I just need to get two references ...

[sira]

Does being so hostile actually get you anywhere though?

I just see a lot of contractors who think it's them vs. the world, and I don't know where it actually gets them in the long run

A pretty fundamental part of business is getting on with people, and networking, and communication. Maybe you'd actually have managers wanting to provide you references if you worked harder at this

A different person from the same agency had contacted me 2 months prior. And didn't ask for such references, so I knew he was fishing.

Plus I politely told him to jog on.

Over the last 9 months, probably networked with people circa 75 agencies (as I'm new-ish to contracting), and not a single one asked me for such references. So, from my experience, its not "standard" practice.

My current gig is with a Top3 FS firm. The agency (mid-size) only asked for 1 reference - which they obtained from my previous agency (not the end client).

[MyUserName]

Agent phoned up and asked what I was looking for, apparently there is a role he has exactly like that. However they need 2 references to send with my cv, the names and phone numbers of previous people who have hired me.

There is no jobspec available and the agent when pressed said they used php ... and probably some other techs too. I have to send all of this by 1pm and they will supply a job spec at 3pm.

Thank you very much for your time today.

Please provide me with some names and contact numbers for people who have hired you in the past who may be able to provide you with a reference that will help strengthen your application asap.

All the best, look forward to working with you.

[Eirikur]

Agent phoned up and asked what I was looking for, apparently there is a role he has exactly like that. However they need 2 references to send with my cv, the names and phone numbers of previous people who have hired me.

There is no jobspec available and the agent when pressed said they used php ... and probably some other techs too. I have to send all of this by 1pm and they will supply a job spec at 3pm.

There is no role
Within minutes after you reply he will call your two references to ask if they have open positions.
You will never ever hear from him again, if you try to call him, he is in a meeting and will call you later...(not)

[MyUserName]

There is no role
Within minutes after you reply he will call your two references to ask if they have open positions.
You will never ever hear from him again, if you try to call him, he is in a meeting and will call you later...(not)

WHAT?!?!?!??!?!

[Eirikur]

Another one from ROC search today.
"I got a perfectly matching contract for you close to where you live". The fictional contract didn't match any of my skills, but I went along and said yes sounds interesting.
We can only forward you with two references, I said yes I will provide the names of the last two agencies I worked for on offer.
Pimp continued trying to fish for names using all the tricks like do you know <fake manager name> at XYZ,
After a while I got fed and said good luck with fishing somewhere else and just hung up

[PerfectStorm]

I got asked for 2 references recently and, in fairness, I have an interview booked. They've checked with me before going out to them.

Just to say that it's not always a conspiracy.

[LondonManc]

Another one from ROC search today.
"I got a perfectly matching contract for you close to where you live". The fictional contract didn't match any of my skills, but I went along and said yes sounds interesting.
We can only forward you with two references, I said yes I will provide the names of the last two agencies I worked for on offer.
Pimp continued trying to fish for names using all the tricks like do you know <fake manager name> at XYZ,
After a while I got fed and said good luck with fishing somewhere else and just hung up

Well done, pick any stuffed toy from the top row.

[Brussels Slumdog]

Received a call from Senovo asking for 3 references.
Never heard of them before.

Sent from my SM-A320FL using Contractor UK Forum mobile app

[VAt Collect0r]

I got asked for 2 references recently and, in fairness, I have an interview booked. They've checked with me before going out to them.

Just to say that it's not always a conspiracy.

You would have got the interview anyway, regardless of whether you gave them references or not.

How do you know the agent called your referees, told them your invitation to an interview at another company was conditional on a good reference from them, which they then provided in writing, to either the agent or the client directly and in confidence, before the client agreed to interview you? You could do a Data Subject Access Request under the DPA 2018 if you can be bothered I suppose, but the information requested will not exist.

Have you called your referees and asked them if the agent called them before you got the interview?

Evidence is writing things down and emailing them and signing them. Everything else is BS. The agency just did a nice bit of "business development" at your expense because they had nothing to lose by trying it on, and you fell for it.

The correct answer to any references question is 'click', followed by Block Number and Add to Junk Senders.



One of the other ways they try to get references was tried on me again today:

"Yeah that role we didn't get back to you about a few days ago - they got lots of really good applications, so it would make your CV stand out if I could give them a good reference from your old employ[click...block number...add to junk senders]"


[...and sometimes also email "GDPR Notice - remove all my PII or ICO gets a detailed complaint for their future reference when other people inevitably complain about you selling their CV information on to spammers, assuming your company still exists by then...."]

[BR14]

You would have got the interview anyway, regardless of whether you gave them references or not.

How do you know the agent called your referees, told them your invitation to an interview at another company was conditional on a good reference from them, which they then provided in writing, to either the agent or the client directly and in confidence, before the client agreed to interview you? You could do a Data Subject Access Request under the DPA 2018 if you can be bothered I suppose, but the information requested will not exist.

Have you called your referees and asked them if the agent called them before you got the interview?

Evidence is writing things down and emailing them and signing them. Everything else is BS. The agency just did a nice bit of "business development" at your expense because they had nothing to lose by trying it on, and you fell for it.

The correct answer to any references question is 'click', followed by Block Number and Add to Junk Senders.



One of the other ways they try to get references was tried on me again today:

"Yeah that role we didn't get back to you about a few days ago - they got lots of really good applications, so it would make your CV stand out if I could give them a good reference from your old employ[click...block number...add to junk senders]"


[...and sometimes also email "GDPR Notice - remove all my PII or ICO gets a detailed complaint for their future reference when other people inevitably complain about you selling their CV information on to spammers, assuming your company still exists by then...."]

WTF? - smells vaguely familiar..................................