Jeff Moden (12/24/2013)
That seems to be a bit of an oxymoron. You complain about them sending your resume to jobs you're not qualified for but then you complain about getting to know you so they might be able to do that job a little better.As for getting the company name from them, that will obviously come out when you finally get an interview. I know lots of folks might consider interviews for companies that you don't like as a waste of time but I consider those to be the best interviews because they're a great place to test what works and what doesn't during an interview. And, who knows... maybe a company that you wouldn't have previously considered working for might turn out to be the proverbial diamond in the rough.
The recruiter spent an hour talking about his car. Didn't ask me anything about my skills, experience, or work history. Utter waste of time.
As far as not knowing the company prior to applying: There are some companies I refuse to even consider based upon their mission statements, branding, or public persona. Take A&F for instance. I disagree with the message they send to young girls, and refuse to associate in any manner with them. There are also companies that I've applied to in the past, gotten a job offer, and declined it. It would be embarrassing for me to reapply out of ignorance.
You stated that think they are a "great place to test what works and what doesn't". I'd rather do that on my own time, on my own schedule. Have you seen how long these interviews take?!? It's common for an interview to last 4 to 6 hours. For every interview I go to, I have to take a full day off from work (since none of them can start at 8 or noon). And I still have obligations at work. I have projects with deadlines that I'm obligated to meet. If I take time off for an interview it could mean that I'm working nights and weekends to make up that time. Interviewing with a company is a huge investment of my time and resources.
I don't know, to each his own, but in my opinion... nailing an interview is done by preparing ahead of time. Before you ever get to the interview you've already put in the work on how to frame your work history and skills to showcase how it can benefit that company. You should already have a really good answer to the dreaded "what is your biggest weakness" question, and all the other common interview questions asked. You should be able to talk about your last work experience and discuss the projects you worked on and how you either overcame a major obstacle, or grew as a leader, or made your team a more cohesive unit. You do all that outside of the interview, so when you get to the interview you know what you need to highlight, how to present it in the best possible light, and how to best showcase your skills. Otherwise, you're just wasting everyone's time, and you leave the door wide open for someone like me to step in and get the job.