Reply to: Ev0luti0n

[hyperD]

I've spent 15 years in the industry, and my observation is that if an agent asks you upfront for references before telling you the interview time and place and the client, then there is no role.

[Diver]

Better than my current agent then

I got called in at client site after the Manager had been called twice that morning trying to find out when my contract was going to end. They'd already called me twice asking the same thing...

I'm in the weird position of having another gig lined up where the end client is happy to wait but the dodgy agent is causing problems seemingly trying to get me benched so he can get me into the next gig

As I'm leading a migration project, I'm not going to ditch them early just to please a greedy agent

I've used the same agent for 5 years and he found placements for a couple of ex-colleagues of mine that showed interest in gigs he'd passed on to me.
I still don't give him their contact details but as he's on my linkeding and so are they, I suppose he could contact them anyway, but waits for them to contact him. I haven;t heard from him for a while and have just checked my linkedin. Hes not a headhunter anymore. he recently took a project management position

[amcdonald]

Alive and kicking.

He sends me the occasional gem that I may pass on to one of my contacts that may be interested in a position or gig.

Never phones just emails about once a month and sometimes not for several months. He has found my last 2 positions for me and sold me to the client but on favorable terms for me.

Can't ask for more than that

Better than my current agent then

I got called in at client site after the Manager had been called twice that morning trying to find out when my contract was going to end. They'd already called me twice asking the same thing...

I'm in the weird position of having another gig lined up where the end client is happy to wait but the dodgy agent is causing problems seemingly trying to get me benched so he can get me into the next gig

As I'm leading a migration project, I'm not going to ditch them early just to please a greedy agent

[Diver]

Is he dead ?

Alive and kicking.

He sends me the occasional gem that I may pass on to one of my contacts that may be interested in a position or gig.

Never phones just emails about once a month and sometimes not for several months. He has found my last 2 positions for me and sold me to the client but on favorable terms for me.

Can't ask for more than that

[amcdonald]

Bluddy parasites some of them, only ever found one I trust and he's the only one on my Linkedin.

Blimey trusting an agent, I can't imagine doing that ever. Unless the one of facebook is pushing up daisies

[Diver]

I often wonder of we overblow this too much on CUK.

Unless they mention you by name, will your reference even realise that this is how the agent came to call them?

Have any of you ever had one of your references contact you and complain that you'd sent agents theire way?

Yes 2, and they both refused to act as references again due to the persistance of the "Agent" in quizing them on how their staffing level was and trying to talk them into having a meeting etc etc.

My Linkedin now also says in capitol letters that I do not and will not link to headhunters, agents or agencies.

Bluddy parasites some of them, only ever found one I trust and he's the only one on my Linkedin.

[Software]

Yep it is how I found out about the two reference thing being a scam. I gave two references and they got bombarded with calls and they used my name as an in.

Have you given real two references or just tested with some one else...

[JamJarST]

I often wonder of we overblow this too much on CUK.

Unless they mention you by name, will your reference even realise that this is how the agent came to call them?

Have any of you ever had one of your references contact you and complain that you'd sent agents theire way?

Yep it is how I found out about the two reference thing being a scam. I gave two references and they got bombarded with calls and they used my name as an in.

[jmo21]

I often wonder of we overblow this too much on CUK.

Unless they mention you by name, will your reference even realise that this is how the agent came to call them?

Have any of you ever had one of your references contact you and complain that you'd sent agents theire way?

[Scoobos]

Interesting, I also had the call from Lisa there a few days ago - offering a role in london - but wanting 2 references.

I turned her down, but given the post above maybe its wiser to just use previous agents as referees. Doh!

[Notascooby]

I have the agencies listed on my CV next to the role - I've no problem with agencies hasseling other agencies.

I'd never let an agent contact the ClientCo directly though..unless they want to try the switchboard as have a pop at finding the right person.

[Scrag Meister]

Which means he had no roles, and was just stringing you along.

Forget about it. Move on. Etc.

Yeah I realise, just frustrating wasting 5 mins chatting about some , what sounds to be good roles, only to have that come up.

No way would I want to put my previous agents/managers through any of that unless I was well down the road to the role.

[pmeswani]

And everything was going along swimmingly, they have some good roles that seem to match my skillset, 6 month duration, in London, lower but not horrendously low rates.

And then he had to go let himself down by asking me for references from my previous line managers prior to forwarding my CV.

I told him that i won't be providing any references before being offered any role.

He promptly says ok well we'll leave it there then, and hung up.

If they are the same company who got me the role with a client in Reading, they are ok. I provided them with 1 reference, and not 2. They were ok with this. However, be cautious as they have a habbit of harassing your previous clients for opportunities. I was cautious as you were, but took a bit of a leap of faith and it turned out ok.

[cojak]

These characters have an auto-responder set up whenever you upload your CV into CWjobs.

Guess what they ask for?

[nomadd]

He promptly says ok well we'll leave it there then, and hung up.

Which means he had no roles, and was just stringing you along.

Forget about it. Move on. Etc.