"I can't tell you who the client is right now...."

[newmove]

Just applied via a job board, call back from the agent who asks the usual question about my experience etc. and says he's more than happy to put me forward....but he can't say who the client is.

I understand that they don't want other agents to know about the gig, but I need to know who I'm applying for wok with. Normally I tell them that they don't have my permission to represent me unless they tell me the client, in which case the agent will say "well ok, but please keep it between us". But this time he wouldn't tell me at all.

Anyoe else get this from agents? How do you normally handle it?

It could be a Chinese Noodle company.

[northernladuk]

Yeah I have had this a lot, which I mentioned in another thread and NLUK called me a moron for suspecting them (in more polite terms)

Hmm I don't think that is true... I'm normally all over the moron line

[Rabotnik]

Yeah I have had this a lot, which I mentioned in another thread and NLUK called me a moron for suspecting them (in more polite terms)

[DallasDad]

It must backfire on pimps as well surely?

If they won't say who whilst putting people forward they must expect some contractors the client has selected for interview to say nope not interested working there /again/ever/out of principle/distance/got walked/deffo going to caught by IR35 etc.

Then pimp look pretty stupid especially if client picked only one and that one said bogoff.

[LondonManc]

If you can't tell me, then I don't know if I'd want my cv to go there is my standard reply. Then I get quite blunt - "look, I'm not going to be stupid enough to tell other agents that you've put me in for a gig at Client 123 and have 20 competing cvs turn up am I?"

I think part of it is that they want to be sure that you're not in the brigade of contractors who fall for the two references guff.

[stek]

It's worse when you are on a trail like this and eventually the agent comes back with;

"It's on site for cool_clientco but you'll be working through *WiPro......"

* or HCL, TCS, Cognizent etc....

[Bee]

He don’t know who the client is or he don't want to tell you?

[northernladuk]

Just applied via a job board, call back from the agent who asks the usual question about my experience etc. and says he's more than happy to put me forward....but he can't say who the client is.

I understand that they don't want other agents to know about the gig, but I need to know who I'm applying for wok with. Normally I tell them that they don't have my permission to represent me unless they tell me the client, in which case the agent will say "well ok, but please keep it between us". But this time he wouldn't tell me at all.

Anyoe else get this from agents? How do you normally handle it?

Yep had this a number of times. Thinking back I've had the whole range. Anything from telling me from the off, talking about 'the banking client in Knutsford' but never actually mentioning the name, not telling me until he has my CV and permission to represent and ones that won't tell me at all until the client is interested. Rather odd when he rings back and says are you available for an interview at 'xxxxx' and I'm all confused and say who? Don't remember that and then realise it was the one he wouldn't tell me.

I just fire it off and forget about it tbh. I can always turn it down if they come back to me with an interview so I'm not that bothered. I don't know if it's different in my area but the fake profiles for CV gathering appears a lot less common and I'm fairly sure most I apply for were genuine. In nearly all cases a role profile appears and the like.

[FrontEnder]

Ah, they were after a different type of "contractor".

[Unix]

Just applied via a job board, call back from the agent who asks the usual question about my experience etc. and says he's more than happy to put me forward....but he can't say who the client is.

I understand that they don't want other agents to know about the gig, but I need to know who I'm applying for wok with. Normally I tell them that they don't have my permission to represent me unless they tell me the client, in which case the agent will say "well ok, but please keep it between us". But this time he wouldn't tell me at all.

Anyoe else get this from agents? How do you normally handle it?

This means it's MI5 you are being brought in as an 00 agent. Congrats

[FrontEnder]

Just applied via a job board, call back from the agent who asks the usual question about my experience etc. and says he's more than happy to put me forward....but he can't say who the client is.

I understand that they don't want other agents to know about the gig, but I need to know who I'm applying for wok with. Normally I tell them that they don't have my permission to represent me unless they tell me the client, in which case the agent will say "well ok, but please keep it between us". But this time he wouldn't tell me at all.

Anyoe else get this from agents? How do you normally handle it?