Employment Agencies in Malta (or How Not to Make Money from Blogging)

This is going to be less satisfying than some people hope for, and more interesting than others expect. Maybe.

Okay.  For my first year in Malta, I worked as a teacher in a wonderful language school, (no job agency involvement), of which more in a later edition.  However, if you are a foreigner in Malta and want to make some money, there is only really one game in town.  That game is the i-gaming game.  I had no experience whatsoever in this line of business, but sent my CV to various agencies in the hope that one of them would be able to sort me out with an interview or two.

So here is a list of employment agency sites for Malta:

recruitmentsolutionsmalta.com
pentasia.com/malta
maltajobs.com
jobinmalta.com
malta.xpatjobs.com
8am.com.mt
reed.co.uk/malta
people.com.mt
careerjet.com.mt
keepmeposted.com.mt
eujobs77.com/mt
maltajobsboard.com

I did not get a fantastic response.  I may have got an apologetic email from a couple, but generally the agencies seemed disinterested in my attempted career jump. Except for one.  And from this one agency, and despite my complete lack of experience in the industry, I received two invitations to interview, and from one of them, a job.

Here comes the bit that is going to annoy people.

I am not going to tell you which one of these agencies got me those interviews.  And here's why.

I have never gotten penny one from any of the bars, restaurants, cafes, museums, or anything else on these pages. You would think as Malta's premier English Breakfast reviewer I would be offered at least a freebie or two, but sadly not.  However, whilst composing an article entitled 'Best Job Agency in Malta' I said to myself: 'This is a company that thrives on word of mouth and recommendations, so why should I do their advertising for free?'  I sent off a mail to the company in question explaining that I was about to anoint them as the best agency in the land, and within a couple of minutes I had a reply offering me fifty quid for doing so.  Just let them glance over the piece in question and job done.  'Why hadn't I been doing this all the time?' I thought to myself.  I could have been pre-arranging VIP fry-ups across the island instead of paying for the things like a commoner.

This is why:  I sent my article, and it was sent straight back with the equivalent of red pen corrections all over the place:  Mentioned the competitors.  Not enough positive language.  Incorrect placement of company name in the piece.  Insufficient 'Google Juice'.

Instead I was given a  revised post, where the title had become 'Why XXX is the Best Job Agency in Malta', and filled with exclamation marks and repeated use of the company name.

I respectfully declined the fifty euros and respectfully decline to promote the agency here (even though they were great and got me a job).

Don't get me wrong though.  If someone throws me a couple of grand, (or possibly less - let's talk!), I will write the most exclamation point filled, product placement enhanced, swooning chunk of romanticized bull-vomit you have ever read in your life.  Except I actually will have to like the thing, or the deal's off.

Take it or leave it, hungry advertisers!!.



(was that enough exclamation marks? I can do three if that would seem more appropriate??)