Reply to: A very concerned agent

[SueEllen]

Deja vu
I had 2 calls from eSyn.... in the space of 3 days....
Question started off with what is your rate and she conveniently mentioned a role paying 75 more than mine. No specifics to the job and it soon followed up where I had applied.
She kept pressing me for where I was interviewing, I could have made up the interview details but i decided to have some fun and not provide any info.
Reached the point of where she got frustrated with me and said if i didn't give her the interview details she wouldn't be able to put me forward. I said that's fine have a good day.
This was repeated a few days later but this time the role was 100 more
(The 2 people who called me were definitely sales people as it sounded like they were in a call center type office, where you can clearly hear noisy background chatter)

I've done that loads of times.

However I've also succumbed and made up people's names. One agent called me back p*ssed off with my "leads".

[Gentile]

Any agent that kicks off with "I see there are gaps in your CV" is not worth bothering with.

I can also guarantee they'll also need two references

It's normally how you spot the bad ones from the good ones, I find.

I'm surprised your system is that complicated. I keep a note of the good ones on this handy list:

" "

[norrahe]

Any agent that kicks off with "I see there are gaps in your CV" is not worth bothering with.

I can also guarantee they'll also need two references

It's normally how you spot the bad ones from the good ones, I find.

[aa2006]

Like the agent's "lackey" I just got off the phone with from eSyn... (you can guess the rest.)

Her: "Ah Iz like gonna assez youz on youz suit-ah-bill-ah-tee for a role I duz like ave for a Technical Architect."
Me: "OK."
Her: "When youz waz like workin at da BBC -"
Me: "I have never worked for the BBC..."
Her: "Well... On to youz cv. The BBC job youz got ere..."
Me: "I have never worked for the BBC..."
Her: "Well like dat BBC job -"
Me: "I have never worked for the BBC..."

(Minutes later... We finally get the right cv on the screen...)

Her: "What woz youz last role?"
Me: "It's detailed on the c.v. The one you now have in front of you."
Her: "But like what waz you doin'?"
Me: "It's on the c.v..."
Her: "What woz youz previous role?"
Me: "It's on the c.v..."
Her: "But like what waz you doin'?"
Me: "It's on the c.v..."
Her: "But I az like gotta assezz you to see if youz iz good enough -"
Me: "My c.v. shows 27 years of experience, for some of the largest companies on the planet. Was there any specific technology or architectural approach you wished to discuss?"
Her: "Er... Noes. Ah az gotta make surz you az the Communication Skills"
Me: <long fooking silence - and shock>
Her: "Az don't think wez should take diz furder. Youz iz not suitable, I duz fink."
Me: "No, I don't think we should take this any further. Good day."

Agents and their lackeys are pure comedy gold these days. My "respect" for them diminishes by the nano-second.

I'm using "Defcon 1" more and more these days.

Deja vu
I had 2 calls from eSyn.... in the space of 3 days....
Question started off with what is your rate and she conveniently mentioned a role paying 75 more than mine. No specifics to the job and it soon followed up where I had applied.
She kept pressing me for where I was interviewing, I could have made up the interview details but i decided to have some fun and not provide any info.
Reached the point of where she got frustrated with me and said if i didn't give her the interview details she wouldn't be able to put me forward. I said that's fine have a good day.
This was repeated a few days later but this time the role was 100 more
(The 2 people who called me were definitely sales people as it sounded like they were in a call center type office, where you can clearly hear noisy background chatter)

[nomadd]

Agreed. Although you do need to be cruel to be kind sometimes. Most of us have experienced needing to have frank discussions with agents. Usually it's the newest ones that you need to be most frank with, since they harbour the most misconceptions owing to their inexperience. You can do it in a respectful way, though. It's never productive to go to Defcon 1 straight away (though you do need to have the ability to go there if someone is really mucking you about and taking this piss).

Like the agent's "lackey" I just got off the phone with from eSyn... (you can guess the rest.)

Her: "Ah Iz like gonna assez youz on youz suit-ah-bill-ah-tee for a role I duz like ave for a Technical Architect."
Me: "OK."
Her: "When youz waz like workin at da BBC -"
Me: "I have never worked for the BBC..."
Her: "Well... On to youz cv. The BBC job youz got ere..."
Me: "I have never worked for the BBC..."
Her: "Well like dat BBC job -"
Me: "I have never worked for the BBC..."

(Minutes later... We finally get the right cv on the screen...)

Her: "What woz youz last role?"
Me: "It's detailed on the c.v. The one you now have in front of you."
Her: "But like what waz you doin'?"
Me: "It's on the c.v..."
Her: "What woz youz previous role?"
Me: "It's on the c.v..."
Her: "But like what waz you doin'?"
Me: "It's on the c.v..."
Her: "But I az like gotta assezz you to see if youz iz good enough -"
Me: "My c.v. shows 27 years of experience, for some of the largest companies on the planet. Was there any specific technology or architectural approach you wished to discuss?"
Her: "Er... Noes. Ah az gotta make surz you az the Communication Skills"
Me: <long fooking silence - and shock>
Her: "Az don't think wez should take diz furder. Youz iz not suitable, I duz fink."
Me: "No, I don't think we should take this any further. Good day."

