Getting the most out of your agency

**Lucifer Box** · 19 September 2005, 15:42

That article is, as they say in France, un croque monsieur.

**hyperD** · 19 September 2005, 15:44

Oi! Get yer own image!

**Not So Wise** · 19 September 2005, 15:51

Honestly what do you expect? It's done by an agent so it will be fully slanted to an agent's point of view (or more case how agents would like contractors to perceive them even though that vision has nothing to do with reality)

CUK really needs to find some contractors who wanted to be writers if we are ever to get articles from "our point of view"

**xoggoth** · 19 September 2005, 15:57

Another x! Why is everyone x all of a sudden??? What's wrong with f or w?

**thunderlizard** · 19 September 2005, 19:45

"Our contractors can choose to be paid weekly or monthly even though our clients will often pay us much less frequently e.g. monthly or quarterly. We are regularly told what an added bonus this is"

-Does anybody really value this service so much? Given:
(a) The agent's credit rating is usually lower than the end client's

(b) If (i) a contractor gets paid weekly
(ii) the agent gets paid quarterly
(iii) and the agent charges 15%
(iv) if there were no agent, the contractor would have got the extra 15%

- then the contractor's paying that 15% for getting the money on average 1.5 months early. Which uncle Excel tells me is about 205% APR. You'd have to be living pretty hand-to-mouth for that to be worthwhile

**Fungus** · 19 September 2005, 19:48

Yep. Complete crap. A fantasy. A contractor is far better off without the agent: you can get more and still cost the client less, so you are better value for money and hence more secure. Some of the bigger companies have methods to strip away the agent e.g. get a sub-contractor to employ you for 6 months. The problem is that most clients don't want to put the effort into finding a contractor, and hence use an agent.

The only benefit I got from my last agent was a couple of bottles of cheap wine, and a couple of chinese meals (over 5.5 years). As for them acting on my behalf, once the contract ended I did not get one single job opportunity from them, despite a healthy market. He did ring me up to find out what was happening in the company so he could know whether or not he would be able to place further staff there. So that was thoughtful of him.

And as for honesty, well in my experience some agents can be the most dishonest individuals you'll ever meet. Think Arthur Daly minus the charm.

Leif

**Fungus** · 19 September 2005, 19:50

Originally posted by thunderlizard

(iii) and the agent charges 15%

You'll be lucky. Most agents get well more than that. 20% is more typical, and higher is common. Or at least that's my experience!

Leif

**Alf W** · 19 September 2005, 20:16

I stopped reading once they used the "partnership" word.

On the one hand I'm grateful to my current Agent finding over a year's work and the only effort I had to put in was to turn up for an interview. What do they charge me? Absolutely stuff all - they charge the client. I'm under no illusions what happens at the end of the contract though when I'm just another body.

"Partnership"? Ptoh!

**xodia** · 19 September 2005, 20:30

Originally posted by xoggoth

Another x! Why is everyone x all of a sudden??? What's wrong with f or w?

xoggoth I would ask "who rattled your cage" but i'd guess its self rattling

Getting the most out of your agency