Depressing and amazing chat to an agent

**BrilloPad** · 21 August 2012, 14:43

You lost 5 minutes of your life you will never get back?

**JamJarST** · 21 August 2012, 14:43

Originally posted by MyUserName View Post

I had a phone call lunch time to discuss a role. They gave the broad requirements of a dev position in an investment bank, I interupted them:

Me: "Actually, I am already in a contract until end of November"
Her: "So that is three months?"
Me: "Erm ... yes"
Her: "That is not a problem"
Me: "What?"
Her: "What is your minimum rate?"
Me: "3 months is not a problem, sorry? My minimum depends on where it is"
Her: "London"
Me: "Where in London?"
Her: "London"
Me: "I know, where in London? For example, if it is Canary Whalf I charge £550 a day"
Her: "It is not, it is central"
Me: "Well then it will be between £500 and £600 per day - probably, depending on the nature of the role"
Her: "Oh, they have put £300 a day here"
Me: "*laughs* For an experienced software developer, in an investment bank with finance knowledge, in the middle of London?"
Her: "What is your minimum rate?"
Me: "I just said - at least £500, that assumes it is next to my arrival train station and a good role"
Her: "Can I put your minimum at £475?"
Me: "Why? You said their max was £300 and I said my minimum is £500"
Her: "Okay, I will forward you the job spec?"
Me: "What? Why?"
Her: "Nice to talk to you, bye"

Me: Erm ... what the hell just happened???!?!

Was it one of those call centre Bob agents? I have had loads of calls like that with people from Delhi or Mumbai and they always start at £300 and have no idea about UK locations.

**MyUserName** · 21 August 2012, 14:46

Originally posted by JamJarST View Post

Was it one of those call centre Bob agents? I have had loads of calls like that with people from Delhi or Mumbai and they always start at £300 and have no idea about UK locations.

Bugger me, yes it was! Ah, I thought I was special.

**JamJarST** · 21 August 2012, 14:55

Originally posted by MyUserName View Post

Bugger me, yes it was! Ah, I thought I was special.

Sorry to burst your bubble but you're not

I have had the conversation nearly word for word, I often suspect that they are working for the large BOB consultancies gathering evidence to show to their clients how much cheaper offshoring is!

**northernladuk** · 21 August 2012, 15:11

Originally posted by MyUserName View Post

Bugger me, yes it was! Ah, I thought I was special.

Gonna have to do a bit better than that.....

**NotAllThere** · 22 August 2012, 06:28

The "Oh, they have put £300 a day here" should have alerted you. The figure you get paid isn't the figure the client say they'll pay. You should've asked who "they" is. (are?).

**MyUserName** · 22 August 2012, 08:07

Originally posted by NotAllThere View Post

The "Oh, they have put £300 a day here" should have alerted you. The figure you get paid isn't the figure the client say they'll pay. You should've asked who "they" is. (are?).

You do not think I should have been alerted by the '3 months is not a problem' bit?

**VirtualMonkey** · 22 August 2012, 08:29

Originally posted by MyUserName View Post

You do not think I should have been alerted by the '3 months is not a problem' bit?

Agent: "It's okay, 3 months is not a problem"
Me: "Then I fear you are looking for a permie candidate. Who do I send my invoice to for this blatant waste of time fishing exercise?"
*click*

**Gentile** · 22 August 2012, 08:42

Originally posted by MyUserName View Post

I had a phone call lunch time to discuss a role. They gave the broad requirements of a dev position in an investment bank, I interupted them:

Me: "Actually, I am already in a contract until end of November"
Her: "So that is three months?"
Me: "Erm ... yes"
Her: "That is not a problem"
Me: "What?"
Her: "What is your minimum rate?"
Me: "3 months is not a problem, sorry? My minimum depends on where it is"
Her: "London"
Me: "Where in London?"
Her: "London"
Me: "I know, where in London? For example, if it is Canary Whalf I charge £550 a day"
Her: "It is not, it is central"
Me: "Well then it will be between £500 and £600 per day - probably, depending on the nature of the role"
Her: "Oh, they have put £300 a day here"
Me: "*laughs* For an experienced software developer, in an investment bank with finance knowledge, in the middle of London?"
Her: "What is your minimum rate?"
Me: "I just said - at least £500, that assumes it is next to my arrival train station and a good role"
Her: "Can I put your minimum at £475?"
Me: "Why? You said their max was £300 and I said my minimum is £500"
Her: "Okay, I will forward you the job spec?"
Me: "What? Why?"
Her: "Nice to talk to you, bye"

Me: Erm ... what the hell just happened???!?!

Sounds like you had them sussed from the get go, and dealt with the call professionally.

My advice, FWIW, is not to waste too much time after the fact pondering about those inevitable wasted conversations you get with 'agents' that are clearly on no more than fishing trips (for leads, for price comparisons, to see if you'll be gullible enough to allow them to make a 50% mark-up on your services). You'll speak to a lot of them as a contractor.

It's a bit like when you're the hiring manager: your aim isn't (or shouldn't be) to ensure that you avoid meeting the wrong people, but rather to ensure that you're open enough that you don't reject the right candidates when they come along. That, unfortunately, means reviewing a lot of unsuitable CVs by hand, and selecting those few that make the grade.

Similarly, with agents, you'll inevitably speak with a lot of them before you identify the one that has the right opportunity at the right price at the right time. If you were to treat them all with contempt, you'd never get to meet that right one amongst the chancers and timewasters you also need to review.

Depressing and amazing chat to an agent