Mentioning current client's name to agents.

[oraclesmith]

My current client is so huge that it puts the agents off straight away. Kind of satisfying in a way.

[2uk]

Looks like most of us rather not put any names unless it is a big Client, where stuff is complicated , and the agent is less likely to reach anything specific. Interesting !

[DS23]

[QUOTE=Epiphone]1. I don't want agents pestering my clients. do *you* like unsolicited sales calls?
QUOTE]

but it's not about calls to me - its about calls to someone else and i don't care two figs for johnson & johnson or baxters or dell or whoever getting calls from agents touting for work. heck, they get hundreds of calls each week. some have entire departments to manage agents and contracting processes.

but.... i realise what you are saying - my clients (and project work) tend to be on the enormous side.. no, no, that sounds terrible - what i mean is i usually play a tiny part in huge projects that are transforming global company systems and processes. these clients and projects tend to have dozens, if not hundreds, of project staff and it really is of no consequence whether agents are phoning on the back of my cv because every oracle agent in the land (and a fair few outside) is phoning every day anyway.

but if the client is smaller and the projects shorter, repeatable and dependent on a personal relationship then i can absolutely see the advantage of withholding details as you do - that makes sense and i can think of a couple of instances where i might be best to do this in future.

personally, i hate unsolicited calls to my home phone for stuff i have no interest in but i really don't mind agents calling my mobile for a chinwag.

[Epiphone]

but why would you care that an ex-client was getting calls from agents? they get calls from agents all the time! even if your cv was the source why would that bother you, the agent or the ex-client? well, ok so most clients don't want unsolicited agency calls but that's up to the client to filter and manage - not the contractor.

i suppose if an ex-client actually asked me to remove data from my personal or company cv then i would act differently but nobody ever has.

1. I don't want agents pestering my clients. do *you* like unsolicited sales calls?

2. I'd rather a client use me again than the agent possibly putting someone else in.

3. They can generate their own sales leads without making up fake jobs to try and get my client list.

[DS23]

[QUOTE=Epiphone]I used to have past client names on there but took them all off when an agency (feck it, it was Hays. Sh!thouses) called all my past clients to hassle them. QUOTE]

but why would you care that an ex-client was getting calls from agents? they get calls from agents all the time! even if your cv was the source why would that bother you, the agent or the ex-client? well, ok so most clients don't want unsolicited agency calls but that's up to the client to filter and manage - not the contractor.

i suppose if an ex-client actually asked me to remove data from my personal or company cv then i would act differently but nobody ever has.

[Epiphone]

I used to have past client names on there but took them all off when an agency (feck it, it was Hays. Sh!thouses) called all my past clients to hassle them.

Now I get pimps trying to ask me who I used to work for. I tell them it's confidential and ask for their client list. They stop then.

[Sockpuppet]

Well I don't tell agents who I am working for becuase they don't want to tell me who they are sending my CV to (cus' other agencies might steal secrets).

It works both ways.

[DS23]

....I say I'm not gonna tell you (naa na naa na naa). But she obviously has my CV, with the current client listed at the top and with the dates clearly showing that I am still there.

hmmm. this works the other way round too.

i generally see no reason why not to explain to agents what i am doing and who i am doing it too and how long it will last. the only time i will be coy is if i am in negotiation with a new end-client where divulging information might jeapordize the contract.

i equally don't see the benefit in hiding agent and/or end-client details from cv or website. i think blue chip names and decent renewals is a good thing.

[angusglover]

I don't tell them anything. I rate agents up with lawyers and estate agents...

[ChimpMaster]

What amazes me about agents is their level of stupidity. I get a call from a agency girl, she asks me if I'm available for contract work. I say no, I'm in contract for the next 6 months. So she asks where I'm working at the moment, I say I'm not gonna tell you (naa na naa na naa).

But she obviously has my CV, with the current client listed at the top and with the dates clearly showing that I am still there.

I guess if these guys were any smarter they'd actually be doing the jobs they aim to fill.

[Ruprect]

I'd agree with the sock puppet. If its a large company then if doesn't really matter.

[HankWangford]

Do we tell agents the names of the current client when our contract is approaching the end and we are in the process of looking for the next contract ? This can prompt the agent to call the current client trying to get them another contractor. Should we care about this ? For example the agent that got us the current gig might go little mad on us …

Secondly , do we put the client names in the “past projects” section in the CV ?

I thought about this stuff following the golden rule “do not tell where you have interviewed”

I have been thinking about this. I have never put the clients name on a cv but I am thinking to hell with it. If the end client is stupid enough to use these people in the first place then they can bloody well have the hassle of ten calls a day from other agents.
Soon they will get wise and source direct on jobserve.

[Sockpuppet]

Depends on the sector.

I have no problem telling people my last 2 contracts were for DHL and Tesco. They are so big that info is not really useful to them.

[2uk]

Do we tell agents the names of the current client when our contract is approaching the end and we are in the process of looking for the next contract ? This can prompt the agent to call the current client trying to get them another contractor. Should we care about this ? For example the agent that got us the current gig might go little mad on us …

Secondly , do we put the client names in the “past projects” section in the CV ?

I thought about this stuff following the golden rule “do not tell where you have interviewed”