Reply to: Just burned bridges with a large agency

[jmo21]

I don't believe that's true. I know of one contractor I've worked with in the past who sends her CV in regularly to an agency I know, and they won't touch her - it just goes straight in the bin. They have a database of people they won't deal with, and I know three people that are on it.

You don't mention how you know that. Does anyone at the agency actually tell them this?

[NickNick]

OP, you live and learn - don't beat yourself up about it.

Compare the OP's situation to some 'contractors' at previous gigs I've been at who have been on site for years.

At one place, the 'newest' member of one team of contractors had been there for 8yrs!

IR35! What IR35?

You work here, right? One person I work with has been here 25 years, perm and contract. Another 12 years on contract and the list goes on....

[matzie]

Wow, lots more interest in this issue than I expected. For the record I'm not losing any sleep over it. Toughening up, making decisions, living with them and learning from them is all part of the journey from employee to business owner... thanks for your advice though!

[ChrisPackit]

I don't believe that's true. I know of one contractor I've worked with in the past who sends her CV in regularly to an agency I know, and they won't touch her - it just goes straight in the bin. They have a database of people they won't deal with, and I know three people that are on it.

I've had 12 or more contracts over the last 12 years and never once gone through the same agency twice. If you burn your bridges with one, theres usually another 3 or more on the clients PS list anyway, so go through one of the others.

Look after number one...

[TheFaQQer]

Interesting comments on the blacklist though. Not sure agencies realise that binning a CV based on a prior experience and thereby prejudicing the client and the candidate is actually unlawful.

Which law?

For years, I've been slagging off my dodgy builder for being crap - what law have I broken? Just so that I'm aware of it for future reference.

[2BIT]

If there's a blacklist, then I've never seen it, or heard of it. I have my own mental list of who I would and wouldn't use based on experience alone.

absolutely, I've never believed there is a blacklist- certainly individuals (both agents and contractors) will have black-lists in their head, I blacklisted two agents over the last week

[AussieDigger]

I agree with fellow posters. You should have taken the time to turn the contract into what you wanted. At the end of the day, any agency that bullies a client into signing a contract is asking to get nailed I think.

Interesting comments on the blacklist though. Not sure agencies realise that binning a CV based on a prior experience and thereby prejudicing the client and the candidate is actually unlawful. They wouldn't want to get caught because I know someone who felt the agent was doing this, went to the client via another agent, and got the gig. The agent who binned their cv looked foolish. Clients find this stuff out, they're not stupid. And neither are we as contractors.

[Support Monkey]

I don't believe that's true. I know of one contractor I've worked with in the past who sends her CV in regularly to an agency I know, and they won't touch her - it just goes straight in the bin. They have a database of people they won't deal with, and I know three people that are on it.

And i have had agencies i have burned call me a couple of weeks later with another contract, its swings and rounabouts, i think for a large agency it will be less of a concerned where as a one man band/smaller agency will remember you

[TheFaQQer]

This time next week they won't even remember your name, don't even worry about it, their not going to.

I don't believe that's true. I know of one contractor I've worked with in the past who sends her CV in regularly to an agency I know, and they won't touch her - it just goes straight in the bin. They have a database of people they won't deal with, and I know three people that are on it.

[Support Monkey]

This time next week they won't even remember your name, don't even worry about it, their not going to.

[The Agents View]

see I'm not convinced about this blacklist thing, who is going to take their time to contact other agents to warn them off you- it wont generate any revenue and is not guaranteed to work as the other agents may feel they are being blagged out of a good candidate - plus you could always play the same game and threaten to put them on your blacklist and contact your own network

agents think we are stupid

If there's a blacklist, then I've never seen it, or heard of it. I have my own mental list of who I would and wouldn't use based on experience alone.

And FYI - I work for the biggest agency in the country, and my MD is here most days......

[TheFaQQer]

see I'm not convinced about this blacklist thing, who is going to take their time to contact other agents to warn them off you- it wont generate any revenue and is not guaranteed to work as the other agents may feel they are being blagged out of a good candidate - plus you could always play the same game and threaten to put them on your blacklist and contact your own network

agents think we are stupid

Some agents I know are reasonably pally with each other, having worked together at different places. I'm fairly sure that if it came up in conversation, they would tell each other who to avoid - not the same as circulating an email / list to everyone, but some form of warning.

[2BIT]

Obviously, I'll never get anywhere with that agency again. It might even have a wider impact if there's any truth in the blacklist rumours I suppose. I may have made a very bad decision or a very good one, but I made one, and stuck to it. Fortunately, my current client still wants me for the foreseeable future...

see I'm not convinced about this blacklist thing, who is going to take their time to contact other agents to warn them off you- it wont generate any revenue and is not guaranteed to work as the other agents may feel they are being blagged out of a good candidate - plus you could always play the same game and threaten to put them on your blacklist and contact your own network

agents think we are stupid

[lukemg]

I would have sewn the contract up tight and taken my chances....
Forget about blacklists, they don't exist and even if a single agent takes against you there usually a few options for each gig.
Forget and move on.

[Robinho]

I think you're worrying far too much about everything you mentioned in the OP.