Reply to: Agencies or search services out there that *actively* search for work on your behalf?

[Fraidycat]

Hmm.

So you then have to reconcile your 'real' CV with the generated one. Sounds like more work!
And explain to the interviewer why you don't have C++ - 'er. it was on the auto generate CV.'

Surely the CV generator will be fed which skills you are an expert in, intermediate experience with, [some] experience with, and 'knowledge of' etc. so it can generate the appropriate blurb to pass the agents word matching filter.

Then a final quick manual check and edit before you actually fire off the CV.

[hungry_hog]

About 25 years ago I developed an App that searched Jobserve for contract requirements matching my Skill set and generated a unique CV for that requirement. Chatting with a Six Sigma contractor back then, he wanted to buy it and reckoned his friends would too. But I built locally on my PC and it was hard coded, so not scalable and not for release... also as a contractor on good day rate it was not worth my time.
These days I am semi retired and researching ML, AI and NLP... a "Contract Search" app would make a good development project if there was sufficient interest.

Hmm.

So you then have to reconcile your 'real' CV with the generated one. Sounds like more work!
And explain to the interviewer why you don't have C++ - 'er. it was on the auto generate CV.'

[Ziggy460]

Hi,

Does anyone know of a contract search service that actively searches for advertised opportunities on your behalf, across many other agency websites *and*, will then will send out a resume based on your matching criteria? This would be a paid for service and they'd have to speak to the agency if they ring to take it forward initially.

For those asking why, searching / dealing with agents during working hours is not an option (industrial environment where mobiles are banned) so I only get to search after hours and by then many contract opportunities have gone; agents have already sent a shortlist of candidates over as they're in competition with other agencies. I could take time out to deal with an agent if I knew the contract was a good match and they were trying to schedule an interview, but it's a lottery out there. Many agents just want a chat\references. It then goes no further.

As for registering a resume with an agency and waiting for 'the call', I think that system broke a long time ago. It's not working for me. If I send the same resume in response to an advertisement (same day), I sometimes get a call back.

Couple the above with role profiles that are often missing critical information (rate, exact location, IR35 status) and vague\incorrect profile descriptions, I'm even more inclined to outsource the task of applications, and just see what turns up in the wash.

If agencies can get away with putting complete generalists on the front line to deal with us, contractors should be able to do the same to interface with them. Nothing stopping me from hiring someone, but I wondered if there was a service already up and running.

Thanks.

About 25 years ago I developed an App that searched Jobserve for contract requirements matching my Skill set and generated a unique CV for that requirement. Chatting with a Six Sigma contractor back then, he wanted to buy it and reckoned his friends would too. But I built locally on my PC and it was hard coded, so not scalable and not for release... also as a contractor on good day rate it was not worth my time.
These days I am semi retired and researching ML, AI and NLP... a "Contract Search" app would make a good development project if there was sufficient interest.

[malvolio]

The problem with that approach is transparency and the fact most agencies / end clients (if big enough) would prefer control over their margins.

It's a commercial contact between two companies, so transparency is hardly an issue - especially when both are aware of the charges and margins involved. And if the agency rips off the contractor, their business won't last very long.

All academic though; it will never happen.

[courtg9000]

You may recall a suggestion some years ago that using the Agency Regs opt out to step around the ban on charging for work-finding for individuals, the solution is for the contractor to pay the agency. We almost got a working model in place with a certain agency who promptly went bankrupt before we could get it up and running (and for reasons nothing to do with what we were working on).

Sadly no other agency had the balls to change their working model, for various fairly lame reasons*. Given it's an industry worth about £30bn a year, and can easily used cheap and unskilled people to deal with our side of the equation, that's not altogether surprising...


* one cited the lack of credit worthiness of the contractor: given the agency's money came out before passing the balance over, I failed to see that particular logic!.

credit worthiness of the contractor!: This should demonstrate how much s**t agencies are capable of coming up with!
Cheap and unskilled labour: a recruitment agency from top to bottom in quite a few cases!

[eek]

You may recall a suggestion some years ago that using the Agency Regs opt out to step around the ban on charging for work-finding for individuals, the solution is for the contractor to pay the agency. We almost got a working model in place with a certain agency who promptly went bankrupt before we could get it up and running (and for reasons nothing to do with what we were working on).

Sadly no other agency had the balls to change their working model, for various fairly lame reasons*. Given it's an industry worth about £30bn a year, and can easily used cheap and unskilled people to deal with our side of the equation, that's not altogether surprising...


