Pimp Blacklist

[dork]

Has anyone started a blacklist of dodgy agents? I think it would be a useful tool for us newbies!

[DodgyAgent]

Has anyone started a blacklist of dodgy agents? I think it would be a useful tool for us newbies!

Contractors like the rest of us will go where the jobs are no matter which agent is handling them. This is the most important bit of information you can have

[boredsenseless]

Has anyone started a blacklist of dodgy agents? I think it would be a useful tool for us newbies!

I find that there really isn't such a thing as a dodgy agent, just a dodgy relationship.

I might have a really good experience with an agent who you feel has right royally shafted you. The next agent the situation may be reversed.

The simple (and in my view only important facts here are)

1: Unless you are going to find your own work they are a necessary fact of life - and if they are necessary then they can dictate the "value" of their input - rather like a plumber, changing a washer is a simple job, but if you aren't up to the task yourself you pay what he asks or the house gets ruined.

2: The rate he charges you at is inconsequential, you've asked (or been told and accepted) for a rate, if you think its too low say so, you're in business not a slave that has to do your masters bidding. Changing your mind once you find out how much more the agent can make just makes you look silly, if you don't know your value learn it and then ask for it.

3: Take the time to decide on 3 or 4 agents that you can work with and keep in contact with them, remind them every so often you exist, like everyone else they are more likely to build a working relationship with you if you give something back rather than only picking up the phone when you want something.

Learning the fact that only you can govern your rate, and the fact you get paid a sh1t rate is because you were cr@p at negotiating is a far better tool for newbies than wasting precious time perpetuating the contractor / agent hate war.

[mcquiggd]

Id just like to add to the last post that once youve been a contractor for a while, you while find agents courting you. I was put forward for one role but in the meantime someone moved faster and I have signed the contract with that client as I felt that the market would slow down soon for the time of year, and its better to have a contract locally that lasts me through to April, than one for 12 months that I might not get.

Some agents will say to you 'ill call you after the first week - if you arent happy, well continue to represent you to company X' - this is normally after id already aced the technical tests, but the company had been too slow moving to make a decision. If it takes more than a week after youve been interviewed, then I forget it, as a general rule.

Ive had phone calls from agents on boxing day, sunday evenings, all sorts.

Take my old tip - get a PAYG phone and dont use it for outoging calls - just use it to filter agents and put that on your CV. When you feel you are being treated properly by the agent, maybe give out your main number. (I have two PDAs/Phones with Microsoft Voice Control that speak to me and say who is calling - without me needing to record any names at all - and its very useful). If it stays quiet its a withheld number and you can garuntee its an agent - so you can ignore it and filter them via voicemail).

[BoredBloke]

There used to be a place on the web where people could rate and comment on agencies but the bigger ones had it closed down due to the number of negative comments on there. I thought it was quite a good idea and something useful to a newbie to help warn them of some of the sharks out there.