Reply to: Is my CV really put forward to client ? How do I know

[lukemg]

I have done this before, second agent gets in touch (reinforcing that you are prob a good match for the role) and I happily say look - softlad ltd say they have put me in but I am not certain, if you want to check and bung me in on your ticket if not.
Agent is constantly assessing his top 3-4 CV list (and very keen to get them into the client in case the job goes, hence advance adverts for jobs that sometimes never get budget and disappear later) to give them best chance of landing it so you can easily see yourself bumped off the top list if a supposed better prospect turns up after they have spoken to you.
ALL things being equal (which they arent)- This might be someone 'more available' (desperate), or closer but unlikely to be someone less qualified as its not worth losing the role by sending in less suitable bods.

[petergriffin]

For sure the NSA has a copy of it.

[BlasterBates]

Ring HR? Ring procurement? Email to contact@<companyname>.com?

If your CV hasn't gone over, who do you tell, and how?

For every contract there are at least 4 agents competing you're not sure you've been put forward go through agent number 2, and if you want to avoid being kicked out by a double submission just tell the agent to have a quiet word with the PM before he submits. Agents don't like to double submit so they'll be happy to do that.

[TheFaQQer]

Very simple you tell him.

If it is happening then we do know don't we? or are we just speculating.

Ring HR? Ring procurement? Email to contact@<companyname>.com?

If your CV hasn't gone over, who do you tell, and how?

[BlasterBates]

And how will the client ever know?

Very simple you tell him.

If it is happening then we do know don't we? or are we just speculating.

[bobspud]

Just recently had an agent wanting to put my CV forward. He was asking what rate I would want and I gave a basic rate, subject to role details, etc. His reply was "no problem, also hiring devs at [rate + 20%]".

A couple of weeks later I find my role advertised by then at about 3/4 of what I quoted, and the dev roles at about 3/4 of what he said.
And on Saturday an email that I wasn't successful in getting an interview. My suspicion is that my CV was used to win him his contract, but he isn't willing to pay market rates and cut into his commission.

A market rate is only truly the market when you have more than one agent begging you to sign a contract at that price everything else is just a bit of negotiation.
Clients often change their mind. They also change their scope a lot too. There are a few reasons the role is not yours today.

1) Your CV didn't get an interview (too expensive/ wrong skills or past clients
2) Your rate was higher than the worst guys but your CV didn't show why.
3) The client has been told that they must spend less on the job so is now testing the market to see what happens.

It can be disheartening sometimes but it's not always the agents fault.

[billybiro]

Very easy to check isn't it you ask another agent to ask whether the PM has received your CV already. ie agent says "PM have you got the CV from X, if you have no probs just checking". I did that once because we weren't sure if it was the same project.

If an agent does this sort of thing he'll lose the client.

So I doubt this happens very often if at all.

The more good candidates an agent can offer the better chance he has. Sure the PM doesn't want to be swamped, but if he is you've no chance anyway.

Define a "prime candidate", if you mean cheap and the agent is taking huge margin he probably won't get his candidate through because he'd be selling sh*te for mega-bucks.

And how will the client ever know?

[Ticktock]

Just recently had an agent wanting to put my CV forward. He was asking what rate I would want and I gave a basic rate, subject to role details, etc. His reply was "no problem, also hiring devs at [rate + 20%]".

A couple of weeks later I find my role advertised by then at about 3/4 of what I quoted, and the dev roles at about 3/4 of what he said.
And on Saturday an email that I wasn't successful in getting an interview. My suspicion is that my CV was used to win him his contract, but he isn't willing to pay market rates and cut into his commission.

[jmo21]

Well it's never happened to me. On one occasion I checked and the CV was put forward, and on most others there was a telephone interview.

Colleagues I've worked with haven't seen this either.

Maybe you're in some niche where it does happen. Certainly doesn't happen a lot.

Well, quite, if u always get an interview, then clearly it can't have happened to you.

They haven't seen this? How would they know unless they asked another agent (assuming here was another one) every time.

Not in a niche, MS development, but yes maybe restricted to that

It is arguably the most common agent trick.

[BlasterBates]

Yep, it does. A lot.

Well it's never happened to me. On one occasion I checked and the CV was put forward, and on most others there was a telephone interview.

Colleagues I've worked with haven't seen this either.

Maybe you're in some niche where it does happen. Certainly doesn't happen a lot.

[jmo21]

Very easy to check isn't it you ask another agent to ask whether the PM has received your CV already. ie agent says "PM have you got the CV from X, if you have no probs just checking". I did that once because we weren't sure if it was the same project.

If an agent does this sort of thing he'll lose the client.

So I doubt this happens very often if at all.

The more good candidates an agent can offer the better chance he has. Sure the PM doesn't want to be swamped, but if he is you've no chance anyway.

Define a "prime candidate", if you mean cheap and the agent is taking huge margin he probably won't get his candidate through because he'd be selling sh*te for mega-bucks.

Yep, it does. A lot.

[BlasterBates]

Incredibly naive to be brutally honest. This is exactly what agents do, especially when there are multiple agencies competing to place someone for a gig.

They keep you off the market for the first round, then have you as a backup if none of their first round of interviewees get picked.

Very easy to check isn't it you ask another agent to ask whether the PM has received your CV already. ie agent says "PM have you got the CV from X, if you have no probs just checking". I did that once because we weren't sure if it was the same project.

If an agent does this sort of thing he'll lose the client.

So I doubt this happens very often if at all.

The more good candidates an agent can offer the better chance he has. Sure the PM doesn't want to be swamped, but if he is you've no chance anyway.

Define a "prime candidate", if you mean cheap and the agent is taking huge margin he probably won't get his candidate through because he'd be selling sh*te for mega-bucks.

[jmo21]

That doen't make sense because you are also their candidate

This doesn't sound like a feasible scenario.

They have more chance of success if they offer more than one candidate, particularly if you are better.

Incredibly naive to be brutally honest. This is exactly what agents do, especially when there are multiple agencies competing to place someone for a gig.

They keep you off the market for the first round, then have you as a backup if none of their first round of interviewees get picked.

[gingerjedi]

That doen't make sense because you are also their candidate

This doesn't sound like a feasible scenario.

They have more chance of success if they offer more than one candidate, particularly if you are better.

It does if it stops you being represented by another agent, it gives their prime candidates a better chance by taking you out of the game.

[raphal]

Do we assume your two contracts in hand didn't come off?

The first agency was after me to ge the contract signed. so couldn't manage to buy more time, signed first agency and told the second one I have accepted another gig.