This is probably showing my naivety but...

[Would rather not be named]

This is probably showing a certain naivety. And maybe betrays a certain lack of understanding of agencies and their practices.

Advertising jobs or even an email with subject of a role one applied for only for it to be gone within under 24 hrs- makes me doubt the job ever existed.

High Street Agencies in Bristol- best avoided except perhaps for IT consultants like you lot...nothing but a nuisance in my experience with one or two exceptions. I was in an unnamed agency for an hour this morning registering etc...the same one that I mentioned in my last paragraph and a lot of staff seemed to be doing nothing!

[SimonMac]

In circumstances like this agents/clients have a candidate already lined up so an advert is just a formality, sometimes the job is filled by an internal vacancies but a lot of times its just a CV harvest.

As for registering with an agency, again this is something we would never do, but I get the feeling you are not a freelance contractor, rather a jobbin temp for want of a better word?

[Would rather not be named]

Jobbin temp sounds about right yeah. As I say if one can avoid agencies in Bristol my advice would be...do.

[SueEllen]

What tends to happen is:
1. Agency hears of possible role
2. Spams available email addresses from previous candidates
3. Goes through responses and if someone in first 10-20 CVs matches rings them up and puts them forward
4. If no-one matches they search job boards and ring up candidates
5. If 4 and 5 don't work they spam candidates from the job boards.
6. Finally when they have candidates and have put CVs forward, do they put an advert out to get some new CVs in
7. Other agencies seeing the advert try to guess the company and hassle companies they think it is. They then copy the advert putting in one or two modifications, put it on a job board and then harass the applicants for 2 references.

[Would rather not be named]

Cheers, that's interesting. Bunch of tossers agencies, a lot of ones who aren't great in Bristol.

On a more general note, it's amazing the kind of rubbish agencies in the UK in general can pull and can get away with.

[SueEllen]

Cheers, that's interesting. Bunch of tossers agencies, a lot of ones who aren't great in Bristol. It's amazing the tulipe agencies pull and can get away with.

There are loads of agencies through out the country. Some work in multiple regions.

IT agencies are amongst the most unscrupulous.

[expat]

SueEllen, that's a pretty good summary. What it shows is this:
1. Working life is actually worse for an agent than for a contractor (don't worry, I'm not actually suggesting sympathy).
2. Agencies' contribution to the economy would be improved if 90% of agents just effed off leaving 10% to actually be agents instead of cold-callers and spoilers. Whereas contractors' contribution to the economy would be improved by exactly the same, i.e. by agents effing off, not by contractors doing so.

[Would rather not be named]

SueEllen, that's a pretty good summary. What it shows is this:
1. Working life is actually worse for an agent than for a contractor (don't worry, I'm not actually suggesting sympathy).
2. Agencies' contribution to the economy would be improved if 90% of agents just effed off leaving 10% to actually be agents instead of cold-callers and spoilers. Whereas contractors' contribution to the economy would be improved by exactly the same, i.e. by agents effing off, not by contractors doing so.

Sounds about right...in Bristol ftr can't comment on contractors etc but 350 agencies branching into all kinds of areas of work...maybe it's time looked for work elsewhere lol. But yeah most being poor, quantity not quality sounds about right for agents and vice versa for contractors.

[SlipTheJab]

SueEllen, that's a pretty good summary. What it shows is this:
1. Working life is actually worse for an agent than for a contractor (don't worry, I'm not actually suggesting sympathy).
2. Agencies' contribution to the economy would be improved if 90% of agents just effed off leaving 10% to actually be agents instead of cold-callers and spoilers. Whereas contractors' contribution to the economy would be improved by exactly the same, i.e. by agents effing off, not by contractors doing so.

Problem is that its going the other way, my LI feed is full of pimps recruiting new pimps due to expansion as evidenced by constant connection requests from new pimps (who 2 weeks ago were on the perfume counter at Boots or asking if you wanted fries with that).

I just don't bother with them anymore, get roles from my network and its been 4 years now since I sent off a CV to an agency.

[SueEllen]

Problem is that its going the other way, my LI feed is full of pimps recruiting new pimps due to expansion as evidenced by constant connection requests from new pimps (who 2 weeks ago were on the perfume counter at Boots or asking if you wanted fries with that).

I just don't bother with them anymore, get roles from my network and its been 4 years now since I sent off a CV to an agency.

Actually loads of people try being agent and then give up or are sacked, hence the continuous recruitment. Sales jobs are hard. A lot of people try but only a few are successful.

I've actually heard some people a few times discussing on the bus both estate agency and recruitment roles. One reason why clients tell you, you mustn't discuss their business in public. I presume they thought other people who have professional qualifications don't take the bus, but in London people take any form of transport even if they are well-off if it's the quickest and easiest way to get from A to B.

Personally I still don't understand those phoning up asking for 2 references when using linkedin and even calling up companies randomly from business directories would yield better results than calling random contractors.