Another consultancy has jobs in the 'pipline' & want to 'interview' me

[Angrybunny]

Another consultancy has said they want to meet me on Monday as they have
'potential roles in the pipeline which we feel you may be a good fit for based on your CV.'

It's quite expensive for me to travel to their office for a 'potential role'.

I also met another consultancy CEO in the week and we went for coffee and a talk on the park bench. The same thing, he had potential roles but not much else. Might as well have been a date not an interview.

My gut feeling is, I should tell them to get stuffed and if they want to meet me have a job to start with. Bunch of

Okay I'm being a bit flippant, I've not had the best experiences so far with my contracting life. Some of this is down to my own bad decisions as well as pimps.

[craig1]

Offer a Skype videoconference. If they won't accept that when they haven't any concrete roles available then you'd be wasting your time talking to them more.

Some agencies are obsessed with making sure you're presentable and want to see you.

[TykeMerc]

The "potential role" tactic is typical Agent speak for we want to talk until you give us leads, it's a waste of your time and a way to fill theirs so they appear busy. It's a fishing trip for their benefit and only about 0.00000000001% of the time will anything come of it.

One of the things you learn as a contractor is that the vast majority of agents are utterly worthless, have morals that would make a Mafiosi blush and they're entirely self centred. As contractors we're product to be sold to their clients for the biggest margin they can scrape. Get cynical now, you may as well save the time, as if you remain in contracting you will learn to be cynical eventually.

[Boney M]

In 12 years I have never met a agency once before a role and **** would I either, waste of their time and a waste of mine. Any decent consultant should have an idea of how you converse and a reasonable idea of how professional you are over the phone. Granted you could be in your boxer shorts talking away but I dont see any value in meeting the candidate personally. Any questions about appearance and conduct etc you want you can have the answers when I have been put forward and offered the role via my references, until then use the phone.

[Angrybunny]

Maybe the consultancy were thinking I would take a perm job so wanted to see me. Anyway here's my reply back (thx for the feedback too):

Hi X,

As there are no current opportunities I would be more comfortable having a telephone / video (skype) conference on Monday and having a face to face once the opportunity comes available.

Regards

[cojak]

Maybe the consultancy were thinking I would take a perm job so wanted to see me. Anyway here's my reply back (thx for the feedback too):

Hi X,

As there are no current opportunities I would be more comfortable having a telephone / video (skype) conference on Monday and having a face to face once the opportunity comes available.

Regards

Good reply - pleasant but brooking no nonsense. You've drawn your line in the sand and there is no reason for you to step over it.

(I'd keep that as your standard reply in these situations, btw.)

[DirtyDog]

Are they a genuine consultancy, or are they an agency? There's a big difference between the two.

If it's a consultancy, and they are likely to have roles in the future, and you would want to work with them, then it may be worth having a face to face. If it's an agency, then it isn't.

[Ticktock]

Agreed - are they a consultancy?

I met and interviewed with a consultancy, on the basis that they would then look to engage me as and when they won future contracts.

I'm not permie with them, there is no exclusivity. I go about my normal routine of finding contracts for myself and keep them abreast of my availablility as a courtesy.
As and when they win contracts where they think I'd be the best fit (amongst their list of associates) they contact me and check whether I want to take the work. Sometimes the client will want to interview me further, other times they take the consultancy at their word and I appear on site, ready to work.

[cojak]

Agreed - are they a consultancy?

I met and interviewed with a consultancy, on the basis that they would then look to engage me as and when they won future contracts.

I'm not permie with them, there is no exclusivity. I go about my normal routine of finding contracts for myself and keep them abreast of my availablility as a courtesy.
As and when they win contracts where they think I'd be the best fit (amongst their list of associates) they contact me and check whether I want to take the work. Sometimes the client will want to interview me further, other times they take the consultancy at their word and I appear on site, ready to work.

It's all about ROI - if some 2-bit, no-one's every heard of, last week they were an agency type of outfit AND I'd have to spend money and time to see them, no.

If they were a bit more professional and/or there was a real prospect of work at the end of it or they met me half-way then maybe.

[petergriffin]

Offer a Skype videoconference.

Skype interviews are very common in the Continent. My only objection would be a technical one because I don't like Skype as it is owned by MS.