Reply to: Help about agents please

[Mailman]

A spiel merchant in other words. Well good for him. He seemed quite pleasant. As did agent junior. He downed at least a bottle of wine and must have been pissed out of his box. But agent junior drove him the 100 miles back to agent HQ. I don't think agent minor earnt much but agent major seemed well heeled. Can't say I'd want to do the job.

Its not a job Id want to do.

I met my man from MSB quite often, had coffee and lunch etc and he was quite open about wanting to know if we knew of anything coming up etc.

What I liked about my last agent was that he was honest about what he wanted. He didnt dress his words up or try and be your friend etc. Pitty most of his kind are so straight up.

Mailman

[itContractJobs]

No reason to panic.
Just keep trying, change the agent and deal with someone who is willing to listen to you. There are nice agents also who will go a step mile further to help you so they can build a relationship with you.


Jabberwocky said it straight out in two words.

[Fungus]

That will be the boss agent who gets a bit of everyone elses commission

I met the boss agent at my previous contract. He took me, another contractor and a junior agent out for a free meal. He was milking us for information on recruitment etc at the client site but it was quite interesting as we learnt a bit of his life story. He said that he was useless at most things but was good at manual labour and at fast talking. A spiel merchant in other words. Well good for him. He seemed quite pleasant. As did agent junior. He downed at least a bottle of wine and must have been pissed out of his box. But agent junior drove him the 100 miles back to agent HQ. I don't think agent minor earnt much but agent major seemed well heeled. Can't say I'd want to do the job.

[privateeye]

Yes who are these trusting souls who think that an agent can be trusted?

That will be the boss agent who gets a bit of everyone elses commission

[Fungus]

Yes who are these trusting souls who think that an agent can be trusted?

And trusted to do what, I wonder?

[Fungus]

Agents are salesman, their relationship is with their margin, they aim to "always be closing", no matter how many you squash another will crawl out from somewhere.

This is all you need to know.

Odd but I agree with the Jockey.

[XLMonkey]

I trust my friends,
I trust my family.

agents are neither. they have to earn it.

[thunderlizard]

All that behaviour is par for the course. I don't reckon it's anything to do with any blacklist.

[Francko]

So who trusts agents?

Be named and shamed.

Would those people trust Berlusconi too?

[Jabberwocky]

Agents are salesman, their relationship is with their margin, they aim to "always be closing", no matter how many you squash another will crawl out from somewhere.

This is all you need to know.

[sasguru]

Aye. This blacklist. Is it cos you is black, innit?

[dazza12]

I am black listed by one agency, however they keep forgetting an phone me up with contract leads.

CSI? I'm apparently on their blacklist but they still call me.

I'd never use that shower of tulipe again.

[Clog II The Avenger]

I am black listed by one agency, however they keep forgetting an phone me up with contract leads.

[Fungus]

Hello all, hoping for some information.

Re: contracting through agents. Does anyone know if agents have a blacklist? For example, if five years ago you were offered a job but turned it down just pre-agreement stage, could you still be on some list that means agents will lead you on and never actually come up with anything??!!

Haven't had to work through an agent for years - always repeat business, but whenever looking for work, the agents in the last five years have come up with nothing; they keep you talking for ages and pump you for information about everyone you've worked for, then find some reason why they don't QUITE think you match the job even if it seems a perfect match..... Or they never call back......... Or they say they'll put your cv forward and then never take another call from you.......

Maybe that's just how agents behave now?? (They didn't in the past when I worked through them) Just feeling a bit paranoid that I've been blacklisted!

The idea of a black list suggests a degree of organisation and cooperative behaviour that is beyond most agents I've met. And anyway, if one agent black listed someone, why would another agent trust the black listing?

All they care about is making money by selling your carcass to a client.

I've not come across the pumping for information business. Usually they try to pursuade me to go for a job that does not interest me. When I say no, they get the hard sell person to ring me.

[privateeye]

Hello all, hoping for some information.

Re: contracting through agents. Does anyone know if agents have a blacklist? For example, if five years ago you were offered a job but turned it down just pre-agreement stage, could you still be on some list that means agents will lead you on and never actually come up with anything??!!

Some will threaten to put you on a blacklist but I doubt it exists, it is just a cruel trick to get someone gullible enough to be bullied into a contract they don't want. You can rest assurred that if there is money to be made they would not care about the past.

Haven't had to work through an agent for years - always repeat business, but whenever looking for work, the agents in the last five years have come up with nothing; they keep you talking for ages and pump you for information about everyone you've worked for, then find some reason why they don't QUITE think you match the job even if it seems a perfect match..... Or they never call back......... Or they say they'll put your cv forward and then never take another call from you.......

I don't give any info unless its relevant to the contract I'm applying for - if I'm right for the gig they would not miss out on the chance of commision because I did not give them any sales leads. Somebody who has a real contract will concentrate on trying to put you forward first.

Maybe that's just how agents behave now?? (They didn't in the past when I worked through them) Just feeling a bit paranoid that I've been blacklisted!

I've actually been part of taking legal action against agents I do a bit of PI and debt collecting on the side - and they still try and get me to contract via them so don't worry about any blacklist. If you are on someones blacklist then they are probably someone that you do not want to work for.

Most recruiters will treat you fairly but unfortunately you have to always tread carefully so you don't get caught out by the ones that don't. Over the years I have built up a list of those I trust and those I don't.