Grrrr mistakes dealing with agents. What mistakes have you made?

[Denny]

why the hell do you need references?

Surely you are a business, dealing with a business?

Soon as anyone starts talking about references I say. Excuse me, I am not applying for a job, references are not required.

Business references are not that unusual. It's not a permie thing at all.

[Jason]

Usually they are not meaning business references though.

I have reference sites if they want to visit my clients, but they way agences usually say it. They mean it in the same sense that you would provide references for a permie job.


Guess it depends if they want references for YOU, or your company

[Denny]

Usually they are not meaning business references though.

I have reference sites if they want to visit my clients, but they way agences usually say it. They mean it in the same sense that you would provide references for a permie job.


Guess it depends if they want references for YOU, or your company

I have a brochure that has testimonial quotations from former clients on it. This is usually enough to satisfy some enquirers.

[TheFaQQer]

why the hell do you need references?

Surely you are a business, dealing with a business?

Soon as anyone starts talking about references I say. Excuse me, I am not applying for a job, references are not required.

if you don't opt out of the agency regulations, then they legally need to undertake more checks on you than if you do opt out.

[KentPhilip]

I heard a good idea the other day: If they want references, give them the contact details of the agency who dealt with your previous gig.

That'll stop them in their tracks.

[tim123]

A bit like the scottish bloke in the great escape who got exposed as a british person by saying "yes thanks" to a german's "good luck".

I've never understood that scene. Anyone who's fluent enough in a language not to be 'caught' because they used a word in the wrong context (and there are lots of possibilities in English to German translations) is going to be so immersed in speaking the foreign language, that they aren't going to make this mistake.

tim