Agents again...this made me laugh

[Mich the Tester]

The chuckle brothers of the recruitment world. One joker suggested I 'get fired' from a gig because he has a dead-cert for me to start within a day or so.

Yep, my email was from Regressive....

They're notorious here in NL, to the point that only the uninitiated will talk to them. They always call me with 'I am Peter, manager of the testing department of our benelux division and...bla bla bla'. Then I say, 'oh, you're the replacement for Paul, who obviously left two weeks ago, who'd replaced John who left two weeks before and Fred who called me one month ago and Jim who called me two months ago'.

[Fandango]

I always enjoy a fishign call when the conversation goes somethign like this

Them > "I assume you're still at CompanyX as it says on your CV"
Me > "yes that's right" <truth>
Them > "ah we've done lots of work with them in the past, its been a while though, is Timmy Mallet (cue made up name) still head of Development there?"
Me > "yes thats right"
Them > awkward pause...."Um oh right ok, it was a while ago are you sure, he hasn't moved on"
Me > "yep absolutely, they're still there, saw him this mornign in fact"

[DodgyAgent]

They're notorious here in NL, to the point that only the uninitiated will talk to them. They always call me with 'I am Peter, manager of the testing department of our benelux division and...bla bla bla'. Then I say, 'oh, you're the replacement for Paul, who obviously left two weeks ago, who'd replaced John who left two weeks before and Fred who called me one month ago and Jim who called me two months ago'.

These Dutch need to put a cap on the turnover of their employees

[Jeebo72]

Sounds like Progressive; I don't even talk with them.

Nope Vertical IT. Igor. Tw@t.

[Mich the Tester]

These Dutch need to put a cap on the turnover of their employees

That's right DA, rub a Jonny Foreigner's nose in it.

[Doggy Styles]

I always enjoy a fishign call when the conversation goes somethign like this

Them > "I assume you're still at CompanyX as it says on your CV"
Me > "yes that's right" <truth>
Them > "ah we've done lots of work with them in the past, its been a while though, is Timmy Mallet (cue made up name) still head of Development there?"
Me > "yes thats right"
Them > awkward pause...."Um oh right ok, it was a while ago are you sure, he hasn't moved on"
Me > "yep absolutely, they're still there, saw him this mornign in fact"

Not THE Timmy Mallet? He's head of development at my ClientCo.

[TheFaQQer]

I've just had another email offering to add me to their "pre-referenced" list of contractors so that I'll be ready to go as soon as the work arrives....

In return, they promise to keep in regular contact.

Now there's a deal I can't turn down, surely!

[Freamon]

Play em at their own game....

Next time you're asked for references pre-interview give them a load of fictitious names and emails, or if they want details of recent interviews then again provide a load of made up jobs and phone numbers.

After they've spent days chasing round after non-existent leads they'll soon give up digging, or maybe not, but at least you'll have the satisfaction of knowing you've wasted their time

Taken to its logical conclusion such an approach could turn into a very long drawn out battle of attrition.

[sbakoola]

FTFY

To be quite honest with you these emails like this don't bother me as much as the phone calls I sometimes receive from agents because I have a dedicated hotmail account that I am using just for the purposes of my dealings with agents (which isn't many because all of my work is coming from dedicated agancy for whom I act as a consultant).

I was

I got a dedicated e-mail and a dedicated 'business phone' which doesn't get answered when I'm in a contract, I get about 8-19 messages per week left on that phone from agents.

Most agents are calling to fish other agents have more sinister intentions i.e. find out which contract I'm in, find my manager's name and try absolutely anything to have me replaced - even agents who have placed me in the past have attempted this foul practice which is why I only communicate with agents when I am out of contract.

I know every agent trick inside out, I've seen agents come and go in the industry, also IT managers come and go in the industry. Agents you will not be able to afford a Gucci handbag this Christmas I guarantee this fact. I'm on to you.

[MaryPoppins]

I do enjoy these threads.

However - I'm the most popular and in demand contractor ever. Fact!