Pimps!!! When are they fishing and how do you deal with them?

[elmo]

Ok since it is now a week till I leave my current role I have put my CV on the job boards, monster and S1Jobs primarily and I am getting pestered by a lot of pimps and I am pretty sure they ain't got jobs for me.

Just wondering how you guys do it.

Do you post your CV on these boards?
If you do which ones?
If a pimp calls and won't discuss the company are they fishing?
Any other fishing techniques they use regularly?
Any other advice for dealing with them?

Anyone happen to need to SAS contractor with 5 years experience? Thought not the market for finance contractors seems to have died, time to think of plan B!!

[SueEllen]

Do you post your CV on these boards?
Yes
If you do which ones?
Monster
If a pimp calls and won't discuss the company are they fishing?
Not necessarily
Any other fishing techniques they use regularly?
Any agent who asks you for references without telling you who the company is and the exact job description and/or the job description matches your skillset exactly. They also will insist that you give them a manager's name and will be upset if you tell them that all recruitment is done through HR.

Any agent asking for where you have interviewed recently or applied recently, and demanding that you tell them.

There are other things they do but you will soon work out who is genuine.

However a very small minority of agents do need references but they are happy with a HR one where you don't give them a contact person or telephone number. The majority of companies who give references now can only give out HR references as official references.


Any other advice for dealing with them?
!

1. Put the phone down on them when they are in mid-flow. (Some of them stupidly ring you up again.)
2. Give them the details of people who have pissed you off in the past
3. Give them the names of people who no longer work at the company, or are on maternity leave and are not coming back
4. Give them made up names using common surnames
5. Telling them that they expect you to be confidental with their information so you will be with others information
6. Telling them that the Data Protection Act also applies to small companies and you are not allowed to reveal personal information of your clients, which unfortunately includes their contact details. However they can contact the HR department.
7. Telling them that you are also looking aboard and give them foreign companies names. (Strangely they never want phone numbers if the language of the country is not English.)

[TykeMerc]

If a pimp calls and doesn't immediately talk about the role he's resourcing 99.9% of the time they're fishing for leads and wasting your time.

If they refuse to name the client when it looks like the role is interesting and you're a good fit then again they're trying it on.

If they ask for references before an interview has taken place they've got the trawl nets out.

Not that I'm at all cynical, but after almost 18 years as a contractor I've seen so many of the tactics that I'm thoroughly fed up with these sales shysters calling up and expecting me to feed them leads.

Most calls from agents get ended within a minute or so as soon as it's obvious that they don't actually have an opportunity to discuss.

[ratewhore]

Ok since it is now a week till I leave my current role I have put my CV on the job boards, monster and S1Jobs primarily and I am getting pestered by a lot of pimps and I am pretty sure they ain't got jobs for me.

Just wondering how you guys do it.

Do you post your CV on these boards?
Fark no!!
If you do which ones?
If a pimp calls and won't discuss the company are they fishing?
Probably. Tell em to fark off.
Any other fishing techniques they use regularly?
Any other advice for dealing with them?
erm, tell em to fark off

Anyone happen to need to SAS contractor with 5 years experience? Thought not the market for finance contractors seems to have died, time to think of plan B!!

Seriously, treat them like the barrow boys they are. When you hit the gig that matches your skills, they'll come calling...

[eliquant]

Funny .. a rat boy called me up today and was all of a sudden in 10 seconds flat asking about "Where my CV had been Sent.".

I cut the call the millisecond he finished asking that question.

The Ratboy called back after I hung up but I didn't pick up.

Its not fair that they should waste your time trawling, they should go straight to the source of the jobs HR etc managers ... etc. it aint my fault theat they don't have business connections.