Reply to: Fishing Agents - doing my head in

[Boney M]

One today from our old friends CF.

"So how you finding the market?"

"Who have you interviewed with recently?"

Bless 'em.

qh

CF?

[quackhandle]

One today from our old friends CF.

"So how you finding the market?"

"Who have you interviewed with recently?"

Bless 'em.

qh

[NorthWestPerm2Contr]

Fishing exercises have come down in recent weeks. It seems that now the rates are way too low or very good but highly competitive with little in the middle.

[cojak]

Just tick the opt out button and then withdraw it if you get offered the contract.....

And put 'Fred' and 'Wilma' in the reference section.

[Wanderer]

Their CV upload page looks a bit cheeky to me.

Just tick the opt out button and then withdraw it if you get offered the contract.....

[kal]

Their CV upload page looks a bit cheeky to me.

Just got am email from them, for 2 identical roles, one in London & one in Brum (fishing exercise probably), email asks for CV's along with a 'quote the rate you're looking for' line... time wasters.

[zazou]

Vivid Resourcing one to avoid. Particularly bad for fishing - can often be seen advertising roles with rates so much higher than a typical market rate to be just to good to be true.

Their CV upload page looks a bit cheeky to me.

[Dark Black]

Vivid Resourcing one to avoid. Particularly bad for fishing - can often be seen advertising roles with rates so much higher than a typical market rate to be just to good to be true.

[CheeseSlice]

Indeed, it's almost always guaranteed to be an agent. What annoys me is that they ring you in the middle of the working day and if you answer start reeling off the usual speel with no consideration about whether you can talk or not. Had one out of the blue recently from some wide boy who started banging on about the perfect role he had for me as soon as I answered, when I managed to get a word in to inform him that I was actually in a contract and not looking his next question was 'so where's your current role and what daily rate are you on'... I hung up

Maybe you should do what some others on this board do which is to get another SIM card and insert it in a cheap payG or old phone. Only use that number on your CV and only switch the phone on when looking for roles.

On occasion when the fishing gets really bad I've actually stopped answering the phone to numbers that I dont recognise (either caller withheld or not). I'll just check voicemails and emails once per day and choose the ones I want to respond to. Most timewasters (not all) wont bother leaving a voicemail whereas the agents who are serious will do, so you may get 8 calls and only 1 or 2 leave a message. There's a small risk in missing real roles by doing this but if your primary way of getting contracts is from unadvertised 'agent-calls-you' roles like this, then it can be a good timesaver.

[quackhandle]

"I don't have time to talk now - Goodbye" <clink>

+1. Or my favourite: "I would have expected more professionalism from an agency like yours. Oh well." <click>

qh

[kal]

I only answer unknowns now when I'm looking for a contract.

Indeed, it's almost always guaranteed to be an agent. What annoys me is that they ring you in the middle of the working day and if you answer start reeling off the usual speel with no consideration about whether you can talk or not. Had one out of the blue recently from some wide boy who started banging on about the perfect role he had for me as soon as I answered, when I managed to get a word in to inform him that I was actually in a contract and not looking his next question was 'so where's your current role and what daily rate are you on'... I hung up

[jmo21]

Nice idea, I'd do it too were it not for the fact that most of my income for the last 5 or 10 years has come from agents with "Unknown" as the calling number.

I only answer unknowns now when I'm looking for a contract.

[expat]

I find that more and more calls I get from agents come up as Unknown or Private Number these days, I never answer those types of calls...

Nice idea, I'd do it too were it not for the fact that most of my income for the last 5 or 10 years has come from agents with "Unknown" as the calling number.

[kal]

+1

Had to do this with one yesterday. Only way I'll remember to not pick up.

I find that more and more calls I get from agents come up as Unknown or Private Number these days, I never answer those types of calls...

[CheeseSlice]

I have actually black listen that agent and added him as a contact named "Time waster agent".

+1

Had to do this with one yesterday. Only way I'll remember to not pick up.