What is with the Agents

[edison]

Some agents say they don't have specs.

I've had a couple of telephone interviews like that.

Even where a spec does exist, sometimes they are very poor. Sometimes I've been approached for a role where the agent's job description is about three lines long...

[Batcher]

Send the reference to the clientco to help your mate.
Also explain how the pimp behaved so maybe the clientco will ditch the agency.

I think the ClientCo would think it was a bit creepy to receive a reference out of the blue from someone they had never heard of for someone they were interviewing that day. It may even put them off my mate. His skills should be enough to get him the gig anyway.

ETA - I don't think the agency were acting properly by giving me the interviewer's name and email address. I'll be wary if he ever asks me for any of my details.

[MattZani]

Mate phoned me the other day and asked if would it be ok if he gave me as a reference to an agency. Sure thing I say so they phone and ask about his suitability for a role they have.

I gave a glowing reference and at the end the agent asks if I can email him a summary of what I had said but it would be off the record. I said "how can it be off the record when it's in an email?". I agree to do it though as everything I said was true.

Agent calls back today and says my mate has a phone interview lined up. It would really help if I could sent that email as a reference to the ClientCo before the interview. WTF!!!???

I asked, as a contractor, what's in it for me since he would be getting commision and agency fees? Just gratitude he says but the promise that he would help me get contracts when I was available...

Send the reference to the clientco to help your mate.
Also explain how the pimp behaved so maybe the clientco will ditch the agency.

[Batcher]

Mate phoned me the other day and asked if would it be ok if he gave me as a reference to an agency. Sure thing I say so they phone and ask about his suitability for a role they have.

I gave a glowing reference and at the end the agent asks if I can email him a summary of what I had said but it would be off the record. I said "how can it be off the record when it's in an email?". I agree to do it though as everything I said was true.

Agent calls back today and says my mate has a phone interview lined up. It would really help if I could sent that email as a reference to the ClientCo before the interview. WTF!!!???

I asked, as a contractor, what's in it for me since he would be getting commision and agency fees? Just gratitude he says but the promise that he would help me get contracts when I was available...

[Eirikur]

Always ask for a phone interview first.
Keep in mind that, if agents can't find a more suitable candidate, thye will lie to you about the job spec and to the end client about your skills, everything to get you in front of them in the hope there is a tiny chance you will get the contract (and they get their commission).

[vwdan]

You should get a job/role spec, to verify for yourself you are suitable.
Take your CV along to the interview, and ensure its the same one as clientco got.

Massively manipulating a CV is a strange one, as even the agent must know the interviewer would find out!

If you are inclined to do so, you might want to suggest agent has deliberately misrepresented you.
Ask them, innocently, whether making false representations on a CV is illegal.
And whether their actions could be construed as deliberate fraud.
Only if you want to, mind.

While I was looking for my first contract, I had the following phone call:

Agent: Hi, VWDan, I've got a role here that you may interested in - [role details]
Me: Yeah, that sounds interesting.
Agent: Great, there is something that worries me though.
Me: Which is?
Agent: Your last job title.
Me: Uhm?
Agent: Yeah, it's just not a very good one. Can we change it?
Me: Well, it was my job title.
Agent: I know, but I think we need to adjust it.
Me: Well, to...what?
Agent: I don't know, we just need to make it sound better and more technical. What about [Insert list of random job titles that neither reflected me or the role that I was doing]
Me: I, well, they don't really work and it's all over my LinkedIn etc.

Eventually, after some debate, she relented and sent it (supposedly) as is. I actually got offered an interview for that role on the same day I signed my first contract.

What pissed me off the most is that she was bemoaning that it wasn't a pure technical role, despite the fact I'd left 3 years prior to come into a pure technical consultancy role.

[tractor]

...

I'm getting my information about the role from the agents. For this one I was told they required an analyst to work on a management model who has strong statistical knowledge. Ends up they wanted an accountant with some statistics to work on a financial model. I asked for a full JD but the agent said he didn't have one.

Then there's the usual "we require an analyst with basic-intermediate sql as querying databases will be required" only to find they need an experienced DBA with strong developer skills.

Not to worry. I'm off on holiday soon. Time to forget and relax but it is frustrating.

Did you ask the client for a copy of the spec they gave the agent. It's a leading question but if the client says we don't have one, you may have had 3 lucky escapes.

[northernladuk]

Indeed but three in a row? Unless it is the same agent all three times I suggest the OP changes tactics slightly as I don't think the issue lies solely with the agents.

[SueEllen]

Are you getting specs before being put forward so you can decide if it's a waste of time?

Some agents say they don't have specs.

I've had a couple of telephone interviews like that.

[Scotchpie]

I'm getting my information about the role from the agents. For this one I was told they required an analyst to work on a management model who has strong statistical knowledge. Ends up they wanted an accountant with some statistics to work on a financial model. I asked for a full JD but the agent said he didn't have one.

Then there's the usual "we require an analyst with basic-intermediate sql as querying databases will be required" only to find they need an experienced DBA with strong developer skills.

Not to worry. I'm off on holiday soon. Time to forget and relax but it is frustrating.

[evilagent]

You should get a job/role spec, to verify for yourself you are suitable.
Take your CV along to the interview, and ensure its the same one as clientco got.

Massively manipulating a CV is a strange one, as even the agent must know the interviewer would find out!

If you are inclined to do so, you might want to suggest agent has deliberately misrepresented you.
Ask them, innocently, whether making false representations on a CV is illegal.
And whether their actions could be construed as deliberate fraud.
Only if you want to, mind.

[northernladuk]

My question is why are you applying for roles you don't have the skills for? Are you getting specs before being put forward so you can decide if it's a waste of time?

[Scotchpie]

Grrrr, this is the third interview I've gone to today where the client needed a completely different set of skills to mine. I'm an information analyst and decision modeller, yes I know sql but only as a querying tool, I cannot build nor administer databases.

Today's interview however beat them all. The client actually wanted a permie chartered accountant and though I have an ACCA qualification, its only the basics. He showed me the heavily edited CV the agent sent and that qualification is all that is listed! Forget the statistics and modelling qualifications. Even the MBA was removed. Even the fact that it's only the basic qualification was removed and it instead simply said "ACCA" implying I was a chartered accountant.

This is the third interview that was a complete waste of everyone's time. Still at least it was short and there was plenty of time for several beers before my train home.