guaranteed)? And that all SHP ads can be immediately uploaded to the website? It’s not a large sum if you’re advertising a job for £37,000, and you have 200 employees. Alongside all this, we believe it is still vital that individual members should continue to advertise their availability for work, and hope that many careers are advanced and enhanced in this way. You may be interested to know that SHP and IOSH are working to build a completely new online jobs website, that will allow members to post CVs, do targeted searches, receive e-alerts, and much more. There will also be greater targeting and functionality for advertisers. We’re hoping this will be available at the end of this year. In the meantime, thank you for your comments and thoughts. IOSH and the moderating team are currently considering what action will most benefit all IOSH members. Yours, Ruth Doyle, IOSH Director of Communications
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#31 Posted : 26 May 2006 13:49:00(UTC)
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Posted By garyh I am not looking for a job however I think that there should be a specific jobs posting section. I bet that the reason that this won't be allowed is that it would pull advertising reveunue from the SHP. However, IOSH is not a commercial organbisation, so the first consideration of the members of what they want. I call for a poll on the forum on this subject.
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#32 Posted : 26 May 2006 14:46:00(UTC)
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Posted By Graeme Davidson I thought I should post a reponse here to praise this forum. I am one of the success stories as I landed my first H&S job through a careers posting. Having obtained the NEBOSH certificate in June last year I attended numerous interviews and was unsuccessful. Finally, a posting on this forum led to an interview and my subsequent employment as a Junior Planning Supervisor for a great company who respects H&S. CPD and is willing to train and guide young people (I am 25) towards being safety professionals. I agree that agency postings can be a waste of time but as has already been said, we should welcome any posts from genuine employers with genuine job offers! Ok, I'm off to enjoy my better than average salary and my 'desk with a view' ..... have a nice weekend.
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#33 Posted : 26 May 2006 16:38:00(UTC)
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Posted By Richard Stewart Afternoon all, As an Agent specialising in H&S Recruitment I wanted to add my thoughts to the debate. I think the forum is a great resource however I do not feel that it should really be an Advertising Board. Surely the point of the forum is to provide careers advice. I think the SHP Online site should be redeveloped with a better search engine. If someone wants to develop a board for people to post their availability then fine - but it should be a commercial venture supported by advertising - should IOSH be funding the cost of webspace? Richard Stewart Anders Elite
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#34 Posted : 26 May 2006 17:07:00(UTC)
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Posted By David Bannister Richard, I cannot agree with you. IOSH is an organisation of its members, for its members. As the foremost professional institution in our field I think it is a great and fully justified use of our subscriptions to provide a facility to further our careers, should we wish to use it. Furthermore, if a job-seeker is able to successfully link up with an employer through this site ( and vice versa) then the reputation of IOSH is further enhanced. If that then avoids the rignmarole of sifting a massive in-box for the employer that has to be a bonus. Whilst an agency could do this, not all employers wish to be so removed from the recruitment process. There is room for both professional agencies and professional institutions in the careers environment.
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