What next?

[GardenGirl]

Last week I went for an Interview and was told I had the job but the company wouldn't make a proper offer until I'd been referenced. Was referenced within abut 10 minutes of the request and the agent informed me the reference was perfect (like I'd give the name for a bad one!) and they would now go back to the client about the "formal offer". Two days later still heard nothing (although the agent did ring me frequently to say they hadn't been able to get hold of the hiring manager).

Anyway late Friday afternoon I finally get the call, the client has been avoiding the agents calls because they had a late applicant from another route and offered them the job instead.

Great, as if we don't get mucked around enough now we have sneaky clients as well as sneaky agents.

Thankfully the weekend stopped me from being in a bad mood about this but thought you guys might like to know about this wonderful experience of the job market.

[sasguru]

What is your area of speciality, GG?

[oracleslave]

snip

Who told you that you had the job? The agent probably just said that to get the 2 references out of you.

[DimPrawn]

They wouldn't do that would they?

Have they no professional integrity whatsoever?

[GardenGirl]

Who told you that you had the job? The agent probably just said that to get the 2 references out of you.

The agent told me I had the job and they only asked for 1 reference (not an unreasonable request at offer time) they didn't gain anything other than a reference out of it as my referee is benched.

[oracleslave]

The agent told me I had the job and they only asked for 1 reference (not an unreasonable request at offer time) they didn't gain anything other than a reference out of it as my referee is benched.

I suspect your disdain for the client is misplaced and sole blame should lie with the agency. I could be wrong though.

[GardenGirl]

What is your area of speciality, GG?

I've been working on projects for the last 3 years, in a sort of Junior PM\BA role, however because of the state of the market and the fact I'm not as experienced as most in this area, I went back to my previous area of expertise Service Management which I have more than 10 years experience of.

[GardenGirl]

I suspect your disdain for the client is misplaced and sole blame should lie with the agency. I could be wrong though.

You maybe right but thought I'd learnt to tell the difference between the blagging agents by now though. The client said the late applicant had more Crystal experience than me which is fair enough as i never pretended otherwise, but if it doesn't work out they will call me (the last one didn't hence the vacancy!).

[Menelaus]

You maybe right but thought I'd learnt to tell the difference between the blagging agents by now though. The client said the late applicant had more Crystal experience than me which is fair enough as i never pretended otherwise, but if it doesn't work out they will call me (the last one didn't hence the vacancy!).

FWIW, a lesson learned. You should, perhaps, get the agent to email you in future to say you've got the job subject to one reference.

If they then come back to you with the type of tulip you've had from them you can refer them back and tell them that you'll be on site Monday. I've done this before with an agent and the amount of backtracking was - well, lets just say, imaginative.

[GardenGirl]

FWIW, a lesson learned. You should, perhaps, get the agent to email you in future to say you've got the job subject to one reference.

If they then come back to you with the type of tulip you've had from them you can refer them back and tell them that you'll be on site Monday. I've done this before with an agent and the amount of backtracking was - well, lets just say, imaginative.

Will do that in future thanks for the suggestion. Job hunting right now is a nightmare because there seems to be alot more bulltulip about!