the "how are you finding the market" question

[seanraaron]

I always answer "quite good" to the how you're finding the market question even if it's bad.
To the where are you interviewing question I always say "can't disclose". I also always say I am interviewing even if I'm not, no to sound like a loser. I also always add "but nothing in an advanced stage", even when things are very advanced. If you say it's advanced they won't put you forward.
Agencies lie, I lie back, with a few exceptions of individual agents I have a good relation with (still not giving the names where I'm interviewing though)

I did think it important not to be put forward by more than one agency, but I tended to be the one to ask who the gig is with rather than the other way around if the job sounded too similar.

I have to say I'd be a bit cagey about supplying a company name if asked where I had applied, but I have volunteered when I've been put forward for other jobs. I can't see why that would matter until I had a bona fide contract offer on the table. It was quite exciting getting daily calls and interviewing in the run-up to redundancy, but in the end everything but one job fizzled, so I'd never stop until something was signed and I had a start date.

[LondonManc]

Whenever a pimp asks this question I just cringe. The "where have you interviewed" question or "anywhere I shouldn't send your CV to" always follows.

So, just fishing for ideas how to deflect this annoying pimp behaviour... what do you say to this question?

"where have you interviewed" = "where can I send competitor cvs"
"anywhere I shouldn't send your CV to" = "where can I send unsolicited cvs in case they're recruiting"

If I'm still in a contract, I simply tell them "I've not been looking so don't know. How is it?"
If I'm looking, I generally know the market's crap because agent is fishing rather than working on active roles.

[TheFaQQer]

Whenever a pimp asks this question I just cringe. The "where have you interviewed" question or "anywhere I shouldn't send your CV to" always follows.

So, just fishing for ideas how to deflect this annoying pimp behaviour... what do you say to this question?

I've only just started looking - how are you finding it?

[northernladuk]

I've only just started looking - how are you finding it?

This ^^

[curtis]

I can't see why that would matter until I had a bona fide contract offer on the table

The reason I can see why it matters is if the company received 8 CV's of which you were maybe one of the ones they were interested in and were going to shortlist. You then telling another agency you are interviewing/had CV submitted there then their CV's may go up as the agency knows they are looking for people drop their CV's over and you may then not be one of the shortlisted anymore.

[LondonManc]

The reason I can see why it matters is if the company received 8 CV's of which you were maybe one of the ones they were interested in and were going to shortlist. You then telling another agency you are interviewing/had CV submitted there then their CV's may go up as the agency knows they are looking for people drop their CV's over and you may then not be one of the shortlisted anymore.

Correct. Giving a free sales lead to someone who is basically your competitor is crazy.

If I've started somewhere I tend to ignore calls or say "sorry, I'm at work; that probably answers your question anyway".

[seanraaron]

Correct. Giving a free sales lead to someone who is basically your competitor is crazy.

If I've started somewhere I tend to ignore calls or say "sorry, I'm at work; that probably answers your question anyway".

Oh I agree. I didn't mean to say I'd tell them _where_ I was submitted, just that I'd been submitted. I see what you guys are saying about not telling someone where, but if they're calling with a job at the same company, surely that wouldn't be tipping your hand too much to say you've already been submitted there? I mean they might have something on the go somewhere else, right? Or is this another case of not trusting any agent, ever, to be on the level?

[curtis]

Whenever I have had an agency talk more about where I have worked, interviewed for, had my CV submitted etc it was more for leads than anything else.

[AnotherGuy]

Every single f* day. So sick of it.

[jmo21]

'I've got a few irons in the fire but nothing concrete yet' is how I usually answer