Will recommend Anagh and Anagh's Crewt Consulting. Big recruitment firms have these same issues, whether it's a Sakura or some Page else. The juniors at least will ghost you and never get back to you until you follow up a million of times.
Sakura is the ▮▮▮ - & I can completely see the same gatekeeping shit that you faced. Generally, I am not sure if the 'top' specialist legal recruitment folks are really very helpful for individual challenges & I think your strategy of directly contacting is a much more appropriate (though harsher) way to hit the road.
To add to the discouraging part, I have a feeling they hold back your CV for a position, if they have other CVs which they think stand a better chance.
Worst part is they don't have to disclose it to you. Even worse is the fact that their assessments are horrible vis a vis a lawyer and practice area. Experienced it first hand.
They also keep pushing random practices if you're younger just to fill space and their pockets.
I am also suspicious of most recruiters because who knows if the person on the other end isn't just gathering intel.
There is this one recruiter i know, she keeps gossiping with everyone in one team, and she actually lied to me that my senior is quitting, i know she was courting him too.. Because exactly around that time my partner's and that senior's attitude towards me changed 180 degrees. Wonder if she said the same thing to him...
I feel you!! A while back i was looking or a job. Since I had just come back from my LL.M, I didn’t have any sort of security and was also quite desperate (had an education loan to repay). Anyway, I got in touch with literally every legal recruiter in the face of this earth and still got a job on my own. That being said, these recruiters are soooo discouraging. I had one call me and tell me how no tier 1 form would hire me because I don’t have tier 1 experience (like they don’t hire freshers but understandable) and then went on to tell me to join a small firm and contact her in a year. What’s the logic. Why give someone with no legal background the power to assess what you bring to the table? I have seen these recruiters post the same thing day after day lol. Law firms really need to assess if these recruiters are serving any purpose or not!!
You know what grinds my gears? Ghosting recruiters.
Below story is fictional. /s
Early in my career, I took a break from law firms for about 5 months. When i wanted to end the break at 2 PQE, i contacted the very famous recruitment firm which conducts surveys - Sakura.
This person from their team spoke to me, she was very discouraging and expressed a lot of gatekeeping behavior. But two days later she said, my CV has been forwarded and selected by one of the firms. She told me she'd get back to me in day or two for interviews. Two days later in the evening i call her, she doesn't answer my call, never after did she answer my call or texts. I was an anxious wreck.
Eventually i found a job on my own by directly contacting firm HRs at tier 2 firm. 2+ years go by, i wanted to switch to a larger firm or a better place because i was underpaid and overworked, and also wanted to switch my practice area to M&A,
2 of my batchmates highly recommended Sakura again. This time another Sakura person is on board, she too acts a bit gatekeepish. Says bro, your current profile is not what you want will be difficult. Anyway, similar M.O., and poof ghosted.
Again, i found my job myself contacting directly, and I currently work in a top M&A Team at a T1.
2yrs again, same ghosting Sakura person has the audactiy to contact me, asking for interviews, i laugh her off and cut the call. Felt nice.
Now another, recruitment firm Nicolas Cage, this team member of theirs was nicely handling me. But as soon he found out I put in my papers at my current firm, his full tone changed and he became distant and dismissive.. I blocked the white knight's number then. Was 2 years back cant even remember the name.
Another recruitment firm which offers a lot of options sent me to 2-3 interviews with teams with completely different practice areas.
Sigh.. Its good to use these guys to get intelligence, but never rely on them completely.
Came across one Naina Rathore. She has very good understanding of the market because she is also a lawyer. Worth the time !
Generally, I am not sure if the 'top' specialist legal recruitment folks are really very helpful for individual challenges & I think your strategy of directly contacting is a much more appropriate (though harsher) way to hit the road.
Worst part is they don't have to disclose it to you. Even worse is the fact that their assessments are horrible vis a vis a lawyer and practice area. Experienced it first hand.
They also keep pushing random practices if you're younger just to fill space and their pockets.
I am also suspicious of most recruiters because who knows if the person on the other end isn't just gathering intel.
There is this one recruiter i know, she keeps gossiping with everyone in one team, and she actually lied to me that my senior is quitting, i know she was courting him too.. Because exactly around that time my partner's and that senior's attitude towards me changed 180 degrees. Wonder if she said the same thing to him...
Below story is fictional. /s
Early in my career, I took a break from law firms for about 5 months. When i wanted to end the break at 2 PQE, i contacted the very famous recruitment firm which conducts surveys - Sakura.
This person from their team spoke to me, she was very discouraging and expressed a lot of gatekeeping behavior. But two days later she said, my CV has been forwarded and selected by one of the firms. She told me she'd get back to me in day or two for interviews. Two days later in the evening i call her, she doesn't answer my call, never after did she answer my call or texts. I was an anxious wreck.
Eventually i found a job on my own by directly contacting firm HRs at tier 2 firm. 2+ years go by, i wanted to switch to a larger firm or a better place because i was underpaid and overworked, and also wanted to switch my practice area to M&A,
2 of my batchmates highly recommended Sakura again. This time another Sakura person is on board, she too acts a bit gatekeepish. Says bro, your current profile is not what you want will be difficult. Anyway, similar M.O., and poof ghosted.
Again, i found my job myself contacting directly, and I currently work in a top M&A Team at a T1.
2yrs again, same ghosting Sakura person has the audactiy to contact me, asking for interviews, i laugh her off and cut the call. Felt nice.
Now another, recruitment firm Nicolas Cage, this team member of theirs was nicely handling me. But as soon he found out I put in my papers at my current firm, his full tone changed and he became distant and dismissive.. I blocked the white knight's number then. Was 2 years back cant even remember the name.
Another recruitment firm which offers a lot of options sent me to 2-3 interviews with teams with completely different practice areas.
Sigh.. Its good to use these guys to get intelligence, but never rely on them completely.