Name & shame - agency chancers.

[realityhack]

Yet again, an email from an agency with the following rubbish:

Good Afternoon,

You have supplied either me or my team with your CV in the last 12 months. With markets apparently down, Modis has recently secured a number of large contracts with some of the best Interactive companies. Modis digital team have a number of openings. Please see details of one of the projects below. Modis Interactive team is a professional organisation and need to know as much about you as possible. Please see below a Fact-Find we require you to fill out and speed up processing time.

Modis Digital Team require you to take 5 minutes to fill out the Fact-Find attached.

From attachment:

Name:
Current company:
Reasons for looking/leaving:
Skills:

Key skills Years Experience Skills looking to gain

Current Salary/Rate:
Salary Sought:

What companies have you been submitted to/interviewed in the last 3 months?:

Company:
Date of Submission:
Role:
Salary/Rate:
What stage did you get to?

References:

Company Contact Position Dates

Fools.

[sasguru]

Perhaps they noticed the number of cretins on CUK and thought it was worth a shot.

[pzz76077]

Yet again, an email from an agency with the following rubbish:
From attachment:





Fools.

These guys are just doing the job they have been told to do or they would also be on the bench if they didn't.

Best bet is to either given this guy a ring and sound him out - 'I know what you are up to etc, how genuine are these jobs, is there a remote chance that they are genuine etc what else have you got coming up'. This guy could turn out to be your best friend if you are able to gain his confidence and him secure you a role down the line.
Against bulltulip the honest approach will always prevail!

I dont know about anyone else, but Im plagued with this kind of mail- every agent that sends them to me will be added to my list of those who will receive a copy of my CV next time Im looking for a contract. Hopefully by then they would have been promoted and be of use to me!



PZZ

[dozer]

i get the windup from a modis guy every 3-4 weeks, never once has sent a job spec but always wants to know who i have been submitted to, gtfo.

[DodgyAgent]

These guys are just doing the job they have been told to do or they would also be on the bench if they didn't.

Best bet is to either given this guy a ring and sound him out - 'I know what you are up to etc, how genuine are these jobs, is there a remote chance that they are genuine etc what else have you got coming up'. This guy could turn out to be your best friend if you are able to gain his confidence and him secure you a role down the line.
Against bulltulip the honest approach will always prevail!

I dont know about anyone else, but Im plagued with this kind of mail- every agent that sends them to me will be added to my list of those who will receive a copy of my CV next time Im looking for a contract. Hopefully by then they would have been promoted and be of use to me!



PZZ

Trust me () this is a prime example of an agency trying it on. They are too f***ing lazy to find the requirements themselves and they are therefore expecting contractors to do their networking for them.

They would have no qualms about sending in competitive CVs if contractors were indeed foolish enough to give such details. These agents are the last people a contractor should trust to get them a job.

[BrilloPad]

I am disappointed with modis. They are my agency currently and as an agency to work through I highly recommend them : as I would recommend my pimp.

I bet this did not come out of the LOndon office.

[pzz76077]

Trust me () this is a prime example of an agency trying it on. They are too f***ing lazy to find the requirements themselves and they are therefore expecting contractors to do their networking for them.

They would have no qualms about sending in competitive CVs if contractors were indeed foolish enough to give such details. These agents are the last people a contractor should trust to get them a job.

Too true, but it seems that many contractors want agents to THEIR networking for them also, so cuts both ways I suppose.

These agents are just trying to make a living the easiest way they can and I cant blame them for that.

Most contractors also use the easiest way to make a living - via agents. All fair in love and war etc.

That said I would be the first in line if it was possible get a contact by simply filling in a form at the Post Office!

PZZ

[DodgyAgent]

Too true, but it seems that many contractors want agents to THEIR networking for them also, so cuts both ways I suppose.

These agents are just trying to make a living the easiest way they can and I cant blame them for that.

Most contractors also use the easiest way to make a living - via agents. All fair in love and war etc.

That said I would be the first in line if it was possible get a contact by simply filling in a form at the Post Office!

PZZ

Agents earn their money by creating networks that yield opportunities. Contractors earn their money by sitting in front of a computer and writing abuse about us poor agents on CUK ()
If contractors do their own networking then why on earth would they need agents. Agents who work hard and create their own networks honestly will earn the trust of contractors and clients alike. What you are endorsing is that agents who lie and decieve should be encouraged and rewarded.

I am afraid I do not support your view sunshine- and I strongly suspect that you are an agent yourself.

[pzz76077]

Agents earn their money by creating networks that yield opportunities. Contractors earn their money by sitting in front of a computer and writing abuse about us poor agents on CUK ()
If contractors do their own networking then why on earth would they need agents. Agents who work hard and create their own networks honestly will earn the trust of contractors and clients alike. What you are endorsing is that agents who lie and decieve should be encouraged and rewarded.

I am afraid I do not support your view sunshine- and I strongly suspect that you are an agent yourself.

Nope, just like to give both sides of the fence a fair crack.
I view thekind of agents agents you describe as the same as those working for double glazing companies - if they phone you up and ask if you want double glazing cus its on special offer and you say 'yes', then this is not far removed from someone contacting you to as for references etc.
More fool you for falling for the oldest trick in the book.

Agents (good or bad) have their place and it seems to me that some of the ones accused of dubious methods on here are amongst the ones that have been around for donkeys years and consistently have the best sales results, so they must be doing something right!

I assume that you frown on such practices because you believe that you are older and wiser than they. But I would imagine that when you started, you adopted the practices common in the industry at that time. Most of the kids that you criticize are where you were then, only accepted practices have changed substantially over the years and we are where we are because that is what the market demands. If this was not the case, then there would be no money in it and would not be happening.

I cant think of an industry that is market driven as is the IT contracting scene, and lets face it, there are far too many agents and contractors than are needed to satisfy clients demands and many will disappear in the short term. In the mean time both agents and contractors will try everything in their power to survive. Many will fail....so I guess that there will be less for folk on here to complain about!

PZZ

[DodgyAgent]

Nope, just like to give both sides of the fence a fair crack.
I view thekind of agents agents you describe as the same as those working for double glazing companies - if they phone you up and ask if you want double glazing cus its on special offer and you say 'yes', then this is not far removed from someone contacting you to as for references etc.
More fool you for falling for the oldest trick in the book.

Agents (good or bad) have their place and it seems to me that some of the ones accused of dubious methods on here are amongst the ones that have been around for donkeys years and consistently have the best sales results, so they must be doing something right!

I assume that you frown on such practices because you believe that you are older and wiser than they. But I would imagine that when you started, you adopted the practices common in the industry at that time. Most of the kids that you criticize are where you were then, only accepted practices have changed substantially over the years and we are where we are because that is what the market demands. If this was not the case, then there would be no money in it and would not be happening.

I cant think of an industry that is market driven as is the IT contracting scene, and lets face it, there are far too many agents and contractors than are needed to satisfy clients demands and many will disappear in the short term. In the mean time both agents and contractors will try everything in their power to survive. Many will fail....so I guess that there will be less for folk on here to complain about!

PZZ

I am not challenging the success of the those ruthless agencies who are considerably more succesful than mine. It is up to me to sell my services in a way that I can beat them.

The way I deal with contractors now is little different to how I dealt with them before. If I want some leads from a contractor I would just simply ring him and ask him rather than go through this ridiculous charade of bull**it that you guys go through. What is interesting is that this is what the business model has come to which is why no single agency has ever dominated the market and why there will always be room for new entrants.