are all agents cnts? :(

**Denny** · 28 March 2007, 11:40

Originally posted by mrdavies

Hi all,

Currently looking for a new contract (even though this one will be renewed, project is going to hell though) so I did like many others and uploaded CV to jobserve. Thanks to you lot on this forum I am wise to the ways of the agent on an information harvesting mission

Problem is, all I have had so far is phone calls from agents with very very vague roles (I suspect non-existent), trying to mine me for info regarding skills, wanting me to give references from current client etc to which i politely said no chance at this stage...

worries me in case this is all i get now. Last two contracts (my first since permie world) were through personal contacts and not agents... i could see how some folk would spill all the beans to muppets like this last one though. c0cks.

I applied for a couple where my CV pretty much perfectly matched the role, but heard nothing

Rant over ;-)

I'm convinced that a lot of clients use EBs to benchmark external skills against what they would need to look for in thier internal candidates, without having any intention of hiring a contractor. Hence a useful flurry of CVs lands on HR desks in many companies - all at our expense with no charge. You might argue it is really at the EBs expense (as they pay to place the job board ads) but I'm not convinced that some are not co-conspirators and that their ads are being paid for and they are getting a smallish one off fee for passing on these CVs. So it is at our expense.

Nice.

Other EBs will keep your CV back but promise to represent you but put forward cheaper but OK candidates who will stand as much chance as the competition in getting the role but will win them a higher fee. That way you won't be a threat by going through another EB.

Happens a lot, I suspect.

EBs are hopeless at assessing what the client wants or else they don't ask the right questions - like what skills are needed, what rate are they willing to pay etc. Of course, you wouldn't expect candidate sourcing recruiters to understand the significance of this information. One EB I contacted recently who actually specialises in my field saw my business profile, and wanted to badly see me for an interview for potential client work. She then went off sick and still is off sick and a colleague took on the task of following up my initial contact with them. In the space of 3 weeks, a good contact who understood that I was a genuine consultancy operation specialising in a particular field for interim and consultancy work was now substituted by two of the dimmest people I've ever had to deal with in recruitment. One managed to translate what is clearly a well documented account of my skills and B2B profile into an interpretation that (a) I still worked for Accenture (my last 'interim' assignment with them was over four years ago); the second (b) I was looking for a permanent job (no mention of permie seeking, and my business name clearly on the front page). I then got the usual prior appointment e-mail through from her yesterday - asking for legal requirements - passport for ID, and 5 of my last referees (including contact names and numbers, which s the law apparently. No it isn't love, that's for permies). This EB, as you might imagine, is now on my 'ignore' list after plummeting vertically from the dizzy heights of being a potentially useful contact. God knows what her sick colleague will think after she gets back to work.

Dumbos comprise over 90 per cent of recruiters, I think.

Good roles are as rare as hens teeth, particularly genuine ones that pay well and are genuinely budgeted for.

Keep looking. Hardship is good for character building.

If you can't tolerate all of the above, either generate your work through direct contracts (if you can) or else consider permieland again.

**ratewhore** · 28 March 2007, 11:41

instead of uploading your CV (which I personally am very very loath to do), why don't you identify those contracts which you are a good match for and then send your CV in. Follow up with a phonecall after a short period of time has elapsed to get your cv in front of the agent and off you go.

I would suggest this is more effective than offering up your CV to the harvesters.

And, in answer to your question, most, if not all, are

**SallyAnne** · 28 March 2007, 11:43

Originally posted by mrdavies

Are all agents c*nts?

Yes, yes they are.

**mrdavies** · 28 March 2007, 12:03

Oh i'll hang in there

contracting suits me very very well. I'm following up direct leads for work too, just thought i'd give this jobserve a whirl. Can see how it doesn't suit some folk though, you need to be a certain type of person for this lark. Besides, nearly enough fifties in my swimming pool now to kick back a month or so on the bench if need be

Just be nice to be called by someone with half a clue, who had actually read my CV, and had a role to offer..

In my line of work I can do some digging on that there t'internet and find suprisingly large amount of information about people and companies. Just done a bit of research on the last two clown agencies that called, has SHAM written all over it

I for one would love to see a name and shame list of these t0ssers, for amusement if nothing else.

**Euro-commuter** · 28 March 2007, 12:52

Originally posted by Denny

Other EBs will keep your CV back but promise to represent you but put forward cheaper but OK candidates who will stand as much chance as the competition in getting the role but will win them a higher fee. That way you won't be a threat by going through another EB.

The answer to that is not to restrict yourself to one EB. Why should you?

**Denny** · 28 March 2007, 14:05

Originally posted by Euro-commuter

The answer to that is not to restrict yourself to one EB. Why should you?

There might be an EB war about representation, that's why.

You'd be surprised how many end clients would rather abide by protocols than get the right contractor in, even if they miss out on a stunner. This is particularly so if they've got a contract with an EB to supply all their contractors. They certainly won't risk ruining a good business relationship if there is the faintest chance that the EB will kick up a fuss or even pull out of the deal.

This may surprise you. You are probalby thinking that the client has the upper hand.

I'm not sure that this is true. I suspect that some EBs are holding clients guns to their heads by dictating terms in return for a much lower margin. Given that the client wants to save costs, they will probably give in to the most ludicrious EB demands about trade restrictions on contractors coming back and so on. No wonder I am not badgered about opting out like I was a couple of years ago. EBs are there to provide a quantity not a quality service where contractors are concerned, so they tell clients that if one goodun goes by the wayside then so be it, there are plenty of others waiting in the wings.

That's why Jobserve is now full of CV harvesters for fake ads. The whole mood of EBs in recent years has been a move toward a quantity led model - some attempt to genuinely find the best contractors at the highest rates with their considerable mark up percentaged on top, with hard work and effort to sift CVs and give a personalised service to the client with direct contract with the candidate, to a lower cost 'key word' CV robot rake and send button push service for quantity sales profit model, a cheap resourcer for speaking to us 'nobodies' for a lower margin per head.

Now you know why most of the complaints on here are about CV harvesting and job board problems, and wasted effort and time and less about opting out clauses for jobs that really do materialise.

**ratewhore** · 28 March 2007, 14:25

I'm always of the opinion that, if a client uses multiple pimps, they should not complain if duplicate CV's end up on their desks.

But then, that's just my opinion, which I force on no-one...

[RW in 'mellowing out on a sunny day' mode]

are all agents cnts? :(