Agency Spam

[PinkPoshRat]

I have had a few LinkedIn requests from the hottest female agents recently. All of them recent grads. I replied back asking if we could discuss potential roles over dinner at my place, but I got no reply. What did I say wrong?

IMAO that's so funny!

[JoJoGabor]

It does mean that I get stupid spam from young dummies at agencies which also employ one of the guys that get me most of my good contracts.... so I can't just block the domain, at least until the good guy moves.

I have had a few LinkedIn requests from the hottest female agents recently. All of them recent grads. I replied back asking if we could discuss potential roles over dinner at my place, but I got no reply. What did I say wrong?

[Ignis Fatuus]

Actually - we do care - most of us spend alot of time writing long boolean search strings to target only the people who are relevant. Unfortunately, the search engines which power these searches are absolute dog S***. The irony is, that most of the coding behind them, was probably done by contractors.....

I might have some sympathy with that, especiall since I suspect that the confusion of SQL Server with SQL was not entirely an undesired accident on Microsoft's part.

But the answer in general is that a dumb keyword search on its own doesn't do the job, so don't keep on acting as if it does. Cast the search net wide, then check the results manually before acting on it. Which requires an agent who is not as dumb as the search engines.

Awkward point: some agencies seem to have smart agents and dumb agents. Maybe its a viable business model, both sniper and shotgun. It does mean that I get stupid spam from young dummies at agencies which also employ one of the guys that get me most of my good contracts.... so I can't just block the domain, at least until the good guy moves.

[The Agents View]

No. They are unable to send only to those whose experience might have at least the vaguest sort of connection with the requirements. This is firstly because they do not know anything about the terms that are on your CV and on the client's requirements; and secondly because they do not care.

I even had an agent explain to me once, carefully as if to an idiot, that the emails are sent out on the basis of a keyword match. So if, for example, your CV has the term "SQL" on it anywhere, you will expect to get emails for SQL Server DBA rôles, because "there is a keyword match".

Actually - we do care - most of us spend alot of time writing long boolean search strings to target only the people who are relevant. Unfortunately, the search engines which power these searches are absolute dog S***. The irony is, that most of the coding behind them, was probably done by contractors.....

[Wanderer]

Is there any point in replying and asking them to perhaps read my CV and note my skills and level of expertise etc??

Of course not. If they are stupid enough to send the spam in the first place then all they will do is ask you for two references. Does your email reader allow you to block sender?

I always get a burner email address (and phone number) and then just junk them when I'm in contract. I detest unsolicited email and phone calls. While I'm looking, I just put up with it.

[SueEllen]

If an agency persists put their agency domain in your spam box.

[Ignis Fatuus]

Has anyone managed to work out a way of stopping certain agents from sending spam job emails? ...Is there any point in replying and asking them to perhaps read my CV and note my skills and level of expertise etc??

No. They are unable to send only to those whose experience might have at least the vaguest sort of connection with the requirements. This is firstly because they do not know anything about the terms that are on your CV and on the client's requirements; and secondly because they do not care.

I even had an agent explain to me once, carefully as if to an idiot, that the emails are sent out on the basis of a keyword match. So if, for example, your CV has the term "SQL" on it anywhere, you will expect to get emails for SQL Server DBA rôles, because "there is a keyword match".

[PinkPoshRat]

Has anyone managed to work out a way of stopping certain agents from sending spam job emails? I pick up my email on my phone, and these junk emails (which always ask me, assuming I am interested in the 'role', to forward my latest cv and daily rate requirements...... or if I'm not interested in the role - can i refer anyone to them......)

Is there any point in replying and asking them to perhaps read my CV and note my skills and level of expertise etc??

I get these bloomin emails daily, or within an hour of me refreshing my cv on jobsite