Rude agents

[rocktronAMP]

OK. So agent contacts me, tells me about a contract and asks for my CV and promises to send me a job spec. Then contacts me again to ask a few questions. Then I ask where job spec is, agent ignores me. Then I ask if this is still a goer and whether I'm going to be put forward, agent ignores me.

Anything wrong with my behaviour so far NLUK?

Speculation. But the behaviour is typical of the less than average agents, even for permanent roles.

Sounds like the agent did not have a full CV of yours.
Then when he or she received, your CV did not quite fulfill the requirement and therefore you were shelved.

One trick that I have learnt is to have two CVs: A very brief CV and a full CV. The very brief CV is hosted up on Monster and JobServe is open to agents, and has stipulations like: this is a very brief CV and you can get full CV by sending me a job spec with full reference it. I say on my `promotional' brief CV, I contract in this sector, in central London only, and of course the skills I can help the business with.

Sadly, this does not prevent rude behaviour, but now you know who this agent is, so just move on to the next one. You got their number and so you prioritize them as the back of the queue. Other agents who are cool get the nice approachable response from you. This is the other trick, start to record how people agents behave. Did they call you first? Email you? Did you get an interview? Did you ever get feedback? Over a long period time, you will build a picture and start thinking like a marketing or campaign manager. Ask the questions who? what? where? when? and how? (this works for both contracts and permanent)

[northernladyuk]

Agents clever?

Oxymoron?

An oxymoron is what you get when an agent breathes oxygen.

[curtis]

When I have asked for job specs to be sent through most of the time I have then get told that they don't have one just yet as its a new role. Then they just carry on.

Now I know that's probably the sign that it does not exist but when I'm there on the bench I can't help but think maybe it might be the case as I have had a few jobs where there has been no job spec but there has been an actual job as I either got an interview or got the job.

I suppose rule of thumb is if the job is real they will mainly talk about the role if they focus too much on everything else then it is probably not real. I have had some very rude agents and I get annoyed with myself for letting them get to me so much after!

[MaryPoppins]

Water off a ducks back for me too.

If they want you, they'll be on the phone in a nanosecond!

Do you think phoning/emailing them they'll be like "tulip, I forgot about you mate, you got that role, you up for it"

all you'll get is "just waiting for client to get back to me" etc, or some other bulltulip.

+1. I never 'chase' an agent; if they are interested, they will call. If not, they probably won't. So what?

[TheFaQQer]

When I was looking for my first contract, I had an agency line up an interview with a client for me, to take place at 11am. I asked if they could change it to 930 so that I could get there, interview, and be back at work for the afternoon. I left it with the agent saying "I'll check if they can change it and give you a call back".

I'm still waiting for confirmation of the new interview time

[kevpuk]

When I was looking for my first contract, I had an agency line up an interview with a client for me, to take place at 11am. I asked if they could change it to 930 so that I could get there, interview, and be back at work for the afternoon. I left it with the agent saying "I'll check if they can change it and give you a call back".

I'm still waiting for confirmation of the new interview time

Surely it has to be worth giving them a call....

[TheFaQQer]

Surely it has to be worth giving them a call....

I sent an email a year later asking if there was any news.

Still waiting.

[Antman]

I sent an email a year later asking if there was any news.

Still waiting.

Boom-boom!

Reminds me of that joke where the woman is making an emotional appeal for her husband who disappeared a year ago when he went to buy a pint of milk. Did he have a message for her husband?

"yeh, if they don't have full-fat, get semi-skimmed"