Tips on being one step ahead of agencies

[masonryan]

I would like to discuss ways to deal with agencies when they call you about contract jobs.

When they ask you:

• what your daily rate is, state a number 25%-33% higher than you'd accept.
• what your daily rate was at your last gig, inflate it by 25-33% to match the above.
• for your CV, refuse until you get to know where the job is and job spec. Then post your CV to them directly.
• where you are currently working, refuse to answer
• whether you are currently working, refuse to answer except to say there is a 2 week notice period
• if you've been put forward anywhere else, refuse to specify
• whether you know anyone else, refuse to help

[socialworker]

All sounds good.

[cojak]

I would like to discuss ways to deal with agencies when they call you about contract jobs.

When they ask you:

• what your daily rate is, state a number 25%-33% higher than you'd accept.
• what your daily rate was at your last gig, inflate it by 25-33% to match the above.
• for your CV, refuse until you get to know where the job is and job spec. Then post your CV to them directly.
• where you are currently working, refuse to answer
• whether you are currently working, refuse to answer except to say there is a 2 week notice period
• if you've been put forward anywhere else, refuse to specify
• whether you know anyone else, refuse to help

Yep. Bang on.

Go get 'em Tiger!

[masonryan]

Sometimes they will ask if someone's already called you about this opportunity. Just say "yes someone did this morning but didn't give me much info so I declined for the moment, can you tell me who/where this client is exactly then I can email my CV to you?". The greedy gits will spill the beans. Then just email your CV to client direct.

[masonryan]

A few years ago I was called by half a dozen agencies for the same vacancy.

This happened for a few weeks. Then I decided to tell agencies they had to pitch to work for me. I wanted to know their charges and commission on email so that they could represent me exclusively with particular end clients. This would have been good for the successful agency as no other agency would ever then be put forward to that end client.

Funnily enough, none of them did. Must wonder why!

[northernladuk]

I would like to discuss ways to deal with agencies when they call you about contract jobs.

When they ask you:

• what your daily rate is, state a number 25%-33% higher than you'd accept.
• what your daily rate was at your last gig, inflate it by 25-33% to match the above.
• for your CV, refuse until you get to know where the job is and job spec. Then post your CV to them directly.
• where you are currently working, refuse to answer
• whether you are currently working, refuse to answer except to say there is a 2 week notice period
• if you've been put forward anywhere else, refuse to specify
• whether you know anyone else, refuse to help

Not a bad start I guess. Listed the basics at least although I would expect the responder to use a bit of nouse to negotiate his rate rather than use a dumb percentage. After applying this successfully a couple of times it has to fail eventually when you hit the market ceiling. There are other factors to consider when applying rather than just throw a number at him with no context.

Sometimes they will ask if someone's already called you about this opportunity. Just say "yes someone did this morning but didn't give me much info so I declined for the moment, can you tell me who/where this client is exactly then I can email my CV to you?". The greedy gits will spill the beans. Then just email your CV to client direct.

This is a load of utter crap.

A few years ago I was called by half a dozen agencies for the same vacancy.

This happened for a few weeks. Then I decided to tell agencies they had to pitch to work for me. I wanted to know their charges and commission on email so that they could represent me exclusively with particular end clients. This would have been good for the successful agency as no other agency would ever then be put forward to that end client.

Funnily enough, none of them did. Must wonder why!

Because it's a bloody stupid idea?

This and most of your posts this evening show a rather worrying lack of insight about how to deal with agents I must say. They are not your enemy, bunch of monkies, waste of space. They are part of the process we have to deal with it so instead of fighting it, appreciate how they work and just deal with it. I would hazard a guess that at least one agent has picked up on your attitude towards them which can't do any good for you.

[masonryan]

Because it's a bloody stupid idea?

Yet you can't articulate why. If contractors took that approach then agencies would have to sell themselves to us, begging us to allow them to represent us exclusively at particular clients.

[malvolio]

Yet you can't articulate why. If contractors took that approach then agencies would have to sell themselves to us, begging us to allow them to represent us exclusively at particular clients.

OK, I'll explain it in words you might understand.

In reality contractors bring nothing to the table in commercial terms, we are merely the grunts who do the job. The client has the funding and the agency has financed the effort necessary to find the requirement and supply a suitable (not the most suitable, note) candidate from a wide pool of potential suppliers. As a result the agency works exclusively for the client: the contractor is a necessary nuisance of no more real importance than the guy that services the coffee machine in the office.. From then on it's a case of maximising income from expenditure, which is how business in general works. None of which should be a surprise.

If you haven't yet figured out that you are a commodity supplier, not God's Gift to the IT industry (that's me, anyway) then you are in the wrong job. As has been said, it's the way the industry works, it is worth £27bn a year to the agencies and isn't about to change. Live with it.

[cojak]

Yet you can't articulate why. If contractors took that approach then agencies would have to sell themselves to us, begging us to allow them to represent us exclusively at particular clients.

As Malvolio said, it's all about supply and demand. While you are mucking them about they'll come to us, negotiate as usual and strike a deal.

And you will wonder why they don't come back to you.

[northernladuk]

As Malvolio said, it's all about supply and demand. While you are mucking them about they'll come to us, negotiate as usual and strike a deal.

And you will hate them even more.

FTFY