Trial start

[Joe Black]

Just spoke again to the agent, asked him to simply forward my CV to the client so who knows...maybe there's a possible role, maybe not.

Edit:

Persistent people, just had one of his colleagues on the phone for the last half-hour trying to convince me to change my mind....

[messiah]

do not do the free work, it seems like a free consultation to me, or a free days contracting.

Who would say to Naomi Campbell, come around we will do a photo shoot of you and if we like the photos then we will take you on a contract.

DO NOT DO IT FOR FREE.

I've seen small companies issue long 'home' examination sessions prior to interview in order to get free work out of people and good ideas.

DO NOT GO THERE !!!

[Rebecca Loos]

Or you could go and once on site, talk the client into going direct with you instead of going thru CF

Screw CF!!!

[reformation]

Or you could go and once on site, talk the client into going direct with you instead of going thru CF

Screw CF!!!

Thats a helpful thing to do... and they say agents are out of order?!?

[Rebecca Loos]

Yes, agents like Computer Futures are way out of order buddy

[reformation]

Yes, agents like Computer Futures are way out of order buddy

Yeah they dont have a great reputation but your suggestion of f'ing them over isnt really very helpful! Two wrongs dont make a right and all that ;-) On the subject of this topic i'd say dont do the work for free unless you're DESPERATE for a contract.

[voron]

Yeah they dont have a great reputation but your suggestion of f'ing them over isnt really very helpful! Two wrongs dont make a right and all that ;-)

Reformation, I agree with you. But guess what? I'm the poor relation on this forum and there's a good reason for that (well, apart from congenital stupidity, but working in the public sector that's an advantage!). Being helpful, moral and honest have proved expensive characteristics for me. I'd like to say that those traits enable me to sleep more easily at night; but it's under a rented roof

[xoggoth]

Dunno that I would agree with that Messiah. I have a philosophy in life "Always trust people and take what they say at face value"

Sub Clause. PROVIDED IT DOESN'T COST YOU TOO MUCH TO DO SO!

A day spent does not seem like a great cost set against a possibility of a good contract. Frankly, unless you are Threaded, it would have to be a pretty tulipty no brain contract if one could do anything that useful in a day. The "face value" explanation, that they are simply trying to make an assessment of you, seems the more logical.

[thunderlizard]

If we were talking about a day's fruit picking or cockle fishing I'd agree it's taking liberties. But in most areas of IT contracting there's not much you can usually do in a day, so I the client's not unlikely to be getting anything of value for free. Heck, it generally takes me 3 weeks to figure out what I'm supposed to be doing in

Plus you'd spend that day selling rather than doing meaningful work. So I'd be inclined to treat it as a foot in the door, like those management consultants who will do you a free initial report (that concludes you need to buy shedloads of mgt. consultancy).

[Not So Wise]

Yeah they dont have a great reputation but your suggestion of f'ing them over isnt really very helpful! Two wrongs dont make a right and all that ;-) On the subject of this topic i'd say dont do the work for free unless you're DESPERATE for a contract.

No it's not helpful, nor is it nice nor moral BUT know the old saying "nice guys come last"?

This can definatly apply in the world of contracting. When i first started I tried to work according to the standards of ethics of my normal life (rather long and convulted but the bottom line is "do unto others as you would wish done unto you") and guess what?
It cost me a hell of a lot of money and majority of the cost was due to agents screwing me over (rest was from clients screwing about)

Now my policy is, If they are nice and polite and seem honest, be the same but at the slightest "infraction", no matter how minor, that will cost me, all gloves are off and it is perfectly acceptable to shaft them with a 10 foot barge pole.

And CF have been on my tulip list for a long long long time and really should be on everyone else's because they screw every contractor they can. Soon as they and a few other agencys like them are put out biz the better for us all, contractors, clients and honest (or even semi honest) agencys alike.