Starting gig - agency dont like my LinkedIn update

[Eirikur]

Strange is why you would even link with an agent. They just use your profile to fish for contacts. Plus they spam the linkedin feed with loads of irrelevant jobs and facebook garbage.

It's a one way street.

At the very least change your privacy settings so they can't see your connections.

I do connect with agents, but all my contacts are blocked from being visible, only shared contacts can be seen
Every time my contract comes to an end I accept connections with them and delete them again after I found a new contract, bar a handfull who are more or less reliable

[mos]

I learnt the hard way that secrecy is the best policy when it comes to contract hunting. And keep looking until you are on site.

[Eirikur]

Have you ever had an enquiry that produced anything useful from an agent on Linkedin? I'm talking about a CV going across or better?

Yes but not many. The thing is every time you update your status they will see it. So for example I enter "available for new contracts" and they all look at my profile, I can see that the number of views goes up, which result in a couple of phone calls each time of which one or two can be relevant.

Had a contract through linkedin but that was a direct customer

[retrodeath]

I'm recruiting and check candidates LinkedIn profiles. I don't trust agencies. In one case there were big diff between LinkedIn and CV from agent. If I saw candidate was actively looking at other roles after I knew they'd signed up I'd be into the agent pretty sharpish. I would wonder if you still wanted the role or were looking for something better.

[cojak]

Yes but not many. The thing is every time you update your status they will see it. So for example I enter "available for new contracts" and they all look at my profile, I can see that the number of views goes up, which result in a couple of phone calls each time of which one or two can be relevant.

Had a contract through linkedin but that was a direct customer

I use 'avail for new opportunities from [next month]' as a way of chivvying my current client to produce that extension they've promised.

It's not failed yet...

[jmo21]

I use 'avail for new opportunities from [next month]' as a way of chivvying my current client to produce that extension they've promised.

It's not failed yet...

I usually just get the agent to do the chasing, and start dropping "who am I handing over too" hints.

[TheFaQQer]

I use 'avail for new opportunities from [next month]' as a way of chivvying my current client to produce that extension they've promised.

It's not failed yet...

+1

[northernladuk]

I use 'avail for new opportunities from [next month]' as a way of chivvying my current client to produce that extension they've promised.

It's not failed yet...

Is that what you did to have the Bradford gig asking you back?

[cojak]

Is that what you did to have the Bradford gig asking you back?

No, they were keen to have me back. I wasn't keen at all....

[SpontaneousOrder]

My brother has been in the business for ten years or so (recruiting/account managing) and seems to think that nearly 50% of people get their gigs via linkedin. He lends me his login to go fishing for places that have guys with my skillset currently contracting, and then I can find the internal recruiters and get in touch.