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Am I right to be a little sceptical?

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    Am I right to be a little sceptical?

    The market for my skillset (Workday UK payroll) is pretty small and very quiet at present (contract and perm).

    I've been inmailed this morning by a pimp who claims to have "multiple roles" in Workday Payroll.

    I see from his profile that until September he was selling bifold doors.

    Does anyone else think he might not be being entirely truthful about the "multiple roles" or am I just a hard-bitten old cynic?

    #2
    Without even reading the thread content, the answer should always be yes.

    As soon as you mentioned an agent, the answer is definitely yes.

    But, play the game - you'll soon find out if he's just after previous client contact details "for reference purposes"

    Comment


      #3
      Sceptical? Absolutely but that doesn't mean you just drop it there. There is an outside chance he could have and you won't find out until you progress it. I'd say engage and see what happens. Expect nothing and don't be giving too much away but nothing wrong with doing a bit of further digging.

      I don't think the fact he used to sell bifold doors has much relevance though. There are plenty of agents with roles at previous agencies that are still crap and will spin any old line however ridiculous they sound so I'd get over that bit and just see what happens.
      'CUK forum personality of 2011 - Winner - Yes really!!!!

      Comment


        #4
        Originally posted by northernladuk View Post
        Sceptical? Absolutely but that doesn't mean you just drop it there. There is an outside chance he could have and you won't find out until you progress it. I'd say engage and see what happens. Expect nothing and don't be giving too much away but nothing wrong with doing a bit of further digging.

        I don't think the fact he used to sell bifold doors has much relevance though. There are plenty of agents with roles at previous agencies that are still crap and will spin any old line however ridiculous they sound so I'd get over that bit and just see what happens.
        It was ever thus. I always chuckle over one agent telling me that having looked at my 30 year long CV with a major focus on ITIL-based Service Management consultancy and implementation that I lacked the experience to be considered for an ITIL implementation role. When I looked him up he had a whole three months in recruitment and five years selling sporting goods. I got the interview (and ultimately the role) when I went over his head to someone who actually understood how to read a CV.

        But the agents we deal with are ideally ex-estate agents or failing that ex-salesmen - and that came from the Ops Director of a major agency in Bristol. We cannot expect them to understand either the intricacies of the technical roles or the breadth of the managerial ones. Their one skill is keyword matching.
        Blog? What blog...?

        Comment


          #5
          You are all so cynical.

          Not all of them are ex-estate agents or ex-sales people - some of them are straight out of university.

          I had an interesting 15 minutes on a bus once listening to two recent female graduates. One had just got a role in an IT recruitment agency....
          "You’re just a bad memory who doesn’t know when to go away" JR

          Comment


            #6
            Originally posted by SueEllen View Post
            You are all so cynical.

            Not all of them are ex-estate agents or ex-sales people - some of them are straight out of university.

            I had an interesting 15 minutes on a bus once listening to two recent female graduates. One had just got a role in an IT recruitment agency....
            have you ever watched the Apprentice????
            See You Next Tuesday

            Comment


              #7
              Well that didn't last long - I invited him to elaborate on what roles he had - no asking for client names but just descriptions - but he demanded my CV and we'd schedule a chat before he'd talk about all the wonderful roles on his books.

              Of course I don't know everything - but I do know my target market and if there were oodles of juicy roles hanging around I don't think they'd be going to this guy and not any of my favoured pimps who are at least upfront and honest (to a point) about what they do and don't have.

              I pointed out that all my CV information is on Linkedin and it's public so could read there if he wanted. I have wished him luck. If he has any roles they will be no doubt be paying £20k pa and wanting 97 years experience.

              I do wish him luck - we all have to start somewhere.

              Comment


                #8
                Originally posted by northernladuk View Post
                Sceptical? Absolutely but that doesn't mean you just drop it there. There is an outside chance he could have and you won't find out until you progress it. I'd say engage and see what happens. Expect nothing and don't be giving too much away but nothing wrong with doing a bit of further digging.

                I don't think the fact he used to sell bifold doors has much relevance though. There are plenty of agents with roles at previous agencies that are still crap and will spin any old line however ridiculous they sound so I'd get over that bit and just see what happens.
                Fair point about the Bifold doors - I wasn't sneering at him; the trouble is his employer obviously hasn't given him appropriate training for this market.

                Comment


                  #9
                  The ones I was dealing with last week used to work for easyJet and a Car salesman (for Maserati, apparently).

                  With a pimp I always see if they are on LI and what past work history they have.

                  As NLUK says, doesn't make a great deal of difference, they are all shyster's who will sell their grandmother for extra commission.

                  qh
                  He had a negative bluety on a quackhandle and was quadraspazzed on a lifeglug.

                  I look forward to your all knowing and likely sarcastic and unhelpful reply.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by SueEllen View Post
                    You are all so cynical.

                    Not all of them are ex-estate agents or ex-sales people - some of them are straight out of university.

                    I had an interesting 15 minutes on a bus once listening to two recent female graduates. One had just got a role in an IT recruitment agency....
                    Let me guess. Degree in History.
                    Down with racism. Long live miscegenation!

                    Comment

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