No Job Spec?

[bluedrop]

Hi All,
I've been contract hunting for a week now. I'm getting a few calls, but soemthing doesnt seem right. I have 2-3 agents calling me, telling me about a role. They then ask me to send my CV along with confirmation that I am okay with them representing me with XYZ client. When I ask for the job spec, they say "this role has come up just yesday, I've taken down notes over the phone"...or something like "Client is open, they have several roles"....most ridiculous thing I heard was "for contract roles, ppl dont bother writing a job spec"

Wondering if this is a common practice? Would you send your CV and approval for representation when you havent even seen the job spec??

Pour in your thoughts please!

[craig1]

It's not unusual. I'd say well over half of my contracts over the years have not had a job spec and the rest have had a job spec that's so vague it's irrelevant for what they really want. I don't think I've ever had a relevant work or role spec in the years I've been contracting.

[nomadd]

Would you send your CV and approval for representation when you havent even seen the job spec??

Nope. Although a decent verbal description of the role is good enough for me, if the agent seems genuine enough.

Mind you, I always insist on telephone interviews with the client first; I've been able to weed out a fair few unsuitable roles via that route over the years.

[northernladuk]

Same here. I have had at least one contract with no spec, just generic skills that relate to the title, last gig was given a Workstream lead role and told something like that, which it wasn't. In fact thinking about it I have had less giggs with correct job spec than haven't.

[SueEllen]

I had a job spec for my current role. However I'm doing something completely different.

Role before that it was the same.

Role before that it was the same........

Unfortunately you only can find out what you are suppose to be doing at interview by listening and asking questions to fill in the gaps.

[Fred Bloggs]

I had a job spec for my current role. However I'm doing something completely different.

Role before that it was the same.

Role before that it was the same........

Unfortunately you only can find out what you are suppose to be doing at interview by listening and asking questions to fill in the gaps.

............. and even then, it turns out to be different.

[Wanderer]

Wondering if this is a common practice? Would you send your CV and approval for representation when you havent even seen the job spec??

I've recruited for people and we've put out a bit of a crazy job spec - no one could have all those skills. What we were saying was that we had a budget to get a contractor in and we were wondering what was out there, what skills they could offer and what rate they were after. Clients don't always have a cosy little pigeon hole to put people in.

Other times it's the agency bulltulipting and they don't have a job at all - they are just gathering CVs and following up references for leads to jobs.

[Project Monkey]

Small/medium size client who have an urgent need often don't bother writing a full JD. I've taken a couple of gigs that have had a vague/weird JD, neither turned out to be what I prefer to do, but both were good learning experience.