Reply to: Agencies that want to meet you ?

[TheFaQQer]

Referee has to be line manager, yadda yadda yadda.

The trouble with being managing director and owning the company is that I have no line manager. They can always contact my company secretary for a reference, though.

[perplexed]

I've done this twice at different offices of Hays IT over the years. It wasn't for any particular contract at the time, they just wanted to meet to discuss what I was looking for and to go over my CV.

I wasn't asked for references or any other sales leads. It was just general chatting about what was available and the clients they had that might be interested in my skillset. They said that it would save time if something came in to be filled immediately.

Both times I was on the bench anyway so it was worth doing. I was aware they might try to mine me for contacts but it didn't happen. As it happened, nothing came of it but one of the clients they mentioned was where I got my next contract but through a rival agency.

Hmm. Had Hays guy want to meet me. Wants to pro-actively market me, see, just need to provide my passport and register with them. As in, complete a candidate application form. Not supplying references will result in him being unable to gain information their clients are accustomed to from working with them, see, reduces their options for pro-actively marketing me.

Referee has to be line manager, yadda yadda yadda.

Pencilled it in for Friday, which I'll conveniently cancel due to having an interview. * Depending upon how bored I am, will meet the guy and provide reference details, which will be details of the agency my company was engaged through for last gig... if agency details were good enough ( and indeed, were sought by last client rather than previous client references ) for where I was working, more than good enough for a recruitment consultant...

* May be true, maybe not, who knows?

[oscarose]

Don't go.

[lukemg]

+1 for waste of time.
Back when dinosaurs roamed the earth I stupidly went for one of these meets and was told in no uncertain terms I would not get any kind of contract and he would set me up with the perm team asap.
I was offered 2 contracts the following week....

[GillsMan]

Nah, I was young and intimidated and meekly sent it

I would love it if an agent tried that now

Hahaha, it's funny isn't it? I'd love agents to try some of the crap they pulled when I was a newbie on me now.

[rapid]

Met 6 agencies when contracting in Sydney.. absolute waste of time..

Unless I'm benched and desperate or there's a v.good reason I don't think I would go again..

There's more chance of getting a job by sticking your suit on and networking..

Skype is a good suggestion, just say MyCo has a think green initiative and that includes travelling long distances for unimportant meetings..

[darrylmg]

I normally meet agents before an interview and get taken for a free cup of coffee

Watch out for the free rufees.

[CloudWalker]

I normally meet agents before an interview and get taken for a free cup of coffee

[MyUserName]

Haha, seriously? I hope you told him to do one!

Nah, I was young and intimidated and meekly sent it

I would love it if an agent tried that now

[Eirikur]

I have met agents three times in the past and it never resulted in any contract. It is total a waste of time and money.
One of them (NP group) I met said it's almost 100% sure you will get this contract and blah blah blah. Never heard back about the contract after the meeting, chased the agent several times, didn't have the decency to at least reply to an email and two weeks later the same agency, different pimp, called if they could meet me because they had this fantastic role for which I was an excellent match. Told them to **** off.
If they want to meet, I tell them I can do Skype or phone and nothing else.

[GillsMan]

Once was to go through my experience and explain what the role was about. Then he gave me advice on how to tailor my cv as he knew what the manager looked for, I turned down the interview when I got a different offer. The agent was furious and phoned me up to call me unprofessional and demand I sent an email apologising for the trouble I had caused.

Haha, seriously? I hope you told him to do one!

[Batcher]

I've done this twice at different offices of Hays IT over the years. It wasn't for any particular contract at the time, they just wanted to meet to discuss what I was looking for and to go over my CV.

I wasn't asked for references or any other sales leads. It was just general chatting about what was available and the clients they had that might be interested in my skillset. They said that it would save time if something came in to be filled immediately.

Both times I was on the bench anyway so it was worth doing. I was aware they might try to mine me for contacts but it didn't happen. As it happened, nothing came of it but one of the clients they mentioned was where I got my next contract but through a rival agency.

[MyUserName]

Doubt the agent knew the difference in any case.

Nah, he would not have known. He was very happy that I explained the difference between C# and C++ though!

The technical interviewer spotted my mistake though :-) When I apologised and corrected myself I could see in face I was wasting my time from then on.

[ronanm]

I have had it twice. Both times for permie jobs.

Once was to go through my experience and explain what the role was about. Then he gave me advice on how to tailor my cv as he knew what the manager looked for, I turned down the interview when I got a different offer. The agent was furious and phoned me up to call me unprofessional and demand I sent an email apologising for the trouble I had caused.

The other time was rather a bland chat with generic comments about the role. I proceeded to blow the interview by mixing up the definitions of two asset classes so it did not matter.

Doubt the agent knew the difference in any case.

[MyUserName]

I have had it twice. Both times for permie jobs.

Once was to go through my experience and explain what the role was about. Then he gave me advice on how to tailor my cv as he knew what the manager looked for, I turned down the interview when I got a different offer. The agent was furious and phoned me up to call me unprofessional and demand I sent an email apologising for the trouble I had caused.

The other time was rather a bland chat with generic comments about the role. I proceeded to blow the interview by mixing up the definitions of two asset classes so it did not matter.