Agency Dilemma

[jsc]

first thing's first - i really hate dealing with agencies !!!!

In the past i've had most of my contracts thru word of mouth, contacts etc, but now i find myself having to deal with agencies

what's the story with multiple agencies advertising the same position ? Is it advisable to go with just the one agency or send your CV into all of them hoping that if one agency doesn't like your CV, the others will ?

I know agencies don't want you to go thru other agencies for the same role for the obvious reasons, but do the companies mind getting your CV more than once ?

I've recruited contractors before and i haven't minded getting duplicate CVs in

Cheers

[expat]

I know agencies don't want you to go thru other agencies for the same role for the obvious reasons, but do the companies mind getting your CV more than once ?

Cheers

AIUI some do, some don't. I've never understood why multiple arrivals of the same CV get binned: since agencies usually won't tell you exactly where you're being put in to, it's not really something you can always avoid.

I can think of why you might not want it, from 2 experiences of my own.

1. I had my CV go in from 2 agencies: client refused the first one and then accepted the second. First agency insisted that they had first dibs because they had put me in first (conveniently ignoring the fact that they had had a shot and failed to get me the contract).
2. An agency put my CV in, telling me my rate was OK, only to be told by the client that they already had my CV from another agency, but at only 2/3 of the rate. Soon after the first agency called me and said that they had put my CV in without getting my OK, because it was urgent and they had tried to get in touch with me. There was just one problem, the client would only pay a lower rate....

(That was Smarteo in Paris, not to be touched with etc)

Agencies will of course foam at the mouth at the though of you going via someone else. Frankly I don't see the logic: they will also tell you (just ask DA) that your contract is with them, not with the client (as in, "it's none of your business how much the client pays me"). But logically, if that's true, then by looking at several agencies you are only assessing the market. After all, if one travel agent offers you a BA flight at one price, you're free to see if other travel agents will offer you the same flight at a better price. It's the same flight, but the market is made between you and your seller, the travel agent. Likewise, if Scrooge Consulting offers you a contract with Excepture at 300/day, aren't you free to see if Dodgy Agencies will pay you 400 for the same contract? Your market is with the agencies, they are competing for you. If one will give you a better deal than another on the same product, why not take it? (Just don't tell them I said so, or they'll blacklist me. Hahahaha)