f'kin agents!

[BoredBloke]

In the middle of a email conversation with an agent.

He posts a job on Jobserve for a trainee project manager.

I respond asking for some idea of the rate

He emails back stating 'Not a great deal. They are looking for someone quite junior. '

So I respond with

"How Junior - what are they looking to pay?"

To which I get

"Submission rates are driven by what candidates are looking for (£/hour)"

Why not answer the f'kin question!! All I want to know is if the role is ok based on the rate - but this guy won't tell me what it is.

[Zippy]

In the middle of a email conversation with an agent.


Why not answer the f'kin question!! All I want to know is if the role is ok based on the rate - but this guy won't tell me what it is.

'Cos he doesn't want you to find out (or guess) what the client is willing to pay him.

If I were to hazard a guess he's looking to get a number of asking rates and he'll choose the lowest to submit - it makes FA difference to the rate he'll charge the client. As its a 'junior' role (he reasons) you'll only need to be able to type stuff into MS Project and turn up for the many, many meetings on time so it doesn't really matter if the best candidate gets the job.

Or is it just me???

[BobTheCrate]

If the agent won't give you a ball park figure, then just quote the pr1ck your std rate if you have one. Tell him in the absence of professional information you can only quote a std rate.

[rootsnall]

Its all part of the game !

It made me laugh when I just sold a house and got a few agents round for valuations and it was exactly the same. I asked how much do you reckon and they all tried the "well what do you think" approach.

[BoredBloke]

Get this. His latest answer!

"Well there is a upper limit for submissions, but it is unlikely that they will pay this much. However if I were give this out to candidates then they would want to be submitted at this rate. My client asks for applicants previous years earnings, submissions are usually put forward at this figure plus a reasonable increase."

So tell me what the upper limit is!!!!

[Ardesco]

submissions are usually put forward at this figure plus a reasonable increase

I suggest you reply with "Bollocks, you will charge the upper rate no matter what and keep the rest you slimey little tulip." and see what comes back Do you know who the client is? You could always phone them and say you have a slimey agent on the phone who won't tell you how much they are willing to pay and if they are not going to pay your quoted rate what are they going to pay. That would feck him up a bit

[BoredBloke]

My response

Bearing in mind he has said they want a jnr for this role

"But how do I know if their upper limit is miles away from my lower one?

So if you got somebody who ticked all the boxes, would they go for the top rate? If so, and as I consider myself to tick all the boxes, what is the top rate?"

Why doesn't he simply give a number and stop acting like a tit?

[shaunbhoy]

Why doesn't he simply give a number and stop acting like a tit?

Because he's an agent?

[Bagpuss]

Tony, Why don't you get the client details from him and then go direct?

[BoredBloke]

If he won't tell me the rate then he is hardly likely to let me know who they are. I wasn't really that interested in the position, but the fact that he is being such an @rse about it means that I want to get him to tell me the rate.