Hide names of previous clients/employers on CV?

[d000hg]

People talk quite a lot about fishing calls from agents where they phone up to try and find out where you're working etc and get references when there's no actual opportunity... the just want some new contacts.
Does this mean I should remove the names of my previous employers/clients from my CV... simply say "a leading financial software company" or similar?

[pmeswani]

People talk quite a lot about fishing calls from agents where they phone up to try and find out where you're working etc and get references when there's no actual opportunity... the just want some new contacts.
Does this mean I should remove the names of my previous employers/clients from my CV... simply say "a leading financial software company" or similar?

Nope. That would only increase the number of fishing / phishing calls you will get from agents.

[TheBigYinJames]

People talk quite a lot about fishing calls from agents where they phone up to try and find out where you're working etc and get references when there's no actual opportunity... the just want some new contacts.
Does this mean I should remove the names of my previous employers/clients from my CV... simply say "a leading financial software company" or similar?

No you should still have them on, but don't give any names or contact details.

[d000hg]

No you should still have them on, but don't give any names or contact details.

Sorry, you mean names of individuals?

[cupidstunt]

Include the names of the previous companies but not any managers or permies there.

[TheBigYinJames]

Sorry, you mean names of individuals?

Yes, or even the names of the departments. I've known agents who when they know the department, will phone the client switchboard and ask for the contractor's name in X department, hoping that the operator will just forward the call to the correct extension and that one of the contractors ex-colleagues will pick it up, giving them an 'in'

Old style permie employment CVs always had 2 or 3 references at the bottom, but contractor CVs which will be shared around the job boards should never have these contact details on.

[PAH]

Yep, include name of company and location (so they can verify it exists if need be), but no contact details or references.

Not been asked for references for quite a while for any contracts I've landed, and any agent scum on a fishing trip asking for them before I get an interview will be sadly disappointed.

[cupidstunt]

Yep, include name of company and location (so they can verify it exists if need be), but no contact details or references.

Not been asked for references for quite a while for any contracts I've landed, and any agent scum on a fishing trip asking for them before I get an interview will be sadly disappointed.

How did your lack of payment turn out? Money hit your account yet?

[ratewhore]

simply say "a leading financial software company" or similar?

I used to do that. The pimps minds couldn't compute so I put the company names back on. That has the advantage of bringing out high profile clients of course.

And, as above, no individual contact details...

[NotAllThere]

When hiring, I react negatively to a CV which uses such terms. I expect to see the names of the former clients.