Has anyone else experienced this?

[BolshieBastard]

Be careful with this. If you ask the second agent to check with the client that your CV has already been submitted to the client, then you are at risk of being bad-mouthed by the second agent, reducing your chances of getting the role.
Why? Because the second agent knows he is not going to gain any commission from placing you at the client if your CV has already been submitted (that commission would go to the first agent). The second agent will likely have another candidate to try to place instead, and the chances of this are enhanced by the agent bad-mouthing you to the client because this is eliminating the competition.

Often best to say nothing or feign disinterest when approached by an agent for a role where you have (or should have) already been submitted to the client.

WHS.

You are just opening yourself up to the second agent bombing you out the the client unless the second agent is someone you have had a working relationship with in the past.

Yes, I've once definitely found an agent who said they'd submitted me (LA Int, wont touch them now) but hadnt.

[HeadOfTesting]

Often best to say nothing or feign disinterest when approached by an agent for a role where you have (or should have) already been submitted to the client.

I agree. I pick an agent and hope that they have genuienly put me forward and then appear uninterested if another agent calls about it. I would not encourage a situation where agents are comparing notes with each other or where an agent thinks you are in the selection process but not to their potential benefit.

[KentPhilip]

Yep, see it all the time these days. Just fire them a note back saying it's OK for them to represent you. However...

If you get contacted by any other agents over the same role, ALWAYS get them to check with the client first that your cv has been submitted; if it hasn't, let the other agency send it in. Too many agents CLAIMING they've sent cv's these days - and using these silly emails as "proof" and doing no such thing. Bascially, trust no-one.

Nomadd

Be careful with this. If you ask the second agent to check with the client that your CV has already been submitted to the client, then you are at risk of being bad-mouthed by the second agent, reducing your chances of getting the role.
Why? Because the second agent knows he is not going to gain any commission from placing you at the client if your CV has already been submitted (that commission would go to the first agent). The second agent will likely have another candidate to try to place instead, and the chances of this are enhanced by the agent bad-mouthing you to the client because this is eliminating the competition.

Often best to say nothing or feign disinterest when approached by an agent for a role where you have (or should have) already been submitted to the client.

[expat]

Yep, see it all the time these days. Just fire them a note back saying it's OK for them to represent you. However...

If you get contacted by any other agents over the same role, ALWAYS get them to check with the client first that your cv has been submitted; if it hasn't, let the other agency send it in. Too many agents CLAIMING they've sent cv's these days - and using these silly emails as "proof" and doing no such thing. Bascially, trust no-one.

Nomadd

That sounds right to me. This way, IF they have sent your CV in then they have you; if they haven't sent your CV in then you can get in anyway.

Them having first dibs is one thing; them having a right to keep you out by preventing anyone else from submitting you is quite another.

However, imagine this: they do not submit you. Another agenct contacts you and you let them submit you if you haven't been submitted already. You get the contract through the second agency. The first agency will then submit you in response to that situation and you'll get the old priority games again.

So maybe pmeswani's idea is good. I don't know.

[pmeswani]

Thanks, thats what my instincts were telling me. It felt like a restraint of trade; where the agent gets 'exclusivity' of my service and I get nothing in return.

I will pretend that I never received the email and i have no idea what he's talking about should they enquire at a later date.

What you could do is tell the agency that if they want exclusivity to represent you, then you will be expecting the agency to send an email to the client and BCC you into that response and that they have your assurances that you won't approach the client directly. If they state that they cannot accept your word on that, ask them how they can accept your word that you are happy for them to soley represent you?

[The Agents View]

It depends on the client really. I used to work in one of the smaller managed service agencies, we used to look after people like Metronet and Tubelines - big accounts, with high volume work attached to them. Part of the agreement with (both of these clients if I remember rightly) is that you had to have the confirmation that the candidate was happy to be represented by the agency for that specific role, in order to avoid bun fights with the pure 'CV factory' suppliers. This was imposed by the client as they were fed up with 2nd tier suppliers spamming their line managers, and then claiming fee's when someone did a proper job and placed one of them.

