Does anybody know the significance of agencies asking "what is your current rate"?

[northernladuk]

Well regards to certain chappy in computerfutures, who was very convincing its a real deal this time. Never heard from him after giving references, not even thank you for supplying them. Would hang up with that moron straight away if heard from him again

And we wonder why it still continues.....

[northernladuk]

How so? It's 8am and I'm having to deal with yet another unprofessional person. I'm actually very courteous to agents who are professional. This dude was another cowboy, probably with little-to-no education.

So he's scum because he got out of bed earlier than you? Would you have been quite so upset if it had been a gig in finance and you were sat at the clients desk now?

The irony.

[diseasex]

And we wonder why it still continues.....

Guy was working on me for like half an hour , gave him nothing . Said they don't wish to be contacted and gave him HR.
Usual crap talk "you're very strong dev based on cv , I want to introduce you to 200 of my clients etc bulltulip".
Didn't buy a single word
I'm building friendly relationships with agents and can smell idiot from a mile

Let's make a blacklist for agents and agencies like that , might ruin their business model that relies on phishing

[heyya99]

So he's scum because he got out of bed earlier than you? Would you have been quite so upset if it had been a gig in finance and you were sat at the clients desk now?

The irony.

I never got upset. I hung up so that I wouldn't have to listen to him because he was unprofessional.

I never said this particular agent was scum, or any for that matter. I was questioning why contractors dislike them. I posited that it might be because we're bitter. I never linked both posts. You incorrectly did.

I'm well aware of the role agents play in this game (see above). It's not a war to me. I play them as much as they attempt to play me. I don't like them because they are middlemen and therefore I'm bitter. Hence why I posited my above theory.

[SueEllen]

Guy was working on me for like half an hour , gave him nothing . Said they don't wish to be contacted and gave him HR.
Usual crap talk "you're very strong dev based on cv , I want to introduce you to 200 of my clients etc bulltulip".
Didn't buy a single word
I'm building friendly relationships with agents and can smell idiot from a mile

Let's make a blacklist for agents and agencies like that , might ruin their business model that relies on phishing

When they start asking for references, I apologise for being busy, say bye and hang up.

If they ring again immediately I don't pick up.

If they ring in an hour and say we got disconnected earlier I say " No" I'm still busy, apologise, say bye and hang up.

It's your phone so if you don't want to speak to pushy agents you can hang up on them.

When I was little we got some weird calls on the landline so I have no problem hanging up on people.

[Sympatico]

Thanks for bringing up references trick.
My last contract was through Computer Futures and their agent had me with the 2 references before the interview.
I should have guessed because it was the one thing he seemed most concerned about.