Agents and their lackeys are pure comedy gold these days. My "respect" for them diminishes by the nano-second.

I'm using "Defcon 1" more and more these days.

[kingcook]

If possible, find out the client's history.

Ask them to justify why they made their staff redundant or didn't make much profit

[Torran]

Some of the PES demands from clients are ridiculous now. For this present role i had to justify a 6 week gap in 2010 and a 3 month gap in 2009.

I was also asked for evidence I was alive/unincarcerated for the 3 month gap by producing a bank staement to show transactions were made by me. I declined this and sent a couple of emails showing i was actively looking for work.

When I took 6 months off in 2003 this was never questioned but if was within the last 5 years it certainly would be.

Keep calm, comply, nod and invoice

[Gentile]

Seriously guys? Agents have to start somewhere, even the good ones. He probably was fresh, but thats not reason to berate him. I actually had one of my team discuss this issue yesterday. There are many reasons why someone has a three month break, especially in this market. What many contractors forget though, every question we ask is a question that the end client might ask you, or might ask us and that many of the resourcers they talk to, are only allowed to put three people forward to the client.

Incidentally. I have had clients asks me why there was a break.

Agreed. Although you do need to be cruel to be kind sometimes. Most of us have experienced needing to have frank discussions with agents. Usually it's the newest ones that you need to be most frank with, since they harbour the most misconceptions owing to their inexperience. You can do it in a respectful way, though. It's never productive to go to Defcon 1 straight away (though you do need to have the ability to go there if someone is really mucking you about and taking this piss).

[aa2006]

^ This.

I'm about to take a 2 month break at end of contract. Why? Because I want to! I don't want to spend all my life working on contracts and look forward to these little breaks.

This is exactly why I left the permie world to become a contractor, I have saved up enough to cover my mortgage payments and other expenses for 2 years. It's been great taking all of this time off, i will be "nice and refreshed" when i take up my new role

.....

"Well I'll tell you what, if you're so concerned - don't put me forward. I'm not going to lie on my CV and I don't have to defend myself any further on this matter. But I'm sure the other agencies that posted this contract will be happier about this gap than you are."

I got the interview and the contract.

This is so true, I have been called on average 3-4 times a week about possible roles and the issue of a gap in my CV has never come up

[kingcook]

Contracting is NOT the same as permiedom, and it would be helpful if your freshers were taught that. Some contractors do not expect or want to constantly be in contract.

That's just the way contracting is.

^ This.

I'm about to take a 2 month break at end of contract. Why? Because I want to! I don't want to spend all my life working on contracts and look forward to these little breaks.

[doomage]

Seriously guys? Agents have to start somewhere, even the good ones. He probably was fresh, but thats not reason to berate him. I actually had one of my team discuss this issue yesterday. There are many reasons why someone has a three month break, especially in this market. What many contractors forget though, every question we ask is a question that the end client might ask you, or might ask us and that many of the resourcers they talk to, are only allowed to put three people forward to the client.

Incidentally. I have had clients asks me why there was a break.

And how did you handle it? If it becomes an issue, then you have failed both the client and the contractor. A decent salesperson would turn it into a positive.

[cojak]

..and when the last agent mentioned that he was 'concerned' about this 6 month gap, even after my explaining it to him, my response was:

"Well I'll tell you what, if you're so concerned - don't put me forward. I'm not going to lie on my CV and I don't have to defend myself any further on this matter. But I'm sure the other agencies that posted this contract will be happier about this gap than you are."

I got the interview and the contract.

[cojak]

Seriously guys? Agents have to start somewhere, even the good ones. He probably was fresh, but thats not reason to berate him. I actually had one of my team discuss this issue yesterday. There are many reasons why someone has a three month break, especially in this market. What many contractors forget though, every question we ask is a question that the end client might ask you, or might ask us and that many of the resourcers they talk to, are only allowed to put three people forward to the client.

Incidentally. I have had clients asks me why there was a break.

No problem with agents asking,we will tell them about the lull in the market (I have a 6 month gap in my CV for 2010)/break to go skiing/etc. It's the 'very concerned' bit that raises the hackles.

Contracting is NOT the same as permiedom, and it would be helpful if your freshers were taught that. Some contractors do not expect or want to constantly be in contract.

That's just the way contracting is.

[AnonAgent]

Seriously guys? Agents have to start somewhere, even the good ones. He probably was fresh, but thats not reason to berate him. I actually had one of my team discuss this issue yesterday. There are many reasons why someone has a three month break, especially in this market. What many contractors forget though, every question we ask is a question that the end client might ask you, or might ask us and that many of the resourcers they talk to, are only allowed to put three people forward to the client.

Incidentally. I have had clients asks me why there was a break.

[Scoi]

1 - an agent with no idea how contractors work so can't grasp a break between contracts is completely normal.

2 - an agent who will respond in a few weeks saying that ClientCo wants you but due to your break they think you'll take time to get up to speed so the rate is reduced. What they really mean is the agent thinks you're desperate for a gig and will take a lower rate so his margin can be increased.