Agencies to avoid....

[Brussels Slumdog]

It was something along those lines.

I'm hearing that "daily rates are down, it's the shape of the current market" but it seems to be only pimps that tell me this. These f**kers are getting worse.

qh

I always reply by saying that Agent X and Agent Y who I have always contracted with say that the rates have not gone down but are going up so your margin must have gone up
or
The rates in the UK maybe be going down but the rates in Germany are going up

[Earl Purple]

For Mr Agency who went on about "cultural fit".

Cultural fit is useful, but not essential for a contractor. That is, if it really is a contractor role, i.e. one where they are being hired to do a specific task, and get it done. The best way to ensure the contractor "fits" well into the role is to be honest up front with them about what they are going to be asked to do.

If I am told up front that the work is not going to be that exciting, that it's a 6-month job to get something converted with fixing a bunch of bugs and a bit of optimisation and that's all, then if I accept this role I will know what I am going there to do, and won't expect any more.

If I am hired being told they want me to revolutionise their system, then I will go in with that mentality. If they don't really want me to do that and were just using it as a "sell", don't be surprised if I don't "fit" well when I get there.

Of course, if it's a permie job, or a pseudo-permie (they want you there for a long time, joining a team and doing whatever they feel is required at the time), then I agree I need to culturally fit into that environment (which most of the time I don't, and is why I chose to be a contractor).

[BolshieBastard]

I can see a ban coming on here!

[quackhandle]

Should have replied 'Yeah but I havent!'

It was something along those lines.

Me: "it's funny that agents always say that the client has reduced the rate. Nothing to do extending your percentage is it?"
Pimp: <nervous laughter> Errr.... no."

I'm hearing that "daily rates are down, it's the shape of the current market" but it seems to be only pimps that tell me this. These f**kers are getting worse.

qh

[Gym beast]

I would have to say in my opinion Spring IT are by far the worst. They plonk you on client sites....

you hear nothing from them and to top it off you have to use "the portal" to register time sheets and get paid....

Its more of a black whole... they never pay you as per their T&C's and what they stipulate on their web site and it took almost a week last time to respond to a query. If you submit any expenses then you might as well just forget being paid as this just breaks the whole process.

I suspect this is an outsourced arrangement.

Had a couple of stints with them now and I will give them a wide berth in future...

Bit surprised to hear that, they were my VEWWY FWIRST Deeby-yayyy!! gig back in 2K, and apart from one dumb*ss call, which I dumb*ssedly returned during my lunch hour, only for the Springman to start asking "What the chances were of extending?", they were pretty ok. Shame they seem to have gone downhill, still have very fond memories of that short gig.

[BolshieBastard]

Financial gig advertised at 350-400 so I send my CV over yesterday. Call from pimp this morning "sorry the client has altered the daily rate to £300".

yeah of course they have.

qh

Should have replied 'Yeah but I havent!'

[quackhandle]

e synergy

Financial gig advertised at 350-400 so I send my CV over yesterday. Call from pimp this morning "sorry the client has altered the daily rate to £300".

yeah of course they have.

qh

[d000hg]

In general, I would really love to find a way to rid the Industry of these blood-sucking Parasites (wouldn't we all) that add Yards to the overall Cost.

Personally, I will not deal with any Pimp that speaks with an Indian accent - or, work for Companies like Wipro, Tata, InfoSys etc either i.e. The Bob COs. And, neither will I deal with the OffShore.

Racist, offensive AND a fancy font!

[NDawg]

Actually most corporate switchboards are set up to withhold numbers, it is not a sign of being dodgy, although it can be a sign that their internal IT is a bit lazy.

That's because the default config for switchboards is to give out the main number, so if you get a missed call and try to return a call you get a switchboard for a company with hundreds or thousands of staff who can't help if you say "I got a call from this number".

Doubtful in this case. I've had calls for legitimate roles from a pimp there before that's been squared away, albeit with terrible rate offers. She'd always call me from a number that showed the main switchboard callback as ID and would make a legitimate effort to present me with a spec.

This clown on the other hand...straight into prior rates, promising me a perfect job (for which I STILL haven't recieved a spec) and just generally coming across as if he's fishing for leads or killing time in the office by calling someone for the sake of it.

I don't have time for any of that. Recs that play the game right and come to me with something good, i'm willing to work with them. A case-in-point, this new contract i'm on needs additional people. I'm bringing guys I know on board. I probably may not get much or any money out of it, but that isn't important because the rec's done me right up to this point, scored me a sweet rate and I want to work with people I trust. That rec is an example of a good rec, and i'm happy with giving them a little extra business.

The guy i'm referring to above though? The only thing he'll get out of me in the future will likely be a laugh and a hangup if he tries to fish again.

[quackhandle]

I can see your point here, but then again it depends upon the recruiter...
It's interesting that the tone of this post, it is worth remembering that some sort of filtering in theory is what an agent is supposed to be being paid for.

. . . .

. . . .

And it went on...

The online test I'm not bothered about it was the fact that the interview was AT the pimp location and not client site. Surprise surprise, I have not heard back from them.

qh