Strategy to get this role?

**timh** · 4 April 2007, 21:39

Agency's probably just fishing for candidates, and they'll start approaching you with a bunch of crappy (but real) roles shortly. If you know the name of the client and you're sure your CV hasn't gone there already you could try approaching them direct - but the job you mention may not have existed in the first place.

My approach tends to be to assume they're fictional (and not to even bother writing any details down) until someone starts talking about interviews etc.

**dweezil** · 4 April 2007, 22:12

The job exists since I've seen it advertised by other agencies. The job description and locality make it clear it is the same job.

The agent has twice asked me very clearly whether or not there is any chance my current employer will keep me on. Is that more fishing... he wants to know if he should phone my boss and offer a replacement for what I do.... after all he's just squeezed my job description out of me....

dweezil

**Billy Pilgrim** · 4 April 2007, 22:19

Go with another agency....there are others advertising the job aren't they!

Tell them that you think you MIGHT have been put forward for the position...and if so then you are sorry to bother them.

You may surprisingly find out that the client has never heard of you!

Anyone else agree?

**DodgyAgent** · 5 April 2007, 07:03

Originally posted by dweezil

A role has been advertised which has a very broad set of skills, so broad it is unlikely to exist in a single person IMHO.

An agency I had been talking to seemed to think I was extremely well placed: being realistic I am not the perfect candidate but then I can't believe such a person exists. I certainly have the rarer skills on the list.

After a couple of days the agency changed its tack: the guy wanted me to send a description to him of how I worked with the other people at my prior workplace, and how we integrated. He said the employer wanted more information.

Now he is saying that there are other candidates with the full skill set and that I'm not looking likely but he will "try and sell me to them" for another role, ..presumably one he's just invented since he will 'persuade them' they need someone like me.

He has started being quite honest in admitting that he wants me to increase his knowledge of this work area by my providing technical information on how the products work.... in theory he is going to help me build my career.

I'm starting to wonder if my CV even reached the employer: is it possible he has a 'better' candidate who he would rather promote? (I'm inclined to think they'd just have tailored their CV exactly to the person specification, rather than being upfront).

Shall I try and reach the role through another agency? I guess this guy will not try very hard to sell me if he doesn't consider me his best bet.

This same agency have already mentioned another role to me, though the agent surprised me by asking how long the project would take. He's asking me?? In other words the role doesnt exist and they want to invent it?? What's going on? Is it all just fishing?

dweezil

He is pulling your pisser. Go through another agency. Agents are made to spend all day on the phone and he clearly doesnt want to make any cold calls.

**lukemg** · 5 April 2007, 08:31

Dodgy is right (as usual about this stuff), they are messing you about. Agent gets a list of 3-5 who they want to send but also -
- keeps a reserve list of likely people hanging on just in case client wants more
- More than likely tells a few others who might be tempted to go through another agency for the same role that they are being considered - reduces the competition for their preferred people.

The agency doesn't give a toss about your career or finding a role for you, you have this the wrong way round.
It starts with the role, for as long as you are a good candidate for this role - (technically but just as importantly - available and personality and unlikely to cause them grief) you are of interest, as soon as they have someone better/the client doesn't like your CV or want to see you - you are history. Forget the agent - follow the role.

**dmini** · 5 April 2007, 09:12

Ive seen a post advertised by a different agency 3 weeks AFTER someone was appointed to it, and started there (not me sadly). I know cos I phoned up the original agency I had an interview through & asked them what was happening. Some dodgy agency had copied a number of "real vacancies", then advertised them a few weeks later - exactly the same wording, location etc. So, multiple agencies running the same advert may not mean anything at all. They could all be running the same fake job!!

**DodgyAgent** · 5 April 2007, 09:15

Originally posted by dmini

Ive seen a post advertised by a different agency 3 weeks AFTER someone was appointed to it, and started there (not me sadly). I know cos I phoned up the original agency I had an interview through & asked them what was happening. Some dodgy agency had copied a number of "real vacancies", then advertised them a few weeks later - exactly the same wording, location etc. So, multiple agencies running the same advert may not mean anything at all. They could all be running the same fake job!!

put the ad on here and I will try and find out who is looking.

**kingshuk** · 5 April 2007, 09:54

Ive seen a post advertised by a different agency 3 weeks AFTER someone was appointed to it

First time I noticed such a thing I was quite surprised. I understand now that this is quite common practice - presumably to collect CVs. Four weeks have gone by since I have secured my current contract and I still see advertisements for it in jobserve. Adds too much noise - and of course wastes a lot of time for people looking for contracts.

This has made me realize that the jobstats numbers for contracting will typically be more positive than the actual market condition

**dmini** · 5 April 2007, 12:26

Originally posted by DodgyAgent

put the ad on here and I will try and find out who is looking.

It was last October - I knew who the original contract was with because I had an interview for it - and the job description and location was VERY specific. The second appearance of the vacancy was pure spam. I checked back with the agency - who had placed someone there - and they checked with the client.

Strategy to get this role?