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Agency mis-use of 'representation'

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    Agency mis-use of 'representation'

    How can I avoid the situation where an agency will get my emailed permission to exclusively "represent" me with a customer. But then will then not forward my CV to them, (possibly) because they can only submit two CV's? Subsequently other agencies cannot submit me either.

    #2
    Originally posted by richard101 View Post
    How can I avoid the situation where an agency will get my emailed permission to exclusively "represent" me with a customer. But then will then not forward my CV to them, (possibly) because they can only submit two CV's? Subsequently other agencies cannot submit me either.
    Easy, tell them they have your permission to represent yor for a period of (say) 48 hours.

    Then if no feedback go with another agent under same terms.

    Comment


      #3
      Tell them they are granted exclusivity from the time your CV is received by the client, but if they don't put your CV forward you reserve the right to be represented by another agency.

      Comment


        #4
        Originally posted by richard101 View Post
        How can I avoid the situation where an agency will get my emailed permission to exclusively "represent" me with a customer. But then will then not forward my CV to them, (possibly) because they can only submit two CV's? Subsequently other agencies cannot submit me either.
        Honestly? Tell them to do one, and feck right off, they are playing you for an idiot. Which I presume you are not. Only submit 2 CVs? Yeah, and I just fell off the stupid tree as well...Name & shame the agency. Chancers. And that's being nice.
        Edit: Just for the avoidance of doubt, no agency will ever submit only 2 CVs. They will submit as many as they need to fill the role, whatever that role may be.
        Last edited by Mordac; 25 April 2016, 12:00.
        His heart is in the right place - shame we can't say the same about his brain...

        Comment


          #5
          Originally posted by stek View Post
          Easy, tell them they have your permission to represent yor for a period of (say) 48 hours.

          Then if no feedback go with another agent under same terms.
          This.

          However if your CV isn't submitted in the first day (first few hours in reality) you can forget being seriously in contention for the role so it's meaningless to add that to the email trail. The only exception is if the initial batch of CV's are all totally unsuitable, but odds are remote on that, it does happen, but not frequently.

          In reality there's bugger all any of us can do about this particular piece of Agent behaviour, as contractors it's just par for the quite crappy course.

          Comment


            #6
            Originally posted by richard101 View Post
            How can I avoid the situation where an agency will get my emailed permission to exclusively "represent" me with a customer. But then will then not forward my CV to them, (possibly) because they can only submit two CV's? Subsequently other agencies cannot submit me either.
            Time-box it as stek said and also make sure it's exclusive for an individual role too - you don't want to be tied to one agent for big clients with multiple relevant roles/departments.

            Originally posted by Mordac View Post
            Honestly? Tell them to do one, and feck right off, they are playing you for an idiot. Which I presume you are not. Only submit 2 CVs? Yeah, I just fell off the stupid tree as well...Name & shame the agency. Chancers. And that's being nice.
            Bit harsh. I've been part of interview processes (on the interviewer side) where the boss (I was a perm NLUK before you start flapping ) asked for the best three cvs from an agent; presumably the client has two agents so wants to go with 3 from 4 for interview. Saves time sifting so many, especially when it's a contractor and you don't give a toss about the corporate face-fitting side of things.
            The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world that he didn't exist

            Comment


              #7
              When this happens to me I generally go with the most well known agency (most likely on clientco PSL) if I can be arsed, or do some research to find out who is on clientco PSL, and not go with the bottom-feeder agency.

              A lot of these agencies you've never heard of are hoping to sell you on to agents on the PSL I suspect.

              Comment


                #8
                Originally posted by NickFitz View Post
                Tell them they are granted exclusivity from the time your CV is received by the client, but if they don't put your CV forward you reserve the right to be represented by another agency.
                Yes, but unfortunately, you will never know whether you were put forward / considered / you get the piccie.
                His heart is in the right place - shame we can't say the same about his brain...

                Comment


                  #9
                  Originally posted by stek View Post
                  When this happens to me I generally go with the most well known agency (most likely on clientco PSL) if I can be arsed, or do some research to find out who is on clientco PSL, and not go with the bottom-feeder agency.

                  A lot of these agencies you've never heard of are hoping to sell you on to agents on the PSL I suspect.
                  They're probably hoping to worm their way on to the reserve PSL if not the main PSL if they can (depending upon the size of the agency and client).
                  The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world that he didn't exist

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by LondonManc View Post
                    Time-box it as stek said and also make sure it's exclusive for an individual role too - you don't want to be tied to one agent for big clients with multiple relevant roles/departments.



                    Bit harsh. I've been part of interview processes (on the interviewer side) where the boss (I was a perm NLUK before you start flapping ) asked for the best three cvs from an agent; presumably the client has two agents so wants to go with 3 from 4 for interview. Saves time sifting so many, especially when it's a contractor and you don't give a toss about the corporate face-fitting side of things.
                    Been there myself. It's not often you can trust an agency to find the best 2 or 3 CVs from a batch of, let's face it, possibly several hundred.
                    His heart is in the right place - shame we can't say the same about his brain...

                    Comment

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