I wouldn't be too concerned about it - the only thing that might happen is that if the client wants to engage you, and you've been submitted twice, you'd need to go through the agency you've agreed to work with initially.....

HTH

TAV

[TykeMerc]

Have you never seen that before? I've seen it plenty.

Either:

a) they can only submit a limited number of CVs and they are making sure they are not wasting a slot on someone who is being submitted by another agency;

b) they are making sure another agency does not submit you at a lower rate and 'steal' you from them;

c) they are making sure you do not apply through anyone else (because they are NOT going to submit you because you want too low a rate and they are on a fixed margin).

Probably other reasons too.

What he said, sometimes ClientCos ask agents for this sort of statement in the event that they get CV's submitted by other agencies on spec. It's a simple tool that they can use to bounce back at other agencies.

To answer your original question it's entirely normal to me and I see it as a positive that there's a real role and the agent is probably serious.

[strawberrysmoothie]

Had those before, just don't reply.

If they really have submitted your CV they are not going to withdraw you if client wants to interview you

If they have not submitted your CV you obviously don't want to stop yourself from getting submitted via another agency

Basically they are not sole suppliers and are trying to lock down the "supply chain" to their benefit

Thanks, thats what my instincts were telling me. It felt like a restraint of trade; where the agent gets 'exclusivity' of my service and I get nothing in return.

I will pretend that I never received the email and i have no idea what he's talking about should they enquire at a later date.

[Not So Wise]

Had those before, just don't reply.

If they really have submitted your CV they are not going to withdraw you if client wants to interview you

If they have not submitted your CV you obviously don't want to stop yourself from getting submitted via another agency

Basically they are not sole suppliers and are trying to lock down the "supply chain" to their benefit

[nomadd]

I was speaking to an agent yesterday about a role. We negoitated, we reached an agreement and my cv is now with the client.

Strange thing was I received an email that said the following:

"Further to our earlier conversation, your details have been submitted to our customer XXXXXX for the position we discussed and I will contact you again once I have received feedback, but in the meantime can you please email me with confirmation that you have agreed for XXX to solely submit your details to their customer for the attached role. "

I haven't replied, not sure if I should do so.

would appreciate the feedback

Yep, see it all the time these days. Just fire them a note back saying it's OK for them to represent you. However...

If you get contacted by any other agents over the same role, ALWAYS get them to check with the client first that your cv has been submitted; if it hasn't, let the other agency send it in. Too many agents CLAIMING they've sent cv's these days - and using these silly emails as "proof" and doing no such thing. Bascially, trust no-one.

Nomadd

[RichardCranium]

Have you never seen that before? I've seen it plenty.

Either:

a) they can only submit a limited number of CVs and they are making sure they are not wasting a slot on someone who is being submitted by another agency;

b) they are making sure another agency does not submit you at a lower rate and 'steal' you from them;

c) they are making sure you do not apply through anyone else (because they are NOT going to submit you because you want too low a rate and they are on a fixed margin).

Probably other reasons too.

[HeadOfTesting]

I was speaking to an agent yesterday about a role. We negoitated, we reached an agreement and my cv is now with the client.

Strange thing was I received an email that said the following:

"Further to our earlier conversation, your details have been submitted to our customer XXXXXX for the position we discussed and I will contact you again once I have received feedback, but in the meantime can you please email me with confirmation that you have agreed for XXX to solely submit your details to their customer for the attached role. "

I haven't replied, not sure if I should do so.

would appreciate the feedback

yep - had something similar this morning in fact.

[strawberrysmoothie]

I was speaking to an agent yesterday about a role. We negoitated, we reached an agreement and my cv is now with the client.

Strange thing was I received an email that said the following:

"Further to our earlier conversation, your details have been submitted to our customer XXXXXX for the position we discussed and I will contact you again once I have received feedback, but in the meantime can you please email me with confirmation that you have agreed for XXX to solely submit your details to their customer for the attached role. "

I haven't replied, not sure if I should do so.

would appreciate the feedback