* one cited the lack of credit worthiness of the contractor: given the agency's money came out before passing the balance over, I failed to see that particular logic!.

The problem with that approach is transparency and the fact most agencies / end clients (if big enough) would prefer control over their margins.

[malvolio]

I think that part of the reason is that it is illegal certainly in this country for recruitment/employment agencies to charge jobseekers/candidates fees.
In a way I think this is part of why IR35 can stick because contractors looking are classed as jobseekers looking for work. Not business owners chasing sales leads.

If were using the same business model as actors/personalities/sports stars do. By paying a percentage of the income from work found after the invoice for the work has been paid effectively then IR35 might have been different.

Theres a probably a point of law somewhere but I wonder how actors and the like can use the pay an agent model and the rest of us cannot. The fees have to come from the client/employer end and cascade that way via the agency.

On the hire a PA note. I think I am the only contractor I know who has had a PA (paid staff - not the Mrs on an unpaid basis) and I wouldn't get them to chase agencies. Whilst the PA's have generally been proficient in dealing with the agencies, the agency muppets have not been proficient in dealing with the PA and the call from my office has generally had to be made twice. Once by the PA and again by me.

You may recall a suggestion some years ago that using the Agency Regs opt out to step around the ban on charging for work-finding for individuals, the solution is for the contractor to pay the agency. We almost got a working model in place with a certain agency who promptly went bankrupt before we could get it up and running (and for reasons nothing to do with what we were working on).

Sadly no other agency had the balls to change their working model, for various fairly lame reasons*. Given it's an industry worth about £30bn a year, and can easily used cheap and unskilled people to deal with our side of the equation, that's not altogether surprising...


* one cited the lack of credit worthiness of the contractor: given the agency's money came out before passing the balance over, I failed to see that particular logic!.

[jamesbrown]

I cannot recall if he did - did that exist in late 2002 /early 2003? I cannot remember.

Ah, no. 2007, IIRC. Would be a problem now.

[courtg9000]

Did he think through the MSC legislation, aka Ch. 9 of ITEPA? Doesn’t much sound like it.

I cannot recall if he did - did that exist in late 2002 /early 2003? I cannot remember.

[eek]

Did he think through the MSC legislation, aka Ch. 9 of ITEPA? Doesn’t much sound like it.

That was my thought as well. I looked at it a while back (working out a hassle free way of handling delayed IR35 determinations and that MSC legislation throttles putting an "umbrella" between you and your limited company).

And yes the idea does look like a crap Tax avoidance scheme

[jamesbrown]

I have to say the service was well thought out and took so much hassle away from the contractor in theory.

Did he think through the MSC legislation, aka Ch. 9 of ITEPA? Doesn’t much sound like it.

[eek]

The closest thing I have seen to this is Grant Thornton’s model. But even that doesn’t really come close to this. They go through a vetting process with a 4 stage interview, and then once approved, they use their bank of contractors for their client base. But that doesn’t guarantee the contractor priority and the contractor is free to find other contracts outside of Grant Thornton.

That's really not the same thing - it's just Grant Thornton creating a bank of zero fixed cost consultants that they can call upon as and when they have more work than their own staff can fulfil.

[Abbot]

The closest thing I have seen to this is Grant Thornton’s model. But even that doesn’t really come close to this. They go through a vetting process with a 4 stage interview, and then once approved, they use their bank of contractors for their client base. But that doesn’t guarantee the contractor priority and the contractor is free to find other contracts outside of Grant Thornton.

[eek]

Not long enough to know that agents want and need to speak to contractors the selves rather than representatives.

I can see what he wants to do but it's probably way closer to a boutique consultancy than anything else.

And there are a lot of firms that try and offer low cost match making services 6prog is one. But they fail fora difference reason, money makes the world go round and low cost services don't have the money required to keep things spinning.

[northernladuk]

Looks like I'll have to hire a part time PA then. That's probably the most flexible option. It shouldn't be that hard to do. The work can be done from home and just needs a phone, computer and internet connection.

It is a narrow use case in my instance, I'll admit that. Still surprised there's no paid for service to cut out the searching and application process, given the size of the contract market in the UK. I'm not talking about a full blown agent that takes a cut, just the searching and initial application. I find it time consuming and rather boring TBH. I guess it all depends on what you value your time at and how much you value your life. Same thing applies to cleaning a house, servicing a car, driving instead of walking; it's no different.

If I do find a service that's already up and running, I'll let you all know.

Regards.

How long have you been contracting?