Newbie queries agency tactics...

[SueEllen]

Also can I ask whether people phone up agents after applying for roles?

Yes but only if my CV is the perfect match. It works best with smaller agencies and you need to have a thick skin.

Also do you go to town with covering letters (or is that a permified concept?)

They don't read them.

I write one line in the email mainly so I know when the agent contacts me or I contact them what the job was about and where it is.

[BolshieBastard]

Despite what some people say about duplicate applications, never ever limit yourself to one agent for a role especially when the market is tight like it is now. Sometimes Jobswerve has such basic details you cant tell if its the same role or not.

If you do submit your cv to more than one agent, Agent A may have already selected their 3 or 4 candidates for submission to the client while Agent B decides you are one of its 3 it wants to submit.

Once an agent has contacted you about the role and has confirmed they will submit your cv to the client (note, not submit you to their account manager for consideration), only then would I recommend turning away any other agent who contacts you about the role.

In any event, Im only aware of RBS actually binning dual applications from different agents.

[Ardesco]

Despite what some people say about duplicate applications, never ever limit yourself to one agent for a role especially when the market is tight like it is now. Sometimes Jobswerve has such basic details you cant tell if its the same role or not.

If you do submit your cv to more than one agent, Agent A may have already selected their 3 or 4 candidates for submission to the client while Agent B decides you are one of its 3 it wants to submit.

Once an agent has contacted you about the role and has confirmed they will submit your cv to the client (note, not submit you to their account manager for consideration), only then would I recommend turning away any other agent who contacts you about the role.

In any event, Im only aware of RBS actually binning dual applications from different agents.

Quite a few bin duplicate applications. Your best bet is to ask agent B to confirm with the client if your resume has been put forward or not. Just say it sounds similar to another role you went for.

[Another Dodgy Agent]

Right so I applied for a role after looking on the usual boards.

As it happens I ended up applying for the same role with 2 different agents.

Agent A phones me up right away and after a brief chat says they will put me forward for the role, after I confirmed via e-mail. The chap sounded fairly laid back and proffesional

Agent B phones me up an hour later, but they put on the YTS Office monkey who asks about 10 stupid questions (where I have to rate myself) and then tells me to respond to an e mail confirming they want me to put them forward and that I am not going with another agent...


A few hours pass

Get a call from Senior Account Manager at Agent B (still sounds like a school boy). They tell me that I need to change CV, because it will go through an EXTERNAL clearing house that search for KEYWORKDS and that I should ensure that I fulfil every single one of the requirments. They also suggested that I basically bulltip my CV with more keywords.

Hmmmm

As I am new to this, I want to understand whether Agent B is genuine in terms of their advice, or are they just beings rogues?

Up til now I have not responded to Agent B, as I have been happy with Agent A.

Any advice for a n00b

KL

This is probably not going to go down to well but here's my throw on this based upon the info you have provided.

Agent A sounds lazy - looked at your CV, good match is established, will put you forward.

Agent B sounds a bit more thorough. They have used a resource type person to make initial contact and see if you are interested. They have then checked your skills against the spec (and asked your opinion on how you rate yourself) and then passed your information on to the Account Manager who has also reviewed your CV and come back to you to see if you are happy for your CV to be submitted. Additionally the Account Manager has advised you of the client's recruitment process and how to maximise your application.

Apologies if I burst any bubbles here but at the moment the average JobServe advert gathers well over 60 odd candidates and it takes time to work through these applications.

If both Agent A and Agent B are on the PSL of the client then Agent B is really working hard to make things happen, Agent A is floating along.

What worries me is that you cannot see that. You preferred Agent A just breezing you through rather than Agent B who has attempted due diligence, making sure you would be a good fit.

BTW the client sounds like a certain oil company, if so, then Agent B is doing things right, Agent A isn't and will probably find themselves kicked off the PSL soon.

[Sausage Surprise]

In any event, Im only aware of RBS actually binning dual applications from different agents.

EDS did it where I used to work.

[TheBigYinJames]

In any event, Im only aware of RBS actually binning dual applications from different agents.

It happens more often than you think, and it's not usually a policy issue, just something HR departments do to cut down their workload.

[kanulondon]

This is probably not going to go down to well but here's my throw on this based upon the info you have provided.

Agent A sounds lazy - looked at your CV, good match is established, will put you forward.

Agent B sounds a bit more thorough. They have used a resource type person to make initial contact and see if you are interested. They have then checked your skills against the spec (and asked your opinion on how you rate yourself) and then passed your information on to the Account Manager who has also reviewed your CV and come back to you to see if you are happy for your CV to be submitted. Additionally the Account Manager has advised you of the client's recruitment process and how to maximise your application.

Apologies if I burst any bubbles here but at the moment the average JobServe advert gathers well over 60 odd candidates and it takes time to work through these applications.

If both Agent A and Agent B are on the PSL of the client then Agent B is really working hard to make things happen, Agent A is floating along.

What worries me is that you cannot see that. You preferred Agent A just breezing you through rather than Agent B who has attempted due diligence, making sure you would be a good fit.

BTW the client sounds like a certain oil company, if so, then Agent B is doing things right, Agent A isn't and will probably find themselves kicked off the PSL soon.

Thanks for everyone comments on this.

Agent B still didn't leave me with a good feeling, felt like pushy salesmen, trying to get to me to bulltip my CV. But as ADA mentions, they may have been looking out for my best interests

Only time will tell

KL

[BrilloPad]

This is probably not going to go down to well but here's my throw on this based upon the info you have provided.

Agent A sounds lazy - looked at your CV, good match is established, will put you forward.

Agent B sounds a bit more thorough. They have used a resource type person to make initial contact and see if you are interested. They have then checked your skills against the spec (and asked your opinion on how you rate yourself) and then passed your information on to the Account Manager who has also reviewed your CV and come back to you to see if you are happy for your CV to be submitted. Additionally the Account Manager has advised you of the client's recruitment process and how to maximise your application.

Apologies if I burst any bubbles here but at the moment the average JobServe advert gathers well over 60 odd candidates and it takes time to work through these applications.

If both Agent A and Agent B are on the PSL of the client then Agent B is really working hard to make things happen, Agent A is floating along.

What worries me is that you cannot see that. You preferred Agent A just breezing you through rather than Agent B who has attempted due diligence, making sure you would be a good fit.

BTW the client sounds like a certain oil company, if so, then Agent B is doing things right, Agent A isn't and will probably find themselves kicked off the PSL soon.

I had trouble believing that any contractor would write the above - then I noticed who posted it.

From the original post it sounds like agent B are cowboys.

[TheBigYinJames]

Agent B still didn't leave me with a good feeling, felt like pushy salesmen, trying to get to me to bulltip my CV. But as ADA mentions, they may have been looking out for my best interests

I think even agents know that you have to get past keyword filters sometimes. My take on it would be that any client (or agent) who requires a keyword filter in order to process an application which has already been solicited is not worth dealing with.

Keyword filters have their uses to find relevant CVs from a big list, but once you have a CV you like, you shouldn't have to make it comply with the list in order to get it send to the client - it should be a search tool only, not a vetting process, and any agent or client who doesn't understand this is obviously a tit.

[Another Dodgy Agent]

From the original post it sounds like agent B are cowboys.

LOL, sorry but its funny, Agent B are "cowboys" because they are using good practice and identifying which candidates are really good for the role, whereas Agent A (in your world) are alright because they just breeze the candidate's CV through?

What worries me is I may have to deal with you one day and that I may put you forward to one of my clients and the above is your attitude, sorry but it scares me,it really does.